Bathroom Humor

Potty time?

At the Queens Museum of Art in Queens you can experience The Panorama built by Robert Moses. You will inevitably need a bathroom break and you will come across this wall which explains women to the left and men to the right. But where do the raccoons go?

The Queens Museum of Art is currently closed while it undergoes renovations. Stay tuned for a new and improved space!

Queens Museum of Art
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NY 11368

5 Napkin Burger- New Menu

5 Napkin Burger has a reputation for being one of the most popular burger spots in New York City. What makes them different is that aside from burgers, they sell other food such as sushi, salads, and small plates which you can turn into a tapas experience. It's kind of surprising. Most would think that if you order other than the namesakes and specialties, you're ordering wrong. At 5 Napkin Burger, if you stray from the burgers, you'd find yourself just as satisfied.

I had the opportunity to sample 5 Napkin Burger's new menu in Astoria, Queens. We were served a few small plates to share, chose our own entree, and then sampled some of their milkshakes for dessert. Genius! From now on, I'm ordering a milkshake for dessert rather than as beverage. Cookies and cream is the way to go!

Here are a few things we ate that night:

Wasabi Deviled Eggs

Crispy Fried Calamari "diavolo" = calamari with fried jalapenos!

Pesto Flatbread

Taco Trio: Grilled Mahi, Pulled Pork, Chipotle Chicken

Skirt Steak Churrasco

Funny, how I went to 5 Napkin Burger and didn't try a burger. I just wasn't feeling it that night. I had gone once to 5 Napkin Burger in Hells Kitchen and tried the burger, so I wanted to know what I was missing. The small plates or appetizers were all good. They'd go great with a drink or as a light dinner. For entrees, the steak churrasco was perfect. If you're ever wondering where you can get a decent priced and decent steak, 5 Napkin Burger. They cook it medium rare and it is bloody good. The tacos were on the dry side so if you get them, stick with the mahi as it is light and tasty not dried out like the pork or chicken.

After visiting the Astoria, Queens location, I find that I prefer it much better than the Hells Kitchen, Manhattan location. It's got more space and there is no wait time! They are also now serving Astoria's SingleCut beers and a $5 burger special for lunch. Who ever said you couldn't get a deal in NYC?

5 Napkin Burger

35-01 36th Street

Astoria, NY 11106 

New York Hall of Science Hosts 2012 Maker Faire

New York Hall of Science

Calling all inventors, curious minds, creatives, entrepreneurs, and dreamers. If you identify with any of these or are fascinated with what the future may hold, then the Maker Faire may be for you.

Maker Faire is a two day festival celebrating science, engineering, invention, and art. It is a family friendly event and has something for everyone. The Maker Faire happens once a year in New York City, Detroit, and the Bay Area. Mini Maker Faires are popping up in places like Houston, TX and Santiago, Chile. As Maker Faire becomes more popular with inventors and fans around the world, I hope to see more Maker Faires hosted in different cities. The Maker Faire is in its sixth year and started in San Mateo, California.

The 2012 Maker Faire in New York City was hosted at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. I snagged a discounted ticket through Living Social. I recommend attending the Maker Faire even if you have to pay full price. It is an excellent family friendly event. Even if you don’t have kids in tow, the Maker Faire is still very entertaining. It is inspiring to see what new ideas are flowing out there and what people can do and  make with whatever resources they have available to them.

The Replicator Makerbot

Can make this

Out of this (plastic)

Two trends I noticed at the Maker Faire were 3D printers and robots. Makerbot printers were everywhere and what people were designing included everything built from plastic to furniture sculpted out of wood. The small basic printers created jewelry and art pieces. Large scale 3D printers had the capability to sculpt intricate details. If machines were not present, then robots were. Legos and programming went hand in hand as people created robots that could pick things up. One robot could even help around the house! My favorite robots were programmed to dance to Gangnam Style!

The Maker Faire was jam packed with activities, presentations, and interactive displays. There was something going on everywhere from cupcake cars driving around and a life size Mousetrap replica to a Mentos Coke Zero explosion and a go-cart race. Young minds were encouraged to test their creativity and engineering skills by designing their own wooden car and seeing how far they would go on a car roller coaster based on aerodynamics.

