All renderings courtesy of Astor LIC

At the crossroads of two of Queens’ most sought-after neighborhoods, Long Island City and Astoria, an affordable housing lottery has just launched for 43 units. The new, lifestyle-forward rental development, located at 36-20 Steinway Street and dubbed Astor LIC, offers studios, one-, and two-bedroom residences, all of which were designed with luxury in mind. In addition, the amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, co-working space, and two rooftop terraces with views of the Manhattan skyline. The affordable units range from $2,050 to $3,100 per month and are available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income.

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Photo courtesy of JLS Designs Architecture and Planning PC,  Joe Sultana Architect

In the heart of Astoria, a middle-income affordable housing lottery has launched at the brand-new rental building at 14-53 31st Avenue. Known as the Centennial Astoria, it was designed by local firm JLS Designs and offers a modern, glassy living experience not often found in the neighborhood. There are 14 units available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income. They include $2,050/month one-bedrooms and $2,500/month two-bedrooms.

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Photo credit: Scott Costanzo

Located at the luxury Astoria condo known as the East River Tower, this two-bedroom home has a 1,000-square-foot interior and a whopping 2,000-square-foot terrace. Moreover, the deck features an outdoor kitchen and a shed that’s currently set up as a personal gym. The residence is right on the waterfront, and it’s asking $1,150,000.

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Rendering the civic park at Innovation QNS courtesy of ODA

A proposal to build a mixed-use district in Queens that would encompass five blocks and create thousands of new housing units was unveiled this week. Dubbed “Innovation QNS,” the $2 billion project would bring 2,700 units of mixed-income housing, 250,000 square feet of creative office space, 200,000 square feet of retail, a new school, two acres of public open space, and new neighborhood amenities to Astoria. With ODA Architecture as the architect of the master plan, the mixed-use district is a joint private venture led by Silverstein Properties, Kaufman Astoria Studios, BedRock Real Estate Partners.

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Photo courtesy of The Bel Aire Diner

A retro diner in Queens has transformed its parking lot into a drive-in movie theater, giving New Yorkers a way to be entertained safely during the coronavirus pandemic. The Bel Aire Diner, located at Broadway and 21st Street, set up a 25-foot outdoor projection screen in its lot that has enough space for 40 cars. After successful first showings of “Grease” and “Dirty Dancing,” the diner plans to keep the movie nights going, possibly with multiple showings per week.

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Part of the Welling Court Mural Project; via Wikimedia

Located just steps from the Welling Court Mural Project and Socrates Sculpture Park, a new rental building in Astoria has launched an affordable housing lottery. Fifteen newly constructed units are up for grabs at the Amana Astoria, located at 14-47 29th Avenue. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 70, 80, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from a $990/month studio to a $2,770/month two-bedroom.

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MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford at the 168 St Station on Monday, December 23, 2019, along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Assemblymember Al Taylor. Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

After a year, the 168th Street 1 train station has finally reopened, marking the first complete elevator replacement at this stop in more than 100 years. In addition, last week, the MTA announced that the Astoria Boulevard N, W station has reopened after nine months and the completion of the first phase of its station modernization.

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Renderings courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group and Wildflower Ltd.

The star power involved with Robert de Niro’s planned production studio in Astoria continues to grow. The development group—which includes developer Wildflower Ltd, Raphael De Niro, and Jane Rosenthal—has just revealed a first look at the 650,000-square-foot facility designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The $400 million project, called Wildflower Studios, will establish a hub for the creation of film, television, and other forms of entertainment, including augmented reality and virtual reality. The facility is expected to create more than 1,000 daily union jobs.

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30-77 Vernon Boulevard. Renderings by Pax Brooklyn, courtesy of Fogarty Finger

A sprawling new residential development at 30-77 Vernon Boulevard from Cape Advisors and Wainbridge Capital will bring over 500 rental apartments to the Astoria waterfront area (h/t Yimby). The 522,000-square-foot construction site on two-and-a-half acres of land will be comprised of three adjacent buildings designed by Fogarty Finger. New renderings show a white and gray façade with rooftop recreation areas; amenity spaces will include a private courtyard, indoor and outdoor lounges, a fitness center and a rooftop pool East River and Manhattan skyline views.

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