Walking Tour: Ridgewood

Ridgewood is perhaps a bit out of the way for the average New Yorker, but the effort to get there is well worthwhile. Historically, this is a German neighborhood but today it is as diverse as anywhere else in Queens – and is home to a major Polish enclave (mainly along Fresh Pond Road), and a smattering of former Yugoslavs, among many other groups.

The neighborhood is home to a major historic district, focused on its fantastically preserved early 20th century residential buildings. When the historic district was declared in 1983, it was the largest in the country, with nearly 3000 buildings included. Even beyond the Slavic sites here, the historic architecture makes Ridgewood a nice place to spend an afternoon.

Though there are several transportation options, Slavs of New York came from Manhattan on the L line to Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue, and walked across Myrtle Avenue (though there is also a connection to the M line that runs straight through Ridgewood).

The Balkan presence is quickly felt on Myrtle Avenue. Walking across, you’ll first hit the Bulgarian grocery Parrot Coffee Grocery (58-22 Myrtle Avenue). Nearby is the Serbian-owned European Music & Video Store (59-13 71st Avenue), then Muncan Meat Market (60-86 Myrtle Avenue).

A bit further down, the deli Balkan Express (64-02 Myrtle Avenue), featuring a Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia flag on its awning has unfortunately closed, though the awning (and the flag) remain for now. From here, it’s a quick walk over to the next neighborhood in Queens, Glendale, home of the Serbian Club (72-65 65th Place).

An outpost of the Greenpoint-based Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union (60-95 Myrtle Avenue) on the corner with Fresh Pond Road is the gateway to a Polish enclave second only to Greenpoint itself. Walking up Fresh Pond Road, you’ll first hit Bona Restaurant (71-24 Fresh Pond Road).

The road has a string of Polish delis, too numerous to list here. They include Teddy's Market Polskie Delikatesy (71-08 Fresh Pond Road), Wawel Meats (68-33 Fresh Pond Road), Pulaski Deli (67-12 Fresh Pond Road) and Okruszek Polish Bakery (67-10 Fresh Pond Road). Just around the corner, down Putnam Road, is a Polish bookstore.

After a couple more delis, including Jantar (66-66 Fresh Pond Road) and Starowiejski (66-51 Fresh Pond Road), there are two excellent Polish restaurants: Kredens (66-36 Fresh Pond Road) and Krolewskie Jadlo (66-21 Fresh Pond Road). Either is a good place for lunch or dinner.

Further up, you’ll find many more Polish delis, as well as Video Random (66-02 Fresh Pond Road) and Aga Book Store (65-18 Fresh Pond Road).

A short walk down Linden Street from Fresh Pond Road will take you to Gottscheer Hall (657 Fairview Avenue), which is worth poking your head into. The well-preserved deco lobby is impressive, as is the beer-hall on the first floor.

Along with the early German presence came the Gottscheer Germans, a group from what is today Kočevje, in Slovenia. Very few Gottscheer Germans remain in Slovenia because of post-World War II repression of German culture in Yugoslavia, and so their presence in Ridgewood is rather unique. The Gottscheer community here has a number of institutions – most visibly Gotscheer Hall, but also a dance group, a hunting club, a women’s chorus and more.

Down Fairview, the excellent restaurant Bosna Express (7-91 Fairview Avenue) sits next door to the Albanian Café Tirana, a sight possible perhaps only in Queens. Also nearby are even more Polish delis, joined now by a few Balkan ones. Check out Old World Bakery (66-91 Forest Avenue), Europa Grocery (99 Forest Avenue), Korona Deli & Grocery (66-65 Forest Avenue), and Burek's (68-55 Forest Avenue). Also nearby is St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church (58-15 Catalpa Avenue), a German parish that now serves the Polish enclave.

And from here, you will be within striking distance of the Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue L train.

Local reactions to Kosovo independence

The declaration of independence by Kosovo on 17 February has sparked interest and concern on the part of many Slavs of New York, not the least of which local Serbs.

On 19 February, Columbia University's Morningside Post ran Jackie Carpenter's "Independence Day for Kosovars in New York," documenting the celebrations in Times Square in support of the move.

The flip side showed up a few days later. The New York Times on 24 February ran an article, "Upheaval Over Kosovo’s Independence Echoes in a New York Enclave" by Anthony Ramierez, which features reactions by Serbs in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens.

Down the Jersey Shore, the Press of Atlantic City ran Amy Kuperinsky's "Independent Kosovo splits expatriates living in area" on 2 March.

And video from WNBC 4 of local Serbs (and Bosnians) at Stari Most in Astoria can be seen on the restaurant's website.

Below are photos from Sunday's protest near the United Nations.

Slavs out of World Cup

The World Cup semifinals have started, but all five Slavic teams have been eliminated.