Designing cars

Electrical Cupcake Car

New York Hall of Science

Last but not least, the Maker Faire was hosted partly in the New York Hall of Science. This gave everyone the opportunity to explore the recently renovated center. Some might say that the Hall of Science is really for children under the age of 12 but I beg to differ. The Hall of Science is so educational and captivating that anyone, whatever age, would find it an interesting place. I had a blast with the hall of mirrors, giant Plinko type wall, and thermal imagery you could create. I look forward to visiting again and can’t wait to see what the inventors come up with next at the next Maker Faire. 

New York Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
New York, NY 11368

Makerbot

Maker Faire 

Halalathon Part I- Best Halal Carts of Jackson Heights

Halal Cart Map (Jackson Heights + Elmhurst)

Jackson Heights, home to a thousand and one different ethnic eats, has a bunch of halal carts. My friend Jeff, of Jeffrey Tastes - Queens Qustodian, had the brilliant idea of a Halalathon. We would try all the halal carts in one night and compare them. I had never tried the halal food in Queens and thought it would be a great opportunity to gain a greater understanding of them and appreciate their flavors. 

The word on the street was that the Gyro King in Jackson Heights had the best Halal food. Was it a rumor, an award, or fact? We were to find out at Halalathon. Last night, my friends and I decided to tackle five of the carts and compare them to two restaurants Gyro King and American Chicken.

The rules of Halalathon were simple. Everyone was to buy a chicken and lamb combination platter over rice with sauce on the side. We would then do a taste comparison of each dish. We created a map on Google Maps pinpointing the location of the carts. The majority of the carts were clustered on the corner of 37^th Road and 73^rd Street and a few were around the corner at 74^th Street and 37^th Avenue. We met in front of Kebab King, split up to buy food, and then met up at Tastes Village in Jackson Heights to eat.

Location: 74th Street and 37th Avenue

Gyro King

Sammy Halal Food

The dishes were varied and none looked identical. I was a surprised that they were so different compared to the Halal cart food I bought in Manhattan. In Manhattan, the combination chicken and lamb over rice or salad were always the same color, same look, and same taste. In Jackson Heights, the halal cart food looked and tasted more specialized.

This got me thinking. What was the definition of halal food and was it more than just chicken and lamb over rice?

According to an article on About.com, writer Saad Fayed explained the basic definition of halal:

“Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guideline. According to these guidelines gathered from the Qu’ran, Muslim followers cannot consume the following:

-         pork or pork by products

-         animals that were dead prior to slaughtering

-         animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah

-         blood and blood by products   

-         alcohol

-         carnivorous animals

-         birds of prey

-         land animals without external ears”

It is the type of meat supplied to the carts and there was much more than just chicken or rice. Some carts had hotdogs, hamburgers, samosas, and Philly cheesesteaks. The hot dogs were especially popular among the Muslim and Indian children. There was often a line at each cart.

Of all the carts we tried, only one was a recipient of an award, the Vendy Award. Sammy Halal Food was voted best food cart in 2006. Our collective notes determined that while Sammy may have an award tucked under his belt, his food was not necessarily the best. We voted the cart by TD Bank on 74^th Street and 37^th Avenue #1 for the night. A well balanced plate was the key. I had watched the man cook. The lamb started out as a patty. He then chopped it up and while the chicken and lamb were cooking he sprinkled seasoning all over. I have no idea what was in the seasoning but it sure made the dish good and tasty.

As I had mentioned earlier, each cart was different. They were varied in presentation, taste, and ingredients. Some used Basmati rice, some were oilier than others, and one, American Chicken used Mexican rice and it was extremely bland. American Chicken even gave sour cream and jalapeno sauce. They were the worst tasting of the bunch, dry and flavorless.

Gyro King was also a tad bit disappointing. Their salad consisted of pickled vegetables and the red sauce was on the sour side. The cart food was best when slathered in white sauce and hot sauce. We concluded that the sauces made all the dishes decent and edible. The best ones and most favored were consumed within minutes.

