View of 5 Pointz LIC in September 2020; Photo: © CityRealty

A housing lottery launched this week for 337 rental units at the pair of residential towers in Queens that replaced the famed graffiti-covered warehouse 5Pointz. Located at 22-44 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, the development, dubbed 5 Pointz LIC, contains two buildings, one at 47 stories and the other at 41, and over 1,100 units of housing. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,850/month studios to $3,200/month three-bedrooms.

Find out if you qualify

Photo by Jules Antonio on Wikimedia

Two coronavirus vaccination sites run by the state with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will open in Queens and Brooklyn on Wednesday, with appointments set aside for residents of specific ZIP codes. Appointment slots opened over the weekend for vaccinations at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights and York College in Jamaica, starting this Wednesday. According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, there are many appointments still up for grabs.

Find out more

Rendering courtesy of Omni New York

Applications are now being accepted for 351 mixed-income apartments at a new rental building in Jamaica, Queens. Dubbed Archer Green, the development is located at 92-23 168th Street and will feature 15,000 square feet of community space and more than 68,000 square feet of retail. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from $524/month studios to $2,638/month three-bedrooms.

Find out if you qualify

All renderings courtesy of Viserio

A new condo building in Long Island City is offering buyers a rare amenity in New York: private outdoor space. Located at 22-43 Jackson Avenue, The Prime contains 71 units, all of which boast balconies. And perhaps even more exciting for some, a Trader Joe’s grocery store will open on the building’s ground floor this year. Sales launched earlier this month at the building, developed by Circle F Capital and designed by Andres Escobar’s Lemay+Escobar Architecture, with residences starting at $700,000.

Find out more

Mayor de Blasio with Mets owner Steve Cohen and Mr. and Mrs. Met. Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The Mets will join the Yankees in offering their stadiums to serve as mass COVID vaccination sites. Just as Yankee Stadium is earmarked for Bronx residents, Citi Field’s appointments will be set aside 50 percent for drivers with TLC licenses and food delivery workers and 50 percent for Queens residents, Mayor De Blasio announced today in a press conference. The Flushing, Queens site will open this Wednesday, February 10th at 10:00am.

Read more

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.

Read more

Photo by Adrian Wilson / @plannedalism

Street artist Adrian Wilson decided to mark the momentousness of yesterday with a special NYC-themed tribute to our new President. At the 46th Street subway station in Astoria, he used stickers to change the “46th St” mosaic to read “46th Joe” with a change to the directional below to read “45th Out.” In his Instagram post, Wilson wrote, “Total cost including 4 train rides, $12. Anyone could have done it. But I had to do it. For Joe.”

Get the scoop

Image courtesy of Paramount Realty USA

The boyhood Queens home of President Donald Trump is making a last-ditch effort to find a buyer before Trump leaves the White House. Paramount Realty USA has once again put the home on the auction block with the auction date set for tomorrow, the date Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Though it’s listed as a sealed bid auction, Paramount Realty founder Misha Haghani told NY1, “The seller is prepared to take $3 million today, tomorrow, next week.”

Details here

Photo credit: Storm Garner

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.

Find out more

All photos courtesy of IKEA

The first small-format IKEA in the United States will open in Queens this month. The retailer, known for its affordable flat-pack furniture, will take up 115,000 square feet at a shopping mall in Rego Park. Expected to open sometime in early January, the new store is the third IKEA in New York City, joining existing locations in Red Hook and on the Upper East Side.

Find out more