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Forest Hills Gets Ready for Summer Concert Season

 Forest Hills Station House is getting ready for the upcoming concert series.
Forest Hills Station House is getting ready for the upcoming concert series.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — Forest HIlls' summer concert series kicks off this week as Grammy-nominated British singer Ed Sheeran takes to the stage, followed by classic rockers The Who, which will perform Saturday as part of the band’s 50th anniversary tour.

Businesses located near the stadium said they are stocking up on beer and food as each concert — Sheeran plays on Thursday and Friday while The Who perform Saturday — is expected to attract about 13,000 people.

“Some of the places that are closer to the stadium are super busy,” said Leslie Brown, president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s great for those businesses and it’s great that it brings awareness of Forest Hills."

“We are preparing to handle a lot of people and welcome them to the neighborhood,” said Steve Elkins, the owner of Forest Hills Station House on 71st Avenue, near the stadium. 

Last year, he said, the sales during the concerts were “tremendous.”

The pub is removing its chairs to create standing room only, and will be selling mostly dishes that are fast to serve and easy to eat, such as hamburgers, wings and ribs, Elkins said.

Nearby Dirty Pierre’s, at Station Square, is turning the space in front of the restaurant into a communal area and will be serving dinner only in the back of the eatery, the owners said. 

This weekend the restaurant will also offer a variety of canned beers and serve most drinks in plastic cups, which are easier to clean up, according to worker Jamie File. 

Concerts are scheduled to end around 10 p.m., but Austin Public on Austin Street will try to keep the music playing after that.

On Friday night, a DJ will be playing Ed Sheeran's hits and on Saturday live band Trifecta will perform some cover songs by The Who, said Declan Morrison, one of the owners.  

Morrison said that on both nights, the pub will be serving Heineken beers from the new BrewLock system, a technology developed to deliver draught beer at brewery quality. 

The NYPD's 112th Precinct is also getting ready for crowds coming to Forest Hills and quality-of-life problems that they may bring.

Deputy Inspector Judith Harrison, the commanding officer of the precinct, said at a community meeting last week that numerous police officers will be patrolling the area during the concerts, including mounted units, to make sure that "people who are drinking or perhaps urinating in places other than a bathroom ... are appropriately dealt with.”

Her main concern, she said, is getting people to and from the stadium safely "with minimum disruption to the residents of Forest Hills.” 

Harrison also said there will be several street closures in the area during the concerts:

► Burns Street from Continental to 68th avenues

► 69 Avenue from Burns to Dartmouth streets

► Clyde Street from 68th to 69th avenues

► Dartmouth Street from 70th to 68th avenues

► Tennis Place from Dartmouth to Burns streets

The Q23 line will be rerouted in the stadium area.

The Long Island Rail Road will be making extra stops at its Forest Hills Station throughout the season.

On concert days, the LIRR will make Forest Hills a regular stop in both directions between 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

This year’s lineup, consisting of at least 10 concerts, will include stars like Santana, Van Morrison and The New York Pops. The season will end on  Sept. 19 with a performance by Alabama Shakes.