Dec. 31, 2020 Staff Report A man wearing a “Red Sox” hat walked up to 74-year-old Queensbridge resident earlier this month and sucker-punched him in the face. The victim was standing on the corner of 12th Street and 40th Avenue at around 7:15 a.m. on Dec. 12 when the suspect approached him and unexpectedly punched… Read more »
Author: Czarinna
Long Island City Man Charged With Insider Trading, Tipped Off LIC Residents
Dec. 31, 2020 By Christian Murray The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a Long Island City man with insider trading after he allegedly bought and sold stock in a chemical company after being tipped off that the corporation was likely to be acquired. Jason Peltz, 37, of 48th Avenue, allegedly started buying stock… Read more »
Eleven-Story Building Planned to go up by 30th Avenue Train Station; Zoning Change Needed
Dec. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray A developer has filed plans to rezone a property in Astoria in order to build an 11-story, 102-unit building near the 30th Avenue train station. Lynest Associates, a Queens-based company, filed an application to rezone 30-02 Newtown Ave. in March and the plans were certified by the Dept. of… Read more »
Mayor Extends Open Storefronts Program Through September 2021
Dec. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray The mayor announced Tuesday that the city is extending a pilot program that allows storefront owners to sell goods on the sidewalk. The initiative, dubbed the Open Storefronts program, was launched at the end of October and will now be in operation until Sept. 30, 2021. The program is… Read more »
DOT Builds Nearly 30 Miles of Protected Bicycle Lanes in 2020; Nearly 10 Miles in Queens
Dec. 29, 2020 By Christian Murray The Department of Transportation constructed 28.6 miles of protected bicycle lanes across the city in 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The mayor said 2020 was a record year in terms of mileage, outdoing 2017 when 24.9 miles of protected bicycle lanes were built. The borough of Queens… Read more »
New York to Ban Most Evictions, Aims to Protect Tenants Facing Hardship
Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray The New York State legislature is set to pass a bill Monday that would block the eviction of struggling New Yorkers until May 1. Elected officials are convening a special session to pass the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act that aims to help residents remain in their… Read more »
Chip, the Famed Cookie Store, to Open a Sunnyside Venue Tuesday
Dec. 21, 2020 By Christian Murray Chip, the famed Astoria cookie bakery, is opening a shop in Sunnyside– half a block south of the 40th Street subway station. The Sunnyside location is scheduled to open at 45-05 40th St. Tuesday and will be the company’s sixth bakery since it was founded in Astoria in July… Read more »
Gas Station on 21st Street in Astoria to be Demolished, Mixed Use Building Expected
Dec. 21, 2020 By Christian Murray A gas station and auto repair shop on 21st Street are going to be demolished to make way for a mixed-use building. Demolition plans were filed with the Dept. of Buildings last week to bulldoze a one-story building at 30-75 21st St. that is located on the corner of… Read more »
NYC Announces Sweeping Changes to Middle, High School Application Process
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters here: ckbe.at/newsletters Dec 18, 2020, Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York The coronavirus pandemic will force major changes in the ways students are admitted to New York City’s competitive middle and high schools this year, the education department announced… Read more »
PODCAST: We Talk to Tiffany Cabán, Candidate for the 22nd District Council Seat
Dec. 18, 2020 By Christian Murray Several candidates are running next year for the 22nd District Council seat currently held by Costa Constantinides. In our latest Podcast, we talk to Tiffany Cabán about why she is vying for the seat and her platform. She talks about the need to defund and disband the NYPD, and… Read more »