{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/zk55d8q004/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Brent O'Leary Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLong Island City resident Brent O'Leary discusses his family's roots in Sunnyside, his professional background as an attorney, his experience living and working in Japan for 10 years, and his decision to move to Long Island City circa 2009. O'Leary talks about the evolution of Long Island City from an industrial neighborhood to a popular residential neighborhood, with recent residential growth outpacing infrastructure improvements. Specifically, O'Leary highlights lack of schools, green space, and public transportation for the growing population. He also speaks about how rising rent costs have hurt local artists, small businesses, and longtime residents.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eO'Leary, who founded the Hunters Point Civic Association, explains how that organization offers a forum for the local community to shape future development in the Hunters Point neighborhood. Additionally, O'Leary describes the work of several charitable organizations that serve Long Island City and his own involvement in addressing food insecurity in western Queens, including setting up food pantries to serve Sunnyside and Woodside during the COVID-19 pandemic. O'Leary comments on how the pandemic has brought the Long Island City community closer together and shares his hopes for local restaurants and small businesses to rebound in 2021.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAt the time of this interview, Brent O'Leary was a candidate running for the New York City Council to represent District 26 (Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, and Astoria). Learn more about O'Leary's campaign in \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"../../../r/5q4rj4927j\"\u003eSeason 2 Episode 7 of the Queens Memory Podcast.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e \u003c/p\u003e (supplement)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/40615"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2021-01-07 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Audio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Brent O'Leary (Interviewee)","Jo-Ann Wong (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Interview recorded as part of the Changing Landscape of Hunters Point project at Hunters Point Library."]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["1970-2021 (temporal)","Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Hunters Point, Astoria, and Jackson Heights, Queens, NY; Japan (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLong Island City resident Brent O'Leary discusses his family's roots in Sunnyside, his professional background as an attorney, his experience living and working in Japan for 10 years, and his decision to move to Long Island City circa 2009. O'Leary talks about the evolution of Long Island City from an industrial neighborhood to a popular residential neighborhood, with recent residential growth outpacing infrastructure improvements. Specifically, O'Leary highlights lack of schools, green space, and public transportation for the growing population. He also speaks about how rising rent costs have hurt local artists, small businesses, and longtime residents.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eO'Leary, who founded the Hunters Point Civic Association, explains how that organization offers a forum for the local community to shape future development in the Hunters Point neighborhood. Additionally, O'Leary describes the work of several charitable organizations that serve Long Island City and his own involvement in addressing food insecurity in western Queens, including setting up food pantries to serve Sunnyside and Woodside during the COVID-19 pandemic. O'Leary comments on how the pandemic has brought the Long Island City community closer together and shares his hopes for local restaurants and small businesses to rebound in 2021.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAt the time of this interview, Brent O'Leary was a candidate running for the New York City Council to represent District 26 (Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, and Astoria). Learn more about O'Leary's campaign in \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"../../../r/5q4rj4927j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eSeason 2 Episode 7 of the Queens Memory Podcast.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/205/721/small/Brentprofile_aviary.jpg?1692123524","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - HuntersPointAmbassadorsInterview_BrentOLeary_radioedit.mp3"]},"duration":2469.01551,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/205/721/small/Brentprofile_aviary.jpg?1692123524","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/205/721/original/HuntersPointAmbassadorsInterview_BrentOLeary_radioedit.mp3?1692122881","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":2469.01551,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript - January 7, 2021 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: This is Brent O'Leary and my name is Jo-Ann Wong. I will be the interviewer today. Brent will be our interviewee. We are recording on January 7th, 2021 for the Queens Memory Project. And so before we begin, Brent, can you say your full name and spell it for me, please?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=0.0,19.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yes. It is Brent O'Leary. So that is B R E N T O apostrophe L E A R Y.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=19.0,28.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: Awesome. And so we'll just jump right into it. So first, as this is part of the Hunters Point Ambassadors Program, my first question is what brought you to the Hunters Point community? And when was that about?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=28.0,41.