Pols, community call for traffic safety after infant dies
BP Adams renews commitment to vision zero during tense press conference
Participatory installation comes to Green-Wood
‘After the End’ gives visitors an opportunity to reflect on grief
Rally in Bushwick after anti-LGBTQ attack
Activists, friends, and members of the LGBTQ community gathered in Bushwick last week in the wake of a disturbing anti-gay attack the Sunday before.
Yun Cafe stays resilient after Ida
During Hurricane Ida, New Yorkers were shocked by videos of subway stations completely submerged in water, including many in Queens. Yet after only one week, the vibrant culture of the mass transit system has returned.
The subways are yet again a place to watch a dance routine, listen to a mariachi band, and enjoy some world-class Burmese cuisine.
Since the spring of 2020, Yun Cafe & Asian Mart has been nestled underground right by the entrance to the 74th St-Broadway/Roosevelt Ave subway station in Jackson Heights. Within that time, the young store has endured through the heights of the pandemic and now the serious flash-flooding brought upon by Ida.
However, these roadblocks haven’t stopped the new business from accruing a loyal base of customers in the neighborhood and national media attention from outlets such as the New Yorker and Gothamist.
Yun Yati Naing, who manages the cafe alongside her Burmese immigrant parents, discussed the impact that Hurricane Ida had on the small business, as well as her larger goals for the cafe going forward.
“All these bottles and stuff were wet,” Naing said while gesturing around the cafe’s small dining area, “and what’s more frustrating is that it wasn’t just water. There was a lot of oil that came with it. I don’t know where that all came from, maybe from some of the food we keep inside the store.”
Naing and her family had to drain over a foot of water from the cafe the morning after Ida. Additionally, the store experienced an electric outage that ruined one of its refrigerators, consequently damaging a large amount of food.
Yet to the naked eye, Yun Cafe looks just as clean as ever. Even when flooding isn’t an issue, the store’s owners are feverishly dedicated to making the space feel welcoming and homey, an oasis hidden within the labyrinthian tunnels of the Jackson Heights subway station.
“There’s a different vibe when you walk into the store from outside [in the station],” Naing explained. “A lot of people say that when you come inside it feels like you are somewhere else. Our store is very friendly and very cozy, and if you are a regular we definitely know who you are and we feel like friends.”
This comfortable atmosphere is enhanced by the food served, which includes an assortment of traditional Burmese dishes that utilize a variety of locally sourced and internationally shipped fresh ingredients.
“It’s very flavorful and has a fresh taste to it,” Naing said. “We use many types of vegetables, mixed with fermented things or noodles. It tastes flavorful but isn’t heavy. You can always adjust the spice level and sour level, too.”
Popular menu items include the laphet thoke (tea leaf salad), gin thoke (fermented ginger salad), and kaut swe thoke (noodle salad with chicken and boiled egg). The cafe also serves a variety of Burmese soups and teas.
Ever since the store was featured in the New Yorker and other publications, it has attracted many new visitors from near and far. However, a large amount of the store’s business comes from loyal customers who stop by frequently for a meal, drink, or to pick up some groceries, as it serves as a marketplace, as well.
“We see many Burmese people, a lot of them come from Queens and others come from Brooklyn,” Naing explained. “They come when they want to get the food, dry goods, or vegetables that we carry. But we also get non-Burmese people in the area and others who read the articles and travel all the way from New Jersey or something just to visit a small space like this.”
Located right below Diversity Plaza, Yun Cafe & Asian Mart is surrounded by an array of different businesses, cultures, and cuisines that have earned Queens its nickname as the “world’s borough.”
Even with all the trials the city has faced this past year, Naing and her family have always felt welcomed by the people of Jackson Heights.
“We’re just very honored to be part of this diverse community,” Naing said. “A lot of people come to Queens to experience Asian cultures and their food, and that really means a lot to us.
“People are very, very open minded, and they want to explore new cuisines and they want to explain they’re very appreciative of other culture,” she added. “So if you want to show off your cuisine, I think New York City is a place to do it.”
For more information, visit @yuncafeandasianmart on Instagram.
Queens resident shares the joy of reading through community library
“No child should be without a book” believes Kay Menashe, who has been making a difference for people of all ages with a donation-based library service.
The 44-year-old Howard Beach resident and former EMT owns and operates the Free Community Library of Ozone Park.
