On the block

Most street fairs, at least in Astoria, are fairly standard: whether you're on 36th Avenue or Ditmars, you can bet you'll see mozzarepas, cheap sheet sets, and Time Warner guys trying to sell you on cable. Was there a time when these were a bit more distinct, a better reflection of neighborhood culture? Perhaps, but it seems those days are long gone.

The Japan Block Fair held today was a break from the norm; yes, there were those comforting sweet corn cakes stuffed with mozzarella, but there was also a short stretch of Broadway devoted to Japanese food, crafts, and culture. Very cool; if only it had been a bit bigger! It looks like there will be another such event later this summer in Manhattan -- I could be wrong, but I think this site suggests that on August 21 there'll be vendors and performances around 44th St. and Madison Ave. You should go!

Explosions in the sky

Last night, for the first time in the four years we've been in the city, we decided to watch the Fourth of July fireworks. They were dazzling, in their way, but they still unnerve me; I'm not one for loud noises, even on a good day, and these were, as one would expect, loud. Give me a sparkler, a Pop-It, even one of those little charcoal snakes, any day.

Summer on the sidewalk

This fellow was camped out on a green folding chair, shirt off, thick magazine in hand. No one else was on that stretch of 30th Street, walking or biking or sitting on stoops; he looked something like the king of the Queens summer.