Author Archives: Mary Barnes

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A Proposal for Safety Strips Astoria of Decades of Traditions

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Hell Gate w: Barge

The Hell Gate Bridge stretches from Astoria, Queens to Randalls and Wards Islands.

On any given morning, residents flock to Astoria Park to begin their day. Joggers put on their running shoes and take in the brisk air as they make their way down the sidewalk on Shore Boulevard. Toddlers strapped in their strollers enjoy the site of the barges making their way down the East River and under the Hell Gate Bridge. A dozen dogs of all sizes run through the grass playing with each other. One dog runs towards the street chasing a speeding car, driven by a man who is running late for work.

Soon the man driving that car may need to change his routine. In August of 2015 Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas wrote a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), proposing to close Shore Boulevard to all through traffic, with the exception of emergency vehicles, due to the amount of vehicle related accidents that have occurred over the decades, as well has noise violations coming from the busy street. Residents who utilize the 1.1-mile stretch of road oppose the proposal, claiming it will take away from the traditions of Astoria residents.

“The truth is that many residents take their families over there to enjoy the waterfront view,” Peter Argyris, creator of a petition against the assemblywoman’s proposal, writes on his change.org page. “This is a tradition that has been happening for generations.” Argyris’ petition, titled “We Say No to Banning Cars on Shore Boulevard at Astoria Park” has over one thousand signatures.

“We all have memories of driving down Shore Boulevard,” Says another resident, Sal Feola, Jr., who feels closing the road will ruin the Astoria tradition. On weekends and days off, the local teenagers and young adults would drive down to Astoria Park and hang out by the river.

 

A Proposal to Make Shore Boulevard a Safer Place

Assemblywoman Simotas’ proposal is not the first to address the problems of Shore Boulevard. A representative for the Queens Community Board 1 stated that in the 1980s the DOT and community leaders did a walk-about of Short Boulevard in an attempt to find a solution to the traffic issues. At that time, the DOT decided the best solution to the speeding would be to add speed bumps along the road, running from Ditmars Boulevard to Astoria Park South.

Pedestrian and Bike Lane along Shore Blvd.

A pedestrian and bicycle lane runs parallel to Shore Boulevard through Astoria Park.

“What it really should be is a pedestrian walkway,” Simotas told DNAinfo.com. “There would be a lot more people who could utilize and enjoy that area.”

Though the petition does call for a closing of Shore Boulevard to all vehicular traffic, other variations are being considered, according to Queens Community Board 1. One suggested alternative would change the road from a two-way street to a one-way with a bicycle lane.

 

Death and Disaster in Astoria Park

According to the New York Police Department’s 114th Precinct, between August 2011 and June 2015, 18 traffic accidents occurred on Shore Boulevard, four of which caused injury. One such accident occurred in April 2014 near 20th Avenue, when an SUV carrying four plowed through a brick wall, plunging into the East River at around 4:00 A.M. All passengers escaped with minor injuries.

Betty Jean Memorial

A memorial to Betty Jean Diblasio at the site of her death remains displayed to this day.

Betty Jean Diblasio was not so lucky. A driver ran a stop sign at Ditmars Boulevard, killing the 21-year-old this past June. The driver fled the scene, turning himself in the next day.

 

A “Nightclub” to Many

The straight stretch of road connecting two main roads is not only a haven for speeding drivers and drag racing motorcyclists, but also for late night partygoers.

Local residents describe Shore Boulevard as a “nightclub,” where people flock at all hours of the night into the early morning to dance, drink, smoke pot and blast music from their cars.

Fisherman at Hell Gate

Fisherman enjoy midday activities at Shore Boulevard, while a local Police Officer from the 114th Precinct patrols the area.

“There has always been a noise issue at Astoria Park,” long-time resident Michael DeSimini says. He recalls times during his teenage years when he and his friends would drive down to Shore Boulevard. “We would hang out there until two or three in the morning sometimes.” As a teenager, DeSimini enjoyed the times he spent with friends by the East River, but now as an adult, he realizes the problems that it causes. “Its an annoyance to the older residence and does cause a safety issue,” he says.

