Queens

Mets owner reveals ‘Metropolitan Park’ proposal for $8B casino complex next to Citi Field

Rendering: Queens Future LLC

November 7, 2023

Mets owner reveals ‘Metropolitan Park’ proposal for $8B casino complex next to Citi Field

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New York Mets owner Steve Cohen on Tuesday unveiled new details for his plan to build a casino across the street from Citi Field. The billionaire hedge fund manager has teamed up with Hard Rock International on the proposed "Metropolitan Park," a sports and entertainment development planned for 50 acres of what is currently parking lots next to the Flushing, Queens baseball stadium. The $8 billion proposal includes a Hard Rock-run entertainment complex with a hotel, live music venue, restaurants, and a casino, 20 acres of public space, a Queens-themed food hall, a renovated transit station, and more.
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Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

Rendering courtesy of Zara Realty

October 24, 2023

Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

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A new rental in Queens is now accepting applications for 67 mixed-income apartments. Located at 153-10 88th Avenue in the heart of Jamaica, The 88 includes luxury units and amenities, including two landscaped rooftop decks. The building sits next to Rufus King Park and is near several public transit lines. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $57,292 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,585/month studios to $3,075/month two bedrooms.
do you qualify?
Major Willets Point development with NYC’s first pro soccer stadium enters public review

All renderings courtesy of New York City Football Club.

October 17, 2023

Major Willets Point development with NYC’s first pro soccer stadium enters public review

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Plans for a 23-acre mixed-use development in Queens with thousands of affordable housing and New York City's first professional soccer stadium are moving forward. The second phase of the Willets Point project entered the uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) on Monday, which puts the plan in front of the public for feedback before being voted on by the City Council. This phase includes 1,400 of the 2,500 total affordable homes, a new 650-seat public school, 40,000 square feet of public open space, retail space, a 250-key hotel, and the first-ever soccer-specific stadium in the city.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

Photo courtesy of Marsha Miller for LBJ Library on Flickr (public domain)

September 27, 2023

Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

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A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be on display in Queens in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. "The Wall That Heals," a traveling three-quarter-scale version of the memorial in Washington D.C., arrives in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on Thursday, a way for New Yorkers to remember the lives lost during the conflict. The memorial is free and open to the public from September 28 through October 1.
read more about the memorial
Forest Hills rental with new Trader Joe’s opens lottery for 50 middle-income apartments, from $2,750/month

Rendering courtesy of Aufgang Architects

September 15, 2023

Forest Hills rental with new Trader Joe’s opens lottery for 50 middle-income apartments, from $2,750/month

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A housing lottery opened this week for 50 middle-income luxury apartments at a new residential development under construction in Forest Hills. Located at 73-65 Yellowstone Boulevard, The Yellowstone offers residents spacious units, indoor and outdoor amenities, and easy access to a new Trader Joe's opening on the building's ground floor. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $96,000 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced between $2,750/month for one-bedrooms and $3,599/month for two-bedrooms.
do you qualify?
‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

Rendering courtesy of QueensLink

September 8, 2023

‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

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A proposal to reactivate an abandoned railway and create the first north-to-south subway line in Queens is picking up steam. A coalition of New York City public officials and transit advocacy groups rallied in front of City Hall on Wednesday in favor of QueensLink, a plan to extend the M train from Rego Park to the Rockaways as a way to reduce travel time for borough residents who face some of the longest commutes in the country. While the plan has attracted more supporters in recent months, Mayor Eric Adams last year came out in favor of a competing plan to turn the defunct tracks into a public park.
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NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

All photos courtesy of NYC Parks

August 24, 2023

NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

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Six treasured playground animal sculptures have retired to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. Located next to the park's iconic Unisphere, the "Home for Retired Playground Animals," will now house the past-their-prime statues that have been enjoyed by kids in city parks for decades. Currently on display in the space are one aardvark, one camel, one frog, one elephant, and two dolphin sculptures.
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Inside the trendy Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back beach getaway in NYC

Photos courtesy of Kyle Knodell unless otherwise noted.

