Flushing

March 22, 2024

Citi Bike docks installed at Citi Field ahead of Mets home opener

Baseball fans can now ride Citi Bikes to Citi Field, just in time for the start of the 2024 season. The New York Mets, Citi Bike, and Lyft on Thursday unveiled new docking stations at Citi Field, offering another way to travel to a ball game. The stadium will feature 66 docks, about half of which are near the main entrance near the homerun apple and another half next to the intersection of Shea Road and Boat Basin Place.
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November 7, 2023

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

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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October 17, 2023

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

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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September 27, 2023

Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

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
August 24, 2023

NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

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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July 5, 2023

New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

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
June 27, 2023

NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

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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May 16, 2023

New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

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
April 18, 2023

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

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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April 4, 2023

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

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.
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March 24, 2023

Brooklyn’s refugee-run restaurant Emma’s Torch opening at Citi Field this season

Emma's Torch, the Brooklyn restaurant-nonprofit that provides refugees with culinary training, will operate at Citi Field this season. The Carroll Gardens-based eatery will be one of the newest vendors at the New York Mets home stadium this season, offering sliders, black-eyed pea hummus wraps, and tamarind barbecue wings.
Details here
February 8, 2023

Queens Night Market returns this April with $6 price cap on all food items still in place

While the price of food continues to increase at grocery stores and restaurants, one market in New York City is keeping consumer costs low. When the Queens Night Market opens for its eighth season this April, the open-air food market will maintain its popular price cap of $5 or $6 on all food items. Vendors will be able to stay affordable this year because of a sponsorship from Citizens bank, according to John Wang, the founder of the Queens Night Market.
Details here
November 16, 2022

NYC’s first professional soccer stadium will open in Queens

New York City's first professional soccer stadium will be built in Queens, officials announced Wednesday. The major mixed-use development is proposed for Willets Point, across the street from Citi Field. In addition to a 25,000-seat stadium for the New York City Football Club, the 23-acre project also includes a hotel, thousands of affordable housing units, and a new public school. As first reported by the New York Times, the stadium is expected to be completed by 2027.
More here
April 27, 2022

10 of the best running spots in New York City

For avid runners and beginners alike, New York City offers a wide range of places to hit the pavement, from its iconic bridges to green trails nestled in the city's parks. The scenic routes provide unbeatable views of the river and skyline that can keep you motivated to keep going when you're ready to give up. Ahead, we round up the 10 most iconic spots to go for a run in the city, fit for regular marathoners, treadmill-devotees looking for a change of scenery, and total newbies.
Lace up those sneakers...
April 15, 2022

10 fun things to do near Citi Field

If you're headed to a Mets game at Citi Field this season, take advantage of being in one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world and plan some pre- or post-ball game activities. The Queens ballpark sits next to the enormous Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, home to World's Fair relics, museums, and a seasonal open-air night market. Whether it's touring Louis Armstrong's home in Corona, eating your way through Jackson Heights, or visiting the oldest living organism in New York City, there is no shortage of fun things to do near Citi Field, in addition to cheering on the Amazin' Mets.
More this way
March 23, 2022

NYC’s Smorgasburg, Queens Night Market announce 2022 opening dates

Two foodie favorites are returning to New York City and New Jersey next month. Open-air food markets Smorgasburg and the Queens Night Market have announced opening dates for the 2022 season. Now in its 12th season, Smorgasburg's opening weekend kicks off April 1 near the World Trade Center, with a new Jersey City location operating on Saturdays and the old standby Prospect Park spot on Sundays. The flagship riverside location in Williamsburg will be opening in June due to renovations at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. And Queens Night Market is back at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturdays starting April 16 as part of a special sneak peek, with free admission starting on May 7.
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November 10, 2021

NYC unveils new memorial in Flushing honoring African and Native American burial ground

Hundreds of New Yorkers, mostly African and Native American residents, who were buried in Flushing at least 150 years ago were finally honored with a memorial this week. The city's Parks Department and Queens officials on Tuesday cut the ribbon on a new commemorative plaza at the Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground. The site, located north of 46th Avenue between 164th and 165th Streets, was used as a public burial ground starting as early as 1840, with over 1,000 individuals buried there until 1898. A new memorial wall includes the name of the sacred site, a brief history, and 318 recorded names of those buried there, and the new plaza has a butterfly garden and surrounding benches.
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September 17, 2021

