City Councilmember Julie Won speaks to Sunnysiders. Photo via NY City Council.

BY SIDDHARTHA HARMALKAR

SUNNYSIDE  — Between Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 19, Queens residents across Council Districts 25, 26, 27, and 29 will be able to cast their ballots for how they want to fund local projects to improve schools, parks, libraries, streets and other public spaces in their community.

District 26 residents, for example, can vote on upgrading community gardens in Long island City or Astoria, providing technology upgrades to enhance learning for students, funding a 24/7 road service truck for fire trucks and ambulances, and more.

Voting is open to everyone aged 11 and older (or at least in 6th grade) who lives in, works or has a special connection (i.e. goes to school) in participating districts. Cast your ballot at https://rnd.council.nyc.gov/PB_Voting/.

This month’s Community Board 2 meeting featured announcements about other ways for community members to receive support and get involved with a variety of initiatives to shape their district.

On April 21, Sunnyside Community Services is hosting a free conference about memory loss, care options, and caregiver tips and resources at the Queens Botanical Garden.

The center, which also hosts Community Board 2 meetings, recently held an information session on the Sunnyside Yards development project that brought out close to 200 local residents.

Next month’s community board meeting will be on May 7.

Board members encouraged community members to take part in the public comment period at these meetings in order to advocate for local issues. The board recently welcomed 12 new members at April’s meeting, who will serve for 2 years.

A representative from the newly elected board of the 472-unit Phipps Gardens Apartments Tenant Association said during the public comment period that the group is hoping to build community and advocate for tenants living conditions, and is looking for more members who live in the complex.

The board is looking for a community member with tech skills to help them create an online tracker to keep track of public and private commitments made by the OneLIC development project. At the meeting, Amaurys Valdez, chair of the Engagement and Inclusion and Tech Committee, encouraged community members to reach out to the board to get involved with the project.

In mid-May, the board will be distributing a survey about community needs and ideas for budget expenses, kicking off a 7-month-long process that culminates in a public hearing and votes to approve budget requests that will be sent to the city to advocate for funds for the following fiscal year.

The Capital and Expenses Budget Committee is also seeking a community member to assist the board with survey development, community outreach, drafting/proofreading, and otherwise help with the process.

Interested applicants can email the board at QN02@cb.nyc.org with the subject line “Public Member Application” and a paragraph describing what they hope to bring to the process.

Artist and Medusa owner Katherine Grammes.

BY COLE SINANIAN

cole@queensledger.com 

ASTORIA — For any Astorians who may have been wondering what exactly goes on behind the green facade of Medusa Art Studios at the corner of 21st St. and Astoria Blvd, you’re in luck. The studio and event space is now opening as a whimsical new bar, part of owner Katherine Grammes’ yearslong vision to merge her love of hospitality, art, and fantasy into a single, one-of-a-kind experience.

Grammes has operated Medusa as an art studio since 2021, but as she explained in an interview, integrating her two livelihoods — art and hospitality — into a single venture had always been the plan.

“I thought it’d be a cool idea in the end to eventually have a place that could support both things,” she said.

Originally from Maryland, Grammes has lived in Astoria since 2019, where she’s worked as a photographer and set designer, supporting herself as a bartender in between when necessary. Now that she’s finally got a liquor license for Medusa, Grammes has committed to hiring fellow artists who can’t quite make ends meet on their art alone; one of her bartenders has a homemade candle business, another is a singer.

Medusa’s decor comes mainly from Grammes’ personal antique collection. It counts a cozy back patio, a spacious back room with several tables and a fireplace (stand up comedy happens here), a transitionary nook with a giant leather chair and a “cave wall,” and a “splash room” decked out with curtains and ever-changing mood lighting. Gargoyles, Roman statues, masks, skulls, faux ivy and whimsical paintings of all sorts adorn Medusa’s corners, the bounty of a lifetime of perusing the antique shops of America.

“It brings a welcoming aspect to the space,” she said. “So when people come here, they can speak to another world a little bit, but also just relax and feel welcomed.”

From the bar at the front comes an expansive list of bespoke cocktails with names like “Strawberry Monster Matcha Martini” and “Medieval Cherry Blossom” featuring several varieties of nordic meads (one of which is called “Viking Blood”). For the less adventurous there’s wine of all shades and local beers by the can.

