The Who’s Roger Daltrey recently performed at Forest Hills Stadium, which reopened in 2013 after an extensive and costly renovation. Photo by Fabrice Demessence
QUEENS’ CULTURAL DIVERSITY
continues to be a staple of tourism for the ‘World’s Borough’
BY BILL PARRY
When Queens was
designated as the
top destination in
the United States by
the travel magazine
Lonely Planet in 2015
cultural diversity
was cited as a main
reason.
The spotlight fell
on the borough’s
m u s e u m s ,
p e r f o r m a n c e
venues and cultural
institutions showing
there is something
for every taste in
every corner of the
borough.
Astoria Performing
Arts Center
One of the
crown jewels of the
Kaufman Astoria
Art District, the
Astoria Performing
Arts Center presents
high-quality theater
while supporting
local youth and senior
citizens. APAC also
offers free community
programs, including a
summer performance
camp for children age
8 to 13, after-school
playwriting classes
for middle school
students, and acting
for those over age 60
at 34-12 36th Street.
Flushing Town Hall
Built in 1862 and
designated a landmark
in 1967, Flushing
Town Hall once
served as a civic hub
but has evolved into
a dynamic cultural
venue presenting
awa r d - w i n n i n g
performing and visual
arts programming,
including theater, jazz,
classical and world
music in its stunning
308-seat concert hall
and theater.
Flushing Town
Hall, located at 137-35
Northern Blvd., also
features a tranquil
garden that hosts
everything from
free concerts to yoga
classes.
Black Spectrum
Theatre Company
Founded in 1970,
The Black Spectrum
Theatre Company in
Jamaica, produces
and prevents works
relating to the African
Diaspora at its 328-
seat theater located
at 177th Street and
Baisley Boulevard.
The venue is within
54-acre Roy Wilkins
Park.
Jamaica Performing
Arts Center
Nearby is the
Jamaica Performing
Arts Center housed
in a landmarked 1858
First Reformed Dutch
Church with a multifunctional,
stateof
the-art, 400-seat
theater located at 153-
10 Jamaica Ave.
Kupferberg Center for
the Performing Arts
Located on the
Queens College
campus in Flushing,
the Kupferberg Center
for the Performing
Arts encompasses
three venues: the
acoustically perfect
LeFrak Concert
Hall, the Colden
Auditorium and the
Irving and Susan
Wallack Goldstein
Theater. Kupferberg
presents a wide range
of entertainment to
about 350,000 patrons
each year.
Forest Hills Stadium
Built in 1923,
Forest Hills Stadium
enjoyed its heyday
in the 1960s and
1970s as a home the
the U.S. Open tennis
tournament that was
also used for concerts
by Forest Hills High
School graduates
Simon & Garfunkel
as well as The Doors,
Jimi Hendrix, Frank
Sinatra and Barbra
Streisand before it
was shuttered in
the mid 1990s due to
financial concerns.
Following a $3 million
renovation in 2013 the
site reopened and has
hosted concerts by The
Who, Van Morrison,
Carlos Santana and
Mumford and Sons.
Thalia Spanish Theatre
The borough’s
only bilingual Latino
venue, Thalia Spanish
Theatre is dedicated
to promoting and
preserving the
heritage of Hispanic
drama.
The 100-seat
theater also promotes
Spani sh-language
playwrights, dancers,
and folklorists at 41-
17 Greenpoint Ave.
in Sunnyside.
Queens Museum
History lovers are
drawn to the Queens
Museum which was
constructed for the
1939 World’s Fair in
Flushing Meadow
Corona Park, the
venue hosted the
United Nations
General Assembly
which created the state
of Israel in Britishoccupied
Palestine in
1947.
The Museum
reopened in 2013
after a $69 million
renovation extra
galleries, studios for
resident artists and a
sky-lit atrium.
MoMA PS1
Located in a
former Long Island
City school building,
MoMA PS1 displays
some of the world’s
best contemporary
art while it hosts
emerging artists and
genres, presenting
more than 50
exhibitions a year.
A8 GUIDE TO QUEENS, MARCH 15-21, 2019 TL QNS.COM
/QNS.COM