This past week, the Trib staff has been busy compiling and creating the world’s first “Unofficial Guide to Queens.” It quite simply was designed and created as a companion book to our long-established “The Official Guide To Queens” – the invaluable reference volume that tens of thousands of Queens residents use weekly. It provides you with all the official, government and institutional information you’ll ever need to know about our borough of more than two million strong.

The Unofficial Guide was not as clear-cut in its mission. It, like the Official Guide, started as a thought in my head a number of years ago. I’ve discussed it with staff, bounced it off a couple of editors, and tried to bring it to reality last year when we increased our special glossy-covered bound editions from three to six. Well, somewhere along the process, my unofficial guide became an “Insider’s Guide to Queens.” Now, that’s not bad and the issue last year was a compelling, interesting and controversial read. We got a great deal of reaction and are glad we made the effort. We published a literary presentation of Queens street-corner-wisdom not found in any official guidebook, anywhere. We presented in well-written prose the nooks, crannies and outside-the-box view of our borough. It was wonderful but a bit off the originally intended mark.




The Maspeth gravesite of America’s greatest magician, Houdini, where every Halloween they await his next great escape.
At this point, I must share with my readers that journalistic endeavors often take on lives of their own. A publication is organic. It breathes; it lives. Each craftsman – writer, artist, editor, and thinker – nurtures it as it grows and takes shape. I am almost always there at its creation and birth – during publication but I also float in and out of the process as my marvelous staff builds, creates, modifies, beautifies, intensifies and all the other “fies” the life of our Tribune family of special publications. It is a wonderful and wondrous process and each and every month I marvel at the efforts of editorial, art, sales and office staffs who, on deadline, give their best to provide you with Queens’ best.



Donald Manes who fell from the Official to the Unofficial Guide as quickly as you can say “Parking Violations Bureau.”

Now, I am writing this column in the middle of the creative effort. I’ve been at many meeting brainstorming this issue. I’ve reviewed and refined its scope of coverage; I’ve given input into sources and methods of getting the info; I’ve encouraged and challenged a fine staff and then entrusted this project to Steve McGuire, a longtime Queens community journalist who we recently promoted to the position of Associate Editor, to honcho, create and oversee our monthly specials.

The Maspeth gravesite of America’s greatest magician, Houdini, where every Halloween they await his next great escape.