Jamaica & The Performing ArtsDance Out Loud Receives Thunderous ApplauseMarch 16, 2013 / Jamaica NY / Dance in Queens / Queens Buzz. I attended the Dance Out Loud benefit for the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. It was held at the renovated First Dutch Reformed Church, which is now the 400 seat Jamaica Performing Arts Center. The First Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1858, and made a landmark in the mid 1970’s after a community effort saved it from being demolished in 1975. After twenty years of limbo and renovations, the building was reopened as the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in 2009. But I digress. Tonight we would watch some of the best dance companies in the NYC metro area perform a variety of original works, a pleasure that is difficult to find anywhere – even in Manhattan. Click here to read the rest of our report on the Dance Out Loud benefit dance performances at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, including a photo slide show of the performances. |
Click to quick scroll down to:
King Manor Makes MerryJanuary 2013 / Jamaica News / Queens Buzz. King Manor Museum hosted some old fashioned holiday festivities just before the Christmas holiday. They set up a workshop in the back room where families and kids could come to create tree decorations out of the materials used back in the days of Rufus King. We participated in the workshop, making stringers out of popcorn, cranberries and the like. And click here to read more Jamaica News briefs. |
Black Wall Street At York College PACComing To Grips With The Whole Of Our Nation's PastJanuary 7, 2013 / Jamaica NY Neighborhood / Performing Arts in Queens / Queens Buzz. I attended the theatrical production of Black Wall Street at the York College Performing Arts Center on Saturday. The play is about the prosperous, African American Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921; and based on a historical book entitled Death in the Land of Promise. The play centers around an incident in an office building elevator which lead to a white attack on the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, leaving somewhere between 30 and 300 dead [some of whom were shot in the back] and most homes in the neighborhood were burnt to the ground. After two days of house burning, gunfire and looting, the Governor of Oklahoma stepped in and declared martial law. But it was too late. The damage had already been done. The play is a production of Shades of Truth Theatre Company, which produces and performs original works that tell largely untold tales of the African American experience. Click here for our report and slide show of Black Wall Street. |
Rent At York College Performing Arts CenterMay 4, 2012 / Jamaica NY / Dance & Theater in Queens / Queens Buzz. The York College Performing Arts Center is hosting performances of the musical, Rent, through May 13th. I had the opportunity to attend a performance of it last weekend, which includes an all-star cast of eighteen actors and actresses, most of whom have affiliations with York College. The play is scripted along the same lines as the century old Italian opera, La Boheme. La Boheme is based upon a French novel entitled Scenes of the Bohemian Life, which was about the life of ‘starving artists’ living on the left bank of Paris during the tuberculosis epidemic of the late 1800’s. Rent is an updated version of that storyline - about starving artists living in the east village of New York City during the AIDS epidemic of the 1990’s. Click to the Queens Events calendar and then click the theater link to obtain performance times and ticket information. And click here to view our review and photo slide show of Rent at the York College Performing Arts Center. |
The Wedding ... Community Theater With Redemptive ThemeCan One Marry A Billionaire And Still Keep Their Sense of Self?December 12, 2011 / Jamaica / Theater in Queens / Queens Buzz. Saturday afternoon I made my way to the York Performing Arts Center in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens to see a new play entitled The Wedding. The play was written by Beverly Morrison Caesar for Arts in Christian Theatre [ACT] which is associated with the Pentecostal Church on Guy Brewer Blvd. Beverly’s plays contain a redemptive message and are performed by volunteers from the church and surrounding community. I spoke to Beverly about how the play originated and how she combined theater, pantomime and a fashion show all in one grand performance. Click here to read more about The Wedding at the York Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens. |
