Author: ruhlwrite

It’s such a simple idea. Megan M. Stier, a self-described performer/educator/motivational speaker (there’s rent to pay,  so it depends on the day) bought five notebooks and five pens from the dollar store and “hid” them in plain sight in Astoria Park. Megan is the person behind The Journal Project NYC. She wrote “Read Me” on each cover. Those who were curious enough to do so were instructed to record their thoughts anonymously in the volumes and leave them for the next…

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Juggling. That’s what Nicole Panettieri excels at. She has two babies – a 2-year-old named Nate and a 7-year-old she called, for no deep, compelling reason, other than that it sounds so cute, The Brass Owl. Nicole opened The Brass Owl in 2014. Each is more than a full-time job, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Nate is at home with his father, so things will be a little easier at The Brass Owl today. Nicole, who lives within walking distance of the shop, has long, dark…

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You’ve never drunk The Green Fairy? Don Spiro grabs a glass goblet, chilled water and a nearly empty bottle of the spirited spirit also known as absinthe. Don’s the co-founder of The Green Fairy Society. Planting his Panama hat at a rakish angle, he heads to the rooftop, a covid-safe party space. As he pours the amber-emerald liquid into the glass, Don, who’s wearing the ghost of a grey goatee and a vintage Cuban celadon guayabera that complements the color of the absinthe,…

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It was a couple of cups of coffee at Mike’s Diner that got the creativity flowing. Astoria Art Bites setting up at Mike’s Diner at 22-37 31st St. Vendula Kalinova, a fashion designer and artist, is a regular at the mammoth-menu eatery, which is a neighborhood fixture at the Ditmars stop. It just so happens that Idania Flores, who designs jewelry for animal-rescue organizations to sell at fund-raisers, is generally the server who takes her order. Vendula shows her paintings. As…

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Gregg Peters isn’t wearing a white jumpsuit. This is a startling fashion statement from a guy who has made his living impersonating Elvis for 43 years – one longer than the King of Rock and Roll was on this planet. Elvis has entered the building. The jumpsuit, even by Elvis standards, is a little flashy for a Saturday morning interview in New York City Bagel & Coffee House at Astoria’s Broadway stop, so Gregg has come conservatively costumed. He’s wearing a jet black “Viva…

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