March 24, 2022 By Christian Murray Council Member Shekar Krishnan, the chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, unveiled a five-point plan last week that aims to increase the city’s investment in parks, upgrade playgrounds and add trees across the city. Krishnan, who represents Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, held a press conference at the Unisphere… Read more »
March 23, 2022 By Allie Griffin The Department of Transportation plans to install more than 50 Citi Bike stations in Maspeth and Middle Village beginning this summer. The DOT released a draft plan map last month that provides the location of the bike stations that it anticipates installing throughout the two neighborhoods. The map —… Read more »
March 22, 2022 By Michael Dorgan Van Morrison, the Grammy Award-winning singer and musician, has announced he will perform a concert at Forest Hills Stadium later this year. Morrison, 76, will take to the stage on Sep. 10 at the 13,000-capacity venue as part of a U.S. tour, he announced Monday. The Forest Hills concert… Read more »
March 21, 2022 By Michael Dorgan It was one of the greatest upsets of all time in world soccer. In 2004, no-hopers Greece defied odds of 300-to-1 to win the European Championships for the first time in its history — and now residents in Astoria can relive the famous victory on the silver screen. A… Read more »
March 21, 2022 By Michael Dorgan The ever-popular Queens Night Market will return for its seventh year next month. The weekly food festival, which showcases the culinary diversity of Queens each Saturday, will return beginning April 16 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park with dozens of vendors confirmed to take part. The cost of entry for… Read more »
March 21, 2022 By Christian Murray A Long Island City-based organization that helps people who have been incarcerated get back on their feet has received a $10 million award care of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—of Amazon fame. The Fortune Society, a non-profit organization based at 29-76 Northern Blvd., was given the funds by Scott in recognition… Read more »
March 17, 2022 By Allie Griffin Nearly a dozen council members, including three from Queens, along with scores of community-based groups are pushing back against cuts proposed by the mayor in the preliminary budget he introduced last month. The elected officials and groups said Mayor Eric Adams’ $98.5 billion budget cuts funding to important services… Read more »
March 17, 2022 By Christian Murray Police are looking for two men who posed as Con Ed workers and invaded an Ozone Park house at gunpoint last month. The men, who were wearing dark colored clothing and safety vests, approached a 41-year-old man at the entrance to his property in the vicinity of 95th Avenue… Read more »
March 17, 2022 By Michael Dorgan A 73-year-old Flushing scholar — who helped establish a pro-democracy group in Queens — is one of five defendants who have been charged with spying on Chinese dissidents in the United States. Shujun Wang was arrested Wednesday and charged in Brooklyn federal court for secretly working with the Chinese… Read more »
This article was originally published by The CITY on March 16, 2022 at 10:05 p.m. By Greg David, THE CITY To the Citizens Budget Commission, the controversial property tax break called 421-a for developers of new rental buildings, including affordable apartments, is essential to increase the city’s too-small housing supply. “Allowing 421-a to lapse would… Read more »