Feb. 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien. Council Member Julie Won has successfully introduced legislation to suspend alternate side parking on Losar, also known as Tibetan New Year. The date of Losar varies each year according to the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. This year, Losar is celebrated from Feb. 28 to March 14, with main celebrations taking… Read more »
Feb. 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien The American Planning Association Metro New York (APA) and the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) hosted a conversation at Culture Lab LIC on the future of Long Island City as the OneLIC neighborhood plan prepares to enter the ULURP process. “The Future of Long Island City: A… Read more »
Feb. 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien The Queens Public Library (QPL) is set to return to Court Square after signing a lease at the 5PointzLIC residential complex. Council Member Julie Won, who has long advocated for the return of a QPL branch in Court Square, announced the deal in a post on social media on… Read more »
Feb. 24, 2025. By Shane O’Brien The NYPD has shuttered an Astoria massage parlor and alleged brothel due to alleged prostitution-related activity at the establishment. An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that Han Na Spa, located at 42-10 30th Ave., was closed on Feb. 21 pursuant to a New York State Supreme Court order. A restraining order… Read more »
Feb. 24, 2025. By Shane O’Brien Members of the Community Education Council (CEC) for School District 24 are expected to introduce a motion this week to remove interim acting President Veronica Piedra Leon. The move follows allegations of her “consistent failures” to fulfill the responsibilities of the role and repeated absences from council meetings. Critics… Read more »
Feb. 21, 2025. By Shane O’Brien Filipino bakery Valerio’s Tropical Bake Shop is set to open in the former location of beloved, long-standing Irish bar Saints and Sinners, which shuttered permanently in August 2022. Valerio’s, which operates several locations across the West Coast, as well as in Hawaii, Chicago, and Canada, is currently renovating the… Read more »
Feb. 19, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Council Member Julie Won has introduced a bill in the New York City Council to prohibit the public disclosure of shelter addresses by city agencies. Won’s Intro. 1198 would prevent any mayoral agency or office that operates emergency or temporary shelter facilities exclusively serving new arrivals from publicly disclosing… Read more »
Feb. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez held a town hall in Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) Wednesday night in response to the first month of the Trump presidency, urging voters to flood the offices of moderate Republicans with phone calls encouraging them to stand up to the Trump Administration. Velázquez invited experts… Read more »
Feb. 19, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani has received more than $2.8 million in matching funds in the latest funding cycle of the 2025 mayoral election, the most of any candidate in the race. Mamdani, who announced his candidacy for mayor last October, received 2,827,443 from the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB)… Read more »
Feb. 18, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas joined advocates and fellow legislators at a rally urging the passage of legislation to combat SNAP fraud by creating a victims’ compensation fund and transitioning New York State to chip-enabled EBT cards. González-Rojas, who represents New York’s 34th District—including Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside—has long advocated for… Read more »