Nancy Ruhling
Nancy Ruhling
Writer of “Astoria Figures,” the column in the Long Island City/Astoria Journal
Astoria Characters: The Next-Stage Performer
It’s a glorious morning in Astoria Park, so Anna Tsoukala celebrates by bursting into song. Her voice – “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,
The Present on the Porch
On my front porch, smack in the center of the top step, there appeared a mysterious package. I had spent the morning masked in Manhattan,
Astoria Figures: The Woman Leading Hour Children
The fastest Alethea Taylor has ever driven is 125 miles per hour, and it was only for a second or so. “When I got close
Ruhling: The Chef who learned French cooking in England
Vincent Caro didn’t learn to cook the culinary classics of his native Brittany at home. For that, he had to go abroad. To England. Vincent,
Ruhling: The Proprietor by the Park
Anna Budinger pulls up on her bicycle, breathless. It’s only a 15-minute ride, but it’s so suffocatingly sultry that she feels as though she has
Ruhling: The Purloined Plant
The day I moved into my house, 17 years ago, I signed up for a street tree. The block was barren – the two trees
Ruhling: The Woman Who’s Passionate About Parrots
By Nancy Ruhling You can’t miss Kar Red Roses. As colorful as her name, she’s standing in her floral Dr. Martens on the sidewalk
Ruhling: The Real Estate Agent With the Key to Success
A silver BMW pulls to the curb. A smiling Devin Navarro, classic blue suit, crisp white dress shirt, rose-gold Hublot on his left wrist, emerges,
Ruhling: The Bargain-Basement Buyer
Digging through the big, brimming bins, Sam Kirby – “that’s Kirby like the pink Nintendo character,” he likes to say — unearths a treasure. It’s
Ruhling: The Self-Styles Shopkeeper
Flavio Bessah is setting a style scene on the sidewalk. He carries a petite light-blue side chair out the front door of his shop, Flash
Ruhling: The Woman who takes History to Heart
As a historian, Heather Nicole Lonks Minty is used to telling stories. Other people’s. So that’s where we start. We’re in England, where in 1909
Ruhling: The Woman in Retro
From the color-coordinated racks of clothing, Lisa Ferrari-Sullivan pulls out a 1940s sundress and holds it up to the light streaming through the front windows
Ruhling: The Planet Proponent
The planet is weeping when Kayli Kunkel opens the door to her store, Earth & Me. It’s raining cats and dogs and elephants and lions.
Ruhling: The Woman Who Took a Deep Breath
The Woman Who Took a Deep Breath The lights are low, the music is soft, and the sweet scent of flickering candles is oh so
Ruhling: The Deep-Discount Guy
Chris Sciacco, who is wearing a grey sweater and a big smile, throws open the doors to Kaiya’s Pallets. This is week No. 5 of
Ruhling: The History Guy on the Soccer Team
There are two questions that everyone always asks Chris Minty: Why is a Scotsman devoting his career to studying Early American history? Why is such
Ruhling: The Confectioner with the Sweet Heart
Crystal Gonzalez sets the small white box on the table and carefully opens it to reveal a half dozen elaborately iced cupcakes. There’s one with