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: It was 12 years ago, actually. I was living in Japan. I lived in Japan for 10 years and I decided it was time to move home to America. And I was born in Queens and my father was born in Queens and my grandparents immigrated. I love Queens. So I asked friends, I said, 'where's a good neighborhood?' And I was going to be moving back to work in Midtown, Manhattan. So, they said Queens and the closest place to Manhattan is Long Island City. And I said, 'I know that, but it's not really developed.' And they said, 'look, what's going on.' So I researched it and I saw all these buildings going up and I said, 'okay, let me give it a shot.' So I actually, before I even saw it, I rented my apartment from there. I moved here and I lived in the apartment, which I can see right there, for a year. And I love the neighborhood, Long Island City and Queens, of course. So I walked across the street and put money down on an apartment and that's where I've been living for the last 12 years or 11.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=41.0,108.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so you mentioned Japan - so Japan is also a place I've been always wanting to go to. If you don't mind talking about kind of the work that you were doing in Japan, before you came back to Queens.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=108.0,120.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Sure. So I studied Japanese in college and then between college and law school, I went to the countryside and taught English there. So I was at the Board of Education of Towada city, way up in the North. And I went around to nine junior high schools and did team teaching for English under the JET program, the Japanese Exchange in Teaching. Then I came back, went to law school and graduated from Boston University Law School, thankfully for generous financial aid. We appreciate that. And I put my resume out in New York and all the responses called and said, 'do you really speak Japanese?' And I said, 'I do actually.' And they said, 'would you mind working for us in our Tokyo office, cause we have a lot of clients that we need to be able to speak with?' So, six months after I graduated law school, I was on a plane and went to Tokyo and then practiced there as a business attorney for nine years. So I helped American companies to set up and do business in Japan, get their licenses, do everything like that. And sometimes we'd help Japanese companies to set up either in the US or Europe.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=120.0,194.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: That's such an awesome experience [laughs]. And so you mentioned you were born in Queens, your father was born in Queens. And so if you don't mind me asking, what area of Queens would that be?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=194.0,206.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: My grandparents immigrated a small stop off in Hell's Kitchen, which was the traditional route and then moved to Sunnyside, which is just an amazing neighborhood. My father grew up in Sunnyside, went to school there. And then he was a bartender and had a few bars here in Queens and especially in Jackson Heights. So that's where I was born. I was born in Jackson Heights, maybe the most diverse place in the world. So, I appreciated that. Then when we moved out to the suburbs for a while. And then, of course, I started my travels in different places and went to school in Connecticut and then Boston.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=206.0,247.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, you've mentioned Jackson Heights so I wanted to ask, with Jackson Heights and Hunters Point/Long Island City, do you see any similarities between the two communities?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=247.0,260.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: One of the things I love about Queens is that all the communities are different. That's really the amazing part of it. Both ethnically, economically. I would say Jackson Heights and Sunnyside and Woodside are definitely more working class, middle class. Long Island City is - it's really a very different place. Traditionally, it had been warehouses. I mean, there was some housing here, but it was where a lot of truck drivers were coming in and picking up. It was an industrial zone. So it wasn't until Bloomberg designated it for the Olympics, which we lost and he re-did the zoning that the large population really started moving in. So this is around here, around Hunters Point is really - I mean, we have a history but it really is a new neighborhood developing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=260.0,320.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: We're having a lot of people move in now. So there is, unfortunately because of sort of the Sunnyside Yards, I would say there's a separation between Long Island City and Sunnyside, Woodside, but they're each growing in their own way and we just gotta make sure that each community is taken care of and I'd like to integrate them more. I spend time in all the different communities, but some people - I would say Long Island City is still more connected to Manhattan than it is to Queens. I mean, besides Queensbridge, which I hang out in a lot, but the Hunters Point area is definitely still a bit more connected to Manhattan.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=320.0,360.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, you're talking about zoning in Hunters Point and I just learned like a few months ago about the Olympics. I did not know Hunters Point and Queens was supposed to be for the Olympics. Can you talk a little bit more about that? And were you already in the area when they were trying for them?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=360.0,379.