August 21, 2023

Inside the trendy Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back beach getaway in NYC

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The lobby of The Rockaway Hotel and Spa has a distinct scent – fresh and perfumy. It’s reminiscent of walking into a posh hotel on Miami Beach. But Rockaway Beach is not Miami. It’s a true Queens neighborhood with bungalows lining the streets leading over to the boardwalk and expansive Atlantic Ocean-facing beach. Locals lugging sandy beach chairs or grocery bags to and from their houses greet each other by name. Directly across the street from The Rockaway is Happy Jack’s Burger Bar, serving pub food and named for a former NYPD police officer and Korean War veteran. Attached to the hotel is the Greenhouse Cafe selling matcha lattes and “rocket fuel” coffee. The hotel, by architect Morris Adjmi, is tall and modern but fits into the neighborhood well from the outside. The interior is much trendier than anything else on its block — or any of the nearby blocks for that matter.
see inside
New York hip-hop legends featured on limited-edition MetroCards

Photo courtesy of the MTA on Flickr.

August 7, 2023

New York hip-hop legends featured on limited-edition MetroCards

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released special-edition MetroCards in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the music genre born in the Bronx in 1973. The agency on Saturday said 40,000 MetroCards featuring rappers LL Cool J and Pop Smoke are available at subway station vending machines in Queens and Brooklyn, with additional cards featuring local legends Rakim and Cam'ron available later this month.
Find out more
NYC libraries to give out 15,000 free books this weekend

The book giveaway from 2022. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

July 28, 2023

NYC libraries to give out 15,000 free books this weekend

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New York City public libraries are giving away 15,000 books to families this weekend. The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library are gifting the books as part of the annual summer reading and learning programs, which motivate kids and teens to maintain their reading and critical thinking skills while on summer break. The free books will be available on a first-come first-served basis at select library branches on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.
See more here
Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 21, 2023

Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

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A housing lottery opened this week for 40 middle-income units at a new luxury residential development in Ridgewood. At 17 stories, the Ridgewood Apartments at 1607 Woodbine Street is one of the tallest residential properties in the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $94,286 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, are eligible to apply for the units, which include $2,750/month one-bedrooms and $3,599/month two-bedrooms.
See more here
NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

The Randall’s Island tent shelter last October. Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 17, 2023

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

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New York City is looking to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens. According to The City, facilities will be constructed at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village and at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. Both sites, which have not officially been announced yet, are projected to house roughly 1,000 adults and could open within the next two to three weeks.
Details here
New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

Streetview of 47 Hall Street. © 2023 Google

July 12, 2023

New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

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New York City is opening two more emergency shelters to accommodate the thousands of migrants that continue to arrive in the five boroughs, one of which is set to become the largest dormitory-style shelter in the city's history. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the opening of two more humanitarian relief shelters, one at an existing respite center at 47 Hall Street in Brooklyn, which adds additional space to serve roughly 1,400 more migrant adults, and another at the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York hotel in Queens, which will serve more than 330 families with children seeking asylum.
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New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

Image courtesy of Albert Vercerka/Esto

July 5, 2023

New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

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A new center dedicated to jazz legend Louis Armstrong has opened in Queens. Located at 34-40 107th Street in Corona, the Louis Armstrong Center will feature a 60,000-piece permanent collection of historical items relating to Louis and Lucille Armstrong, a rotating exhibition space, and a 75-seat venue for performances, lectures, films, and educational experiences. Part of the existing Louis Armstrong House Museum, the new building opened on Thursday, July 6.
See more here
NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

June 27, 2023

NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

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Three buildings across the city with significant ties to the history of jazz are New York City's newest individual landmarks. The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday voted to designate Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the former Queens home of Dizzy Gillespie, and a Hamilton Heights apartment building where jazz greats Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived. The three buildings not only have vital ties to jazz music but stand out for their architectural significance, according to the commission.
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Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

June 26, 2023

Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

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The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week approved $30 million in funding to plan and design better bus service to LaGuardia, officially kicking off a project to improve mass transit options to the Queens airport. Recommended by an expert panel in March, the plan involves scrapping the controversial AirTrain and instead improving the existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle.
Get the details here
New York City’s best spots for bird watching

Birdwatching in Prospect Park, courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

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With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead
282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

June 8, 2023

282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

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Applications are now being accepted for 282 affordable units at a new residential development in Queens. Located at 1626 Village Lane, the building is part of the third phase of the Rockaway Village Apartments, a huge housing complex that is replacing an abandoned strip mall. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $16,252 annually for a single person and $140,080 for a household of seven, are eligible to apply for the units, which range from $388/month studios to $1,968/month three bedrooms.
Do you qualify?
NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

