Feb. 22, 2022 By Allie Griffin Three protected bike lanes in Queens will be getting safety upgrades as part of an effort to better protect cyclists from cars throughout the city, the Department of Transportation announced Friday. Bike lanes in Long Island City, Astoria and Forest Hills will be among the first lanes in the… Read more »
Feb. 17, 2022 By Allie Griffin Police are looking for an alleged carjacker who forcibly removed a plumber out of his own van on Northern Boulevard last month and drove off with the vehicle. The plumber was parked at the intersection of 87th Street and Northern Boulevard at around 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 31 when… Read more »
Feb. 18, 2022 By Allie Griffin State Sen. John Liu and local Asian American groups are calling for increased state funding to support Asian New Yorkers who have increasingly been the target of violent—and even deadly—hate crimes. Liu wants the state to allocate $64.5 million to support community-based organizations that provide services for Asian New… Read more »
Feb. 17, 2022 By Allie Griffin and Christian Murray Three Democrats — one progressive and two moderates — have launched campaigns for Cathy Nolan’s state assembly seat this week. Juan Ardila, a progressive, along with James Magee and Vlad Pavlyuk have announced that they are running for the 37th Assembly District covering Long Island City,… Read more »
Feb. 15, 2022 By Allie Griffin The city program that offers half-priced MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers is going to be made permanent, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. Fair Fares will be funded for years to come following an agreement reached by Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. The pair agreed that funds would be… Read more »
Feb. 10, 2022 By Allie Griffin State Sen. Michael Gianaris is calling on state regulators to investigate the spike in electricity bills that many Con Edison customers are now required to pay. Gianaris penned a letter Tuesday to the New York State Public Service Commission Tuesday asking the utility regulator to probe the bill increases… Read more »
Feb. 10, 2022 By Allie Griffin Robert de Niro’s $600 million movie studio will soon take shape on the Astoria waterfront. Wildflower LTD — backed by the actor, his son Raphael De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal — has received permits from the city’s buildings department to begin construction on a seven-story film production studio… Read more »
Feb. 8, 2022 By Allie Griffin Council Members Nantasha Williams and Linda Lee will be leading the Queens Council Delegation. Williams and Lee were elected co-chairs of the delegation by their Queens council colleagues Friday. As co-chairs, Williams and Lee will advocate for funding for Queens during the council’s discretionary budget negotiations. They will serve… Read more »
Jan. 27, 2022 By Allie Griffin The woman behind the popular Ethiopian and Eritrean food truck—Makina Cafe—will put down roots in Sunnyside this spring with the opening of her first brick-and-mortar restaurant. Eden Egziabher plans to open Makina Cafe at 46-11 Skillman Ave. in mid-April, while still operating the business’s two food trucks. The location… Read more »
Jan. 25, 2022 By Allie Griffin Queens lawmakers are split on the mayor’s recently released plan to combat gun violence — with some applauding it while others denounce it. The 15-page plan titled “The Blueprint to End Gun Violence” was unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams Monday following a number of high-profile shootings this month, including… Read more »