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: No, I wasn't here yet. And Bloomberg made a bid that New York would host the Olympics and Long Island City was gonna be the Olympic Village. So, when you make your application, you have to say where are the facilities and what stadiums are people going to play in. And he made a hard pitch and it didn't make it. So I guess he saw that as an opportunity to rezone. And the interesting thing is this neighborhood is one-stop to Grand Central Station, so we're talking eight minutes on the subway. So it's really strange that it hadn't developed more before now, considering just its location. But once the developers were given the incentive that they could build a lot taller and they could build residential, they really came in sort of fast and furious. So, it really changed the neighborhood very quickly.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=379.0,437.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: I know when you were saying how fast it is to get into Manhattan from Hunters Point, it was very easy to catch movies from Hunters Point. You just hop on the train and get off at 42nd in like 10 minutes cause it was really fast.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=437.0,453.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: And the problem was all my friends from Manhattan, 'come out to Hunters Point.' 'I don't go to Queens. It's too far.' I'd say eight minutes from Grand Central, and then they'd come here and of course, almost miss their stop because they didn't know it was so close. And then, they get off and go, 'I didn't know, it was so close.' I'm like, 'I keep telling you' [laughs]","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=453.0,472.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: [Laughs] I know it's sometimes faster to get to Hunters Point than to other areas of Manhattan. Some areas of Manhattan, it can take quite a while [laughs].","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=472.0,481.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: [Laughs] Exactly. exactly.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=481.0,481.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so you had mentioned that you moved into the Hunters Point area 12 years ago. So, like you've mentioned, there's been lots of changes in the area. So, can you expand upon that and just kind of what you've seen, both positive and/or negative?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=481.0,498.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yeah, I'd say in the beginning, it was definitely positive. And, I'm very integrated with the long-time residents here and they appreciated it. There was new life here. There was more - we actually got a grocery store, like the neighborhood didn't have a grocery store, so you would think. So, getting restaurants and coffee shops and more facilities and more people coming in and it did bring a life to it. I mean, when I first got here, if I was in Manhattan and I asked for a cab to Long Island City, they would say, 'we don't go to Long Island' and I'd say, 'no, no, Long Island City, the neighborhood, not Long Island.' And I mean, so even the cab drivers did not know where this neighborhood was.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=498.0,544.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: So in the beginning, it actually was a positive. Got us a bit more infrastructure, a bit more attention and I think everybody was happy with the direction. It's gotten to a point now where the development has outpaced the infrastructure. So of course, before COVID, getting on the 7 train was crazy. The sewer systems are overflowing. There was fights about school seats because there wasn't enough school seats for all the new parents moving into the neighborhood. So, that's the problem that we're fighting with now. So, it's a great place. We just have to make sure that we have enough green space, we have the schools, we have everything you need for a good neighborhood.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=544.0,597.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so speaking about green space, the Gantry Plaza State Park, do you know when that was instated there and when - when was it - it was finished fairly recent, if I'm not mistaken, right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=597.0,609.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: It was finished in parts. The latest part was finished only a couple years ago, which is beautiful, but they've been working on it for 10 years now. So, it's actually strange because it's two parks. It looks like one park, but the north is Gantry State Park and the south is Hunters Point South Park, where the ferry comes in. So, they're run by two different agencies, but we work with that. But I have to give credit, especially for the last park. It is beautiful. It was well-designed. It has great resiliency features. People don't realize that the oval that they're playing on is actually like a basin to take up extra storm water, so it doesn't go in the sewer systems and overflow. They use a lot of natural plantation. So, I do complain about the government a lot, but I do give credit where it's deserved and the design of especially the Hunters Point South Park is beautiful.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=609.0,671.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: Well, I learned something new today. I didn't realize that was supposed to be a basin, the big circle.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=671.0,676.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yeah, see. We multi-purpose.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=676.0,680.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, you were mentioning about how in the area as it was starting to grow, there were lots of shops, stores and things like that. And can you talk a little bit more about how kind of the industry sector of the community has kind of grown? Cause I know like there's a big arts community in Hunters Point, as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=680.0,701.