Jackson Heights Life

In 5 years do you think this will have made any difference?

The one thing that is literally guaranteed to make absolutely no difference in this unprecedented crisis is disengagement. If the tide is not turned, when the history books are written, blame will fall on the mendacity and insanity of industry on one hand, and the collective resignation and complicity of the public on the other.

The march symbolized that there are significant segments of the population who are not resigned to passivity or cynicism, but rather motivated to undertake collective action. And collective action and advocacy will be the key. Electeds and business leaders will not necessarily respond rationally or sufficiently. Further, through the coordination of this march, surely hundreds of networks were formed that will continue this work on the ground. So the march was by no means an end it itself, but instead one point along a continuum of organizing and campaigning. Whether it is successful remains to be seen. But there is grassroots momentum and it is growing, and the difference it makes will be defined by how many people transition from spectators to participants.

I hope to see many Jackson Heights faces at the People's Climate March tomorrow! It is gearing up to be the largest in history but it needs to be even larger. If you do come, do not try to enter at Columbus Circle -- the police will redirect you further north. It is best to take the subway to somewhere in the West 60s, 70s, or 80s, and join the march there.

For details, check the website: http://peoplesclimate.org/march/

Hope to see Jackson Heights represented in this historic event. It's too big to sit out.

Some commuters may experience benefits, others detriments. The reality is that these infrastructure projects are greenlighted based on real estate interests, not on commuter interests. Any benefits for commuters are incidental. Which is not to say these benefits or detriments are not real; they're just not the point. The same goes for East Side Access, the Second Avenue Line, and the iffy 7 train extension to Secaucus, etc. These projects are pitched to the public as transportation initiatives, but they are at the core real estate projects. We will all find these to either facilitate or burden our trips. And the merits of the actual plans--in terms of long-term, large-scale development and speculation--can be debated. The point is to recognize these projects for what they actually are.

A really interesting article about the guy who just opened the new perfume shop on 37th Avenue between 81st and 82nd: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140217/jackson-heights/perfume-shop-owner-hopes-sweet-smell-of-success-wafts-jackson-heights

I've never bought a drop of cologne or perfume in my life, but I wouldn't mind just stopping in to learn more about this man.

I know it's very typical in Japanese restaurants to close between lunch and dinner to do a thorough cleaning. They do not consider it favorable to clean in front of customers. It also gives the staff a chance to rest, regroup, or change shifts before the next rush. I don't know if the same goes for Thai places, but it could be.

I walked over today. The windows are still papered over, but I found an unlocked door, went in and wandered around for about 10 minutes looking at stuff before someone approached me and said they are not open yet. They hope to do so tomorrow. The place looked pretty good though during my accidental sneak peak. It's not entirely finished yet, and it seems like some equipment still needs to be installed. Comparatively, the space feels spacious and the aisles are pretty wide. It's an all around upgrade. I'm looking forward to a more authorized tour tomorrow or this weekend.

Nothing wrong at all. We're in agreement.

I've gotten a couple hundred menus from East 21 Chinese and Japanese slipped under my door. Somehow, I haven't tried them yet. For Chinese, I switched a few years ago from Empire to Peking. For Japanese, I like Happy Kitchen. I'm not a food critic, but I really like the atmosphere they have there. I guess I am skeptical of places that do both Chinese and Japanese. I don't know if that's reasonable. The chicken at Empire always seemed a little rubbery to me, so I switched. But maybe they've upped their game along with the addition of Japanese.