This week we will travel to Whitestone, in Queens.My guests will be returning guest, historian, and author Jason Antos, who is also president of the Queens Historical Society; and George Isaakidis, owner and partner of Harpell Chemists.Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Jeff introduces his first guest Jason Antos, a regular on the show and a prolific writer. Jason discusses his upbringing in Whitestone Queens and how he became interested in history. He remembers being amazed at the abandoned Hammerstine and Thurston homes in Whitestone. They begin by talking about how Whitestone got its name, which comes from a story about the first settlers finding a massive white limestone boulder in the town’s river. Next, they talk about the Dutch settlers who purchased the land that would be Whitestone from Native Americans. The Dutch welcomed incoming English settlers while pushing away the Native Americans. Jason then talks about one of the first famous members of Whitestone; Francis Lewis. Despite signing the Declaration of Independence, Lewis was a war profiteer who played both sides during the Revolutionary War. However, the British soldiers did not like this act of treason and burned his manor in Whitestone down. 

Segment 2

Jeff and Jason move past Civil War history to when Whitestone began being recognized as a town in the 1870's. They talk about Whitestone’s railroad, which played a massive part in its history and development. They move on to Whitestone’s Seaside Pavilion, a historic and beautiful part of town that was once full of German beer halls. Jason talks about famous residents of Whitestone, which included; magicians and silent film stars. They lived in the Hammerstine and Thurston homes that became abandoned and a place where Jason played as a child. For their final topic, they discuss the Whitestone Bridge, which is the first modern suspension bridge ever built. 

Segment 3

Jeff Introduces his second guest, George Isaakidis, owner of the iconic Harpell Chemist pharmacy. Harpell Chemists has been in Whitestone since 1906. George talks about moving to Whitestone and starting to work at Harpells when he was fifteen years old. George then talks about the experience of buying the pharmacy and what it is like to run the business. Jeff asks how George and his brother Joseph expanded the business and focused on wellness for all customers. George goes on to talk about expanding his business to areas of Queens other than Whitestone.

Segment 4

Changing the subject, Jeff asks George what he thinks makes Whitestone unique. George talks about the uniqueness of Whitestone and its closeness to the other boroughs. Jeff asks him how he thinks the neighborhood has changed over the years. George brings up the expansion of Whitestone but also how it still has many mom and pop shops. They talk about George’s involvement in the Whitestone merchant organization and their goal of improving the neighborhood. Jeff brings up the businesses he would like to see brought into Whitestone and how he wants to see it expand to be even more diverse. Jeff and George discuss what they think Whitestone will look like in the future and George’s hopes for the neighborhood. George then imparts some wisdom to incoming business owners looking to open stores in Whitestone. Finally, Jeff and George talk about Harpell’s much-loved juice bar and how they deliver to customers.