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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