Due to its secluded location between and beyond the Hell Gate and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridges, the area is a haven for nighttime festivities. The noise problem was addressed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his “Operation Silent Night” program, which started in late 2002.  The program, as described in a press release, was implemented “to combat loud and excessive noise.” The program targeted 24 areas throughout the five boroughs that were deemed “plagued by chronic and disruptive problems like noise.”

 

Opposition Despite the Complaints and Agreement Despite the Traditions

Despite the traffic and noise complaints of many residents, the proposal to close Shore Boulevard was met with much opposition. The petition created by Peter Argyris says that if the proposal to close the road is passed, it will “ruin…tradition and decrease the quality of life in the neighborhoods.”

The Two-Way Lanes on Shore Blvd

Shore Boulevard provides easy access to view from the East River.

Sal Feola, Jr. shares Argyris’ point-of-view, saying that closing Shore Boulevard will take away from the appeal of Astoria Park.

“I like driving on Shore Boulevard,” Feola, Jr. says. “If I am going to visit the waterfront, I am going to drive there.” He believes that closing the roadway would make viewing the roadway inconvenient. “It’s part of life in Astoria.”

Michael DeSimini, however, feels that despite these traditions, closing Shore Boulevard will benefit the community. He agrees that driving down to Shore Boulevard is a part of life in Astoria but that the well-being of the community is more important.

“There are so many accidents there and the kids hanging out drinking and doing drugs just creates an unsafe environment,” DeSimini says. Closing Shore Boulevard, in his opinion, is a crucial step to improving the quality of life in Astoria. “I know a lot of people would feel better living here if they didn’t have to worry about being struck by a drunk driver after their evening run.”

 

Discussion Arises Amongst Residents and Officials

After drafting his petition against the assemblywoman’s proposal, Peter Argyris received a letter from Simotas, requesting a meeting to discuss his concerns of her proposal. Shortly after, Planning Board 1 member Tony Meloni wrote an open letter on givemeastoria.com supporting Argyris’ petition.

Police Patrol Shore Blvd. Near the Hell Gate

Police Officers regularly patrol Shore Boulevard.

“Probably 80% or the people who come to visit Astoria Park and Shore Boulevard …come by car,” Meloni’s letter reads. He claims the reasoning behind the proposed closure are “nonsensical,” stating that the drag racing, crime and noise issues are minimal and are not cause for concern.” He goes on to argue that closing that stretch of road because of noise pollution would just move the issues to the nearby residential streets.  He ends his letter by saying “please leave our ‘Miracle Mile’… alone.”

 

The Finalized Decision

Meloni’s letter and Argyris’ petition were part of the discussion held at the Town Hall Meeting in late October of 2015. Assemblywoman Simotas, along with Councilman Costa Constantinides and the State DOT ran the meeting to discuss the proposal.

RFK Triboro

A view of Manhattan and the Robert F. Kennedy Triboro Bridge from Shore Boulevard.

After the meeting, Argyris’ posted an update to his change.org petition, stating “it was unanimously decided… that Shore Boulevard will not close.” He was invited to speak at the Astoria Civic Association Meeting that was held in November, where he presented the final updated petition to the Commissioner of the DOT, Polly Trottenberg.

According to Argyris’ petition, Commissioner Trottenberg declared that there are no plans to close Shore Boulevard and that the DOT will continue to look into enhancing safety issue in the area.

Astoria Conflict Story- 2 Paragraphs.

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On any given morning, Astoria residents flock to Astoria Park to begin their day. Joggers put on their running shoes and take in the brisk air as they make their way down the sidewalk on Shore Boulevard. Toddlers strapped in their strollers enjoy the site of the barges making their way down the East River and under the Hell Gate Bridge. A dozen dogs of all sizes run through the grass playing with each other. One dog runs towards the street chasing a speeding car, driven by a man who is running late for work.

This is a part of daily life for the local residents, but soon the man driving that car may need to change his routine. In August of 2015 Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas proposed to close Shore Boulevard to through traffic due to the amount of vehicle related accidents that have occurred over the decades, as well has noise violations coming from the busy street Residents who utilize the 1.1-mile stretch of road oppose the proposal, claiming that closing it will take away from the traditions of Astoria residents.

