Queens

Vacant hotel near JFK Airport to become 300+ permanently affordable apartments

Rendering of the indoor/outdoor garden planned for residents at Baisley Pond Park Residences.  Courtesy of OSD

December 18, 2023

Vacant hotel near JFK Airport to become 300+ permanently affordable apartments

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An empty hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens will be converted into a permanently affordable housing development with 300 apartments. Slate Property Group, RiseBoro Community Partnership, and the city's Housing Development Corporation on Monday announced the acquisition of the former JFK Hilton Hotel for $64 million, the first step in converting the vacant hotel into homes for low-income households and formerly homeless New Yorkers. Construction is expected to kick off next month.
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Hochul unveils plan to bring 2,800 homes to underused Creedmoor campus in eastern Queens

Image via WikiCommons

December 7, 2023

Hochul unveils plan to bring 2,800 homes to underused Creedmoor campus in eastern Queens

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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday released the Creedmoor Community Master Plan, a proposal to redevelop 58 acres of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus in Queens into a mixed-use community with over 2,800 homes, green space, bike infrastructure, retail, and amenities. State-owned Creedmoor has operated as a mental health center since 1912 and hit its peak patient population of 7,000 in 1959. Today, a majority of the campus sits vacant. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Empire State Development (ESD), along with the Metropolitan Urban Design Workshop, developed the master plan over six months.
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Apply for 56 luxury apartments in Rego Park, from $2,250/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

December 7, 2023

Apply for 56 luxury apartments in Rego Park, from $2,250/month

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A housing lottery has opened for 56 middle-income apartments at a new luxury rental building in Queens. Located at 98-08 Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, Vista65 is a 22-story building with over 180 modern apartments and luxurious amenities like an outdoor terrace, fitness center, and a complimentary espresso bar in the lobby. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $77,143 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the units. Apartments are priced at $2,250/month for studios, $2,695/month for one-bedrooms, and $3,295/month for two-bedrooms.
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MTA installs new turnstiles designed to stop fare evasion

Photo courtesy of Ray Raimundi / MTA on Flickr

December 5, 2023

MTA installs new turnstiles designed to stop fare evasion

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The traditional turnstiles at a subway station in Queens have been fully replaced with new wide-aisle fare gates, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Monday. Designed to increase accessibility and prevent fare evasion, the new fare gates were deployed at the Sutphin Boulevard Archer Avenue-JFK Airport subway station in Jamaica. The fare gates replace the emergency exit gate at the end of the station; more than half of all fare evasion occurs through these emergency gates, according to the MTA.
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NYC reopens scaled-down Corona Plaza street market

Photo of the plaza in 2018. Courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation on Flickr

November 29, 2023

NYC reopens scaled-down Corona Plaza street market

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The popular street market at Corona Plaza in Queens is returning with far fewer vendors and more regulations after being shut down by the city this summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced plans to restore the marketplace at 103rd Street and Roosevelt Avenue with just 14 vendors compared to the more than 80 merchants located there before the shutdown in July. The city said regulating the community vending area became necessary after complaints over public safety and cleanliness increased fivefold in one year.
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Mets owner reveals ‘Metropolitan Park’ proposal for $8B casino complex next to Citi Field

Rendering: Queens Future LLC

November 7, 2023

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

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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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Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

Rendering courtesy of Zara Realty

October 24, 2023

Next to a transit hub and historic park in Jamaica, 67 mixed-income luxury units are available, from $1,585/month

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A new rental in Queens is now accepting applications for 67 mixed-income apartments. Located at 153-10 88th Avenue in the heart of Jamaica, The 88 includes luxury units and amenities, including two landscaped rooftop decks. The building sits next to Rufus King Park and is near several public transit lines. New Yorkers earning 80 and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $57,292 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,585/month studios to $3,075/month two bedrooms.
do you qualify?
Major Willets Point development with NYC’s first pro soccer stadium enters public review

All renderings courtesy of New York City Football Club.

October 17, 2023

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

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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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Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

Photo courtesy of Marsha Miller for LBJ Library on Flickr (public domain)

September 27, 2023

Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica coming to Queens park

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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.
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Forest Hills rental with new Trader Joe’s opens lottery for 50 middle-income apartments, from $2,750/month

Rendering courtesy of Aufgang Architects

September 15, 2023

Forest Hills rental with new Trader Joe’s opens lottery for 50 middle-income apartments, from $2,750/month

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A housing lottery opened this week for 50 middle-income luxury apartments at a new residential development under construction in Forest Hills. Located at 73-65 Yellowstone Boulevard, The Yellowstone offers residents spacious units, indoor and outdoor amenities, and easy access to a new Trader Joe's opening on the building's ground floor. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $96,000 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced between $2,750/month for one-bedrooms and $3,599/month for two-bedrooms.
do you qualify?
‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

Rendering courtesy of QueensLink

September 8, 2023

‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

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A proposal to reactivate an abandoned railway and create the first north-to-south subway line in Queens is picking up steam. A coalition of New York City public officials and transit advocacy groups rallied in front of City Hall on Wednesday in favor of QueensLink, a plan to extend the M train from Rego Park to the Rockaways as a way to reduce travel time for borough residents who face some of the longest commutes in the country. While the plan has attracted more supporters in recent months, Mayor Eric Adams last year came out in favor of a competing plan to turn the defunct tracks into a public park.
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NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

All photos courtesy of NYC Parks

August 24, 2023

NYC unveils ‘home for retired playground animals’ in Queens

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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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Inside the trendy Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back beach getaway in NYC

Photos courtesy of Kyle Knodell unless otherwise noted.

