Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ASTORIA
Developed in 1839 and named after John Jacob Astor,
Astoria
, Queens is known for two
things: filmmaking and the fact that it has the largest concentration of Greeks outside
Greece - or so it claims. Between 1920 and 1928, Astoria, where Paramount had its studios,
was the capital of the silent film era and continued to blossom until the 1930s, when the lure
of Hollywood's reliable weather left Astoria largely empty.
Greek Astoria stretches from Ditmars Boulevard to Broadway, and from 31st Street across
to Steinway Street, though plenty of Moroccans, Egyptians, Brazilians and others have
moved in; it makes for a foodie haven, evidenced in the patisseries, fresh seafood restaur-
ants and kebab stands.
THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
35th Ave at 37th St, Astoria, Queens. Subway N, Q to 36th St; M, R to Steinway St. 718 784 0077,
www.movingimage.us
.
Wed-Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri 10.30am-8pm, Sat & Sun 11.30am-7pm. $12, children
3-18 $6.
MAP
Part of the old Paramount complex, the
Museum of the Moving Image
tells the fascinating
story of cinema through state-of-the-art theatres, hands-on exhibits and vintage props. The
museum's core collection, “Behind the Screen”, holds old movie cameras and special-ef-
fects equipment; sketches and set models from
The Silence of the Lambs
; and enough
Star
Wars
action figures to make an obsessed fan drool with envy. The film series and temporary
exhibitions are an equal lure.
ISAMU NOGUCHI GARDEN MUSEUM
9-01 33rd Rd at Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, Queens. Subway N, Q to Broadway; F to Queensbridge-21st
St. 718 204 7088,
www.noguchi.org
. Wed-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm. $10.
MAP
While hard to reach, the
Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
easily repays curiosity. The mu-
seum is devoted to the “organic” sculptures, drawings, modern dance costumes and Akari
light sculptures of the prolific Japanese-American abstract sculptor Isamu Noguchi
(1904-88), whose studio was here. His pieces, in stone, bronze and wood, exhibit a sublime
simplicity.
MOMA PS1
22-25 Jackson Ave at 46th Ave, Long Island City. Subway #7 to 45 Rd-Courthouse Square; E, M to Court
Square-23rd St, #7 to Court Sqaure, G to 21st St. 718 784 2084,
www.momaps1.org
. Thurs-Mon
noon-6pm. Suggested admission $10 (free with same-day MoMA ticket).
MAP
MoMA PS1
is one of the oldest and biggest organizations in the United States devoted ex-
clusively to contemporary art and to showing leading emerging artists. Since its founding in
1971, this public school-turned-exhibition space has hosted some of the city's most exciting
art displays.