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yeah. I mean, that's one of the biggest problem we've had. We were known as one of a very large arts community but with the development and the sort of the gentrification, the rents been rising and a lot of landlords want to get bigger rent. So, they've actually driven out a lot of our arts community, who've moved to Greenpoint or other places where the rent is less. So, that's one of the fights that we're having here right now is what we can do to protect our art space and our artists. So, unfortunately that's one of the negative changes that we've had around here. And then there's been some small businesses - industrial - who've moved headquarters. So, it's transformed from industrial to very heavily residential. We'd like to keep it mixed and like to make sure our long-term residents don't get priced out of their own neighborhood and we can keep our arts community.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=701.0,761.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so kind of moving on from that, I did want to talk about the Hunters Point Civic Association. If I'm not mistaken, you had founded it back when it started. And so, my question for you is what drove you to create this association and kind of how have you seen it grown since its establishment?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=761.0,781.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Sure. I had been involved with other civic associations, so there's one in Dutch Kills, which is also in Long Island City. So I was involved with that one and the one in Sunnyside, which is the United Forties and I saw what they did and I realized that with the development and with the changes coming, basically the future of our neighborhood was going to be decided very quickly. And if we didn't have a voice in how it was developed, it could go pretty badly. So it really was a place for the community to get together, for us to voice our opinion on what we think Long Island City should look like in 5, 10, 15 years. So, we have monthly meetings. So, we've done it for 10 years now, where we bring down the elected officials, we bring down government agencies, department of transportation, department of sanitation, the police captain and we say these are the problems in our neighborhood. We're willing to work with you, what can we do to solve those problems?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=781.0,844.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: So we've advocated for safety measures on Center Boulevard, all different kinds of things to alleviate problems. We were pushing to get when the 7 train is down, to get a bus to follow the same route. So, actually the bus to go through the Midtown Tunnel and back the same way in Queens. We've held candidate forums from when the public advocate race goes on. All the candidates came down there and we grilled them. So, it's a way for people to be involved in their neighborhood and to show what we need.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=844.0,882.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, you were just talking about the 7 train, so I do have to jump to my question about transportation. Has transportation changed in Hunters Point in the last couple years, or do you find that more people are on the 7 train or more people are getting off at the Vernon Boulvard, Jackson Boulevard stop? Do you find that as becoming - or probably, are more people using the ferry? How do you see transportation working in the neighborhood?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=882.0,911.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Mainly it's changed for the worst. Yeah, they have not - with the amount of people on the 7 train, they have not caught up with it. So yeah, besides overcrowding, the maintenance is horrible. There were pieces falling off the 7 train onto the windshields of people's cars and smashing their windshields. You know, debris should not be falling off a train line. And also it's still inaccessible. There's so many places that people in wheelchairs or even moms with strollers or elderly people - it's still an archaic system. I still think that the New York City subway should be run by New York City, not by the state. That's just my opinion. I think then we could actually get some things done. But they haven't caught up.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=911.0,967.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: The ferry is nice for a lot of people, especially now that they reduced the rate to the same as a subway. So, it's a good way - some people it's not accessible for but that's one positive that they've come up with, but we need more rapid bus. We need a lot. It's just, I think Long Island City was the fastest growing neighborhood in the country for three or four years, and Sunnyside is growing too. And so there's a lot that we would like to get done here to fix that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=967.0,999.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so speaking of buses, I did want to ask you about the buses that - so I've seen the mini buses and some of them, it looks like that they go to some of the buildings. Do you know anything about those buses that I - from my understanding that they're going from the residentials by the train station and back like on a mini route?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=999.0,1020.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yeah. Those are private. So yeah, those are for - TF Cornerstone has a few buildings here. They're a property manager and they have a shuttle bus for their residents to go from there to the subway. So I mean, it's private. I didn't think it's that far, but it's up to them. They're allowed to fund that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1020.0,1047.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, obviously with the Hunters Point Civic Association, community does mean a lot to you. So I wanted to ask you in very far reaching terms, is just what does community mean specifically to you and how do you see that in the Hunters Point neighborhood?