Anandi Hearts Queens!

Gratitude and Love for Queens!

Honored and Humbled to be featured in the Queens Ledger / Brooklyn Star's "On the Record" as community & environmental activist." Thanks for the great recognition for the work that I do and for highlighting the passion I have for creating community and beautiful spaces in Queens. 

Thank you all for the love! 

~Anandi

Anandi Premlall, Community activist

by Lisa A. Fraser

Jan 27, 2012

If anyone is paying attention to the news in South Queens, one hot button issue is the prospect of a Queens Greenway at the abandoned LIRR tracks running along Woodhaven Boulevard, much like Manhattan's Highline Park. And one voice in the mix, which dominantly stands out among all others, is Anandi Premlall's, the South Ozone Park resident who has taken it upon herself to advocate for more green space in this part of Queens.

“We don't have a lot of Green space in Ozone Park, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, unlike a lot of other places in Queens,” she said. “I feel this would really develop the community in a really good way and preserve the history for generations.”

Premlall, who has lived in South Queens for over 20 years, has seen how the communities have become more familial in nature, and feels that the Greenway will provide a safer feeling for those living in the areas near to the abandoned track.

The issue is not a first for Premlall. She has always been involved in advocating for a better environment. The Guyanese-born Queensite has planted trees around the South Queens area, done tree stewarding in Forest Park, and is also part of Grow Richmond Hill, an active social, cultural and civic organization.

“It's all about creating beautiful space and creating community,” she said. “One of the best ways to do that is to have great spaces where people could meet and relax, hold events.”

Her main vision is to see a “sustainable community space in the area to hold multigenerational, multiethnic, safe and fun events that are also, what she calls, “edutaining” - mixing education with entertainment.

“We have such busy lives, sometimes we don't even know who our next door neighbor is but 20 years ago we knew all our neighbors; this could make us be more connected,” she said.

Premlall's love of the natural world doesn't stop there. Also a lover of poetry since she was a child, she recently published a Haiku entitled “One” in an anthology, “The Poetry of Yoga”. The poem, she says, is about connecting with nature, something she always strives for in her daily life.

In addition to voicing her opinion about a Queens Highline, Premlall is also involved in ayurvedic nutrition classes, master composting in Queens and social media consulting. Her day job involves helping people create beautiful indoor spaces.

Read more: Queens Ledger - Anandi Premlall Community activist