Four years ago, newly wed, my wife and I moved to Ridgewood, Queens. We had just arrived in New York a couple of months previous to that—spending that time in a sublet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We ended up here in Ridgewood because our apartment here was the best value we could find within a reasonable commute of midtown. For most of the first three years I really hated this place, and I could never get comfortable with the Queens-born, “foggetaboutit” talking people. In the last year, my outlook has started to change. At the end of this month, I will finally leave Ridgewood, but I think I can say I will kind of miss this place.
I would like to do my final project on Ridgewood, Queens, and the places I will miss—and some I will not. My target audience will be people who, like my wife and me, live here but are not from here. Many of those people spend all of their free time commuting to activities and businesses in Williamsburg and Manhattan, and they might find something enjoyable here in Ridgewood, if they saw the cool presentation I’m about to make. With Youtube.com and Yelp.com, spreading my message shouldn’t be too difficult. I would like to use a liberal dose of humor in making my presentation, but I’m not overly confident I will succeed in that.
I use a series of images—maybe around 100, that I am almost finished collecting, set to low background music, with my voice as narration. There will be pictures for everything I discuss. I’m hoping to use Mac’s iMovie to put it all together. I’ll mix objective summary with my own analysis of the different aspects of life in Ridgewood. I’ll have general categories of groceries, other shopping, restaurants and bars, parks, and other entertainment.
Here is some text, of what my commentary might be like:
Parks
Park options here are limited. After spending hundreds, probably thousands of hours, walking the pavement of the hood, I’ve only found one somewhat enjoyable park: __________ (insert photos and further description). Early January mornings here, after fresh snowfalls, are most enjoyable—just be sure to get out before the school kids turn it all yellow. The closest interesting park is Forest Park, a 30-minute bus ride. (Insert photos of Forest Park, and bus route.)
Restaurant/bar/coffee shops
1. Joe’s Restaurant serves up old-fashioned Italian fare at old-fashioned prices. They serve excellent cappuccinos, but watch out for the old scowling waiter.
2. Pizzerias seem to be on every corner. This one, called Rosa’s, is the most famous, but I’ve never eaten there.
3. Ridgewood Eats is my favorite crappy diner in all of the five boroughs. Last time I visited, I saw the same waitress eating yogurt while on duty, play with her hair not less than ten times, rub her face, and never wash her hands. Wonderful!
4. Esmeraldas serves Atacama style ceviche, in an authentic northern Ecuadorian style. (Insert picture of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Maybe animation). It get’s loud and rowdy and night, but the staff is always warm and welcoming.
5. Polish Coffee Shop (unknown name). This place is nice and clean, with free wireless and decent enough coffee. Warning: bring headphones, as they are really, really proud of the loudness of their flat screen TV’s.
6. New Coffee Shop (unknown name). The owners here are young, energetic, and hip. It’s a coffee shop that hosts musical events at night. This place is full of art, and visited by residents from the nearby hospital and greasy hipsters. It get’s too hot during the summer, but once they get a better cooling system the place will be perfect.
7. Esparks. This is a Queens-crapilicious knockoff of Starbucks, and a greedy, unfriendly owner who is always prowling around the behind the counter.
8. Dirty Euro Cafes. These old men are always smoking cigarettes and farting on the sidewalk. If you’re brave, and speak Slavic, join them for a great time. These cafes are everywhere.
9. Bad Sushi’s. Ridgewood sushi is great cat food, I guess. The best of the bad lot is (unknown name), where you can get sushi that isn’t brown yet. The same cannot be said for these other places.
10. Best tip: For good Thai take the Q58 to the mini-Chinatown in Elmhurst with great Thai & Pho’s. It’s about a 25-minute ride.
Grocery
1. Valentino’s specializes in fresh fruits and vegetables, and they also have a butcher in the back. The produce here is cheap, and the folks running the place are always willing to help you find the tastiest, in season fruit. Stay away from the cheaper fruit displayed on the sidewalk, as most of it is close to expiring. Instead, opt for the fresher, slightly more expensive stuff inside.
After Valentino’s, I want to list five more grocery stores in the area.
Other Entertainment
I'll share my experience of watching a movie at the theater where some guy was smoking a cigar, and then I'll advise people to take the L Train into the city to watch movies. I will also share photos of the library, which has recently been remodeled.
I plan to include addresses for everything I cover. I'm thinking about including them in the credits.
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