Dec. 18. 2017 By Christian Murray City officials and environmentalists held a press conference in front of an Astoria power plant this morning, a day before the City Council is scheduled to vote on a bill that would require power plant operators to phase out the use of highly-toxic oils faster than currently mandated. The… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2017 By Tara Law The days of tractor-trailers barreling down Astoria Boulevard may be coming to an end following a design change being made to the Grand Central Parkway. Large trucks, currently banned from using a 14-block stretch of the Grand Central Parkway by the RFK-Triborough Bridge, will soon be able to use… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2017 By Christian Murray A Chinese restaurant located at the Broadway Shopping Center has been temporarily shut down by the Health Dept. after an inspection revealed several sanitary violations at the locale. Eastern Chinese Restaurant, located at 21-05 Broadway., closed after a Dec. 13 inspection found five sanitary violations, two of which were… Read more »
Dec. 15, 2017 By Christian Murray Chase Bank closed its Steinway Street branch yesterday and is consolidating it with its 30th Avenue location. The closure of the 28-56 Steinway Street branch comes two years after the bank shut down another Astoria-based branch. The bank shut down 32-12 Broadway in 2015 and consolidated it with its… Read more »
Dec. 14, 2017 By Tara Law A new supermarket is going to open on Steinway Street where Met Fresh was once located. Food Universe, part of the Key Food Store Co-op, will open at 34–14 Steinway St in early February, according to a store manager. The store will be independently owned. Key Food franchisees operate… Read more »
Dec. 14, 2017 By Tara Law A two-story house in Astoria is currently being bulldozed and will be replaced by a four-story residential building. Plans were filed Tuesday for the construction of a four-story building at 30-75 32nd Street that will contain seven units. The building will be 50 feet tall, with 4,875 square feet… Read more »
Dec. 11, 2017 By Tara Law A dishwasher at an Astoria Mexican restaurant recorded customers using the women’s bathroom by placing his phone in the ceiling vent, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office. Hector-Miguel Ramirez-Vargas, 31, a delivery man and dishwasher at Holy Guacamole at 35-55 31st Street, admitted that he would hide his… Read more »
Dec. 11, 2017 By Tara Law Hydroponic science labs, equipped with hands-on scientific tools for students to learn about biology and the environment, were officially opened at an Astoria school on Friday. Councilmember Costa Constantinides held a ribbon cutting to officially open the labs at P.S. 122, a Pre-K to 8th grade school located at… Read more »
Dec. 11, 2017 By Tara Law An unidentified woman’s body was found floating in the East River by Astoria Park yesterday. Police responded to a 911 call at around 11:15 a.m. about a person in the ice-cold water near Shore Boulevard by the Triborough Bridge. The police arrived and found that the woman was unconscious… Read more »
Dec. 8, 2017 By Tara Law A Colombian bakery opened in Astoria Monday, joining a chain of family-owned eateries. Delicias Caleñas, a bakery and cafe located at 22-55 31st Street, offers empanadas, breads, coffee and fruit drinks, as well as full meals like the bandeja paisa, a traditional Colombian breakfast with rice, meat, avocado and… Read more »