Author Archives: Mary Barnes
Small Business Proposal
The small business in Astoria that I would like to cover is Supernova Tattoo. The shop opened in 2004 and is run by Andreana Verona, a tattooist from Italy. The shop is located in the Ditmars area of Astoria, off Steinway Street.
Verona traveled around the world, picking up tattooing skills from various artists and honing her skills. She has been tattooing since 1992 and has worked in some of the most prestigious shops in Italy, Madrid and Puerto Rico.
Verona hires other experienced tattooists to work in her shop, most of them have their own clientele. Some of her current and past artists are Andre Juliani, Mauro Landim and LeoBulldog. Guest tattooists also travel in from other shops to work out of Supernova.
Supernova was voted one of the top tattoo shops in Queens by the locals. It was also mentioned by CBS as one of the best shops in New York City. Most of their cliental have found them through recommendations of other clients. Many of them are repeat clients.
Protected: “American Dream” is not a dream for Italian immigrant
Joe Gould
I believe the term “high-life low-life” fits Joe Gould very well. He was definitely a “low-life” in that he was homeless, lived off of handouts and his diet consisted mainly of ketchup. Many people would probably look down at him as a vagrant at first glance. Despite this, Gould’s life was anything but low. Coming from a well-to-do family in the outskirts of Boston and being Harvard educated, Gould had intelligence and a unique few of the world. His eccentricities and aversion to money and physically possessions makes him more of a “high-life”. He sees the world in a different way than most would. Life for him was not about monetary values, but about experience.
Mitchell portrayed him in this “high-life low-life” way, showing us what Gould valued in his life other than money. Despite being homeless, Gould kept company with some of New York’s most successful and famous people, going to upscale parties quite frequently, adding to his “high-life” qualities. To those attending these parties and seeing him for the first time, he may seem a “low-life” when he begins reciting poems in “seagull” and flapping his arms about. Mitchell wrote that those at the party often came to enjoy Gould’s company by the end of the day. The story of Joe Gould shows us the value and life he had as a human being, not as a homeless man without a dime to his name.
Invisible Children
I think Elliott did an excellent job of profiling Dasani. Her last name was omitted for her protection, as she is not only homeless but a minor. The story was long, but was necessary to fully show the dimensions of this young girl and her family. If Elliott had added in more information on politics and policy, it would take the focus away from Dasani. I believe it did become a caricature of a more complex issue. By focusing solely on one person’s story, the reader is able to get a greater understanding of what goes on in the life of the homeless. By focusing on Dasani, we get a broader picture of what other homeless people’s lives are like. I personally began to think about what talents others may have that aren’t fully used because of the circumstances of homelessness.
Elliot really shone a light into the life of a person who otherwise would have been ignored. As the title of her feature suggests, homeless children are often not thought about in society but are a major part of homelessness. This feature gave us a detailed look into not only the living conditions but the talents and hope of this young girl. It allowed us to see homeless people as just that. Homeless has a large stigma and people who are homeless are generally categorized as that, and not by any talents they may have. It was refreshing to see Elliott show these sides of Dasani and her family instead of focusing on the homelessness.
Protected: Neighborhood Profiles Draft: Astoria
Protected: Lead for Faces Query
Backgrounder- Astoria, NY
Location & Borders
Astoria, New York is located in the north western corner of the borough of Queens. It is bordered by the East River on the western and northern sides. It borders Woodside, NY at 50th street on the western side and Northern Boulevard, Jackson Heights on the southern side. Some parts of Astoria are considered Long Island City. The part of Astoria bordering the East River is considered “Old Astoria.”
Demographics
The population of Astoria according the the 2010 US Census is 78,793. This shows an 11.6% decrease from 2000. Old Astoria has a recorded population of 27,814, a 3.6% decrease. According to the American Community Survey, the most recent population is 126,072. Of that, 61,811 were males and 64,261 were females. 13.2% of people living in Astoria are between the ages of 25 and 29, the highest percentage on the chart. The second highest was ages 30 to 34 with 10.9% and third was 35 to 39 with 8.5%. Astoria is 61.9% white, 9.3% black, 14.6% Asian, and 14.3% other races. According to Queens Community Board 1, Astoria is the most ethnically diverse community in NYC with 118 different nationalities and a high number of immigrants. The two largest ethnic groups in Astoria are Greeks (8.8%) and Italians (10.3%).
Crime Statistics
Astoria is rated 121 on the Crime Risk Scale. The average in the United States is 100. The risk of murder is 138, rape is 85 and robbery is 297. According to Police Records, the year to date number of murders for 2015 is 6, rape is 11, robbery is 148 and grand larceny is 465. These are all decreased numbers from the year 2010. The crime rates in Astoria are lower than the Queens Borough average. The number of murders per thousand residents is 0.004932 in Astoria, and 0.007060 in Queens. Robbery is at 0.1282 in Astoria and 0.1407 in Queens. Felony assault in Astoria is 0.1430 and Queens is 0.1669.