American Girl

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What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates’s profile?

Growing up black in South Side. How blackness is a social construct.

Is there an overarching narrative?

Though the article speaks largely of Michelle Obama, it is also about all black residents of south side that grew up like Obama. It takes the idea that all black people grew up impoverished with both parents working and struggling and presents us with an alternative truth, black people growing up in “normal” homes, with a working father and stay at home mother. It presents us with a break in the stereotype.

What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama?

Coates says the he “took her as white” when he saw her in person.

How does Coates contextualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

Michelle grew up in an area where blackness wasn’t a culture, whereas he did. The part of Chicago that Obama is from was mainly black. Many households had one working father and a stay at home mother. They never felt “blackness” until later in life, when they left South Side. Coates grew up in Baltimore, an area that was more integrated between black and white, which made him and others in the area aware of their race and black was viewed more as a culture.

 

Battle in Black and White

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The more recent story relates to Fox’s piece in that they are both covering similar issues in the same apartment complex. In Fox’s piece, she focuses on MetLife’s reluctancy to integrate the StuyTown apartments and the battle that ensued from residents who were in support of the integration. In the more recent piece, Bagli speaks of those apartments and the changes that would force out the middle-class for higher prices. The battles are similar in that they reflect a major social issue: integration of the apartments in the 1950s and the reservation of affordable housing today. Fox also mentions the current issues at StuyTown in her piece.

Supernova Outshines the Competition

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SupernovaShe enters her shop everyday at noon, by unlocking the steel door located in the middle of the building’s brick façade. As she opens the door, the sound of bubbling water from the fish tank fills her ears. The koi fish in the tank mimic the Japanese style drawings pinned to the wall in the nearby work station. She takes a seat behind the desk and gets ready. It’s time to tattoo.

Andreana Verona opened Supernova in 2004. Since then, her business has become one of the most successful tattoo shops in Astoria, New York. The success of the shop came from long working hours, good craftsmanship and luck, according to Verona.

Verona moved to New York from Puerto Rico 17 years ago after being offered a job at a local shop when she was in town for a tattoo convention. “I met my future New York boss… and he offered for me to come work in one of his shops.” After September 11, he decided to close his shop, located on 28th Avenue and 25th Street. Verona and her then partner decided to re-open the business under a different name.

“[The transition] was pretty smooth because it was already an old and established shop.” Verona recalls re-opening the old shop under a different name. “I think finding a name for a business is the most difficult thing to do.” After being shown prints of how supernovas form, Verona found the inspiration for the name of her shop. “Not being American, I didn’t feel like having a complete American or English name.” She felt the word supernova was neutral with a Latin feel. “I thought maybe it could be cool.”

For Verona, becoming a neighborhood establishment came easily. “I was always there and people liked what I was doing. It was pretty smooth sailing,” she says. She worked twelve hour days, five days a week, to ensure the success of her business. Supernova was one of three tattoo shops opened in that area at the time and starting off was easy, especially since the clientele from the previous shop followed her there. “That is how I established it,” she says. [I] never even did advertising.”  Verona pays for a Yelp page and has features in the local Boro Magazine to promote the shop, but does not go further than that. As for social media “I am…not that active. I always forget. I should use it more,” she explains.

Most of Supernova’s clients, like Julie Pasture, are referred to the tattoo shop through word of mouth. “I heard [about Supernova] through a friend of mine,” Pasture says. “She went to get a tattoo there once and recommended it when I asked her.” Although she did not receive a tattoo from Verona, Pasture was very pleased with the work former Supernova tattooist, Leo Bulldog, had done. “Their work is great. The tattoo is done well,” she says of her tattoo. “They have amazing artists. It’s well worth the price of the tattoo.” Pasture’s tattoo on her ankle cost her $125.

Julie Pasture's tattoo, done by artist Leo Bulldog at Supernova.

Julie Pasture’s tattoo, done by artist Leo Bulldog at Supernova.

Supernova charges a minimum of $80 for a tattoo. The minimum a shop charges usually covers the cost of the new needle they will use. For smaller tattoos, such as Pasture’s, the artist will determine a price based on the location of the tattoo, as well as the size and intricacy of the tattoo.