Futuristic hotel/condo tower designed by a Zaha Hadid alum will rise near LaGuardia Airport

A high-rise hotel and condo building designed by a former senior architect at Zaha Hadid's firm is coming to Queens. Located at 112-51 Northern Boulevard in Corona, the 25-story mixed-use development, dubbed Eastern Emerald, will have roughly 250 hotel rooms, 191 apartments, and a conference and performing arts center. The 370+ foot project, which will break ground this month, features a futuristic, environmentally-friendly design that will reduce carbon emissions and use clean energy for heating and cooling systems.
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July 1, 2021

The Mets and Airbnb team up to offer baseball fans an overnight stay at Citi Field

For baseball fans, this Airbnb stay is pretty Amazin'. The New York Mets and Airbnb are teaming up to offer a one-night stay for four at Citi Field this month for $250. Not only does the promotion include a once-in-a-lifetime sleepover, but the winning guests will also get a VIP private suite to watch two games and throw out the first pitch during one of them.
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May 26, 2021

The 15 best parks in NYC for outdoor grilling

While our tiny apartments and fire escapes may not always be the greatest spots to host a barbecue, the city's parks provide some of the best places to dine on hamburgers and hot dogs this holiday. Ahead, 6sqft rounded up 15 of the best NYC parks to host outdoor barbecues, from old standby Prospect Park to less-known locales like Staten Island's Clove Lakes Park.
Find out the best BBQ spots in your neighborhood
January 14, 2021

Queens Night Market will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring

After canceling its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Queens Night Market is set to return this spring. John Wang, founder of the popular open-air market, said he plans to kick off the event on April 17 at the New York Hall of Science at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, while keeping an eye on the city's COVID-19 metrics. The food market, open on Saturday nights, will tentatively run through October 30.
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December 10, 2020

13-tower project proposed for Flushing as part of rezoning gets City Council approval

Plans to rezone parts of the Flushing waterfront to make way for a 13-tower mixed-use development were approved by the New York City Council on Thursday. The approval of the zoning changes and the project, which calls for 1,725 units of housing, a hotel, offices, and retail space across 29 acres, came after elected officials reached an agreement this week with union groups SEIU 32BJ and the Hotels Trade Council to provide good-paying jobs for service workers, as well as hire public housing residents in the area.
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November 2, 2020

Mist garden from 1964 World’s Fair restored at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

When the World's Fair descended upon Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1964-1965, one of the big attractions was the Unisphere. And leading up to this 140-foot-tall stainless steel globe was the Fountain of the Fairs, a large reflecting pool that acted as an interactive mist garden. Though they were renovated in 2000, the fountains were seriously damaged during Hurricane Sandy and stopped working. However, after a recent $6.8 million upgrade, they are back up and running.
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June 24, 2020

With baseball set to return next month, Yankees and Mets will train in New York

Baseball is back. After the coronavirus pandemic put the sport on hold for over three months, Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced a plan to return, with "spring" training to resume on July 1 and opening day games scheduled for July 23 and 24, with no fans. The training will take place at the home stadiums for teams, meaning the Yankees and Mets will return to the Bronx and Flushing starting this week.
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June 3, 2020

A giant mural memorializes NYC doctor who died from COVID-19

A massive art mural that honors a New York City doctor who died from the coronavirus has taken over a parking lot in Queens. Spray-painted by Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada, the land art, titled "Somos La Luz" depicts Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo, a Dominican immigrant who lived in Washington Heights and skipped retirement to treat patients during the pandemic. The project also aims to memorialize all front line employees in New York City, particularly Hispanic and African American workers who continue to face disproportionate rates of infection and death caused by the virus.
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April 13, 2020

31 apartments up for grabs at amenity-rich rental in Flushing, from $1,750/month

A housing lottery kicked off on Monday for 31 new, middle-income apartments in the Queens neighborhood of Flushing. The rental at 144-74 Northern Boulevard contains 100 units and ground-floor retail, including the Korean supermarket H Mart and a Burger King. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,750/month studios to $2,400/month two-bedrooms.
Do you qualify?