The kids over at Jaunted covered Friday's Italy/Ukraine match that saw the Ukrainian team get pummelled 3-0. Jaunted caught the match at the Ukrainian Sports Club on Second Avenue, which had a full house.

"The Club itself offers a viewing experience similar to that at an Elks Club or a Boy Scout meeting; there's plenty of linoleum, fake wood paneling and brown carpeting to go around. Chairs were parked around big-screen TV, and fans were crowded behind the seats. Team Jerseys were even available for purchase, and we would have been tempted if we could have gotten a discount after Italy's first goal in the sixth minute. Before that quick strike, the room was all nervous anticipation and excitement, filling with chants of "U-kray-ee-na!" whenever the Ukranians touched the ball."

Jaunted also treked out to Bohemian Hall a couple weekends ago to catch the Ghana/Czech Republic match. "Bohemian Hall was ready for early bird fans--they were open by 10 and were selling muffins and coffee for bleary-eyed supporters arriving for the noon match. Of course, they were selling pitchers of beer as well, and most of the true Czech fans were going for the authentic, breakfast beer route. By the start of the match, the line for beer was out the door and around the corner, and the line for food at halftime was long enough that we saw several fans with pitchers of beer and glasses to sustain themselves during the wait. Bohemian Hall serves authentic grilled klobasy and sauerkraut, and it's worth the wait for the tasty sausage."

The Times Ledger posted a report on the Argentina/Serbia game at the Serbian Club in Glendale, which described slightly less World Cup fever than the scenes at the Ukrainian Sports Club and Bohemian Hall. About 40 people showed up to watch Serbia's first two games, but by the time last week's game rolled around, disappointed fans largely stayed away.

The semifinals kicked off tomorrow with with Italy defeating Germany 2-0, and continue today with Portugal v France.

Previously on Slavs of New York: Slavs at the World Cup

(Photos from http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/)

Bosnian Grocery Shopping

Back in March, the New York Times published Alan Flippen’s The Tastes of Bosnia Follow Those Who Fled, about the arrival of foodstuffs from Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia to grocery store shelves in New York.

According to the article, products such as suho meso (smoked beef), ajvar (a sort of relish), pekmez od sljiva (a fruit spread), Travnik feta cheese and traditional Bosnian Turkish coffee started showing up in New York, primarily in Queens, along with refugees from the war in Bosnia in the early 1990s. The ensuing three-fold increase in the city’s Bosnian population has kept sales of the food products going.

Though there are numerous places around to get former Yugo ingredients, the article points to Euromarket (30-42 31st Street near 30th Avenue, Astoria) and Grand Prix Trading Corporation in Ridgewood.

Previously on Slavs of New York: Another Cevapdzinica opens in Queens

Slavs at the World Cup

We've gotten a few emails lately about where to watch the five Slavic teams compete at the World Cup, and so we figured we should blog it. Games begin on Friday, and not all bars will show all of the games so call ahead to figure out where's best to go. In no particular order, here's the list:

• Czech Republic: Bohemian Hall (29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, 718-274-4925). You can't go wrong with this big giant beer garden behind the historic Czech cultural center in Astoria. Aside from Czech beers, they're also having BBQs.

• Croatia: Scorpio (3515 Broadway at 35th Street. Astoria, 718-956-8233). We're not 100% sure they're playing the games, but if anyone is rooting for Croatia, it's Scorpio. Be sure to try the bijela kava (like a latee), certainly the best in the city.

• Serbia and Montenegro: Serbian Club (72-65 65th Place, Glendale, 718-821-9875). The mothership for Serbian fans. We've never been, but we hear it's well worth a visit. They've got cold beer, Balkan food and a big-screen TV. Can't go wrong.
  
  Fans of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro can also check out Zum Stammtisch (69-46 Myrtle Avenue between 69th and 70th Streets, Glendale, 718-386-3014), which of course caters to Germans, but is also frequented by the x-YU communities in the area.

• Ukraine: Ukrainian Sports Club (122 Second Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets, East Village, 212-475-1340). If you're a Ukraine fan, there's no other place to be. Aside from the full bar with Ukrainian beer, there's a five-foot projection screen TV. The game schedule is on the front door, pass by and check it out.

• Poland: Smolen Bar and Grill (708 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, 718-788-9729). There must be a stack of places rooting for Poland, but we came up with nothing. Sage, a Slavs of New York reader, came to the rescue by pointing out Smolen, a neighborhood bar frequented by Russians and Poles serving up Polish beer.

UPDATE: Croatia's games will also be shown at the Croatian Center (502 West 41st Street, 212-563-3395) in Manhattan, open to the public and free admission. Croatia v Brazil (13 June at 2:55 p.m.), Croatia v Japan (18 June at 9:00 a.m.) and Croatia v Australia (22 June at 2:55 p.m.).
And Cafe Blue Light (30th Street & 35th Avenue, Astoria) also has a live feed on a plasma TV, as well as Balkan food and $3.50 beer.