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Christian Murray, Full Interview

Collection: Sunnyside Sound Project Records at the Archives at Queens Library: Christian Murray
Date: Time Period: 2009; 2009; Interview recorded in 2009 Material: digital audio recording made using Edirol R-09 digital recorder and Adobe Soundbooth software. Dimension: Total running time: 0:34:56
Creator: Christian Murray interviewed by Sabine Heinlein Identifier: aql:18314 murray_christian_full

Description: "This is my neighborhood. I want to know what's going on. Everyone needs to know what's going on." Each day Christian Murray takes his two Boston Terriers on a long walk through Sunnyside. He carries a camera and a notebook to gather material for his website, the Sunnyside Post. Christian misses no community board or police precinct meeting. Whether it's residents complaining about the size of their community Christmas tree, Sunnyside hosting a Pumpkin Day, or troublemaking restaurant Casa Romana incensing the community with a Wet-T-Shirt and Oil-Wrestling Party, Christian reports, follows up on it, and often sets an example for local community leaders. "This is my neighborhood. This is where I live. I want to know what's going on. Everyone needs to know what's going on," Christian says matter-of-factly as we sit down to talk. A financial reporter for Thompson Reuters by day and a blogger during late night and lunch break hours, the native New Zealander started the Sunnyside Post two years ago. He updates the blog at least ten times a week, with roughly half of all postings gleaned from local newspapers and the other half featuring original reporting. "I sometimes spend two or three hours a day on the blog," he says. "My wife thinks I am crazy." But his website provides him pleasure, and the human interest issues offer a good balance to his "dry and abstract" nine-to-five job. A few months ago the Sunnyside Post began posting ads from local businesses and institutions, including Camp Bow Wow, the Sunnyside Reformed Church and Santa Fe Steak House, and most recently it was revamped to better reflect Christian's main focus, "Keeping the vitality of our main streets going." The Sunnyside Post now also collects suggestions on how to improve business on Queens Boulevard. In the podcast, Christian talks about a large fire on 42nd Street that other news outlets failed to report and about his blogging obsession.

Collection : aql:20455; aql:18078

Creator : Christian Murray interviewed by Sabine Heinlein

Date : Time Period: 2009; 2009; Interview recorded in 2009

Summary/Description : "This is my neighborhood. I want to know what's going on. Everyone needs to know what's going on." Each day Christian Murray takes his two Boston Terriers on a long walk through Sunnyside. He carries a camera and a notebook to gather material for his website, the Sunnyside Post. Christian misses no community board or police precinct meeting. Whether it's residents complaining about the size of their community Christmas tree, Sunnyside hosting a Pumpkin Day, or troublemaking restaurant Casa Romana incensing the community with a Wet-T-Shirt and Oil-Wrestling Party, Christian reports, follows up on it, and often sets an example for local community leaders. "This is my neighborhood. This is where I live. I want to know what's going on. Everyone needs to know what's going on," Christian says matter-of-factly as we sit down to talk. A financial reporter for Thompson Reuters by day and a blogger during late night and lunch break hours, the native New Zealander started the Sunnyside Post two years ago. He updates the blog at least ten times a week, with roughly half of all postings gleaned from local newspapers and the other half featuring original reporting. "I sometimes spend two or three hours a day on the blog," he says. "My wife thinks I am crazy." But his website provides him pleasure, and the human interest issues offer a good balance to his "dry and abstract" nine-to-five job. A few months ago the Sunnyside Post began posting ads from local businesses and institutions, including Camp Bow Wow, the Sunnyside Reformed Church and Santa Fe Steak House, and most recently it was revamped to better reflect Christian's main focus, "Keeping the vitality of our main streets going." The Sunnyside Post now also collects suggestions on how to improve business on Queens Boulevard. In the podcast, Christian talks about a large fire on 42nd Street that other news outlets failed to report and about his blogging obsession.

Subject : Blogs; Community development, Urban

Rights : These audio recordings, photos and articles are the property of Sabine Heinlein. Uses of edited excerpts from her interviews are protected under a Creative Commons public domain license, but her full, unedited audio is open to researchers by request. Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for access. For reproductions of the unedited recordings, please contact Sabine Heinlein at (sabineheinlein@gmail.com).

Coverage : Locations discussed: Sunnyside, NY Sunnyside (New York, N.Y.) Queens (New York, N.Y.)

Type : Oral history

Format : digital audio recording made using Edirol R-09 digital recorder and Adobe Soundbooth software.; Total running time: 0:34:56

Identifier : aql:18314 murray_christian_full

Related Items

Subject:
Blogs; Community development, Urban

Audio Clip

Rights Notice
These audio recordings, photos and articles are the property of Sabine Heinlein. Uses of edited excerpts from her interviews are protected under a Creative Commons public domain license, but her full, unedited audio is open to researchers by request. Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for access. For reproductions of the unedited recordings, please contact Sabine Heinlein at (sabineheinlein@gmail.com).


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