Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Three pedestrian plazas and one block in Queens will be made into outdoor dining corridors for nearby restaurants as the latest locations added to the city initiative to support local eateries. Corona Plaza in Corona, Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights and 71st Avenue Plaza in Ridgewood will get more… Read more »
Author: Allie Griffin
Gyms Can Reopen Beginning Next Monday, Governor Says
Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Work out aficionados can rejoice as gyms and fitness centers will be able to reopen next week after nearly five months of statewide closures, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today. Gyms are permitted to reopen as soon as Monday, Aug. 24, subject to several restrictions. The operators, for instance, must… Read more »
Claire Shulman, First Woman to Serve as Queens Borough President, Passes Away at 94
Aug. 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin Former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, the first woman to hold the position, died Sunday at the age of 94. Shulman, who served as borough president from 1986 to 2002, had long suffered from lung and pancreatic cancer. She died in her home Sunday surrounded by her children and… Read more »
Elmhurst Resident Arrested and Charged for Setting NYPD Vehicle on Fire in Manhattan
Aug. 14, 2020 By Allie Griffin An Elmhurst man was arrested and charged with arson Thursday for setting a NYPD vehicle on fire last month in Manhattan. Sam Resto, 29, will appear in federal court later today for dousing a parked NYPD van with gasoline and setting it ablaze on the Upper West Side in… Read more »
Ray Romano Pays Tribute to Small Businesses in Video With Queens Chamber of Commerce
Aug. 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin Forest Hills native Ray Romano and the Queens Chamber of Commerce released a video today that pays tribute to local business owners and their employees who have served the borough throughout the pandemic. Romano narrates the video that recognizes the extraordinary efforts made by essential workers, frontline heroes and… Read more »
Principals Union Calls for City to Delay Reopening of In-Person Classes
Aug. 13, 2020 By Allie Griffin New York City principals are calling on the city to delay the start of in-person classes, stating that schools are ill-prepared to reopen safely in the midst of the pandemic. The union representing school principals, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), penned a letter to Mayor Bill… Read more »
Jackson Heights Starts Community Fridge Where Neighbors Can Donate and Take Food as Needed
Aug. 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin A number of Jackson Heights residents have created a community fridge where neighbors can share fresh food with one another as many struggle to afford daily meals amid the ongoing pandemic. The community launched the shared fridge space last Saturday, Aug. 8. Residents can donate food items and take… Read more »
Wild Video Shows Group of Unmasked Partiers Turn a MTA Bus Into Hookah Lounge in Maspeth
Aug. 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin Dozens of unmasked partiers took over a MTA bus and turned it into an ad hoc hookah lounge and dance soirée over the weekend, wild video shows. Video posted to World Star Hip Hop on Tuesday shows a large group of young people on board a MTA bus… Read more »
Citi Bike Reduces E-Bike Roll Out This Summer, Production Slowed Down by COVID-19
Aug. 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin Citi Bike has significantly cut the number of electric bikes it had promised to add to city streets this summer. The company pledged to add “thousands” of e-bikes to its fleet over the summer back in February, but has switched course and will only be adding “hundreds,” according to… Read more »
State Suspends Liquor Licenses of 10 Queens Establishments, Including Astoria’s Bohemian Hall Beer Garden
Aug. 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin Ten more Queens bars and restaurants had their liquor licenses suspended over the past week — including New York’s oldest beer garden — as the state continues to crack down against establishments that violate coronavirus regulations. The state’s task force led by the State Police and State Liquor Authority… Read more »