August 21, 2023

Inside the trendy Rockaway Hotel, a laid-back beach getaway in NYC

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The lobby of The Rockaway Hotel and Spa has a distinct scent – fresh and perfumy. It’s reminiscent of walking into a posh hotel on Miami Beach. But Rockaway Beach is not Miami. It’s a true Queens neighborhood with bungalows lining the streets leading over to the boardwalk and expansive Atlantic Ocean-facing beach. Locals lugging sandy beach chairs or grocery bags to and from their houses greet each other by name. Directly across the street from The Rockaway is Happy Jack’s Burger Bar, serving pub food and named for a former NYPD police officer and Korean War veteran. Attached to the hotel is the Greenhouse Cafe selling matcha lattes and “rocket fuel” coffee. The hotel, by architect Morris Adjmi, is tall and modern but fits into the neighborhood well from the outside. The interior is much trendier than anything else on its block — or any of the nearby blocks for that matter.
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New York hip-hop legends featured on limited-edition MetroCards

Photo courtesy of the MTA on Flickr.

August 7, 2023

New York hip-hop legends featured on limited-edition MetroCards

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released special-edition MetroCards in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the music genre born in the Bronx in 1973. The agency on Saturday said 40,000 MetroCards featuring rappers LL Cool J and Pop Smoke are available at subway station vending machines in Queens and Brooklyn, with additional cards featuring local legends Rakim and Cam'ron available later this month.
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NYC libraries to give out 15,000 free books this weekend

The book giveaway from 2022. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Blanc / NYPL

July 28, 2023

NYC libraries to give out 15,000 free books this weekend

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New York City public libraries are giving away 15,000 books to families this weekend. The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library are gifting the books as part of the annual summer reading and learning programs, which motivate kids and teens to maintain their reading and critical thinking skills while on summer break. The free books will be available on a first-come first-served basis at select library branches on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29.
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Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

Renderings courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

July 21, 2023

Ridgewood’s tallest tower opens lottery for 40 luxury apartments, from $2,750/month

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A housing lottery opened this week for 40 middle-income units at a new luxury residential development in Ridgewood. At 17 stories, the Ridgewood Apartments at 1607 Woodbine Street is one of the tallest residential properties in the neighborhood. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $94,286 for a single person annually and $198,250 for a household of five, are eligible to apply for the units, which include $2,750/month one-bedrooms and $3,599/month two-bedrooms.
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NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

The Randall’s Island tent shelter last October. Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 17, 2023

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

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New York City is looking to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens. According to The City, facilities will be constructed at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village and at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. Both sites, which have not officially been announced yet, are projected to house roughly 1,000 adults and could open within the next two to three weeks.
Details here
New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

Streetview of 47 Hall Street. © 2023 Google

July 12, 2023

New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

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New York City is opening two more emergency shelters to accommodate the thousands of migrants that continue to arrive in the five boroughs, one of which is set to become the largest dormitory-style shelter in the city's history. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the opening of two more humanitarian relief shelters, one at an existing respite center at 47 Hall Street in Brooklyn, which adds additional space to serve roughly 1,400 more migrant adults, and another at the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York hotel in Queens, which will serve more than 330 families with children seeking asylum.
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New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

Image courtesy of Albert Vercerka/Esto

July 5, 2023

New Louis Armstrong Center opens in Corona

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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.
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NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

Image courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

June 27, 2023

NYC gains three landmarks related to history of jazz

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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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Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

June 26, 2023

Plan for better bus service to LaGuardia Airport rolls forward

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The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last week approved $30 million in funding to plan and design better bus service to LaGuardia, officially kicking off a project to improve mass transit options to the Queens airport. Recommended by an expert panel in March, the plan involves scrapping the controversial AirTrain and instead improving the existing bus service and adding a new non-stop airport shuttle.
Get the details here
New York City’s best spots for bird watching

Birdwatching in Prospect Park, courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance on Flickr

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

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With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead
282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

Rendering courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

June 8, 2023

282 affordable apartments up for grabs in Far Rockaway, from $388/month

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Applications are now being accepted for 282 affordable units at a new residential development in Queens. Located at 1626 Village Lane, the building is part of the third phase of the Rockaway Village Apartments, a huge housing complex that is replacing an abandoned strip mall. New Yorkers earning 30, 50, and 80 percent of the area median income, or between $16,252 annually for a single person and $140,080 for a household of seven, are eligible to apply for the units, which range from $388/month studios to $1,968/month three bedrooms.
Do you qualify?
NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

© Paul Warchol

May 19, 2023

NYC sues architecture firm behind new Long Island City library over accessibility issues

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New York City has filed a lawsuit against the architects behind the inaccessible Hunters Point Library in Long Island City, as first reported by Crain's New York. Filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court on Wednesday, the lawsuit claims Steven Holl Architects violated its contract with the city by designing an inaccessible building. The suit says that the architecture firm should be forced to pay $10 million to cover the renovations needed to make the building accessible for people with disabilities.
See more here
New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

All renderings courtesy of the New York City Football Club

May 16, 2023

New renderings show off NYC’s first professional soccer stadium

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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
Luxury rental in Long Island City launches lottery for 48 middle-income units, from $2,896/month

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

April 19, 2023

Luxury rental in Long Island City launches lottery for 48 middle-income units, from $2,896/month

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A luxury rental in Long Island City is now accepting applications for 48 below-market-rate units. Located at 27-10 44th Drive in the Court Square section of the neighborhood, 8 Court Square rises 20 stories, contains 157 apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail, and sits across the street from four subway lines. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $99,292 annually for a single person and $187,330 for a household of five, are eligible to apply for the apartments, which include $2,896/month studios, $3,094/month one-bedrooms, and $3,689/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
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