From the NY Times:The Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, a short walk from the Woodhaven Boulevard stop on the R, V or G train, has 70 stores, including most major chains, and is anchored by Macy’s and J. C. Penney. But it is also a microcosm of its surrounding borough, one of the most diverse places in the country: Colombian teenagers bump up against elderly Chinese, Indian women in saris shuffle past Filipino toddlers. The mall offers translation in nearly 50 languages. And what other mall allows for a nosh on empanadas, Italian ices or halal food just outside the air-conditioning?
Yes, go to the mall for the empanada truck outside and the chain stores inside. It's funny but you read this and say, "Gee, this diverse mix of people is shopping in the same place, but it doesn't sound like they're interacting with each other much." So, in that sense, yes, the mall is a microcosm of its surrounding borough.
Seriously, it's time for these papers to find another angle on their reporting of Queens. This one is sooooo 1980s.
21 comments:
I can't wait to die and go to hell. So vibrant! So diverse! Saris, tacos, Italian ices.
That's funny, an atheist who doesn't believe in God, but believes in hell. It does take all kinds to make the world go round!
George....hell ain't that bad.
There's an old Belle Barth line.
She was an old Jewish comedian doing her gig in Florida in the 60s.
"Hell isn't so bad. The Jews got here first and air conditioned the place".
WTF does the New York Times know about shit anyway?
They weren't happy with their classy old building so they went and spent a jillion dollars to build a new one south of 42 Street
Now they're on the express track to going bust.
Their grand old empire is crumbling and they're about to fold their tent and go belly up.
First the "old gray lady" went to full color publishing in order to keep pace with their competition.
Then they reduced their page size and now they're as thin as if they successfully completed a weight loss program at Jenny Craig.
But they've still got the balls to charge an outlandish price for their pretentious daily rag.
The cyber news age will bury that dinosaur first and the other paper/pulp rags will follow them to the grave.
LONG LIVE "QUEENS CRAP"!
Yes, it might be sooo 1980s, but their image of Queens is 1970s (Archie Bunker), their politics is 1930s (Roosevelt) and they hold us to the template of the Lower East Side (1900s)
Take a look at our leadership - old and living in the past (Vicki, Claire, Gary), or two bit punks that are products of the system and not very bright ("Honest Joe", "Dicky" Katz's mom, the Doorman, etc)
Well guys statistics say this---virtually half of all Queens residents were not born in the USA. Why is diverse such a curse here? It is what it is....
"Well guys statistics say this..."
This means what exactly? The state of the borough suggests that diversity may not be all its cracked up to be.
And if diversity is so great, why do services in the areas that are becoming more diverse deccreasing and they are getting shabbier and more hollowed out by the day, while money is being pumped into areas that are getting less diverse like where the Tower People live in LIC?
Because, dear boy, the Emperor has no clothes and we need to call an immigrant slum (where even they dont want to live) an exciting place.
Then we should insist that Manhattan south of 96th St should share in the fun.
How about some stucco immigrant barracks on Pinapple Street in Brooklyn Heights?
Afterall, they designed it, they financed it, they own it, then it should be in their backyard too!
After not setting foot in Queens Center Mall for 3 years, I had to make a visit to TWC store to switch a box. I was surprised that the mall was so clean and safe. They must have beefed up the security and chased the thugs out. I see they have security cameras on Queens Blvd and a cop car parked right in front of the mall. Good job.
The bigots here sure got riled up over a harmless article about the Queens Mall!
This is funny. I have not stepped foot in that mall in more than a year. It is a zoo.....a diverse zoo. Hate it!
I've asked this before and I'll ask it again - is it the cliche you all object to or is it vibrance and diversity?
"This means what exactly? The state of the borough suggests that diversity may not be all its cracked up to be."
"Diversity" is merely the current situation to be put up with, not something to be touted by the press. It's no big deal; it's diverse, but also noisy and filthy.
I don't know about you guys, but I would say Queens Center mall is the best mall in the Ny are. It also makes the most money per square foot of any mall in America.
It's kind of funny to read how the New York Times covers the residents of Queens with the same journalistic distance as they would an Amish town in PA, or a Afghan village. Queens -- it's different! It's quaint! Who knew?
The bigots here sure got riled up over a harmless article about the Queens Mall!
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No, we are tired of put downs like you, and have decided to say enough is enough. Just about every other boro (except S I) is diverse as Queens, and they don't endlessly harp on it ad nausim.
After a few decades of the same Diverse! Immigrant! Vibrant! its about time you try the other million words of the English language.
Go ahead. Its fun.
Diverse, vibrant, bustling, etc. are some of the euphemisms used for neighborhoods that aren't quite up to par...maybe even red-lined!
For example...do you want to raise a family in MS#13's Corona?
Not unless the conditions you fled in El Salvador were worse!
"Vibrant and diverse" is better than "Dead and plain"
Personally I would rather read: orderly, prosperous, well-maintained, none of which apply to Queens any more, although they did in my youth.
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