For larger pieces, customers pay $200 an hour. On average, Verona’s larger pieces are completed in three to four hours.

Currently, Supernova only has one artist other than Verona, a tattooist named Andre. “I am encountering problems now,” Verona voiced. “It’s not easy to be a boss. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean [they] can do whatever…they want.” Being a female tattooist posed difficulties for Verona as she tried to establish herself. “Being a woman, it takes a lot of patience and thick skin.” She states that many of the men she worked with would make sexual advances towards her during her time working with her, and it has made it hard for her to find artists to work for her.

Tattooing is considered to be a male dominated trade, making it difficult for women to succeed.  “While there are many more women working in and running shops than there were even 20 years ago,” Margot Mifflin, author of Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo, says “It can still be hard for them to get equal treatment in terms of promotion or respect, and some feel uncomfortable at conventions because of the overt sexism on display there.”  Verona’s experiences mimic those of other female tattooists over the years.

Despite these stereotypes of female tattooists, Verona is able to run a successful tattoo shop with loyal clientele but getting new clients proves challenging. “There are a lot of shops opening up, some good, most of them are really bad and we have a lot less work here.” She does not let competition stifle her. “I try not to look at what other people do because it can ignite problems.”

Supernova was recently named one of the best tattoo shops in New York City by CBS. Verona makes sure she hires artists that are all experts in their perspective style of tattooing, giving the shop more of a variety to please clients. “I try to always have artists here who wont step on each other’s toes,” She said. “What I do is more realistic and black and gray, and I like geometric I like details and dot work. Andre likes more Japanese, more traditional Americana, old school.”

(Neighborhood Faces) An Immigrant Who Never Intended to Stay

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He came to New York City believing the streets were paved with gold and opportunity waited for all.

The year was 1950. He stepped off the train from Baltimore and looked around at the bustle of the crowded train station—he had finally made it to New York. He walked through the station towards an employee, and in broken English, he asked for directions to Coney Island. The uniformed man scoffed, looking down at the 16-year-old Italian boy. To get to Coney Island, he chuckled, you to get to New York first. The boy gave him a puzzled glance.

Salvatore Feola, thought this was New York. He followed the man’s pointed finger and saw a sign reading “Newark Pennsylvania Station.” The boy grudgingly walked back to the platform to await his train.

He never intended to move to America. One untimely decision changed his life.

Feola was one of 12,454 Italians to immigrate to America in 1950, but he didn’t have the same intentions as many of his counterparts in search of a new life.

Feola’s first moments in America, originally settling in Coney Island, were wrought with challenges to assimilate.

“It was lousy,” Feola said, raising his arms up and shrugging.

“I was working on the boat inside the kitchen helping the chef,” Feola said.

He worked on a container ship that made multiple trips between Italy and America, docking in Norfolk, Virginia.

Salvatore Feola in his Astoria Apartment

Salvatore Feola in his Astoria Apartment

Immigration officers interviewed the crew, granting shore-leave, a pass allowing crew members to venture onto dry land, instead of staying aboard the ship, to a few of the workers.

“They come on the boat and ask if you would like to live in America. I say no, I want to go home to my mother in Italy. So they give me pass to leave the boat for a few hours,” said Feola.

He stepped ashore with a friend from the ship and walked around town for a few hours. When they arrived at the dock, they saw the ship had already departed; they were stuck in America.

After an exhausting bus ride to Baltimore, a train ride to Newark, a second train ride to New York City and a subway ride to Coney Island, Feola made it to his friend’s house, where he slept on a dirty, bare mattress.

“He was a stinking drunk. The place smelled,” he recalled.

Soon after, he moved in with his uncle in Corona, Queens. Feola struggled to find a job. “Nobody will hire you with no working papers and not speaking English,” Feola said. He eventually found work at the former Silvercup Bread Company, now a movie studio in Queens.

Feola spent years living in small houses, sharing a room with five or six other Italian immigrants. He wanted nothing more than to go home to his family, but going back on his own was not something he would do easily.

