18 times • MAY 19, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Gone, but not forgotten… QUEENS DINERS OF THE PAST BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected] @robbpoz Perhaps the most redeeming quality about a diner is its convenience, which comes in many forms-- flexible hours of operation, a wide variety of dining options and, in some cases, free parking. At the height of the automobile era, Queens was dotted with a large number of one-story diners with ample parking spots to accommodate patrons at all hours of the day. As time went on, however, these diners faced new challenges: changing demographics, rising costs of business, spikes in real estate values and demands for new housing and business opportunities. Some of these diners, alas, met the end of the road and wound up closing. Even so, Queens’ diners of the past remain beloved by the patrons who frequented it for first dates, late night cups of coffee and weekend breakfasts. Let’s take a look back at a few of these fine establishments… Scobee Diner, Little Neck – Decked out in chrome and neon lights, the diner located at the corner of Northern Boulevard and Little Neck Parkway had a passionate following that included local residents and celebrities such as Alan King and Telly Savalas. According to The New York Times, the Scobee was previously owned and operated by the parents of George Tenet, the former CIA director who, in his youth, worked there with his twin brother William as a busboy. The Scobee was later purchased by Harry Pallas and business remained brisk until 2010. In that year, the Scobee’s lease on the property expired, and the property owners put the site on the market. It was sold to developers for more than $3 million. Prior to Scobee’s closure in December 2010, former and present patrons packed the diner for one last meal; the lines were out the door, Pallas told The New York Times. Gold Star Diner, Bayside – Good food and service made the diner formerly at the corner of Bell Boulevard and 42nd Avenue live up to its name, though it was only in business for 11 years. The Gold Star dimmed and faded out of the picture in January 2012, its property sold. Owner Chris Axamidis, however, brought some of the former customers to his other eatery, the Silver Moon Diner at 235- 20 Hillside Ave. in Queens Village. Future Diner, Fresh Meadows – Formerly located at the Fresh Meadows Shopping Center, Future Diner was a beloved stopover not only for neighborhood residents but also Arkansas’ most famous resident: former President Bill Clinton. He visited patrons at the Future Diner while running for president in 1992, then returned there as commander-in-chief in 1993 for a town hall meeting. The Courier found plenty of Clinton supporters there when it visited Future Diner in 1998 at the height of the sex scandal that led to Clinton’s impeachment. Although the 42nd president survived the trial, Future Diner did not survive the following decade; it faded into the past in 2005. Palace Diner, Flushing – The three most valuable words in real estate – “Location, location, location”– made the Palace Diner a perfect stop for both local residents and those just passing through the neighborhood. Opened in 1976, the Palace occupied a former Bohack’s supermarket at the corner of Main Street and the westbound Horace Harding Expressway, and it caught the eye of hungry drivers on the Long Island Expressway. Known for its Greek specialties and traditional American diner fare, the Palace had plenty of parking and room – making it a popular destination for large family and social gatherings. Rough economic times and changing neighborhood demographics, however, doomed the Palace, which closed its doors in 2011; it was later replaced by a Chinese restaurant. Fresh Pond Diner, Ridgewood – Opened in 1930 as George’s Diner, the eatery that once stood at the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Fresh Pond Road featured a streamlined chrome exterior typical of the train-car diners of the period. It proved to be a popular hangout for teenagers and couples looking for good hamburgers, fries, grilled cheese sandwiches and shakes. In 1987, the one-story diner was remodeled and renamed the Fresh Pond Diner. The diner, however, served its final meal in 2004, and was demolished to make way for a Commerce (now TD) Bank. Sage Diner, Elmhurst – Conveniently located at the corner of Queens Boulevard and 51st Avenue, the Sage was a hit among patrons at all hours of the day, including honeymooners, truck drivers, shoppers at the nearby Queens Center mall and those looking to take a bite out of the diner’s famous prime rib dinner. The Sage also has a place in crime history, as it was the site of an infamous shootout between an armed robber and Port Authority police officers in November 1986. According to the New York Times, three officers stumbled upon the robbery in progress while going to the diner for a break. Two of the officers were injured but survived the shootout. The Sage closed up more than a decade ago, but it was replaced by Pop Diner and, later, the Nevada Diner, where hungry customers continue to dine today.
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