11 TIMES • MAY 12, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com GLENDALE RIDGEWOOD: OUR NEIGHBORHOODS The owner of Queens Wines is the THE TOAST OF RIDGEWOOD BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Ridgewood should raise a glass and say a toast to Herman Hochberg, owner of Queens Wine and Liquor, for his instrumental work in making the neighborhood what it is today. Hochberg moved into Ridgewood when he was 18 years old and has lived in the neighborhood for the last 67 years. During his time he has seen the many changes that have taken place over the years and has had a hand in kickstarting some of the more important improvements that ever came to Ridgewood. When store owners began moving off of Myrtle Avenue and out of the neighborhood, the state of Myrtle Avenue started to deteriorate. Noticing the problem, Hochberg helped create the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) to create a better Myrtle Avenue and bring in new stores. “We were left with empty stores, broken glass, torn gates and I got very concerned because I put a lot of my years in already, so I started the BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Since 1938, The Fair Everything for the Home, a home goods store from Ridgewood, has provided customers with quality products, custom works and the highest level of customer service. Over the last 77 years The Fair has grown and expanded, but one constant remains: the Gerson family. Sidney Gerson opened The Fair in Ridgewood in 1938 as a curtain store. Gerson handed his business down to his son, who then handed the store to his sons. “We are a third-generation store,” said Jake Gerson, co-owner and store manager of The Fair. “The Fair opened on Myrtle Avenue right here in Ridgewood. My grandfather opened the store back in 1938 and primarily sold just curtains. Over the years they expanded to do linens, shower curtains, bedspreads and more. When my father got involved, he expanded it further to sell basically anything thing you would BID,” Hochberg said. “I have served this community because it became very important to me in many capacities.” The Myrtle Avenue BID was one of the fi rst BIDs in Queens, and they used that experience to help other neighborhoods across the borough create and organize their own BIDs. Aside from the BID, Hochberg was the founding chairman of the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation (RLDC) and was a major player in getting the trolley tracks removed from Myrtle Avenue, getting new sewers, tree plantings and street paving all around Ridgewood. For his hard work and dedication to the neighborhood, Hochberg has been honored by several community organizations including the Ridgewood YMCA and the Ridgewood Democratic Club. “It wasn’t done by one person,” Hochberg said of the creation of the BID. “Without the help and cooperation of a fantastic board and interesting merchants, it never could be accomplished. No one can do it alone. It’s teamwork and what I try and do is motivate.” need or want for your home.” By keeping the store in the family, the Gersons were able to establish a loyal customer base and provide those customers with top-notch service and products. When The Fair opened their second location in The Shops at Atlas Park, it was one of the shopping center’s very fi rst tenants, bringing their custom products and excellent customer service along with them. “In all honesty, quite a few of our customers see the pictures of the old store hanging on the wall here and have stories of going into the old store,” Gerson said. “Being a third-generation store we really see third- and fourth-generation customers coming in here.” The Fair is best known for its custom curtain, drapery, bedspread and blind service, but it also carries many essential home goods. “If a customer is looking for custom work they come into the store to buy the products and set up an appointment,” Gerson explained. “A team then goes out to the home to give a free estimate, measure and install. We carry all different fabrics, lighting options, colors, as well as any type of blind or window treatment a customer wants. We help the customer get the look that they are looking for.” “We carry a large range of cookware, bedding, bath, table top crystal stemware and fi ne china, linens, drapes, wall art, general goods, and anything you would need to fi ll your apartment or home,” Gerson continued. “And our knowledgeable staff to help you fi nd what you need.” Recently a HomeGoods opened its fi rst Queens location in Atlas Park, adjacent to The Fair, providing some competition for the family-owned business. “We welcome HomeGoods. It is a good store, and even though it is competition we have always had competition,” Gerson said. “We welcome the traffi c they will bring to Atlas Park. We do a lot of things that they don’t do. We do custom works, special orders for bridal favors and house-warming gifts. We have been in the neighborhood since 1938, so we know our customer and their needs and wants. Our knowledgeable staff is always here and eager to help to give ideas. I really believe we can coexist.” Family-owned The Fair continues to thrive at ATLAS PARK Herman Hochberg inside of the Queens Wine and Liquor on Myrtle Avenue. Jake Gerson, co-owner and manager of the Fair at Atlas Park.
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