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1047.0,1065.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Okay. I mean, community is what you live through. I mean, I think now during COVID, we've seen that. Being isolated, being by yourself. I think community is what helped me up. As I mentioned before, I went to both law school and college on financial aid. I got a good public school education. I had good teachers, I had a good community that supported me. Recently when there was a fire on Queens Boulevard and three buildings burnt down, the neighborhood came together and within three weeks raised $150,000 for the employees of those buildings to keep them going. So, for me, community is life. It helped me and that's why I love serving it, all the different parts.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1065.0,1120.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: As I said, I'm in Queensbridge a lot. During COVID, we set up two emergency food pantries. We're serving 1,500 people a week. So I'm actually happy that I'm in a position now that I'm able to give back to the community that gave to me. And I have to give a shout out to - I could not do this. So, there's so many people who step up and I think you'd be surprised at how many people really want to help and really want to work and volunteer for their community. So if you just need to make the structure, that was one of the things. I made the Hunters Point Civic. I worked with Woodside on the Move. When you have those structures, people can plug in and you can get a lot done.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1120.0,1164.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: Yeah. And sometimes the hardest part is trying like, you want to help, but where do you go to help out others? And so, you've been involved in so many of these initiatives, so I'm asking also, what do you find drives philanthropy work and volunteering initiatives, both as the organizer and also as the participant?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1164.0,1186.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Right. And I really think most people want to help. They want to give back. They have a feeling that they're part of a community. They receive help when they need it. And then they give help. And a lot of people tell me how satisfying it is to do volunteer work. So, that's the thing. A lot of people reach out and there's not a good structure which fits into their ability to give or their time commitment or other things or they're not sure what the cause is doing or if the money is going to the right place and most efficient. So, I guess there's two aspects. There's one creating the structure, which is kind of - I like doing and then the other is the volunteers. But I think if you have a decent structure, I think the volunteers will come out.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1186.0,1240.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: I'm wearing my Lions shirt today. So I'm part of a few different local organizations there are. So, if people do want to get involved, there are different great organizations. For Long Island City, I always promote Hour Children which is H O U R, which stands for the hour the mother was incarcerated in Rikers Island. When she gets out of Rikers, they give her - they reunite her with her child, give her a job training and give her a place to stay and health care. So, they get these women back on their feet. The recidivism rate for a woman in New York is 30%, I think. For people going through her program is 3%. So, it's an amazing organization here.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1240.0,1285.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: What's the organization's name again?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1285.0,1285.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Hour Children. H O U R Children.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1285.0,1288.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: That's such an amazing work that you guys are doing for that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1288.0,1292.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: I'm a volunteer. So as I say, if there's no leader, I'm going to lead and if there's a good leader, I'm going to follow. So they do amazing work, so I ask them what they need, they tell me and I do my best to help out where I can. There's also these old organizations which have been around for years and years. Unfortunately they're not doing as well as they used to, like Lions Club and Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus. And they are just - basically they're international organizations, but they have neighborhood chapters. And they're just about doing volunteer work. So you join them and if you have a volunteer idea, you can run with it. And if you don't, you can plug into what they're about. The Lion's Club, one of their main focuses is blindness. So, they take used eyeglasses and recycle them and give them to needy people who need glasses. They also run a camp every year upstate for blind children. So, each one has a little bit different focus, but they're basically about what you want to do to volunteer in your neighborhood.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1292.0,1362.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And if I'm not mistaken, you started one of those in Sunnyside/Woodside? Was that group?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1362.0,1370.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: No, they've been around the older neighbors. I helped start the one here in Long Island City, Astoria.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1370.0,1376.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: Okay. Gotcha. And so how have you seen the impact of that upon the people who've come to take part in the program?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1376.0,1385.