March 24, 2019 By Meghan Sackman The reconstruction of an unloved park on 14th Street is nearly complete. Astoria Health Playground, a small park located at 31-25 14th St., has been undergoing a $2.9 million revamp over the past year, with the work expected to be complete in April, according to a Parks Dept. spokesperson…. Read more »
March 21, 2019 By Christian Murray Astoria residents will get to decide how to spend $1 million in coming weeks. Council Member Costa Constantinides announced the launch of the latest round of participatory budgeting today, allowing residents to vote on what capital improvements they would like to see in the greater Astoria district. Participatory Budgeting… Read more »
March 21, 2019 By Meghan Sackman Community Board 1 unanimously rejected a problematic bar’s request to get its liquor license reinstated earlier this week after the State Liquor Authority (SLA) revoked it in November 2018. Home Restaurant and Lounge, located at 28-49 Steinway St., had its liquor license suspended in Oct. 2018, after a series of… Read more »
March 20, 2019 By Meghan Sackman Two men who broke into an abandoned apartment building in Long Island City were robbed by a pair of fellow trespassers at knifepoint on Monday, according to police. According to police, 18-year-old Christian Rodriguez and 24-year-old Frank Carillo broke into the back entrance of a boarded up home, located at… Read more »
March 20, 2019 By Christian Murray The Victoria’s Secret store on Steinway Street has closed. A sign in the window reads: “This Location of Victoria’s Secret Has Permanently Closed. Please Visit Our Other Victoria’s Secret Stores.” The 31-35 Steinway St. location was one of four Victoria’s Secret stores in Queens. The other three—located in Forest… Read more »
March 19, 2019, By Meghan Sackman Police are searching for a man who fired off a gun during a fight outside an Astoria restaurant early Monday morning. The fight broke out in front of the new Smoking Pie restaurant, formerly Maya Halal & Grill, located at 25-94 Steinway St., around 12:50 a.m. on March 18… Read more »
March 17, 2019, By Meghan Sackman A number of Astoria stores are banding together for a spring sale promotion next weekend. The promotion will offer customers who shop at the participating businesses with a chance to win a gift card and merchandise. Shop Small Astoria, a group that promotes local businesses, is the organizing the… Read more »
March 15, 2019 By Meghan Sackman A new tabletop game store has opened on Broadway, replacing a similar game store that closed last month. Good Games NYC opened at 42-11 Broadway last weekend under new management, replacing The Geekery. The establishment is now owned by Astoria resident and lifelong gamer Kevin An, along with two… Read more »
March 14, 2019 By Jon Cronin An Astoria man was astounded when he tried to pay his $74 Con Ed bill and was prompted by the company’s website to pay a whopping $38 million. Tommy Straub, a lawyer living in a small Astoria apartment, tried to pay his $74 bill online when he discovered it… Read more »
March 12, 2019, By Meghan Sackman Council Member Costa Constantinides is calling on the DOT to make changes to an existing truck route in order to fix a problematic Astoria intersection where trucks block the street. The chaotic intersection is located where 24th Avenue and 29th Street meet. Both streets are deemed by DOT as “Through… Read more »