Astoria Characters: The Musician Who Covers All His Basses

“The bass is cool,” declares Jeff Dingler. “In any style of music, it’s always a countermelody happening in the background in between the melodic instruments and the drums.” Jeff plays the electric bass and the upright bass. Want to hear a little Gershwin? Jeff takes off his shoes at the door, slides his feet into slippers and sits down in his living room.  When he plays, he loses himself in the sound. He was only going to play one short piece, but how about some jazz? He…

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Astoria Characters: The Game-Changing Teacher

The students aren’t here yet, so Sofia Christakis climbs the ladder and swooshes down the bright blue slide. Sofia is the founder of Puzzles. Once she lands, smiling, she heads to the swing, where she sways serenely back and forth, a metronome in motion. Hey, these things have to be tested out to make sure they are safe for the little ones, don’t they? Play, you see, is much more than a game to Sofia, the founder of Puzzles, a learning center whose mission is to spread inclusion…

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Astoria Characters: The Color-Blind Artist

Consider yourself forewarned: The art studio is small, and Matt Albano’s personality is prodigious. Things may get a little cramped in here. Matt Albano, aka Oddball Matt. When he opens the grey metal door, it’s like the scene from where things morph magically from black and white to Technicolor. Paintings paper the walls in cascades of color, their hues accented by works stacked around the space like sardines. “Don’t worry,” Matt says as he runs his fingers through his…

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Astoria Characters: The Fitness Partners

She’s a real estate lawyer.He’s a personal trainer. Apostolis and Despina are the owners of FORTE. Together, they are FORTE.  The name of their newly opened fitness and recovery center, in all caps, signifies strength. Of the whole body. Of the whole mind. Of the whole soul. Despina Manoloudas, a toned woman whose bouncy dark hair is done up in a half ponytail, met Apostolis Bacalis, a muscle man with tatted sleeves, shaved head and dark, brooding eyes, nearly eight years…

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Astoria Characters: The Pet Doctor With 2 Dogs and 6 Cats

The felines Farrah and Ferris are sunning themselves on the front counter at Modern Vet Care, while Wesley, the perky Pomeranian, is peeking curiously out of a gated examination room. Emily’s the veterinarian at Modern Vet Care. When Emily Ehmann, the veterinarian, walks in the front door, Farrah, the black and white cat, and Ferris, the light-brown purring machine, leap from their perch to her feet, curling themselves around her legs. Modern Vet Care is new – it opened at the end…

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