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Wonderful. It's been going for a while and we decided hunger was going to be one of our issues. And for the last seven years now, the Hunters Point Civic and the Long Island City Lions have done a holiday food drive. We hooked up with the Union of Doormen, one is known as the Emerald Guild, cause they're all doormen who are Irish so, they call themselves the Emerald Guild. And we go to their union hall and we ask if we can put donation boxes in their buildings and give them posters and promote. And we get 30 to 40 buildings sign up in Manhattan and Queens. And then we give them the boxes and the posters. And then, they encourage their tenants to donate. And when they're full, they call us and we collect it. We bring it back to Long Island City. On the last night, we have the whole neighborhood come down and sort it into all its categories, re-box it. And then we deliver it to the local food pantries. So, that was just something we started and we've been probably delivering about 5,000 pounds of food and critical items to our food pantries every year now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1385.0,1461.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so speaking of food pantries, we can't talk about food pantries without talking about the current pandemic right now and all the food insecurity issues. I know you were talking about how you were participating in the food pantries during this time. So just in general, first, how have you been during this pandemic and how has Hunters Point been? Have you seen any changes in the neighborhood? And just curious about if you've seen food insecurity in the neighborhood, as well?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1461.0,1492.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Yeah. I mean, luckily I've been healthy through this and my family has been healthy. My mom's 87, so we're watching but she is still going strong. There is food insecurity here. As I said, there's a lot of different neighborhoods and some people have the idea - Long Island City, that's where the more wealthy part is. But there are very economically diverse neighborhoods here. Some who got hit very hard. The first group that formed was by a friend of mine, Kelly Craig, who's the local PTA President and she started a group called LIC Relief. And she started delivering meals to people and it's still going. I helped deliver meals with that program. But they were getting lines here. And she hooked up with the local restaurants and restaurants would provide meals for $5, which helped the restaurants keep going.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1492.0,1552.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: And they really provided for a lot of people. You'd be surprised at how many people. And then I decided I knew Sunnyside and Woodside would be hit probably even more hard because there's more economically sort of depressed neighborhoods over there and more people who are sort of, even undocumented who might be outside the system. So, I called up the Mosaic Church which I knew was very central and pastor Dan Sadlier. And I said, well, during COVID, you've shut down your church office. And he said, yes. And I said, would you mind if I use that to make a food pantry? And he said, great. And he said, yeah, I'd love to, what else do you need? And I said, well, if you could give me your bank account too, I could have people donate to the bank account and then I'll run out and buy food and we'll get it going.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1552.0,1606.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: And it started from there. And it was me and my friend driving over to Restaurant Depot and shopping and bringing it back and just opening the door and putting a sign up and saying anybody who needs food. And I think we had the first week, it was 25 people and now nine months later, it is 1,500 people a week. And that's one thing. I mean, I again have to give credit. I came up with the idea, I made the structure but there's no way I would've been able to do this for nine months. So just some amazing people came through, Sophia Moncayo, Ruth Ostos, Lucy Bodden. They just came in and one day I came in and they were there and they said, 'Oh, we've got it.'","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1606.0,1656.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: You can go home. And I was burnt out and I said, 'all right, let me go home. I need some sleep.' And so, they've been running it and I've been helping with fundraising and keeping it going. But that's what - I mean, you really need - it's not about a person. It's really about a team and an organization and a structure. So, I just thank all the people at Mosaic and then people from the community started coming and just donating money and food and time. And then I was actually lucky. Somebody saw on Facebook what we were doing with the food pantry and they called me and they said, 'do you know about the federal Farm to Family program run out of D.C., where they will deliver trucks of boxes of fresh produce.' So I made some calls, I got a connection and then I got a distributor down in D.C., and GrowingSOUL, which is another amazing food organization and we organized a food run up here. And, since then, I think we've had 50 truckloads. So 50 truckloads, a thousand boxes of fresh produce which we then distribute that day.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1656.0,1730.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: So, which has helped so much. Cause it also then - it saves us on the money that we're spending going to Restaurant Depot when we give this out. So, I don't know if we've given out to 70,000 people so far, but it's been great. And that's one of the fun things for me. Well, not every time, but they actually said, if we don't have a forklift, we can't deliver it to you. We gotta get it off quick. And I said, we don't have a forklift but we have a community. So we will have - when these trucks come in, we will have 30 to 40 neighborhood people. And they just from the truck hand it down and we make a human chain and unload this 50 foot truck in about an hour, hour and a half. So, very rewarding and just to thank everybody who comes out because again, without the 40 people, we can't do it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1730.0,1785.