Reflections on the Way to Work

At a certain stage in your career your resume, experience and reputation speak for itself so when one is interviewing for a new job it typically comes down to fitting into the culture of the firm and making a connection during the interview process.  Interviewing for a job is a little like speed dating you have 20-30 minutes to make a connection and if you don’t you are usually eliminated from the candidate pool especially when you are competing with an equally qualified group of talented candidates.

One day while I was interviewing for a position the discussion somehow turned to where I grew up, not sure how the discussion got to that point but the interviewer was also from Queens.  As the discussion went deeper into growing up in Queens, which is the easternmost and largest in area of the five boroughs of New York City, it went deeper into the specific location within Queens, after all Queens is approximately 178 square miles so the likelihood that you would remotely have grown up in the same neighborhood within Queens is slim especially if you from are where I grew up.

So when we had begun to get deeper into the discussion about growing up in Queens (being polite and respectful I let the interviewer go first) he proceeds to say “have you ever heard of the music group Run DMC” and finishing his thought I said “let me guess, you grew up in Hollis” and he said “yes”, in fact it ended up he grew up very close to where I did (and no we did not know each other growing up!).  Thank goodness for Run DMC, I credit them with my having landed the job (honestly it was the experience that landed me the job but it is fun to give credit to the song “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC – which is one of my favorite non-traditional holiday songs!).

This reflection isn’t about how to land a job but rather on Queens, New York itself.  It is meant to serve as a reminder to those who grew up and have their roots in Queens and make it big in politics, entertainment, business or the arts not to forget where their roots began.  After all, not everyone is like Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who was proud of his Queens connection. It will show the diversity Queens offers,  its rich history and the reason why no one should ever forget to mention their roots are from Queens.  For it is the diversity of Queens that makes NY unique and there is no better borough than Queens that demonstrates that.

Some background for those unfamiliar New York City.  It is comprised of 5 boroughs- Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.  Each borough has its own personality and character.  New York is New York and needs no explanation.  Bronx is known for the Yankees and Arthur Avenue.  Brooklyn, well, everyone knows Brooklyn and today it is becoming one of the most hip places to live in New York.  Staten Island is on the map because in every photo you see of the Statue of Liberty it also features the yellow Staten Island Ferry passing by it and for tourists it is an economical way to see Lady Liberty.  And then that leaves my hometown borough of Queens, for me I feel like it is the forgotten borough.

I always feel sorry for Queens County, despite feeling like it is the neglected borough, it offers so much and so this reflection is dedicated to all the residents of Queens, past, present and future to remind the world what a great place Queens is and to give credit to Queens County for the many wonderful residents both famous and infamous that are from this great borough!

I am proud to be from Queens and not afraid to admit it!  Not sure why so many famous people don’t like to admit they are from Queens – perhaps they do not want to be associated with  the many stereotypes that have grown out of Queens – e.g. “Archie Bunker” stereotype; Fran Drescher stereotype of the nanny with the accent; or  the middle class worker as portrayed by  the King of Queens character;  or any one of the  other stereotypes that emerge from Queens!

Last Year I was so honored when Lonely Planet voted Queens, New York as one of the top 10 American destinations primed for a visit in 2015  Lonely Planet Article – Best in the US 2015 (Click on the Link to see the article).  For me it was an acknowledgement that Queens finally made it on the map!  Growing up in Queens, you grew up in a community that was diverse and international with each neighborhood reflective of a different culture within Queens.   I would agree with the Lonely Planet statement that “Nowhere is the image of New York as the global melting pot truer than Queens”.  I truly believe that people who grow up in Queens appreciate people from all different cultures and enjoy foods from all over the world because they were privileged to experience it in Queens.  I once read a Buzz Feed on the internet that was titled 43 Signs You Grew Up in Queens, one of them was that all of your best friends from childhood speak at least one other language fluently.  And that was true for me as a child growing up there!

In addition, in 2015 Forbes Magazine listed Queens as one of the best cities for Millennials to live (No. 23), again while being beaten by two other New York City boroughs – Manhattan, which was No. 2 and Brooklyn (No. 14).

So, who do I have the privilege of sharing my roots from Queens with? While there are so many more , some of the more famous ones are Donald Trump; Governor Andrew Cuomo and his brother, Christopher Cuomo, and of course their father, Governor Mario Cuomo; Cyndi Lauper; Bernadette Peters; Lucy Liu;  Christopher Walken; 50 Cent;  Tony Bennett;  Run DMC; Fiddy; QTip; Ice Cube; Al Roker; Estee Lauder; Nas; Marie Daly; Ron Artest; Amy Ryan; Ja Rule; Louis Armstrong, Bob Costas; Paul Simon; Art Garfunkel; Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Patty Duke; Ray Romano; Dick Van Patten; Barry Scheck; and the list goes on and on.  Then there are of course those from Queens that are famous for legal reasons that  probably don’t put Queens in a very good light.  And of course, the odd resident, like the Runaway Cow, Freddie(Click on Link to learn more about Freddie, the Runaway Cow).

