4 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • JUNE 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM queens business Queens kicks off another summer season of ‘booming’ tourism & fun outdoor events BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76 Th e most diverse county in the United States is preparing for another summer season of prosperous tourism and outdoor recreation. A study published by NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism late last year said tourism brought $5.3 billion into Queens in 2015. Further, it supported one in 16 Queens-based jobs and generated roughly $753 million in state and local taxes. According to Rob MacKay, director of public relations, marketing & tourism at the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. “Tourism in Queens is booming like it never has before,” MacKay said. “Every single day, the growth surprises me; but I have to say, I don’t see it ending.” Attention was brought to the borough as a destination in 2015 when Lonely Planet named Queens the best spot to vacation in the country. Two years later, MacKay said, it still rings true. Th ough the peak of Queens tourism comes in September and October, MacKay explained, both international and domestic tourists continue to fl ock to the borough during the warmer months for the diverse recreational, dining, shopping and cultural opportunities only found here. “Queens has been discovered by foodies, people who want to take guided walking tours, who want to take in art culture,” MacKay said. “It’s being discovered in so many diff erent ways.” An iconic, summer-months favorite for locals and tourists alike, the new and improved Rockaway Boardwalk was unveiled last month aft er a $341 million post-Sandy rebuild project. “Rockaway got hit really hard during Hurricane Sandy, but Rockaway has bounced back,” MacKay said. “I think it’s gonna be a really strong summer for Rockaway.” Attracting millions of visitors each year, Rockaway Beach is not just a place for sun and sand. New York City’s largest beach is now home to a diverse selection of food and drink vendors, shops and fun outdoor events. A huge draw for foodies is Rockaway’s Riis Park Beach Bazaar. Located at 167-02 Rockaway Beach Blvd., the mile-long food and drink hub is home to diverse bites including wood-fi red pizza, Moroccan hummus, shrimp and clam rolls, Oaxacastyle tacos and Bolivian sliders. Th ose feeling thirsty can also visit a “BarZaar” station to pick up a cold brew, wine or cocktail. Th e beach will also host a series of great events, including outdoor music performances, yoga and fi tness classes and Rockstock and Barrels, an annual skate, surf and music festival. Other parts of the borough which host great warmer-weather events are Flushing, western Queens and Forest Hills, MacKay continued. In Flushing, not to be missed are the events held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, including this weekend’s Only In Queens Summer Festival, July’s Shakespeare in the Park performance and August’s Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival and U.S. Open tennis matches. Baseball fans can catch a game at Citi Field, or those looking for a bite to eat can choose one the neighborhood’s hundreds of restaurants and bars featuring fl avors from around the world. Th e summertime schedule of concerts at the historic outdoor Forest Hills Stadium features something for everyone, MacKay pointed out. Th is weekend, contemporary DJ duo Th e Chainsmokers take the stage; in July, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty & Th e Heartbreakers; and in September, Interpol and Deerhunter. In western Queens, waterfront Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park will host concerts, dance classes and community events. Th e area is also home to a variety of outdoor food and drink venues, including the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, Studio Square NYC and Penthouse 808. “Almost anywhere you go in the world, the number one contributor to the local economy is tourism,” MacKay said. “And that’s true here in Queens.” © NYC & Company/Julienne Schaer Parker Jewish Institute president receives a major honor Michael N. Rosenblut, President and CEO of Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, Chairman, Board of Managers, AgeWell New York, recently received the Lawrence E. Larson Memorial Award of Honor during the LeadingAge New York (LANY) Annual Conference and Exposition. Th e award was given by Andrew Cruikshank, Chairman of the LANY Board of Directors, at the association’s awards luncheon held on May 24 at the Saratoga Hilton & Saratoga Springs City Center in Saratoga Springs. Th e award honors the late Lawrence Larson, who was the LANY”s fi rst chair. It’s the organization’s highest award, presented to individuals who demonstrate “distinguished dedication, dedication and foresight in aging services,” according to Peter Seideman, Parker Jewish Institute’s Chairman of the Board. “Th e award is given to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the fi eld and is a recognized leader at the state and national level with a reputation for humanitarian achievement and professional vision. We at Parker Jewish Institute are extremely proud that LANY selected Michael N. Rosenblut to receive this prestigious award,” Seideman said. Rosenblut leads one of the nation’s preeminent health care and rehabilitation centers for older adults, guiding the Institute’s nationally recognized sub / post-acute care, short term rehabilitation, long term care, community divisions, as well as a leading academic campus for the training of health care professionals, and an important research center for studies related to aging. Under his leadership, Parker has developed a wide-ranging constellation of community health programs which address the continuum of care, social model day care centers, certifi ed home health agency care and hospice programs. In addition, Rosenblut has been an eff ective and respected advocate for long term care, an individual whose opinion is heard by legislators throughout New York’s metropolitan and downstate region, at the state capitol in Albany, and in Washington, DC. Michael N. Rosenblut, M.B.A., LNHA, CASP
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