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: It's wonderful when you see community come together like that and work together. It's always such a beautiful thing to see. And also in regards to continue off of COVID-19, it's been really interesting to kind of see how in different neighborhoods, how different communities have reacted. So in Hunters Point, when you were walking down the street, were there changes that you saw - whether it's more people, less people, what have you seen on the neighborhood?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1785.0,1818.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Well, we had - very interesting, in the summer because we have a park, we had everybody here. So, we have never seen so many people using the park and it's great. It's a public park, so, everybody's welcome but that was just - it was interesting right in the beginning. Now that it's winter, not as many people using the park. It's really quiet around here, especially because they shut down the restaurants. So yeah, I'd say that as you go down the 7, it gets more people. There's a bit more people on the street in Sunnyside. There's a bit more people on the street in Woodside. But yeah, it's definitely very, very quiet around here right now. I really feel bad for all the restaurants. I don't know how they're going to survive. I don't know where the support is supposed to come from. They've been told by government, ordered to shut. They should be some relief. But, it's a little like a ghost town right now. It's a little sad. So we're hoping that the vaccine comes out quick and we can get back to life.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1818.0,1883.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: Yeah. Sometimes it's a little bit jarring walking down the street to see it. It's a lot emptier than what I'm used to seeing. And so some other questions talking kind of moving off from this somber topic -","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1883.0,1900.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: You know, I have to say, that's what I remember, cause I came down to Long Island City when I was young. My father grew up on 40th street in Sunnyside. So I mean, we were very close and that was the strange thing was it wasn't dangerous, but it felt like it was dangerous just cause there was no one there. So like, after the trucks loaded and left, there was just these big empty streets. So it just felt like if you yelled out - if there was a problem, you yelled out - nobody would come. So there, now it's quite different [laughs].","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1900.0,1935.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: [Laughs] And so you've been in the Hunters Point neighborhood for quite some time, so I do want to ask what has been your best/favorite memory of being a part of the neighborhood?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1935.0,1949.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: That's a great question. It may be this - I mean, how this has come together as a neighborhood during COVID. Everybody has pitched in. So, I have to say it was from transforming from industrial to an old guard and a new guard and not everybody getting together. So I think, I don't know if that's a - it's not a good thing, but hopefully, this is , I thank God I see relief again, for what they did and organizing the restaurants and making sure that everybody is taken care of. I do love our community events we have during COVID. The Plaxall allow their parking lot to be used as a music and comedy venue, which was nice. During COVID, we were actually able to get together -socially distant - but to see each other and here some music and comedy before they outlawed comedy. I don't know if you know that, but comedy is illegal to have so they had to stop having comedy. The strange rules during this time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=1949.0,2023.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: So comedy is no longer allowed at live venues?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2023.0,2028.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: No. Music is allowed because it is something which accompanies food, but they saw comedy as something by itself. So, people would just be congregating for that. I mean, this is what I've heard, but yeah. So, we had a performance with Saturday Night Live come here. We had Che, Michael Che, come here and then they were told comedy is not allowed. So they just went with a strictly music format.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2028.0,2058.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so, being part of the Hunters Point Civic Association, being there for a very long time, what is your prediction for Hunters Point in the next five years and the next 10 years, and maybe even going so far as the next 20 years?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2058.0,2073.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Wow. Okay. In the next five years, we're gonna have our growing pains. But it's gonna depend on sort of a little bit of our leadership. Will we have the right schools? Will we have enough green space? Will the transportation issues get fixed? It's a great place. It's a great location. It's good people. So I'm optimistic. Court Square has been expanding rapidly, although they have no school and no green space but there are opportunities. There's 180 acres of the Sunnyside Yards right next to that, which we could use for a number of good public uses. So, if we do this right, I would like to see like the Anable Basin, which was part of the Amazon fight, which was probably the biggest civil war we've had here in this neighborhood.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2073.0,2131.