“I didn’t want to go back with no money. I leave here with less than what I came with. I was ashamed.” The only feasible way home was deportation.

“Every week the immigration officers came to the house with the picture of the guy [they were looking for] and I would go get him and tell him the officer was there.”

DSCN3847Every time the door bell rang, Feola would hope it would be for him but it never was. “I always go to the room and put my pants on and get my stuff and the officer look at me and say ‘what’re you doing, we’re not here for you.’ I kept waiting but it was never for me.”

Feola, desperate and longing for home, traveled to the INS office to turn himself in. He told the officers that he had been living in New York illegally, but to no avail.

“They give me a piece of paper and they tell me to go home and when the officers come for me to give to them.” They never came.

His oldest daughter, Ginny, said Feola always struggled in New York. “It was never easy for him here. He was homesick, didn’t speak English. He was just a kid at the time. The years of work really took a toll on him.”

After years struggling in America, trying to get deported Feola found his reason to stay: his wife, Mary. She lived across the street from him and shortly after meeting, they married. “I moved in with Mary and her aunt Kate, who helped me to pay the bills.”  Salvatore was now a citizen of the United States.

Feola bounced from job to job to help make ends meet. Because of the difficulties he faced in attaining a full-time, steady job, he decided to open his own business. Using the money he saved from his previous jobs, a small bank loan and an offer from the seller of a small store and two-story private house, he moved his family to Astoria and opened “Sal’s Pizza.”

“The guy who owned it liked me was selling his house with a store, he offered it to me for only $15,000 upfront and I could pay the rest to him little each month.” With that, Feola was a business and home owner, and the family moved to Astoria.

The "Sal's Pizza" sign is still mounted outside of the store. The new store owners leave it mounted out of respect for the former business.

The “Sal’s Pizza” sign is still mounted outside of the store. The new store owners leave it mounted out of respect for the former business.

His other daughter, Cathy, remembers her father working hard to provide for the family. “It was apparent he was never very happy living in America. He would always talk about how things were in Italy. We all knew he wanted to go back.” Cathy says she and her siblings were the only thing keeping Feola in America. He didn’t want to leave the family he had here.

“The house took a long time to pay off but it was worth it. I am still here. I have a place to live here. I own something,” Feola says. After living in Astoria for 41 years, he achieved the American dream. He had a business, a house, and a family, but it still wasn’t home. He still longed for Italy.  “It will always be my home. If I could go back in time, I would not get off that ship.” Since then, Feola has traveled back to Italy to visit his siblings, but always returns back to New York, where his children and granddaughter reside.

Conflict Proposal: Astoria

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A major conflict in Astoria is the proposal to close Shore Boulevard to through traffic. Shore Boulevard runs along the waterfront next to Astoria Park on the north-western side of Astoria. Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas proposed the closure earlier this year, and has received a mixed response from local residents.

Many feel that the boulevard should remain open, as it is a major road that many people travel to and from work on a daily basis and one of the main roads. Others feel that the road should be closed to allow for more pedestrians and bicyclists to ride along the shore that is next to the park. Astoria Park is a popular destination for runners, cyclists and dog-walkers.

There have been many traffic accidents along this stretch of road over the past few decades. More recently there have been two accidents caused by speeding pedestrians, where cars have driven off the road into the river. Many accidents have resulted in deaths of car passengers and pedestrians.

One local resident has started a petition against the proposal that has over a thousand supporters. The petition became so noticeable that Assemblywoman Simotas reached out to the resident for a conference about the proposal.

Alternatives to Assemblywoman Simotas’ proposal have been suggested, such as only closing half of the road, making a lane for cyclists, and changing the roadway to a one-way street, rather than a two-way street.

I want to learn more about the proposal and the feelings of those who live in the area, as well as how local business owners feels about the closing of the road and if they feel it will hurt business if a main road is closed down.

 

Liebling

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Liebling’s “Back From Where I Came From” can be described as a love letter to New York. He uses description of New York to show this. Through his slight criticism of people and places other than New York,it is obvious that he has a fondness of the city he grew up in.  Further, he says that there is nothing better than New York and the people who live here. He profiles various New Yorkers, showing their diversity and individualism.