We’ll do a Halalathon Part II and venture into Elmhurst. Sammy Halal Food and the cart by TD Bank will be used as a comparison. Till next time…

Photography and Map Credit: Jeffrey Tastes - Queens Qustodian

Jeffrey Tastes - Queens Qustodian

Sammy Halal Food

About.com: Halal Food

Hollywood, Queens

Movie and television filming happen quite frequently in New York City. Every now and then, aside from Silvercup Studios, Hollywood makes its way over to Queens. Last year, I blogged about the filming of The Amazing Spider-Man in Woodside. In February, Hollywood returned to Woodside and I took my friend on a wild goosechase searching for Justin Timberlake. The former boy band member is set to star in Inside Llewyn Davis, a film about musicians and friends of Bob Dylan. John Goodman, Timberlake, and Carey Mulligan are co-starring. Unfortunately, the orange street permits turned out to be a tease and our night ended up at the local pub Saints and Sinners for their $2 sliders.

Justin where were you?

Typical sign you see when a filming takes over. Picture courtesy of @Andresakademia

This week I noticed the movie permits again. My Fried Vijay was in town and chose Jackson Heights as a backdrop. On my morning commute to work, I ended up walking past the set. They had set up shop right in front of Jackson Diner. Pretty exciting!

Up and early 8 AM

German actor Moritz Bleibtreu getting his turban adjusted.

Photography Credits: Andres Sanchez, Roxwriting

Some Love for Queens Love

“Queens Love is a collaboration of people living in Queens, here to show you the things we love (mostly food).” –Queens Love

An inner lip “QUEENS” tattoo. A fluffy creamy Napoleon. A neighborhood in transition. Cherry blossoms in bloom. Street food in Corona. Entire lambs for sale at the meat market. Churro season. The sunset from the Queensboro Plaza subway platform. Noguchi’s famed sculptures. Little India. Little Nepal. Chinatown. These are just a few of the posts on the Queens Love blog that celebrate Queens’ beauty, diversity, and individuality.

Raspado in the Summer on Roosevelt Avenue

February 14 marked a day of roses, hugs, kisses, chocolates, wine, and dinner for many to celebrate love and St. Valentine’s Day. For a group of 12 vibrant and eager Queens residents, February 14^th marked the debut of their new adventure, the Queens Love blog. The goal of the blog was to celebrate all things Queens and to show how great of a borough it is. 

I have to admit. I visit the blog daily, sometimes multiple times, even if I’m one of the people responsible for creating content for the blog. It’s become a little obsession of mine and I cheer quietly to myself when I come across something awesome. I mentally bookmark places and restaurants I learn about through the blog. I pause and appreciate the simple things and beauty a picture can capture of a neighborhood and instance in Queens. Through the blog, I’ve re-connected with my neighborhood, ever so proud to be a part of such a project and the fact that I have chosen Queens to be my home. Queens is my borough and there is so much to share and love about it.

As time progresses and the blog gains in visibility, I’ve noticed a little community being born out of it. The group of 12, once strangers, are now friends. We’ve expanded our team and thus expanded our territory. We’ve gotten a great response from the public through Twitter and the blog itself. Anyone can post their Queens experiences and thoughts on the blog. You just have to have some love for the borough and a Tumblr account. Look forward to a Facebook page because it’s coming soon to a computer near you.

BTW, if you noticed the Queens Love logo, the cute little magenta heart, it was created by Stella Dacuma Schour, the same artist who designed my Spam Is Better Fried masthead. I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with. 

Queens Love

Twitter: @QNSLUV

Stella Dacuma Schour Photography 

Xmas Eve at Woks & Lox

At The Queens Kickshaw produced by Jeff Orlick and Veronica Chan 

We did it! Woks & Lox turned out to be a smashing success. On a night when most businesses were closed, The Queens Kickshaw in Astoria, Queens played host to the first Jewish and Asian Christmas celebration. It brought the tradition of Chinese food and a movie on Christmas Eve to a whole new level.

Woks & Lox, produced by Jeff Orlick and Veronica Chan, featured a nine course Asian and Jewish inspired meal, a nosh party including drinks (craft beers, Golden Monkey Chocolate Egg Cream Bubble Tea, Double Happy Five Spice Hot Mulled Manischewitz), a raffle, dreidel games, Jewish Mahjong, and a beach themed Bar Mitzvah sign in board. Folks came from all over and much merriment was made over Sweet Red Bean Rugelach.

A lot of hardwork went into planning this event. It was an honor to work side by side with the masterminds behind Woks & Lox, the talented chef Chichi Wang who poured love into the dishes, keen photographer Stella Dacuma Schour, and everyone else who pitched in muscle. On that note, let's raise our Manischewitz! L'chaim!


