Local Legend: 'Diner Man' Michael Perlman Is A Queens Superhero

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — As far as superhero names go, you have to admit, "Diner Man" isn't bad. That's the title you get when, as Michael Perlman did, you save beloved New York City diners in distress.

Don't mess with our diners.

Perlman is best known for coming to the rescue of Soho's Moondance Diner and Midtown Manhattan's Cheyenne Diner, but when he's not busy saving greasy spoons, the fifth-generation Forest Hills resident is fighting for his own backyard.

Have you enjoyed a concert at Forest Hills Stadium recently? You've got Perlman to thank. Caught at Cinemart Cinemas? Perlman saved them too. Took a spin on the Forest Park Carousel? You get the picture.

Patch spoke with this super New York superhero about Forest Hills as part of our Local Legends series, where people who make New York City great discuss the neighborhoods they call home.

Last week, we talked to comedian Shalewa Sharpe about life in Bushwick and next week we'll explore Greenpoint with Thorgy Thor.

(Does your neighborhood have a Local Legend we should feature? Nominate them here.)

Here's what Perlman had to say about the Queens neighborhood he calls home.

Describe Forest Hills in three words.

Forest Hills is historic, culturally diverse and convenient.

What food does Forest Hills do best? Where do we go to find it?

Pahal Zan's falafel is the best citywide; even though it is a small restaurant steps away from the LIRR, it offers a dynamite taste! The ultimate soul food of Forest Hills is knishes. Knish Nosh, currently owned by Haig Schneiderman and operated by Chef Ana Vasilescu, has been enticing palates since 1952. Their rugelach is also out of this world!

Describe your perfect day in Forest Hills.

My perfect day in Forest Hills would consist of a leisurely stroll with family and friends. As an architectural and landscape photographer, I would exercise my mind through my lens.

Forest Hills Gardens is most worthy of hours of exploration, as well as a stop at iconic Forest Hills Stadium to attend a concert, or a movie at Cinemart Cinemas, followed by an ice cream sundae at Eddie's Sweet Shop.

What makes Forest Hills New York's best neighborhood?

Forest Hills, which was founded in 1906 by Cord Meyer Development Company, became a breeding ground for culture and the arts among various generations.

Notables who have called our community home include Burt Bacharach, Carol Channing, Stevie Wonder, "Captain Kangaroo," Carroll O’Connor, Marty Ingels, Dale Carnegie, Geraldine Ferraro, and NY1 News' Roger Clark.

Forest Hills Gardens, designed by principal architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., was established in 1909 and is the earliest planned garden community countrywide.

It is a historic and picturesque residential community with Tudor and Arts & Crafts style houses, winding streets, private parks and monumental trees. Visitors typically do not believe that a turn-of-the-century serene slice of England exists under a trestle that is a block away from the bustling Queens Boulevard.

Forest Hills Stadium, which was nearly demolished, is America’s first tennis stadium, erected in 1923. Forest Hills offers great accessibility, superb restaurants, a variety of places of worship, historic architecture and community events to place a smile on the face of a multi-generational and culturally diverse residents and visitors.

What's your best quintessential Forest Hills story?

I co-led the Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade and marched in the name of our veterans who have dedicated their lives to defend our country and exhibit our American spirit at its finest.

I am inspired to have been presented with the honor of Grand Marshal alongside fellow Grand Marshal, Major Michael Dunne. [It] was in response to my preservation campaigns to keep Cinemart Cinemas open and rescue Forest Hills Stadium when it was nearly replaced with a condo, among other initiatives.

I have not served our country, but rather my community.

Want to read up on past Local Legends? Here's where to look:

• Comedian Shalewa Sharpe Is Just Out Here In Bushwick
• Instagrammer Alessia Resta's Garden Grows On The UWS
• Susan Heyward Flies Broomsticks On Broadway
• Colin 'The Piano Guy' Plays Washington Square Park
• Culinary Writer Joe DiStefano's Food Haven Is Forest Hills