“During the height of the pandemic when all libraries were shut down, my goal was to make sure every child had a book to read,” said Menashe. “My free library originated when I placed a few of my own books out, and the community began taking them.
“Then we were asked by other community members if they could leave their books as well,” she added. “All of our books come from a different home with a tale to tell.”
The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting, since the library operates outdoors at locations announced on social media. The books come from community donations.
“We accept all books, as the Queens public libraries no longer take donated books since the pandemic,” Menashe said. “The only supplies we need are books, which we know most of you have at home just sitting around collecting dust.”
Menashe was recently named runner-up of the second annual Sparkling Ice’s “Cheers to Heroes” contest to honor America’s everyday heroes.
The contest received 1,000 nominations from 905 American cities with three finalists. Menashe received $7,500.
“We received such support from the community and from the parties and events we ran,” she said. “We won because the community voted for us and since our library makes a difference.”
Menashe hope to further develop her initiative, hoping the Queens community can help her find a small permanent space in an office or retail establishment.
“The books need to be displayed and stored and stay dry when it rains,” she explained. “We would also like to see a mom-and-pop coffeehouse go into business with us. My vision is to see my community members sitting down with coffee and maybe a slice of pie while reading free books they can take home.”
Menashe believes reading a physical copy is the best way to enjoy a book.
“I feel that e-reading takes away from the magic, including the new book smell,” she said. “As you hold books, it lets you relax. An e-reader is just a computer screen where you feel nothing.”
With titles spanning every genre in the community library, every day becomes a journey filled with surprises. She explained her personal inspiration is not just one person.
“The kids are why I do this mostly,” Menashe said. “Books are expensive for families to buy when you walk into a store, but when you walk into our café, that would never be an issue as your son or daughter would always leave with a free book.”
To donate books or to help the library secure a space, email klocascio2015@yahoo.com To keep up with the library, follow @communityozpl on Instagram.
Elmhurst Hospital commemorates 9/11 survivors
By Evan Triantafilidis
Woodside resident Dominick Artale says he probably has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD), as a result of volunteering at Ground Zero in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, although he’s yet to be officially diagnosed.
Battling different types of cancers and suffering from severe lung problems and sleep apnea, Artale can still recall what it was like to watch the events unfold from across the East River.
“It was a beautiful day, but it turned to hell,” Artale said. “I’m thankful I wasn’t down there. I would have been, but I had a fight with my work partner two weeks before. He didn’t want to work or I would have been in the tower.”
Artale’s work partner would develop thyroid cancer as a result of being exposed to the dust cloud, and the horrors of that day threatened Artale’s physical and mental health.
“I thought it was a nightmare,” Artale added. “Every morning I would wake up and see the smoke on the way to work. I went down to volunteer to help, I wanted to play my part in it as an American. I felt helpless.”
Two decades later, the memories of that day are still stuck with Artale, now 66.
But he’s not alone.
For the past three years, Artale has been part of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program at Elmhurst Hospital, which was created to provide no-cost medical and behavioral health services to the first responders and survivors.
At Elmhurst Hospital, services have been provided to approximately 900 survivors. The WTC Health Program also operates in Manhattan at Bellevue Hospital and Gouverneur Hospital, caring for more than 13,000 patients at the three NYC Health + Hospitals locations.
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Elmhurst Hospital recognized and paid tribute to the survivors they have cared for since 2011.
Hospital CEO Helen Arteaga, praised the partnership between the health providers and the patients, which she says brings a sense of community to Elmhurst Hospital.
“For us, it’s not just the physical and clinical work,” Arteaga said. “For us, it’s that true partnership of holistic care. We are there for our community during the good, bad and the ugly.”
Arteaga was working in the emergency room at Northwell Hospital in Manhasset on September 11, preparing for an expected flood of casualties. Instead, she recalls a somber moment when no patients showed up.
“It was the worst silence of my life,” said Artega. “I remember when we realized no one was coming, just the tears, because we felt so helpless that we couldn’t help anybody.”
Patients in the program have access to psychologists, physicians, social workers and more support staff within the city’s hospital system.
Enrollment for the WTC Health Program remains open and eligible for New Yorkers, including those who are now in their 20s and 30s who were children when the attacks occurred.
“They listen to me and they understand,” Artale said. “They know that I’ve seen things that a lot of people didn’t see. I could call them at any time and they will be there for me.”