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: I still see that as an opportunity. There's 28 acres to be developed and a lot of it is public. So we're pushing for three schools there, a teen center, a performing arts center. If we get our community land trust, we can use that to save our artist community. So, nothing happens in a bubble. So what's gonna happen in 5, 10, 15, 20 years, depends on what we do in the next couple of years. If the proper infrastructure gets put in place and we protect against our people being priced out of their own neighborhood, I think Long Island City, we can become a center for arts. I think we can be an amazing place for people to raise their children and retire. And we have everything we need, just a couple of right decisions have to be made.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2131.0,2194.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so you've mentioned about people being potentially priced out of neighborhoods, especially in this neighborhood. What do you think are solutions for that problem?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2194.0,2206.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Right. I mean, we've talked about a lot. One thing that's coming is community land trust. It's sort of like a co-op model, but it gives people a long-term ownership. So, rents can't be raised. So if you're part of the community land trust, you actually decide the rent. So, of course, you're not going to just raise rents on yourself. So that's one of the longterm affordable options. I think the Mitchell-Lama program works really well. In Woodside, we have a good example of that, I think in the Big Six Towers. And we have NYCHA right down the street, Queensbridge. There's great green space. There's a good community center. The only problem is they just haven't kept up with the repairs.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2206.0,2254.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: So there are different models for affordable housing and we're going to push for a number of them, even about rent control. I have a background in finance. I know when these people are building their buildings, they are basing their finances on the amount of the loan. So, they are making the return on the investment based on the rents that they are getting now. Just because a neighborhood becomes cool and they can get higher rents, doesn't mean that they should. So I would, especially for our elderly and other people on a fixed income, they have to have some control over their life. And there has to be some controls over how much you can raise rents on people.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2254.0,2303.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so my last two questions for this interview first, if people are looking to get involved with the Hunters Point Civic Association, how would they find it on the interwebs?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2303.0,2315.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Sure. I think we are hunterspointcivic.org. So, that's our website. We're on Facebook also - just type in Hunters Point Civic. That's how most people find us. As I say, we all work together, so I'll give plugs for our other organizations. Remember Hour Children, which is wonderful. They actually run a clothing and a furniture store. So, if you have either of those to donate, they can do that, refurbish it and resell it. The Lions Club, don't forget them. The Kiwanis. We also have the Irish Center here, which is - more than you would think just - an Irish center, but it's sort of become our community center. They run a suicide prevention organization in there, Solace House. They also do senior lunches. They also have a number of other groups which join. We also have our Hunters Point Park Conservancy. So, if you would like to get involved in weeding and bulbing and making sure the park is taken care of, they're another great organization.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2315.0,2382.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: So, there's a lot of ways to volunteer, please. And then we have a community board, so you can always reach out to them and find out what other opportunities there are, where Community Board 2. I just encourage everybody to find where you want to give - a last plug, we are still the food pantry at the Mosaic is still going. So if either you want to help or make a donation, it's Mosaic Church West. You go to their website and there's a drop-down for Woodside-Sunnyside COVID relief and it will all go to the food pantry.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2382.0,2416.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And, so my last question is - some people say it's the hardest question, some people say it's the easiest question- is what are you most hopeful for in 2021?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2416.0,2427.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Hopeful to get out and see people [laughs]. Actually the small businesses is what I want - I want to see the restaurants, the small businesses come back and people on the street and people enjoying their neighborhoods. So, of course, everybody healthy. So, getting rid of COVID, get everybody back out there, save our small businesses and everybody help out your community.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2427.0,2456.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Jo-Ann Wong: And so on that note, thank you so much Brent for doing this interview. I'm going to click the 'End Record' button in just one second. Just hold on the line, but thank you so much for doing this.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2456.0,2468.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721/transcript/48857/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Brent O'Leary: Thank you. Appreciate it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/21/collection_resources/105272/file/205721#t=2468.0,2469.01551"}]}]}]}