Photo courtesy of The Williamsburg Hotel

May 24, 2023

NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

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Coming soon: Full-time sun and swimsuit season. Some lucky apartment dwellers count a private pool among their building’s amenities. Otherwise, your local options include public pools or pricey pool clubs and gyms. One way to hack summer in NYC is to snag a day pass to a pool atop one of the city’s trendy hotels. Usually reserved for hotel guests, some hotels allow visitors to pay by the day–often with poolside restaurant and bar privileges. Some venues host events like pool parties with DJs, live music, and drink specials. Read on for cool pools with day rates. Many hotel pools will open on Memorial Day weekend. Pools may be reserved for private events, or rates and access information may change; be sure to check in with the venue before finalizing your plans.
Everyone in the pool
NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

© Paul Warchol

May 19, 2023

NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

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New York City has filed a lawsuit against the architects behind the inaccessible Hunters Point Library in Long Island City, as first reported by Crain's New York. Filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court on Wednesday, the lawsuit claims Steven Holl Architects violated its contract with the city by designing an inaccessible building. The suit says that the architecture firm should be forced to pay $10 million to cover the renovations needed to make the building accessible for people with disabilities.
See more here
New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

All renderings courtesy of the New York City Football Club

May 16, 2023

New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

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Renderings have been unveiled for New York City's first-ever professional soccer stadium. During a Queens Community Board 7 meeting last week, Related Companies, Sterling Equities, and the NYC Football Club (NYCFC) presented new renderings for the Willets Point Revitalization Plan, a massive mixed-use development planned for Queens that includes a 25,000-seat stadium, a 250-room hotel, a 650-seat public school, over 40,000 square feet of public open space, retail space, and 2,500 affordable housing units. The stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2027 season.
See them here
Luxury rental in Long Island City launches lottery for 48 middle-income units, from $2,896/month

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 19, 2023

Luxury rental in Long Island City launches lottery for 48 middle-income units, from $2,896/month

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A luxury rental in Long Island City is now accepting applications for 48 below-market-rate units. Located at 27-10 44th Drive in the Court Square section of the neighborhood, 8 Court Square rises 20 stories, contains 157 apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail, and sits across the street from four subway lines. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $99,292 annually for a single person and $187,330 for a household of five, are eligible to apply for the apartments, which include $2,896/month studios, $3,094/month one-bedrooms, and $3,689/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
Queens’ iconic New York State Pavilion will be illuminated every night

Photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

April 18, 2023

Queens’ iconic New York State Pavilion will be illuminated every night

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Queens' famous New York State Pavilion will now illuminate the sky every night. The city's Parks Department this week announced the completion of the first phase of the restoration of Flushing Meadow-Corona Park's iconic NYS Pavilion. As part of the $24 million restoration, the city installed new dynamic architectural lighting on the Philip Johnson-designed Tent of Tomorrow and Towers, which will be lit every night, with varying schedules for holidays and special events.
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Beach closures scheduled in the Rockaways this summer, but boardwalk will fully open

Photo courtesy of Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

April 6, 2023

Beach closures scheduled in the Rockaways this summer, but boardwalk will fully open

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Beach closures at the Rockaways are scheduled once again this summer, but city officials say the shutdown won't be as disruptive as last year. Starting on Memorial Day weekend, 10 to 15 blocks of the beach will temporarily close on a rolling basis throughout the summer, the city's Parks Department announced this week. Closures, necessary for continued work on the Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project, will shift as necessary, moving west from Beach 116th Street and east from Beach 143rd Street, according to the agency. The Rockway boardwalk and its concessions will remain fully open.
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Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

April 4, 2023

Three NYC buildings with significant ties to the history of jazz may become city landmarks

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Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, the city may landmark three properties connected to the history of jazz. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to calendar the legendary Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the one-time Queens home of Dizzy Gillespie, and an apartment building in Hamilton Heights where jazz pioneers Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived.
Find out more
A Queens-themed photo installation is now on view at JFK Airport

Photo courtesy of JFKIAT

March 31, 2023

A Queens-themed photo installation is now on view at JFK Airport

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A new digital art installation in JFK Airport's Terminal 4 explores what "home" means to New Yorkers. The T4 Arts & Culture program partnered with the Museum of the City of New York to bring New York Now: Home, the first installation of an ongoing photography series at the museum that debuted this month, to the terminal. The 15 images now on display throughout Terminal 4 were either created by an artist with a connection to Queens or who make the borough the subject of their work.
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