Woks & Lox

5 Recipes by Chichi Wang

Jeffrey Tastes- Queens Qustodian

World to Table

Stella Dacuma Schour Photography

The Queens Kickshaw
40-17 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103    

Neighbors and Friends at The Queens Kickshaw

Jen and Ben holding down the fort.

The Queens Kickshaw is a neighborhood coffee shop in Astoria, Queens. It's a small business that I have been following over the past year and one that has quickly become one of my favorites to support. The owners Ben and Jen are adorable, sweet, kind, and friendly. Every time my friends and I stop by for a drink and bite, they come over for some conversation. It is this kind of hospitality that keeps customers coming back. They're genuine and the relaxing atmosphere designed by Ecosystems Brand is just as inviting.

One pitfall of small businesses is growing too fast too soon. It's dangerous to grow a business you can't support with the manpower you have or the limited resources available. The Queens Kickshaw is taking it slow and easy. In the beginning they had a simple coffee menu, grilled cheeses, and limited hours.

The owners keep their full time jobs and pitch in hours when they can. When you own your own business, you breathe life into it even if it means being on your feet all day, using extra brain power, pouring in your life savings, and working 80 hours plus every week. You do what you can to keep it alive.

The Queens Kickshaw is now open in the evenings until 1 AM. They take pride in the craft beers and wine they now serve and are experimenting with adding new vegetarian friendly items to the menu. I tried the three cheese macaroni and cheese last night. It was a dreamy concoction of pasta with smoked mozzarella, gruyere, and cheddar. Also on the menu is chestnut stuffing. I'm really excited about that. It's the same variation my grandma used to cook during Thanksgiving. Most of all, I like that The Queens Kickshaw added in the element of live music on Friday nights. The acts are locals showcasing their own style of folk, acoustic guitar, klezmer, blues, and all sorts. Last night I grooved while dj Ab*Soul* played some soulful R&B. It was a nice way to relax and end our Thanksgiving festivities. Yes, The Queens Kickshaw was open during Thanksgiving. For that, I thank them. In a city where so many are transplants and family is so far away, New Yorkers are rich with alternatives to the traditional.  Dinner in Flushing Chinatown followed by late night snacks, dessert, drink, and music at The Queens Kickshaw. Yup, sounds just like the New York life I never imagined I'd be living. And perfect at the same time.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 26 is the second annual Small Business Saturday. It was a day created by American Express to support small businesses. Stop by The Queens Kickshaw. It's like a home away from home. They serve killer coffee to get you going, amazing grilled cheeses, and Balthazar sticky buns. Save yourself the trip to SoHo and stick to Queens.

Owner Jen Lim and Barista Alisha

Gouda w/black bean hummus, guava jam, pickled jalapenos

Inside shot of Gouda sandwich

Green Salad w/pickled golden raisins

Balthazar Sticky Bun

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

My favorite way to enjoy The Queens Kickshaw:
1. Go with 3 other friends
2. Order 4 grilled cheeses
3. Make a Franken-cheese sandwich!
Pictured: (clockwise from top) Gouda, Fontina Val d'Aosta, Gruyere, Manchego & Ricotta

The Queens Kickshaw
40-17 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103    

Small Business Saturday

Pilipino ka ba?

"Pilipino ka ba (Are you Filipino)?"
"Oo (yes)."

I don't have any trouble telling people my ethnicity. I have trouble convincing them to believe that I am what I say I am.

I have a lack of knowledge about my Filipino culture's history and customs. Like many American born Filipinos, I was raised American thus making me not Filipino enough for the motherland and not American enough for the Americans. Yes, I was surrounded by a Filipino family but I chose not to participate in the Filipinoness of it all. It was just too foreign for me.

Now that I live in the city, I've been exploring a lot of cultures including my own. I went out to eat Filipino food for dinner and, surprisingly, it was the first time I have actually tried some of these native dishes. I've got so much to learn and, luckily, food is not a bad place to start.

Ihawan 2 in Long Island City is the sister restaurant to Ihawan in Woodside. Ihawan is famous for their grilled meat. Ihawan 2 also has a sushi bar menu but I recommend sticking to the Filipino cuisine. After all, why go to Ihawan if you are not going to eat Filipino food?

The best way to eat Filipino food is to share all the dishes. That's what we would do at home. Plus you get to try everything.

