fl SHOPS This month, Lexi Beach opened the Astoria Bookshop under the raised train tracks on 31st Street between 31st Ave. and Broadway. “As soon as we had a landline, the phone went nuts,” smiles Beach. The bookshop fills a notable void in the Astoria community, though the community has been begging for an independent bookstore via online message boards. Beyond a selection of over 5,000 books, the shop also sells electronic books via their website through KOBO (which easily transfers to other ereaders), and will be hosting author readings, children story hours, book club meetings, as well as reading series. “I have really been trying to listen to what the neighborhood wants,” explains Beach, who hand-selected each title. The result is a growing drama section, as well as foreign language books—Spanish, in particular. The Astoria Bookshop also has the ability to place special orders at no extra cost, usually delivered to the store within just two days. 8 | BOROMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2013 fl Astoria Bookshop 31-29 31st St, Astoria (718) 278-2665 www.astoriabookshop.com What do you get when you combine a pair of recently married nightlife promoters obsessed with costumes and props with an auction from the New York City Opera? The answer is TOCA NYC, a brand new specialty store in Western Queens loaded with eclectic costumes, jewelry, and home décor ranging from a nautical helmet lamp to stained glass windows and medieval axes. A visit to the store is like exploring a giant treasure chest, with jewels and antiques spilling out onto the sidewalk. Costumes are available for rental, as well as purchase, so if you ever need a La Traviata jacket, now you know where you to look! TOCA NYC 14-05 31st Dr, Long Island City www.facebook.com/groups/TOCANYCSTORE fl
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