York College - Jamaica QueensEmerging Powerhouse In Central QueensMarch / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Buzz. I had occasion to visit York College to learn more about one of the four CUNY [City University Of New York] colleges in Queens. The four CUNY colleges in Queens are geographically dispersed throughout the borough, including locations in Long Island City [LaGuardia Community College], Flushing [Queens College], Jamaica [York College] and Bayside [Queens Borough Community College]. York College and Queens College are four year Baccalaureate degree awarding colleges, which also offer several Masters degrees; while LaGuardia and Queens Borough Community Colleges are two year Associates degree awarding colleges. CUNY also has a Law School which will be re-located from Flushing to Long Island City [LIC] in the fall of 2011. Click here to read our full report, including numerous photos, about York College and the York Performing Arts Center. |
King Manor Brings Dead Back To LifeSpirits Of Dutch & Colonial Queens ReawakenedOctober / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens History / Queens Buzz. It’s easy to forget Queens colonial past some 200 - 400 years ago, as so much has happened since then. But October is the time to reawaken long lost spirits and I’m happy to report I witnessed just such a reawakening at King Manor in King Park in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens this past weekend. New York Open House and the Historic House Trust got together this year and held their annual weekend extravaganza this past weekend, with food as the historic theme. So King Manor put together a program celebrating Dutch cuisine and its influence on American fare, and in the process gave us a tour and an education about one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution and a strong, outspoken advocate against slavery. Click here to read our report about King Manor and Rufus King in Jamaica Queens. |
Afrikan Poetry TheaterCultural Center In Jamaica QueensJanuary / Jamaica Queens / Queens Buzz. I had the opportunity to visit the Afrikan Poetry Theater in Jamaica. I had long been curious to visit the theater, having heard so much about its community cultural programs which include jazz, poetry readings, lectures, discussions and authentic African cuisine. John Watusi [left] is the Executive Director of the theater and the following story is an introduction to the theater as told by John who is one of its founders. The theater started in the seventies, in the aftermath of the social unrest, as African Americans sought to re-establish themselves as members of the American community of immigrants. Part of that movement included delving into their ethnic past in an effort to better understand cultural heritage. The mission of the theater is to educate and entertain the Jamaica and Queens community about African Americans' roots. Click here to read more about the Afrikan Poetry Society in Jamaica NY |
Jamaica Maps - OverviewClick to view two maps of Jamaica: 1) map of shops and restaurants with links to shop home pages or stories on this site, and 2) map of cultural attractions in Jamaica most for which there are reports or individual maps on this site. Click here to view Jamaica Maps - Shops, Restaurants and Cultural Attractions in Jamaica Queens. It's also a map of things to do in Jamaica Queens. |
Dutch Cuisine Past & PresentKing Manor Presents Delicious Dutch Foods & RecipesOctober / Jamaica Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. In tandem with the NY Open House and the Historic House Festival weekend, King Manor selected an historic food theme that would have pleased New Amsterdam Mayor Peter Stuyvesant. There were two sections to this historic presentation. The first was a reenactment of colonial Dutch cooking by Diane G. Fish, who is a living historian with a specialty in Civil War reenactments. To the delight of all there, including myself, she’s also an avid foodie who’s well acquainted with Dutch cuisine. And the second section was a lecture and presentation by a renowned historian and food writer, Peter G. Rose. Peter took us back to the Dutch kitchens in the Netherlands of the 1700’s and traced the migration of Dutch foods into the colonial world. Many of the things she would discuss, we had the opportunity to sample prior to the lecture … click here to read the rest of our report on Dutch cuisine & recipes in Queens New York. |
Jamaican Jerk Festival 2012Afro Caribbean Cultural Event In QueensJuly 22, 2012 / Jamaica Neighborhood / Ethnic Food in Queens / Queens Buzz. It was a warm, dry, sunny Sunday, as I made my way into Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica. Today was the 2nd annual Jamaican Jerk Festival, that I’d been waiting in anticipation for over the past few weeks. The Jamaican Jerk Festival is a combination reggae concert and food festival. I entered through the gates of Roy Wilkins Park in the southern Jamaica neightborhood of Queens, as a slight breeze willowed its way through the trees and crowd. There were retail vendor tents to my left, with displays of vibrantly colored clothing and fashion jewelry Afro Caribbean style. Caps, hats, dresses, shirts and scarves hung loosely in little white tents, as shoppers and merchants mingled and did business. Click here to read our report and view photos of the Jamaican Jerk Festival 2012. |
