By Steve Mosco
New York City is the entertainment capital of the country. Few can argue that another city has had more of an impact on music, movies, nightlife, theater and food.
The majority of that acclaim is constantly directed toward Manhattan. Sure, Brooklyn has gotten a few nods of approval in recent years, but historically one borough in particular has rarely garnered any real attention for its contribution to the arts.
But change is on the horizon. In fact, change is here. Queens has raised its profile in the arts and entertainment industries by leaps and bounds in recent years with a slew of high-profile drawing cards.
The borough got a major boost in 2010 when Resorts World Casino New York City opened its doors in South Ozone Park. The site of Aqueduct Racetrack sat crumbling on Rockaway Boulevard for years, with barely a hint of its past glory even modestly detectable. After numerous development starts and stops, Malaysian gaming giant Genting built a first-class casino and entertainment destination in south Queens.
When Resorts World celebrated its one-year anniversary in October, officials announced it had emerged as the single largest slot revenue gaming property in the country, generating close to $650 million in revenue in 12 months, outpacing slots at Atlantic City in New Jersey and Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Aside from the gross gaming revenues generated since it opened, Resorts World has sent more than $445 million in tax revenue to the state, with more than $286 million of that going directly to the state’s education fund.
And what is good for the state is good for Queens.
“We are confident that as we continue enhancing our gaming and entertainment offerings for the next year, the Queens community and New York state will continue to be the big winners at Resorts World Casino, with record revenues for education and the horse racing industry,” said Michael Speller, president of Resorts World Casino New York City.
And from the end of May through Nov. 17, Resorts World will host the East Coast Car Association Tuesday Cruise Night and Car Show every Tuesday in the casino’s VIP parking lot. Guests will get to see more than 60 custom cars and contribute to the Toys for Tots drive for St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children in Bayside.
Casino officials promise more concerts and events in the coming year, giving visitors a chance to indulge in two first class restaurants, RW Prime Steakhouse and Genting Palace.
Foods is huge in today’s culture – and gastronomical specialists in Queens are learning fast that one does not have to travel out of the borough for original and enticing fare.
Flushing boasts some of the most staggering Asian cuisine this side of Manhattan’s Chinatown. The popular styles of Chinese cuisine from every part of China are ubiquitously accessible in Flushing including Taiwanese, Shanghainese, Hunanese, Szechuan, Cantonese, Fujianese, Xinjiang, Zhejiang and Korean Chinese. Even the relatively obscure Dongbei style of cooking indigenous to Northeast China is now available in Flushing Chinatown, as well as Mongolian cuisine.
One of the most popular restaurants for Northern Chinese fare in Flushing remains Golden Place, 140-09 Cherry Ave. Other restaurants among Flushing’s finest include Fu Run, 40-09 Prince St., and Spicy & Tasty, 39-07 Prince St.
But China is not the only well-represented foodie paradise in Queens, not by a long shot. The county is the most culturally diverse in the country – and thankfully, all of those ethnic groups brought their culinary sensibilities with them.
Jackson Heights overflows with flavors from India, Colombia and Argentina; Astoria is awash in Greek heritage; Corona is coursing with Dominican culture; and German history is alive and well in the Ridgewood, Glendale area.
Flavors from around the globe will continue to thrive in those and other areas around Queens, but many agree that the hotbed for culinary mastery in the borough is on its far west end in Long Island City. For food fanatics who believe that cultural diversity is best expressed on taste buds, the annual Taste of LIC is a must.
Presented by The Chocolate Factory and taking place this year Tuesday, June 4 at Gantry Plaza State Park, the event brings together the neighborhood’s budding food culture – including area favorites Alobar, 46-42 Vernon Blvd.; Shi, 47-20 Center Blvd.; and Sage General Store, 24-20 Jackson Ave.
It is lucky that LIC has a foodie future, because the neighborhood is home to many galleries and formerly starving artists. The most notable is MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave., one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the country. The exhibition space devotes its energy and resources to displaying the most experimental art in the world, right here in Queens.
And the film industry’s version of a fine art museum can also be found in the borough, close to the L.I.C. area. The Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria, advances the public understanding and appreciation of the art, history, technique and technology of film, television and digital media. To meet that end, it offers a vast collection of movie memorabilia and film-related exhibitions.
While a museum is where most film producers hope their works will end up, they must all begin on a production back lot – most of the time in Hollywood, Calif. But Queens is home to two of the industry’s best-known production studios: Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria and Silvercup Studios in Long Island City.
Kaufman Astoria Studios, where “Sesame Street” is filmed, plans to open the city’s only state-of-the-art outdoor movie set this summer on 36th Street, between 34th and 35th avenues. The stage, where car chases can soon be filmed without film crews occupying entire city blocks, is expected to attract more movie and TV productions to the area.
Silvercup Studios opened in 1983 in the former Silvercup Bakery and now houses more than 400,000 square feet of space, including 19 studios and on-site production offices.
And both studios are busy at work, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in February that applications to New York state for post-production work have soared as a result of legislation championed and signed into law by the governor last year, which strengthened incentives to attract post-production activity to the state.
“New York is a wonderful place to edit a film,” said Jamie Patricof, of Electric City Entertainment. “With the amazing facilities and large talent pool you have unlimited options.”
Queens stands to benefit from the film industry’s attraction to the state. And as the borough’s profile grows, residents can expect to be cultured, entertained and well fed far into the future.
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