When you are from Queens, you typically don’t say you are from Queens, you usually identify yourself with your neighborhood.  The neighborhoods of Queens from A-W  include: Astoria, Bayside, Bellrose, Briarwood, Cambria Heights, Corona and Corona Heights, Elmhurst and East Elmhurst, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Hollis (of course!), Hollis Hills, Holliswood,  Howard Beach,  Jackson Heights, Jamaica,  Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Beach, Jamaica Estates, Jamaica Hills, Hillcrest,  Kew Gardens, and Kew Gardens Hills,  Laurelton, Little Neck, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park, Queens Village, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, Rockaway Beach and Sunnyside, Roseland, Springfield Gardens, South Jamaica, St. Albans, Whitestone, and Woodside, to name a few!

Immigrants from different countries typically settle in neighborhoods identified with their home country.  Neighborhoods change over time, but one thing that stays true is that each neighborhood is typically identified with a culture.   My father’s practice was a testament to this.  As the neighborhoods he served changed with one group of immigrants moving out and another moving in, his client base reflected this change. Once Irish, Polish, Italian and African American, it changed over time to immigrants from Indian, Pakistan, Caribbean, Guyana, and South American.   With each change in the cultural diversity of the neighborhood my father had to learn the culture and traditions of the new immigrants and incorporate that into his practice.

Other neighborhoods are also typically identified with a population – e.g. Flushing – with Asian communities.  The Chinese-immigrant population of Flushing, Queens is now larger than Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Queens, is home to the New York Mets, the US Open Tennis Tournament, Aqueduct Racetrack and hosts the Annual Dragon Boat Race in Flushing, Queens. It also hosts, the Kaufman Astoria Studios and the Silvercup Studios.

The NYC Official Guide has an article by Julie Besonen, titled “Seventh Heaven: Dining Along the 7 Train”.  The 7 train is a great subway ride to take as it is above ground for a good part of the way and you get an interesting tour of parts or Queens. As Ms. Besonen says in her article, the 7 Flushing Local Train is an “International Express” because for each stop on the 7 Line you can experience a different international cuisine and culture.  The Asian markets are worth the trip to alone.  And of course, the added bonus is the 7 Line takes you to the home of Mr. Met himself, Citifield, or as many of us still like to refer to it – Shea Stadium!.  Seems like only folks from Queens and Long Island are Mets fans!

Queens is also  home to the Queens Botanical Gardens, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Queens Historical Society, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the home of the Unisphere, which is the 12-story globe and the icon of the 1964-65 World’s Fair and of course, one of my favorites, the annual NY Dragon Boat Race!  You can also find cricket competitions almost every weekend in the summertime.  Less known, is the Voelker Orth Museum, which houses an urban garden and bird sanctuary.

Queens is home to multiple Universities, including one of the largest Catholic Universities and my alma mater, St. John’s University.  Queens, also is home to the Museum of the Moving Image, the New York Hall of Science, Queens Museum and Queens Theatre.  It hosts two of the most famous airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.  Queens can be accessed from Manhattan from the 59th Street Bridge, now affectionately named after one of my favorite Mayors, Ed Koch.  It is also home to Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, Aqueduct Racetrack and the NEW YORK METs (need to put in a plug for the Mets whenever I can as they too are always in the shadow of another borough team from the Bronx).  It is also home to Cunningham Park, one of the largest parks in Queens.

Astoria, which was named for Jacob Astor, is primarily known for its Greek neighborhood but today it has a large number of residents from Italy, Brazil, the Baltics, Ireland and Egypt.  If you go to Jackson Heights, you typically have immigrants from Ecuador, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Peru, to name a few.

Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Beach has parks, trails and hosts activities that include hiking, biking, birding, kayaking, fishing and golfing.  There is even some history at Fort Tilden, a 1917 harbor defense outpost named after Samuel Tilden, NY’s governor from 1875-1876.  The fort was decommissioned in 1974, however, it houses some theatre companies but you can still explore is historic significance in the landmark batteries and bunkers.

Growing up my parents and elder relatives always spoke of Floyd Bennett Field, which now houses the William Fitts Ryan Visitor Center.  Floyd Bennett Field is most known for Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes, each who took off from Floyd Bennett Field.  During WW II, it was used as an airport.  The 1930s terminal was restored and today, houses exhibitions and aircraft replicas.

Queens is a wonderful place to be from and to have grown up and I believe with Lonely Planet’s ranking and article last year it has finally come into its own.  If you have never been and are coming to NY make sure you stop and explore Queens.  If you live in NY, don’t forget to take one of the many subways or buses and visit all that Queens has to offer!  And for the famous, never forget your roots.  And for those from the other boroughs – watch out for Queens its working its way up the ladder!!

I feel that growing up in Queens has taught me to be open minded to diverse cultures and religions because growing up in Queens you are exposed to people of all nationalities and religions.  If only the world with all of its prejudices, biases and religious wars could experience the ability to co-exist the way the residents of Queens do then perhaps there would be more peace and tolerance in the world.

If you want to read more about Queens or see a video I am providing links to the lonely Planet video on Queens that supplements the Lonely Planet Article above.  In addition I am also including a link to the  Queens Economic Development Corporation website It’s In Queens which offers more in-depth and current  things to do in Queens, NY.

Click on the Attached Queens Economic Development – It’s In Queens

Video: Click on the Attached – Lonely Planet Video on Queens, New York

Here is to you Queens!