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 »
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 »
Dec. 30, 2020 By: Ben Guttmann A few months ago, in this very publication, I announced my candidacy to represent the 26th district in the New York City Council. This neighborhood is my home, it is where I’ve grown a business, and I believe that this community is the future of New York and can… Read more »
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 »
Dec. 28, 2020 By Christian Murray Nearly 20 candidates have come forward to run in next June’s Democratic primary for the 26th District Council seat currently held by Jimmy Van Bramer, who is term limited. In today’s podcast, we talk to Denise Keehan-Smith who is one of those candidates vying for the seat that covers Sunnyside,… Read more »
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 »
Dec. 28, 2020 By Michael Dorgan Alewife, the popular Queens brewpub, finally opened in Sunnyside earlier this month and is looking to overcome the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions. The brewing company, known for its specialty IPAs and craft beers, was expected to open in April but faced construction delays and difficulty getting permits due… Read more »
Dec. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin An Italian restaurant in Astoria received a $100,000 in donations just in time for the holidays, after its owner posted a viral video of himself dining outside in last week’s snowstorm. The video posted by Trattoria L’Incontro owner and chef Rocco Sacramone grabbed the attention of Dave Portnoy, founder… Read more »
Dec. 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin The number of chain stores in Queens dropped by more than 10 percent over the past year, according to a new report. In all, 198 chain stores shut their doors in the borough — an 11 percent drop over the past year, according to the Center for an Urban… Read more »
Dec. 23, 2020 By Allie Griffin The Queens Public Library released its list of the top books checked out by readers this year. During a year of uncertainty, many Queens readers turned to popular titles, the list shows. “Our list suggests that readers in Queens, the epicenter of the pandemic when it first came to… Read more »