Astoria Characters: The Leash Leader

“Before you meet Kitana, shake my hand and give her a treat,” says Christopher Borew as he parks his purple bicycle right outside Astoria Park.Christopher and Kitana.He hands me a sliver of beef liver.Kitana, his17-month-old snow-white Shiba Inu, gives me a grin as she gobbles it up.Now pet her – not on the top of the head, she’s a dominant dog, just caress her under the chin, yes, like that, that’s perfect.OK, now that we’re chill, Christopher removes the canine’s…

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Astoria Characters: The Bowling Opera Singer

When the cream puffs and canelés at Pastries by Anne are served, soft-spoken Hyunsung Shin beams and bursts into song, his beautiful baritone booming through the bakery.Sung lives in Long Island City.In case you didn’t guess, Sung, the sing-song moniker he prefers to go by, is passionate about pastries.And bowling.And opera singing.And helping helm his family’s food-service supply business.Any and all of his favorite things will elicit a Sung song.If you think it’s…

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