Regarding her mead-heavy cocktail menu, Grammes explained that the ancient honey-wine pairs well with Medusa’s aesthetic.

“It worked well with the fantastical and the Renaissance— we have a lot of those themed events here,” she said. “Not everyone’s tried mead, so the first week I had to do a buy-one-get-one-free so people would be more open to trying.”

Rather than just a bar or art studio, Grammes wants Medusa to be something in between, what she describes as a “community creative space.” Come on a Tuesday and you might find comedy in the back room. If it’s a Wednesday it might be a movie in the “splash room.” Grammes’ calendar is already packed— on Thursday, April 16 an event called “Intuition and Oracle Cards 101” is listed, during which a professional Tarot reader will give a class on the secrets of her craft. Last Thursday was Dungeons and Dragons. Come on a weekend afternoon for a “Ritmo and Reiki’ Zumba class or a workshop on “enchanted figure drawing.” While the activities are fun, guests are welcome to drop in for a quick drink as well; the separate rooms are intentional, allowing multiple vibes to be cultivated simultaneously without interference or interruption.

“Tuesdays, you can still chill out, but if you want a good laugh at the end of the night, come,” Grammes says. “Wednesdays, if you want to chill and watch a movie and just get the week over with, you can watch the film or you can still hang out over here.”

As for the name, Grammes says it comes from her childhood affinity for the monstrous Greek goddess, whom she says is misunderstood. Also, with her Greek roots and deadly looks, Grammes pointed out that there’s something vaguely Astorian about Medusa.

Ally McHugh, host of QED’s “The Queens Poet” open mic series. Photo by Maryam Rahaman.

BY MARYAM RAHAMAN 

As performers got ready to perform Frank Ocean’s “White” at the Queens Poet open mic on Saturday, the piano stool collapsed. Hannah Lieberman, who owns the host venue QED Astoria, asked if anyone had adjusted it. Regular Danny Fowler replied, “I took the screws out,” propelling the room into laughter. 

That kind of communal banter, along with support, characterizes the monthly event at QED, which takes place on the first Saturday of each month. Hosted by Ally McHugh, the open mic features works from poets, spoken word artists, musicians, and more. This month’s show was home to a variety of poems, as well as two musical performances. The show is free with a $5 minimum purchase to QED. 

A few years ago, McHugh found a longing for a sense of community and socialization beyond going to restaurants or bars. “I was thinking ‘What do I want in life?’” McHugh said. The first time she went to the Queens Poet, she just observed. The openness and support of the space encouraged her to share for the first time.  

“I never really imagined that I would be able to get over that hump of being able to stand in front of a crowd,” McHugh said. “I loved the vibration that this venue had. Everybody felt open and supportive.” 

Within a year, McHugh became friendly with the previous host. When she had to move away, McHugh took over. She says that at almost every show, she’s had a first-timer join—just as she did. 

One such first-timer was one of Fowler’s friends. He was inspired to do so after a previous show where he had seen Fowler read. 

“I guess he was my first protege,” Fowler joked. For a long time, Fowler would write but didn’t call it poetry. That is, until about a month ago, where he sat down with the intent to write a poem. The algorithm led him to the open mic.

“I wasn’t really nervous going in,” Fowler said. “But if I was, it wouldn’t have mattered. Everybody’s so welcoming.” Before, he says, he never would have imagined being at a poetry open mic. Now, he looks forward to it every month, performing two original poems on Saturday. 

Host Ally McHugh with Danny Fowler (left) and his friend, Zachary Jones.

While the themes of the poems and performances shifted from person to person, many performances were witty in nature. A few also touched on the changing seasons. One poet read a few more solemn poems to balance it out. Kamau Jones closed the show with a performance of his original single called “I’m so Ugly,” a comedic tune about a man who’s so ugly that he makes “babies cry” and “neighborhoods hide” —one he assured he didn’t actually relate to. 

No matter the thematic content, an audience of about three dozen people responded with ample applause. 

Regular Matt Leazer, who often blends poetry and comedy in his work, performed a piece that intertwined ants, the possibility of being a flight attendant, and Lent. He ended by asking the audience to applaud for themselves “for creating and making the world better.”

