Sept. 5, 2018 By Tara Law Astoria’s first official dog run is slated for completion this April, NYC Parks Queens Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski confirmed last night. The dog run will be located on Triborough Playground C, which is on Hoyt Avenue South between 23rd Street and 24th Street. The playground’s basketball court is also being… Read more »
Aug. 31, 2018 By Tara Law When Gossip Coffee closed in April, some Astoria residents feared that the contemporary coffee shop had been a casualty of the eight-month closure of the 30th Avenue subway station. Like the subway station, however, Gossip is now back and fully renovated. The eatery, now branded Gossip Coffee, Cocktails, Cuisine… Read more »
Aug. 29, 2018 By Tara Law Two Queens lawmakers want to scrap a program that permits landlords to hike rents to cover the cost of capital improvements. State Senator Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Brian Barnwell introduced a bill in their respective chambers on Aug. 24 that would instead provide building owners with tax credits to… Read more »
Aug. 28, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez A music and arts festival will kick off in Long Island City tomorrow with dozens of performers and headliners including Raekwon, Dave East, Azealia Banks, and Ghostface Killah. The event, titled the World Underground Festival, will take place at the Melrose Ballroom on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, and… Read more »
Aug. 28, 2018 By Tara Law An Astoria bar and grill on Hoyt Avenue is closing its doors after nearly four years in business. Z Bar, located at 26-12 Hoyt Avenue, will close this Friday, bar owner Rizwan “Wiz” Khan confirmed yesterday. Khan hoped that Z Bar would become the “Cheers” of Astoria— “an unpretentious… Read more »
Aug. 27, 2018 By Tara Law Bank of America is closing one of its Astoria branches at the end of November. The bank is shutting down its 19-50 37th St. branch on Nov. 27 and shifting its customers to the 31-81 Steinway St. location. An additional ATM will be added to the Steinway Street branch to accommodate… Read more »
Aug. 27, 2018 By Tara Law Astoria restaurant and bar The Shady Lady has reopened after being seized earlier this month by the New York State Department of Taxation. The owners of American-style eatery announced their reopening on Facebook yesterday. The Shady Lady has operated since 2013 at 34-19 30th Ave. A spokesperson for the Tax… Read more »
Aug. 26, 2018 By Christian Murray A 29-year-old man is dead after being gunned down at Ravenswood Houses in Astoria this morning The police received a call at about 5:20 a.m. that a man had been shot in front of 35-20 21st St. Upon arrival, police discovered the victim unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds to… Read more »
Aug. 24, 2018 By Tara Law A free event showcasing the talents of some of Astoria’s most gifted and interesting people will take place on Sept. 23 at the Variety Boys and Girls Club. The second annual event, “Astoria Characters Day,” was inspired by a weekly column that journalist Nancy Ruhling publishes on AstoriaCharacters.com. The… Read more »
Aug. 21,, 2018 By Tara Law Councilmember Costa Constantinides stood on the steps of City Hall Monday to advocate for legislation that would mandate the retrofitting of large New York City buildings to make them more energy-efficient. Constantinides, the Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, wants to pass bills based on proposals put forward… Read more »