40 The Queens Courier • december 19, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Comptroller points to BORO BOOM BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] Queens is on a roll and isn’t stopping any time soon, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Queens is a New York success story,” DiNapoli said. “Superstorm Sandy impacted thousands of Queens residents, but the borough is on the recovery path. With a strong economy, a fast growing and diverse population, and several large projects on the horizon, Queens is booming.” DiNapoli gathered with local elected officials and community leaders on Friday, December 13 at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City to release an economic snapshot of Queens, revealing how the borough has made an economic comeback over the past two years since the Great Recession. According to the report, since 2012 the borough has had the highest level of employment among all the boroughs outside of Manhattan, as private sector employment reached its highest recorded level of 486,160 jobs. The largest employment sectors in Queens include health care, social assistance, transportation and warehousing and retail trade. The borough’s population has also grown by 20 percent over the past three decades, more than the citywide growth rate, according to the report. The state comptroller’s economic snapshot also found that Queens is the most diverse large county in the United States, with immigrants from more than 120 countries comprising 48 percent of residents, without a single dominant ethnic group. In 2011, the borough had 44,070 business establishments, with small businesses most prevalent in the borough, according to the report. The report also found unemployment to be lower in Queens, compared to the rest of the city. The unemployment rate averaged 8.3 percent in 2012 and in the first eight months of 2013 dropped to 7.8 percent. Together with an increase in jobs and low unemployment rate, film and television production have both been thriving in the borough. Silvercup Studios, with 410,000-square-feet of space and 19 soundstages, is the biggest studio space in the city, while Kaufman Astoria Studios has seven soundstages and the city’s only outdoor movie set. “I just think that film and television production is a mutual part of New York and Queens and of surrounding areas and it provides jobs,” said actor Michael J. Fox, who is filming “The Michael J. Fox Show” at Silvercup Studios. “I want to voice whatever support I can to continue nurturing film and television production in New York; it’s a big part of the city.” Food Network films at two Queens eateries BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” drove into the borough to film an episode at Astoria’s Queens Comfort. The Food Network show, hosted by colorful television personality, cookbook author and restauranteur Guy Fieri, follows him as he visits “classic ‘greasy spoon’ spots” around North America. Queens Comfort owner Donnie D’Alessio, already a fan of the program, was “honored” when “Diners, Drive- Ins and Dives” contacted him a couple of months ago for an initial interview. “For us to pop up in their research, it was so rewarding,” said D’Alessio. “A lot of the food they showcase is very unique and it’s something that we pride ourselves on here,” he said about the restaurant at 40-09 30th Ave. After making the cut, the show came to shoot at Queens Comfort for two days last week. Though the filming took a lot of work, including shutting down the restaurant, preparing eight dishes, and remaking some of the food several times over, it was well worth it, said D’Alessio. “I got along with him really well. He was fun to hang out with,” he said about meeting Fieri. Photo courtesy of Donnie D’Alessio/Queens Comfort Queens Comfort owner Donnie D’Alessio with “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri when the show filmed at the restaurant last week. D’Alessio does not know when the episode featuring Queens Comfort will air yet, but no matter what exposure it may lead to, the experience is what was the most important. “It all felt like a dream. I felt like Dorothy for two days,” he said. Queens Comfort isn’t the only eatery in the borough where “Diners, Drive- Ins and Dives” made a stop recently. The show also filmed at Bun- Ker Vietnamese, located at 46-63 Metropolitan Avenue in Ridgewood, according to the restaurant. Obtain a FaSt DiVORCE in aS littlE aS 24 HOURS WE aRE HERE tO HElP! Visit us online or Call now! SERVinG tHE COMMUnitY FOR OVER 50 YEaRS! A leader in the fast divorce business has been Divorcefast.com of Massachusetts, a company that has been providing speedy, low-cost foreign divorces for 50 years. 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