June 4, 2019 By Max Murray A town hall meeting is taking place Thursday to discuss the future of Rikers Island as an area that can be used to generate renewable energy. Council Member Costa Constantinides is holding the event June 6 where he will discuss his plan of utilizing one-quarter of the 413-acre island… Read more »
June 3, 2019 By Meghan Sackman The owner of a problematic bar saw his application to sell alcohol denied by Community Board 1 yet again last month. Shkelqim Koci, the owner of Home Restaurant and Lounge, applied for a beer and wine license for his 28-49 Steinway St. establishment but it was unanimously rejected by Community… Read more »
June 3, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan Police are searching for six men men wanted in connection with a brutal assault that took place inside an Astoria 7-Eleven last month. On Friday May 24, around 11 p.m., the group of suspects chased a 25-year-old man into the 7-Eleven, located at 30-01 30 Ave., and began to… Read more »
May 30, 2019 By Meghan Sackman A city school aide faces charges of weapons possession and drug dealing after a Queens drug bust yesterday, police said. Nicholas Banks, 26, was arrested after detectives authorized a search warrant at his home within the 114 Precinct, around 8:45 a.m. on May 29 and found a loaded .380 firearm… Read more »
May 29, 2019 By Meghan Sackman The Federal Aviation Administration will be holding two public scoping meetings in East Elmhurst next week to get public input on the proposed LaGuardia AirTrain project, which is now entering the environmental review process. The meetings aim to get public comment on the project, which involves constructing a 1.5-mile… Read more »
May 29, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan One thousand new electric mopeds hit the streets of Brooklyn and Queens earlier today after tech startup Revel launched its rent-by-the-minute moped business in the two boroughs. After a successful test run last summer of 68 bikes in Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint, the moped sharing business will now cover… Read more »
May 29, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan A Lyft driver was left battered and bruised after a passenger in Astoria attacked him mid-trip. On Thursday May 23, just after 6 p.m., Eduardo Madiedo, 36, picked up two passengers, a man and woman, who wanted to go to Mount Sinai hospital on 30th Avenue. Once inside the… Read more »
May 28, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan The Department of Transportation installed the first of hundreds of new speed cameras–specifically in school zones–on Friday. The new speed camera, which went up near P.S. 199 on the Upper West Side, was the first to be installed since the city got the go ahead from Albany that it… Read more »
May 24, 2019 By Meghan Sackman (Updated: May 29, 2019) Community Board 1 has announced updates regarding the long-awaited reopening of some of Astoria’s parks including Triborough Bridge Playground C–with a new dog run–and Dutch Kills Playground. Triborough Bridge Playground C, located on Hoyt Avenue South between 23rd Street and 24th Street, is likely to reopen… Read more »
May 24, 2019 By Meghan Sackman A restaurant focused on high-end Mexican cuisine opened on 30 Avenue in Astoria last month. Hoja Santa, located at 40-17 30 Ave., offers elevated versions of traditional Mexican fare, and focuses on artistic presentation of the dishes as well. The 1,500 square foot locale, which officially opened on April 20,… Read more »