FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com DECEMBER 18, 2014 • THE QUEENS COURIER 39 SNAPS QUEENS BY ASHA MAHADEVAN How do you feel about Queens being named the top “It’s surprising. I am curious about what tourism it will bring to Queens. People don’t know that we have several parks and they are very beautiful. There are lots of places for outdoor activities. ” Alya Fetyani “I guess I can see that. Queens is a diverse melting pot. There is diversity in the food and culture of the borough and tourists can see that.” Erik Popil “It’s surprising. The most interesting thing about Queens is the food in Astoria. But then, I am a chef.” Gianni Torto “It maybe not the best in the U.S., but it is defi nitely a place to come to do casual things outside the city. It is ... a good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.” Kyle Wang “I like Queens — it is diverse. There are Korean cafes, Korean food. I feel comfortable and at home.” Sara Kim “I am surprised. The Flushing Meadows Park is good and Bayside is nice, but there is nothing I’d suggest to a tourist to see.” Renee Schoembrun tourist destination in the U.S.? oped street talk “No it doesn’t deserve it. Flushing Meadows Park, Queens Museum, the Queens Center mall are interesting places, but Manhattan is better.” Karina Gavilanes “It’s crazy! There are other better places in the U.S., like Hawaii, Florida and the Rocky Mountains.” Jeffrey Resnick Triborough Bridge taken from Shore Road in Astoria Park Photo by Lisa Cavanagh © QueensPopPhoto.com 2014 Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us via our Facebook page, tweeting @queenscourier or by emailing [email protected]. Local input needed before moving convention center to Sunnyside BY CATHERINE NOLAN There is a proposal to move the Javits Convention Center to Queens, but it should not go forward without input from the thousands of residents who live in the neighborhoods nearby. There have been proposals to develop this historic industrial space almost since it opened in 1910. The Sunnyside Yards have attracted attention by impractical dreamers, unscrupulous speculators and even some visionary city planners. Still, any serious plan must address the concerns of local residents and businesses before it can be supported by government. Affordable housing is an important citywide goal, but the plan as pictured in the Daily News looks grossly overbuilt. Residents have a right to see density and scale addressed. Lots of open space must be part of any plan in a neighborhood of few existing parks. Any plans to develop Sunnyside Yards need strong, local review. I would propose LaGuardia Community College play a lead role in a community-based needs assessment, shared and developed by local residents, students, businesses, community boards and elected offi cials. • Any plan must include the effects of remediation. The Yards have been subjected to industrial runoff for so long, they probably warrant Superfund status. What will be the effect of a major cleanup on our community? • Transportation is critical. The N, R, G and 7 lines are overcrowded and often shut down due to needed upgrades. Bus service is inadequate, and a multi-modal connector to the East Side Access Project must be addressed as well. • Our community has few health facilities, an antiquated police precinct and inadequate fi re and sanitation services. Extensive resources would have to be added before our community could absorb any large infusion of new residents. • Long Island City has thousands of important jobs in the auto, transportation, food, fi lm, cultural, tech and manufacturing industries. These need to be maintained, not pushed out. • Our schools have long been among the most overcrowded in the city. Many students attend classes in trailers. Obviously, this has to be resolved for current residents who are now fi ghting for pre-K, elementary and middle school seats. We need a plan that recognizes that thousands of us — from Sunnyside Gardens to Hunter’s Point, from Dutch Kills to Ravenswood — have already chosen western Queens for our homes, businesses, education and creative community. We are not going away just because the big boys in Manhattan have decided to tear down the Javits Center and develop luxury housing on the far West Side. It is not NIMBY to say that our community will not support proposals if we have no say in their development. Those of us who decided to live, work and love our neighborhoods with the Sunnyside Yards as they currently exist must be included in any plans. Catherine Nolan represents Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Astoria and Long Island City in the state Assembly.
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