offManhattan

Queens is king tonight at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center as 43 arts organizations and 17 indie artists are honored with nearly a quarter of a million dollars by the Queens Community Arts Fund (QCAF). The QCAF is an award presented by Queens Council on the Arts from a handful of benefactors—New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Greater New York Arts Development Fund, the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, and the JP Morgan Chase Arts Foundation Regrants Program—whose generosity ensures that this borough’s creative voice is heard.

All five boroughs of New York are densely scattered with a variety of cultural pockets holding strong ties to the old country of its generations of immigrants. Queens leads the pack as the most culturally diverse county in the country. When we think of Astoria, we are quick to think Greek (or of a certain Czech Beer Garden), but the stretch of Steinway Street between 28th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard is rich with North African, and more specifically, Egyptian and Moroccan culture.

What: Mariana Bekerman Dance Premiere

Where: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Long Island City, Queens 

When: Saturday, December 5th, 8:00p.m.

Why: With her new multi-cultural ten-member dance troupe, the Ukrainian-born Tisch graduate Mariana Bekerman is striving to “make performers and viewers aware that we are all connected, regardless if our world is comprised of chaos, complexity and disorder.” This Saturday, the company will perform “Black and White,” a dialogue on power, hate, death, and love—you’d do well to add a little substance to your lazy winter weekends. For the price of two Chipotle burritos, take in a moving performance that celebrates life, which is what this season’s all about.

Cost: $15 in advance; $20 at the door; $10 for students

It is the certainty that the Manhattan skyline will be served day and night with your meal that you find yourself on a ferry bound for Long Island City and Water’s Edge. Under the new direction of the Singh Hospitality Group, the barge-based venue has replaced its classic old-fashioned interior with a sleeker, more modern look. Where guests once sunk into regal pink and yellow cushions, now sit edgier, contemporary pieces Jonathan Adler would approve of. The stemware is different, the outdoor deck has grown. But just when you’re starting to think the decor and ambiance is missing a wow factor other than the twinkling vista, the food arrives.

When it comes to Korean barbecue, Manhattan’s got nothing on Queens. Most Koreans live in Queens, specifically Flushing, where they go to church, sing Karaoke, and most importantly, eat. It’s only logical that the best Korean BBQ in town is here.

Although most of us love an urban adventure, especially one ending in an eatable reward, Nam-O-Jong, located at the corner of 161st Street and Northern Boulevard, is one of those places you really wish delivered closer to home. For about $30, the BBQ ribs are cooked on your table with a combination of natural gas and coal, which adds a slightly smoky flavor to the sweetly marinated beef.

At an abandoned factory in Queens, the four stories are dripping in Technicolor graffiti, and curbed by people who’ve turned their bodies into a canvas of blue ink and silver piercings. This is 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center. Here in Long Island City, the guerilla artists—and the underrepresented communities they come from—have found a place to put their writing on the proverbial wall. Curator Jonathan Cohen divvies up garage doors, courtyard walls, ventilation ducts (basically anything that can be reached with his 50-foot orange bucket-lift) and reclaims the gallery by thinking outside it.

What: El Tour de Taco Bike Ride

Where: Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

When: Saturday, October 10th, 10:30 a.m.

Why: Peddling the boroughs for food was just a “this would be cool” thought for cyclist and bike blogger Anita Singh until her fellow friend and bike commuter Emily Demarest created El Tour de Taco. The Tour—an all day bike ride on the hunt for the best taco in three boroughs—will park and ride at a total of nine taco shops from start to finish.

Since both Singh and Demarest have a love for the fillings and trimmings that accompany Mexican provisions popularly consumed at carts, ballparks, and stands, El Tour was an ideal ride. “It’s an opportunity to explore other places, to ride where you’ve never been before,” said Demarest. “I don’t think I can eat nine tacos in a day but I’ll try.”

What: The 5th Annual Vendy Awards

When: Saturday, Sept 26th, 2009, 2:00-7:00 p.m.

Where: Queens Museum of Art (Near the Unisphere), Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens

Why: Whether you’ve pined for a Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and confection in Park Slope, a Mediterranean chickpea falafels from “Freddy” in Astoria, a scoop of Giandujia from Van Leeuwen’s by the High Line, or steamed dumplings from the Rickshaw Truck in Dumbo, you’ve traveled far and boroughs-wide for a taste of street greatness.

What: “A Walk in the Park,” NYC Craft Beer Week’s closing event

When: Sunday, Sept 20th, 2:00p.m.–10:00p.m.

Where: Studio Square, Queens

Why: Continue the Oktoberfest-ivities with a glass of Hop Mouth, Owl Pumpkin, or an Oh Brother! this Sunday at the newish 18,000-square-foot Studio Square beer garden, where more than 40 rare and specialty beers will be served under one loft roof.

“In the spirit of a Thanksgiving harvest, we’re getting the entire community together to celebrate what it means to be a beer drinker,” said Josh Schaffner, director of the New York Beer Craft Festival.