Reluctant Revelations by State Legislature

By DANNY HAKIM for the New York Times November 29, 2006

After more than a quarter of a century, the Jackson Heights Community Development Corporation, a Queens-based social services organization, is going out of business...

...Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for Mr. Silver, said that most of the Assembly’s funds were used to offset budget cuts made by Gov. George E. Pataki. She said that the $40,000 for the Jackson Heights Community Development Corporation would be reviewed by state agencies...

Sandwiches at Despaña

from Gawker Nov 27 2006

...we'll probably be lining up with every other foodie twat for a ten dollar slice of jamon iberico when it finally reaches these shores in spite of ourselves, we're satisfied until then with the next best thing: the fantastic sandwiches available at Despaña...

Comment by 'toonces'(11/27/06):

this place has been in jackson heights for ages. i guess because it's downtown now it is 'hipster cool'.
p'sha

An Owner No More, Alpha Dog Prowls

By DAVID HOCHMAN for the New York Times, Published: November 22, 2006

SEVEN thousand miles and 400 restaurants into his North American eating safari, Jim Leff is certain about many things. The only expensive item on an otherwise cheap menu is always worth ordering. Some of the best food in America is served behind bulletproof glass. If a restaurant is jammed with locals, chances are it’s not very good. Finally, there are certain foods you must always pull over for, and strudel is one of them...

...Mr. Leff is nothing if not undaunted when it comes to finding tasty food, which is why they call him Alpha Dog at chowhound.com, the online message board he started on a lark with his friend Bob Okumura 10 years ago...

...Mr. Leff spent much of the last decade eating out or holed up in his Jackson Heights apartment posting thoughts on Salvadoran pupuserías and Korean kimchi places. Now the sale has freed him from day-to-day management of the site...

...His best-known discovery is the “Arepa Lady,” Maria Piedad Cano, who sells Colombian corn cakes from a cart on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. Thanks to Chowhound, she is now stalked by Japanese news crews...

Wisin y Yandel in Jackson Heights

from Richard Liriano, richardliriano.blogspot.com

After 50 weeks of the release of their album "Pa'l Mundo", Wisin y Yandel are still on top of the charts with certified sales by RIAA.
Their first album as producers "Los Vaqueros" which will hit the stores tomorrow Tuesday, November 7th is their release under their own record label WY Records.
They will be in New York City signing autographs at 5:30pm in El Tunel, 88th Street & Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights Queens...

Many Content With Saddam's Verdict

by Nicole Johnson for NY1, November 06, 2006

The verdict was announced Sunday in the trial of Saddam Hussein, and while the Muslims dining at Kebab King in Jackson Heights, Queens were more focused on their food than Saddam’s fate, but outside by a street vendor, people had a lot to say...

A day in Latin New York: Un dia en Nueva York

By BETH J. HARPAZ from Newsday.com AP Travel Editor November 6, 2006, 8:15 PM EST

...You can take this tour of Latin America all in a day, without ever leaving New York City. A new book called "Nueva York: The Complete Guide to Latino Life in The Five Boroughs" shows you how....

...Finally, spend a few hours in Jackson Heights, "one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the entire country," said Gonzalez. Take the No. 7 train to the 82nd Street stop and wander along Roosevelt Avenue, known locally as Avenue of the Americas.

You'll find Ecuadorean ceviche - marinated raw fish - sold from a truck, Mexican wrestlers' masks sold from a stall, and Colombian pandebonos - rolls with cheese baked into them - sold hot from a tiny oven wedged inside a money transfer store on 82nd near Ithaca Street.

And whatever shape you're in when you walk into Cali Caliente, a Colombian lingerie store, you'll walk out with more curves. The store is filled with what can only be described as hardware for intimate places.

Would you like to read Dr. Seuss in Spanish? Barco de Papel, a Spanish language children's bookstore, sells "Como el Grinch Robo La Navidad" ("How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), Harry Potter en espanol, and a children's version of "Don Quixote."...

He Went as the Mayor!

by Jen Chung for Gothamist November 2, 2006

...A Halloween addendum: Mayor Bloomberg marched in the Jackson Heights Halloween Parade Tuesday night (it's hard to tell who looks more uncomfortable in this picture - the Mayor or the baby.)...

The Lent Riker Smith Homestead

... the oldest dwelling in America...

Renaissance School Gets $15K Science Ed. Grant

from The Queens Gazette October 25, 2006

Con Edison has awarded The Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights a $15,000 grant towards creating the Con Edison-Renaissance Science Leaders (CERSL) program in grades seven through 12. This program will prepare students for science majors in college by providing enhanced classroom instruction and extracurricular activities through the lens of energy conservation and sustainable development...

...The Renaissance Charter School is a K-12 public charter school located in Jackson Heights. The school was created in April 1992 by a group of 15 parents and teachers who were concerned about the future of New York City and its children. The school is an original "New Visions School"...