The community aspect has continued even when Leazer’s missed a few shows.

“Everyone’s like ‘Oh my gosh, tell us everything,’” Leazer said. “It’s a real special place to go home to.”

“I’ve seen people fall in love at the mic,” Leazer said. “I’ve seen people get up and sing with their guitar and this is the only place I feel comfortable enough to do that.” 

“There’s strange things all the time,” he added. “But I think we’re all so strange that it feels normal.”

The next open mic will take place on May 2nd. More about the Queens Poet, or find times for future open mics, can be found on Instagram @thequeenspoet.

BY MARYAM RAHAMAN

ASTORIA  — Jackson Heights native David Tianga grew up in the Golden Age of hip-hop. For Tianga, owner of plant-based restaurants Urban Vegan Kitchen and Urban Vegan Roots, hip-hop and veganism share key traits: giving a middle finger to the system and trying to live optimally. 

Urban Vegan Roots, Tianga’s second restaurant, recently closed its doors in Astoria this Sunday. The restaurant was not only a vegan staple in the neighborhood, but a community space. Tianga said there were a compilation of factors behind the location’s closing, including the accrual of debt after the restaurant opened in May 2022, several months behind the original schedule. Urban Vegan Kitchen, Tianga’s first restaurant which opened a decade ago, will continue business in Chelsea. 

Before working as a restaurateur, Tianga worked for years in theater and television writing. After two TV show pilots that didn’t work out, he started working part-time at Blossom du Jour, a vegan restaurant owned by Pamela Blackwell. Though Tianga intended to continue writing, he ended up becoming Blackwell’s general manager—looking for stability writing couldn’t provide. 

When Blackwell went to close a restaurant, Tianga pitched his idea for Urban Vegan Kitchen. At the time, Tianga said vegan spaces weren’t speaking to the multiculturalism of the city. Though incorporating graffiti and sports into the space turned some vegans off at first, the space and its audience grew together. 

“People like us were looking to turn vegan,” Tianga said. “So they wanted a space where they felt they could go eat and feel like ‘I belong here.’ This is built for me. I’m not going into somebody else’s house.” 

A few years later, Tianga opened Urban Vegan Roots, bringing a culture he loved to the borough where he grew up. As a long-time yoga practitioner, some of his favorite moments in the space were yoga classes open to the community. Last December, CBS News reported that Zohran Mamdani first spoke of his plans to run for mayor to his longtime friend State Sen. Jabari Brisport at the restaurant. 

Tianga also said that while the restaurant received a lot of take-out orders, there were comparatively less customers dining in—and more money going to delivery apps rather than the restaurant itself.

“People right now don’t want to have a good time because they don’t want to celebrate anything. And why would they? That’s why people go out to eat: to celebrate. What are we celebrating?” Tianga said. “Why am I gonna go spend $50 when I could just stay home, watch my Netflix, zone out, get my food delivered?”

For Tianga, the lack of dining out also represents a shift away from creativity in the New York restaurant business, especially for those not backed by investors. 

“Are people moving here for Eataly, for Whole Foods, for Starbucks? Is that why kids are moving here? I don’t think so,” Tianga said. “They’re moving here for authentic New York City culture, and that is an artist coming here with a dream, creating something, building it, making it their own. It doesn’t mean you have to be born here, but it means you’re putting your voice in and it’s authentic and it’s unique.”

When asked what customers can do, Tianga said “If you really love a restaurant, try and go there as much as you can.” He also recommended trying to order take-out directly from the restaurant if possible to avoid the cuts delivery apps take. 

Urban Vegan Kitchen in Chelsea, open seven days a week, can be found at 265 W 23rd St. One regular, who recently moved to Queens, told Tianga she’d be making the trip there often. 

Tianga said that part of the reason why the Chelsea location performs better is because of tourists who are interested in an authentic experience. 

“A tourist will come to our spot in Chelsea, hear the hip-hop, hear the reggae…and they’ll be like ‘Oh wow. This is real. This is what I came to New York for,’” Tianga said. 

Tianga said the final moments of the restaurant felt like a “funeral.” 

“I see other restaurants go through the same thing, like, they’re suffering,” Tianga said. “Then they announced they’re gonna close, and then everybody runs over there, and it’s too late.”