Feb. 23, 2018 By Tara Law The DOT plans to make changes to a number of roads by the Astoria Houses to make the area safer for pedestrians. The DOT, which presented its plan at Community Board 1’s monthly meeting last Tuesday, plans to overhaul the intersections of Vernon Boulevard, 30th Avenue, 8th Street and Astoria… Read more »
Feb. 26, 2018 By Tara Law Two men were shot after a melee broke out by an Astoria strip club early Saturday morning, according to police. The shootings took place around 4:10 a.m. outside Riviera’s Gentlemen’s Club at 34-48 Steinway St., police said. The victims were brought to Elmhurst Hospital, where one of the men… Read more »
Feb. 23, 2018 By Tara Law Pet store owners would be prohibited from selling dogs and cats that have come from puppy mills should a senate bill introduced by Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) become law. The legislation, introduced in the state senate on Feb. 9, would only allow stores to sell dogs and cats that have… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2018 By Tara Law Upcoming changes to Steinway Street in Astoria aim to make it easier for pedestrians to cross the busy corridor. The Department of Transportation plans to install three mid-block crosswalks and traffic signals along Steinway Street between 30th and 34th avenues this spring. The changes aim to make it safer… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2018 By Tara Law George Kaufman, a real estate developer and civic leader who revitalized Astoria Studios, died Tuesday at the age of 89. Kaufman, president of the family-owned real estate firm Kaufman Realty Corporation, took over the dilapidated Astoria Studios in 1982 and built it into one of the largest studios in… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2018 By Christian Murray The MTA is in the crosshairs of an Astoria elected official yet again—this time for a giant billboard located on the Astoria Boulevard stop deemed to be a distraction to motorists. Assemblymember Aravella Simotas has written separate letters to the MTA and the Department of Buildings requesting that the… Read more »
Feb. 22, 2018 By Tara Law The Durst Organization’s decision not to continue building its massive 2,000-unit development on Hallets Point will leave the isolated area deprived of much-needed resources—from a school to community facilities, said Councilmember Costa Constantinides on Wednesday. The developer recently announced that it is no longer completing the seven-building project in… Read more »
Feb. 21, 2018 By Christian Murray The police are searching for two men who attempted to rob an East Elmhurst gas station at gunpoint in the early hours Saturday morning. The two men allegedly drove into the Sunoco Gas Station, located at 88-20 Astoria Blvd, in a BMW M3 at around 3 a.m. Feb. 17…. Read more »
Feb. 20, 2018 By Tara Law Astoria commuters who attempted to ride the subway this morning faced crowds, lines and confusion as signal problems at Queens Plaza and 5th Avenue/59th Street stations caused serious service delays. Delays lasted from about 8 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. N/W-line commuters were forced to walk to the 7 line… Read more »
Feb. 19, 2018 By Tara Law A baby boy was found dead in a trash can near a playground on the border of Astoria and Long Island City on Saturday. The police responded to a 911 call at around 10:48 a.m. and discovered a newborn unconscious and unresponsive near Dutch Kills Playground, located at 36th Avenue… Read more »