christopher walken and ebony and ivory

I found this ‘77 Ford LTD II (based on the Torino) one day walking down Broadway in Astoria, Queens. Its another one of my photos that could have been taken thirty years ago and you would never know the difference. A great shot of these same storefronts is also featured in the excellent book entitled Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York by James T. & Karla L. Murray. A great source of inspiration for me. Broadway alone in Queens has enough history to fill volumes of books but I’ll just say a few things and let it wash over you. First of all the demographics of Queens is the most diverse in all of the United States. That makes for great food and interesting people. Within a few short blocks you can find award-winning Middle Eastern street food, a Japanese grocery store; authentic Mexican food at El Mariachi; an old Italian deli (see D & F above) serving freshly made pasta and Christopher Walken’s favorite hardware store, Walter’s. Walken’s parents owned a bakery and employed a certain Lidia Bastianich. Astoria is famous for once being the home of Steinway Village, a company town for Steinway and Sons, the piano maker. Also nearby is Kaufman-Astoria Studios, home of Sesame Street and tons of films from the 20’s and 30’s. Had enough?