Current Hot Button Issues
Astoria is home to Kaufman Astoria Studios, formerly known as Paramount Movie Studios. A project is in the works to expand the movie studio. Kaufman Astoria is located off of Steinway street near Long Island City.
In Old Astoria, a long time issue is being faced at the waterfront. A local Assemblywoman has proposed closing Shore Boulevard to vehicular traffic, stirring up the local community with support and opposition.
Also in Old Astoria, the diving pool at the park is being transformed into a performance space. This also has gotten its fair share of opposition and support.
Community Leaders & Organizations
Astoria and Old Astoria are serviced by the Queens Community Board 1. This board also serves Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ditmars, Ravenswood, Steinway, Garden Bay and Woodside. They are located at 45-02 Ditmars Boulevard, Suite LL 125. The chairperson of the board in Vinicio Donato. The manager is Lucille Hartmann. Their meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm.
The Greater Astoria Historical Society is located at 35-20 Broadway on the 4th floor. Other notable resources are the Astoria Park Alliance and the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association.
Police Department Information
Astoria is patrolled by the 114th Precinct of the New York Police Department. The community affairs office number is 718-626-9327.
Housing
There are 58,500 housing units in Astoria. 82% of those are rentals. This is higher than the rental rate in Queens as a whole (55.5%) and New York City (77.4%).
Education
40.2% of Astoria residents aged 25 and older hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.
Financial & Employment Data
According to the American Community Survey, the average income of Astoria residents is $63, 645. The median income is $51,988. This median income is higher than the average in NYC as a whole ($51,865) and Queens overall ($56,780). This shows a 36% increase from 2000 and a 2% increase from 2010. The survey also shows that 68,476 residents are employed and the unemployment rate is 9.6%, lower than the Queens average. Astoria has a 73.1% labor force participation rate.
12.5% of employed Astoria residents work in food service or accommodation. 10.2% work in health care or social assistance. 9.9% work in retail and 9.7% are in professional, scientific or technical service. The average commute to work is 36 minutes, compared to the average 42 minutes for the rest of Queens. Astoria residents are also a third more likely to rely on public transportation to get to work.
Neighborhood Profile Proposal
Salvatore Feola has been a resident of Astoria, NY since the 1950s when he immigrated to Astoria from Naples, Italy at the age of 16. The oldest of thirteen children, he had dropped out of school eight years old to begin working, providing for his growing family. He left Italy for America in hopes of attaining the American Dream. Throughout his hometown, rumors swirled of the wonders New York City holds for immigrants. The streets were paved with gold. Salvatore was disappointed when New York was nothing like he had heard. He moved to Astoria where he lived with other Italian immigrants who taught him English and found employment.
He worked at pizzeria for a while and eventually opened his own pizzeria in the 1970s. His business was a booming success, and the neighborhood families recall his pizza being the best they’d ever had. He didn’t let the success of his business thwart his work ethic. Every day, he opened the store at 5am and closed at 10pm, even on holidays. After the death of his wife to breast cancer and a heart attack, Salvatore decided to close his business and retire in 1993.
I chose Salvatore for this article because his experiences tell the story of most immigrants from the 1950s who came to America for success. I would love to learn how he overcame the challenges he faced and how he became as successful as he was. I would also love to learn how Astoria has changed in the past 60 years from the perspective of someone who came here with a visions of gold and fortune.
2 Jobs At The Sugar Factory and a Lump In the Throat
Does the writer give us more than Robert Shelton’s personal history?
- Yee gave us a look into Robert Shelton’s personal history, but also into the history of the Domino’s Sugar, the factory and the lives of others who had worked there in the past. She also delved into Shelton’s personal feelings about the factory and about his life.
Describe the narrative of this profile, the arc of the story.
- The narrative starts discussing Robert Shelton in the present at the factory. As the article goes on, it begins to talk about Shelton’s past and what it was like working at the factory. It then continues on chronologically through the history of the factory and the life of Shelton until we are brought back to the present day.
What do you think of the lead?
- I think the lead was excellent. To me, it read like the opening of a novel and held my attention. It did a great job of introducing the story and giving the reader a look into the history of the person the article covered.
Where is the nut graf?
- The nut graf is in the second and third paragraphs where Yee mentions what the Domino’s factory is now, the Sphinx and the sculpture by Walker.
What about the author’s point-of-view?
- The author’s point-of-view seems to be positive. The way she describes the factory and Shelton’s memories of the factory seem to be put in a positive light. She focuses on the good things that were experienced. In speaking about the heat Shelton worked in, it is made to seem like it was a wonderful thing, whereas others would describe how miserable working in such high temperatures would be. That shows the positive angle the story takes.