A tell-tale sign that your boro is ranking higher in the “coolness” factor is how many blogs are launched. Queens seems to be no exception to this. New blogs seem to pop up daily with topics each trying to find a unique angle. There are three that stand out from the rest and are covering the information in Queens from three very different angles.
Give Me Astoria (www.givemeastoria.com) was launched by Australian native Sonja Mylonas to “cover, promote and highlight business, political, non-for-profit and everyday issues that impact the residents of Astoria.” said Mylonas. Running Cats Eye marketing company was the first step in “bringing business and community involvement hand in hand.” An Astoria resident for almost a decade, Mylonas came for a coffee on 30th avenue and never looked back. Her favorite neighborhood is of course Astoria. “Astoria is number one on my list! You can find anything and everything here. From Astoria Park to the breathtaking views of the city skyline.” Mylonas predicts that Queens will change “For the better. I think Queens will become an international tourist attraction. We are making our mark; it’s only a matter a time before we start seeing new attractions, new projects and more investments coming into the borough both from a private and government stand point.”
QNSMADE (www.qnsmade.co) was launched by Flushing native and Briarwood resident Amy Wu. A Queens resident her entire life, Wu launched QNSMADE so that she could “interview and talk to Queens people doing cool things and it grew from that small premise into trying to define the entire borough of Queens through different touch points—interviews, street photography, history, and a directory of local businesses.”
Wu’s favorite aspects of Queens include that “There is always something new (and old) to eat. My favorite foods can be found all over Queens. I feel at home here. It’s where my family is. My family originated from Calcutta, India, but we are Chinese, specifically Hakka and so I identify with Indian and Hakka cuisine. Queens lets me embrace this duality.”
Something that Wu has learned from her experiences in Queens is that “there are so many people in Queens doing awesome things for their neighborhood. There are amazing youth programs for teens and so many Queens artists making and representing Queens in big ways. Queens is so huge—I’m constantly learning something new here. I learned that people really pull together here. I have met so many smart and strong people. I always knew there was a lot of heart here, but I feel it even more since starting QNSMADE.” Wu hopes to “partner up with Queens Institutions here, like the museums and parks to hold events. The goal is to be more immersed within the community IRL and using the website, social media, and digital channels to facilitate those physical, face to face interactions.”
Queen of Astoria (www.queenofastoria.com) was founded by Ashley Dean, who moved to Astoria two years ago from Camden, New York. Her website was started as a “creative platform to share my experiences with friends and family back home. I knew I eventually wanted to become an entrepreneur through event planning so I figured a website would be a centralized hub for my experiences, endeavors, and achievements.”
Since starting her blog, Dean has learned that Queens “is a lot like my hometown. Although significantly larger, it’s a community of working class people that just want to make the borough a better place. Ironically, Camden is nicknamed the “Queen Village” because of its beauty so I draw comparisons to home often. I’ve also learned that people will find you and offer their help and/or support if they rock with your vision.”
The self-proclaimed “Queen of Astoria” explains the origin of her name. “The name Queen of Astoria started as a joke from my love of hip hop and transcended into a website and event series that is unique. I wasn’t sure people would understand the concept of the “Ice Cream Social” which is a party I throw incorporating hip hop and ice cream at my favorite spots around Astoria. But people seem to love it, even if they don’t like hip hop they still come and show love…that means a lot.”