Most Filipino meals consist of soup, meat, and vegetables. Party food will always have lumpia and some type of noodles. What we ordered was a pretty good representation of some typical Filipino dishes ranging from snack food to side dishes, grilled meats from seafood to pork, and soups and stews that have the signature sour and sweet flavors characteristic of Filipino cuisine. Filipino food is quite trendy these days. Stay tuned for Filipino food blog post #2. In the meantime, let's have a taste of what a Filipino dinner looks like. Masarap (delicious)!

Lechon Kawali, Calamares, Lumpiang Shanghai
(pan roasted pork, squid, tiny eggrolls
commonly served with liver sauce for the pork and sweet chili sauce for the lumpia)

Chicken BBQ and Pork BBQ sticks

Grilled Shrimp and Mussels

Fresh Lumpia
(vegetables and shrimp wrapped in a thin pancake with peanut sauce)

Garlic Rice
(Most Filipinos eat white rice. Garlic rice is more of a brunch option
but a nice tasty alternative offered for dinner at Ihawan2.)

Sisig
(Grilled pork ears and snout with chili pepper, onions, and lemon)

Pancit Palabok

You have to mix the palabok in order to enjoy it!
(rice stick noodles topped with shrimps, egg, and shrimp sauce) 

Sinigang na Baboy
(Pork and Vegetables in Tamarind Soup)

Lengua
(Cow Tongue in Mushroom Sauce)

Kare-Kare
(Oxtail with mixed vegetables in peanut butter sauce)

Fried Tilapia

Ihawan 2

1007 50th Ave.

Long Island City, NY 11101

Salt, Fat, & Everything

Oink, we did it again. Intentionally. My friends and I (consisting of two chefs, a bartender, two pork enthusiasts, and someone with a bottomless pit) went back to Salt & Fat to order the whole menu. It was planned and we conquered. Surprisingly, everything was better than the last time with a few twists and turns and new dishes to boast. The servings also got bigger. Price stayed the same.

Highlights on the new items were the Chili Shrimp, Scallops, and Crispy Pig Trotter Torchon. The chili shrimp sat on cubes of watermelon. Oh man I am loving the use of watermelon in dishes. It's quite refreshing. The Crispy Pig Trotter Torchon was like a crabcake but bigger and full of pork. The scallops were sweet and came with a corn salsa. The quality and presentation of the small plates at Salt & Fat are really impressive. Oh how I love Queens and Salt & Fat for keeping everything affordable.

For the staples, the "Crack" & Cheese and Hanger Steak was much improved. The gnocchi wasn't dry and the steak was juicier and more rare. The Fried Chicken was heavenly and the Pulled Pork Sliders and Korean BBQ Wraps were tied for favorites.

The biggest surprise for me was dessert. We got one of each. The last time we went, I remembered the dessert to be bad. This time, it was good. The rice krispie was fresh, not frozen, and soft and gooey. The marshmallow ice cream was amazing as well as the avocado flavored one. We found the yuzu sorbet super tart. The Lime Panna Cotta was delish and we topped everything off with our own homemade Basque cake. The waitress even dug in.

We kept a copy of the menu to make notes. As you can see it is stained with sauce and commemorated with piggy. How. Very. Appropriate. And telling of the meal. Oink!

First Meal at Salt & Fat

Salt & Fat

41-16 Queens Blvd.

Sunnyside, NY 11104

Streetwise New York: A New Spin on NYC Tours

Double decker busses, groups of 40, Japanese tourists, matching yellow t-shirts, a leader holding a flag. These are the images I think of when I hear the word tour.

I recently took a tour with Streetwise New York Tours and it was unlike any tour I have taken before. Gone were the iconic images of the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Instead, the particular tour I took, the Immigrant NY, Old and New tour started off in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and ended up in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Family owned Economy Candy store since 1937

New York City is rich with history. As a tourist, most people who visit want to see the sights, famous landmarks, and all things glorified in the movies. As a resident, many go on with their daily lives taking their surroundings for granted and never question how things came to be.

Imagine NYC in the 1930's. How about the turn of the century? Difficult? Streetwise helps you envision it. In fact, the tour is like stepping into a time machine. It is easy to picture what life was like back then through the tour guide's vivid storytelling and descriptive facts about the different NYC neighborhoods. It is even more fascinating as connections are made to current events and the state of the city today. Everything is built on a foundation and is a reflection of the past. 

