May 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city is expanding last year’s outdoor street dining initiative into a new program called “Open Boulevards” which will create multi-block restaurant street seating, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The program will create extra space for diners on roadways along 10 restaurant-heavy corridors across the city, including two… Read more »
May 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang got a cool reception in Astoria Tuesday after he sent out an apparent pro-Israel tweet Monday night. Yang visited the neighborhood for an endorsement announcement and was then scheduled to join a local nonprofit to distribute groceries to families ahead of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim… Read more »
May 11, 2021 By Allie Griffin A minor fender-bender resulted in a violent assault in Jackson Heights Saturday, disturbing police video shows. The incident was sparked by a seemingly innocuous collision in which the driver of white Nissan Sentra pulled out of a parking lot on 70th Street at around 7 p.m. and hit a… Read more »
May 11, 2021 By Allie Griffin The city will create a “bike boulevard” along 39th Avenue in Sunnyside by the end of the year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The avenue is one of five streets across the city that will be transformed into bike boulevards by either November or December this year. The… Read more »
May 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin A Long Island woman who allegedly drove drunk and killed a NYPD Highway officer on the Long Island Expressway last month faces up to 15 years in prison, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday. Jessica Beauvais, 32, has been indicted on charges of aggravated manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and other… Read more »
May 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin Students who plan to attend SUNY and CUNY colleges for in-person classes this fall will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. The public state and city universities of New York are the latest in a growing list of universities that will require students… Read more »
May 7, 2021 By Allie Griffin Two affordable housing lotteries are now open in Long Island City and Astoria, but only to people who make at least $68,500 a year. In total, 13 apartments are up for grabs across the two apartment buildings — which are both located on Crescent Street. To be eligible for… Read more »
May 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer’s Chief of Staff Matt Wallace has endorsed candidate Amit Bagga to take over his boss’ seat in the City Council. Wallace told the Queens Post on Wednesday that he officially backs Bagga’s campaign. Van Bramer, however, has remained silent on his choice of replacement… Read more »
May 6, 2021 By Allie Griffin Nearly 20 Queens eateries have made the prestigious Michelin’s affordable restaurant list this year, including seven for the first time. The Michelin “Bib Gourmand” guide lists city restaurants with distinguished cuisines at more affordable prices than the better-known Michelin star-receiving establishments. The 2021 list was unveiled Wednesday and includes… Read more »
May 5, 2021 By Allie Griffin The total number of Queens residents killed by COVID-19 is approaching 10,000, although the daily death count is now in the single digits. The borough has had a daily death toll in the single digits for nearly a week — a far cry from the height of the pandemic… Read more »