By Dana Schulz, Tue, September 22, 2020 Photo courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission voted today to designate Public School 48 in South Jamaica, Queens as an individual landmark. Built in 1936, PS 48 was an early example of a school building serving as a “monumental civic structure” in the community. “Its Art Deco style details, which are quite striking in person, make it unique, and it is one of the first elementary schools New York City to incorporate this architectural style,” said LPC Chair Sarah Carroll, who also noted that it’s the neighborhood’s first historic landmark.
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By Devin Gannon, Thu, April 23, 2020 Photo of nearby Baisley Pond Park by Rich Mitchell via Flickr cc
A lottery launched on Thursday for 110 affordable senior apartments in the Queens neighborhood of Jamaica. The 10-story building located at 161-11 132nd Avenue sits next to existing low-income senior apartments and contains 100 one-bedrooms and 58 studios. To apply, New Yorkers must be–or have at least one household member who is– 62 years of age or older, qualify for Section 8 benefits, and earn $51, 200 or less, annually.
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, March 31, 2020 Photo by Dan TD on Wikimedia
Applications are now being accepted for 16 middle-income new apartments in Jamaica, Queens. The seven-story residential building at 88-56 162nd Street contains 51 units. Located between busy Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue, the rental sits near a number of restaurants and retail spaces, as well as the Rufus King Park, home to the historic King Manor Museum. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,500/month one-bedrooms to $1,980/month two-bedrooms.
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By Michelle Cohen, Mon, November 11, 2019 Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city’s network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It’s all part of the organization’s comprehensive initiative to promote NYC’s public markets–including Essex Market, the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg’s historic Moore Street Market–as “world class destinations for both local residents and tourists.”
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By Devin Gannon, Tue, February 5, 2019 President Donald Trump’s boyhood home in Jamacia Estates is set to hit the market this week for a pricey $2.9 million. The home, which is not owned by Trump or his organization, is decorated somewhat as a shrine to the president, with lots of framed photos of him, a copy of “The Art of the Deal,” and a life-size cut out of the Queens native in the living room. The owner, who bought the property in 2017 for $2.14 million under the guise of Trump Birth House LLC, requests offers be submitted via email, along with proof of funds. The home will then be sold through a closed bidding process, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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By James and Karla Murray, Tue, November 6, 2018 Earlier this year, 6sqft got an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at the majestic Loew’s Jersey City Theatre, as well as the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights. In 2016, we joined Untapped Cities and NYCEDC on a tour of Brooklyn Kings Theatre, and just last month, as part of Untapped Cities Insider’s Tours, we were lucky enough to tour and photograph the former Loew’s Valencia Theatre on Jamaica Avenue in Queens, which is now home to the Tabernacle of Prayer for All People church.
The majestic Loew’s Valencia Theatre opened on Saturday, January 12, 1929, as the first, largest, and most famous of the five flagship Loew’s “Wonder” Theatres established in the New York City area from 1929-30. All of the grand movie palaces were built by Marcus Loew of the Loew’s Theatres chain to establish the firm as a leader in film exhibition and to simultaneously serve as a fantastical yet affordable escape for people of all classes from the tedium and anxieties of their daily lives. The Valencia most definitely did not shy away from this fantastical approach, with its Spanish/Mexican Baroque architecture, gilded ornamentation, rich jewel-tone colors, and elaborate carvings.
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By Dana Schulz, Mon, June 25, 2018 Photo via Wiki Commons
If you travel often for work, this affordable housing opportunity could make your life a lot easier, provided you earn between $48,618 and $83,440 annually. The city opened the lottery for a $1,418/month one-bedroom and a $1,599/month two-bedroom at 89-15 138th Street, which is just two blocks away from the J, M, Z trains and a slew of buses at Jamaica Station and the AirTrain to JFK. An added bonus? The two units up for grabs have balconies.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, June 11, 2018 Photo via A&R Properties Group and TCX Development
A newly constructed building in the upper-middle-class enclave of Jamaica Estates in Queens (aka President Donald Trump’s hometown) is accepting applications for 21 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the Maya, the eight-story luxury rental at 177-30 Wexford Terrace contains 68 units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 85, 90, 100, 105, 110 and 115 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $1,480/month studio to a $2,622/month two-bedroom.
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By Devin Gannon, Mon, September 18, 2017 Photo courtesy of Laffey Fine Homes from a previous listing
With President Donald Trump back in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly this week, a group of refugees is staying at the president’s childhood home, renting the Queens property through Airbnb. The Jamacia Estates home at 85-15 Wareham Place is being rented by Oxfam, an anti-poverty organization, to bring attention to the refugee crisis (h/t NY Post). The group invited four refugees to talk with journalists at the rental, highlighting their concern with Trump’s travel ban on people from six Muslim-majority countries and all refugees that was introduced in January. After facing multiple legal challenges, the Supreme Court allowed the refugee policy to remain temporarily, but justices will hear arguments about the travel ban on Oct. 10.
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By Devin Gannon, Wed, August 16, 2017 92-61 165th Street, Rendering via NHS Development Corporation
With new residential and commercial developments and transit options, Jamaica, Queens is on the brink of renewal, after many years of neglect. Adding to the area’s revitalization, the construction of a new 14-story affordable housing building was finished last fall. Now, applications are being accepted at the building for 88 affordable apartments at 92-61 165th Street in Jamaica Center, Queens. New Yorkers earning 40 and 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units ranging from a $494 per month studio to a $1182 per month three-bedroom.
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