QNYC Event Highlight: Northern Boulevard in the Great Gatsby's Footsteps

Image Source: The Great Gatsby/Warner Brothers

Considered to be author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s best work, The Great Gatsby tells the tale of mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby’s ups and downs during the Roaring Twenties. Dubbed the “Great American Novel,” the timeless best-seller has been made into various movies, including an upcoming one by Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that stars Leonardo DiCaprio and renders NYC in 3-D. Like any top-notch American tale, The Great Gatsby contains various Queens scenes, most notably a drive on Northern Boulevard. On March 4, the Greater Astoria Historical Society, which is credited as “historical adviser” to the movie production, will host The Footsteps of Gatsby, a lecture starting with a brief history of Northern Boulevard, including images from Gatsby’s era. See the the Valley of Ashes, a garbage dump which is now part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and the Queensboro Bridge before Ed Koch was born. The program’s second half will feature the film’s interpretation of locations based on images sent to their production team.