Jarmulowsky Bank Building at Canal and Orchard Street

The tour consists of a lot of walking and is offered in two versions. My group of friends opted for a full day tour. Approximately six hours, our tour stretched even longer as we incorporated an authentic Henan cuisine lunch break at Uncle Zhou in Elmhurst, Queens. Elmhurst is famous for Asian cuisine and since our group consisted of food bloggers and world travelers, we took the opportunity to soak in the neighborhood even more so.

The immigrant tour is meant to take you on a journey of decades and explore the trials and evolvement of life of immigrants in New York. The tour is tailored to each group based on group knowledge of immigrant history and New York urban beginnings. Our group, especially talkative and inquisitive, pushed the envelope further by telling our own stories and personal experiences in regards to family history, living in Queens, and finding our way through New York.

From the Lower East Side tenements, places of worship and the Essex Street Market to street vendors in Corona, housing units in Elmhurst and the Indian demographic in Jackson Heights, the tour explores landmarks, secrets of the city, and all that is relevant in regards to immigrant historical context. I was enlightened to learn about the synagogue on Eldridge Street I always wondered about, intrigued by the underground tunnels in Chinatown, and excited to try a raspado from a street vendor on Roosevelt Avenue.

Museum at Eldridge Street

The immigrant tour was informative, insightful, thought provoking, and interactive. It definitely is of a different pace from a typical NYC tour geared towards tourists. Those familiar with the books "Not For Tourists" would agree this is a tour that is so much more than an all inclusive pass to museums and buildings. This is a tour of the real New York. Don't believe me? I'll ask you how you feel when Streetwise takes you on the Chinatown van into Queens. Those who hang in there until the final hour of the tour will definitely leave with a little more street credibility.

Streetwise Logo Credit: Streetwisenewyork.com

Streetwise New York
Tours@StreetwiseNewYork.com
(347) 327-6063

On Location: Life, Camera, Action!

"Mr. Big, you are one good looking man."
"Mr. Schuester, why yes. Yes I am."

Two weeks ago I had some pretty good celebrity sightings on my walks after work. The first one was Chris Noth, Mr. Big himself, on the corner of 47th and 8th Avenue. He was with his fiance and son. I am looking forward to watching him in The Championship Season. The play ends this month. The second one was Matthew Morrison, a.k.a. Mr. Shuester, filming Glee outside the Belasco Theater on 44th and Avenue of Americas. I did not have my camera on me both times. 

The Amazing Spider-Man or "Fiona's Tale" is filming in Woodside, Queens. Since Woodside is about a 10 minute walk over from where I live, I decided to check it out and see if I could catch a glimpse of Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, or Sally Field. The movie has a whole new cast along with a new director. I'm not familiar with the other actors and was quite disappointed there would be no Toby sighting.

If you have ever watched the filming of a movie on location, you would know that it is actually quite boring. There are a lot of lights, people waiting around, and a whole lot of nothing going on. Filming can last for hours and they will do the same scene over and over again. I once watched Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver walk back and forth across a street repeatedly pushing a stroller for 45 minutes while filming Motherhood. I could not hear anything either. Sidewalks get blocked off and long-neckers are forced to watch from afar.

The filming of Spider-Man 4 was no different. A crowd stood across the street from the Woodside post office on 61st and Roosevelt watching and waiting patiently for anything to happen. Two production assistants did their best to control and contain the crowd. They asked that everyone follow these few simple rules:

1. No flash photography.
2. No video taking.
3. When the director yells, "Action!" please be quiet. 

    When he yells, "Cut!" talking may resume.
4. Please be respectful.

We waited while the cast filmed in the alley between the buildings. They had actually blocked the area off with two dark cloths for privacy. 

Production Assistant telling us not to be alarmed by the simulated gun shots.
 I gather a fight scene was being filmed behind the curtains.

The crew was so bored. Filming was scheduled until 3 AM.

Hair! Costumes! Makeup!

I left to carry on with my evening. On my way I walked by the trailers where they do hair and makeup. I also passed by the director's trailer and a few others which looked like storage for props and what not. It felt a little surreal that I had walked on to a movie set in my own backyard. In reality, it was just another day in New York.

The Amazing Spider-Man