Fashionable Clothing in QueensCome To Fashion Show Features Local Designers & ModelsApril 30, 2012 / Jamaica NY / Fashion in Jamaica Queens / Queens Buzz. On April 21st the first annual Come To Fashion show stepped out into the fashion world in the Jamaica section of Queens. The fashion show featured local fashion designers, models and retailers doing business in Jamaica Queens. When I arrived at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, I was pleasantly surprised by unique set design for the show. Jamaica Center, the Jamaica BID, had hired a designer to create an original venue through which to present the models and the designers' clothing. Click here to view photos and read our report about the Come To Fashion show - fashionable clothing & fashions in Jamaica Queens. |
Jamaica JAMSGood Music, Food, Variety & A Good TimeAugust 6, 2011 / Jamaica Neighborhood / Live Music / Queens Buzz. The folks in Jamaica sure know how to throw a party. I enjoyed Jamaica JAMS this year far more than last year, because the weather was much more comfortable and the streets weren’t quite so crowded. This year I went in the late afternoon of the second day of the two-day event. Jamaica JAMS is a big Street Musical Festival and Shopping Fair. There were somewhere between a half dozen and dozen musical acts performing Saturday afternoon / evening and hundreds of vendors. Click here to view a slide show and read more about the Jamaica JAMS Street Music Festival in Jamaica. |
Jamaica Shopping Center & MapShops & Shopping In Jamaica NYJamaica NY / Queens Buzz. This page contains home page links, contact info, maps for stores and shops located in Jamaica, Queens. This page contains information about shops in and around Jamaica Queens.
|
Business & Real Estate In Jamaica NYReal Estate, Realtors, Condos, Apartments, Prices & MarketJamaica NY Real Estate / Queens Real Estate / Queens Buzz. This is the Jamaica Real Estate section of the site. Click here to view reports about real estate in Jamaica Queens. |
Jamaica Real Estate – DevelopmentReal Estate Development Projects - JamaicaApril 15, 2011 / Jamaica Neighborhood / Jamaica Real Estate / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica neighborhood has a history dating back to colonial times. Rufus King was a signer of the Constitution and his house still stands in a park that also carries his name. There are also a number of old churches, graveyards and business buildings dating back to the 1800’s, when Jamaica was a thriving transportation hub for the Long Island Railroad. In the 1950’s and 1960’s a large number of the middle class in this neighborhood left it for the greener pastures of Long Island. After a period of turmoil and transition, the city began reinvesting in the neighborhood starting in the 1970’s, in a process which continues today. Click here to read our report on real estate development projects in Jamaica Queens. |
Public Transit To & From JFK AirportAir Train & Buses Connect To SubwayJamaica / Queens Buzz. The Jamaica Train station is the LIRR hub and the busiest transportation complex in Queens. The Jamaica Train station serves as the nexus for LIRR trains heading to / from New York City, to / from JFK airport via the new air train, and to / from all destinations on Long Island, save the Port Washington line. Click here to read more about public transit from JFK to Manhattan via Queens. This brief provides some info, photos and a map showing the location of the complex.
|
Site Search Tips. 1) For best results, when typing in more than one word, use quotation marks - eg "Astoria Park". 2) Also try either singular or plural words when searching for a specific item such as "gym" or "gyms".
Click this link for promotions by advertisers in Queens.
Click this link to search for something in the Jamaica Business Directory containing over 1,000 listings.
Click the drop down menu to submit events [ID required] into the Member Calendar. Free for arts groups / non-profits and community orgs, except fundraising events.
Click here to obtain a Free Queens Buzz Membership.
Click here to subscribe to "Member Calendar" and receive an email whenever a new event is created
If the ICAL logo above does not work, right click here, copy the URL, and paste it into your favorite calendar application.
Click the log in link below to create an ID and post an opinion. Or send this story to a friend by filling in the appropriate box below.