Author: sobrien

Santathon is back: Bar crawl returns to Sunnyside and Woodside for holiday toy drive

Attendees at a previous Sunnyside Santathon (Photo via Instagram @blvdbars)

Nov. 26, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Santathon, a popular neighborhood Santa-themed bar crawl, will return to Sunnyside and Woodside next month after a three-year hiatus, raising money to buy toys for children this Christmas. Santathon will return to the neighborhood on Saturday, Dec. 14, with 14 participating bars offering a variety of drink specials, including… Read more »

Shop Small Astoria retail crawl to return this Friday

Nov. 25, 2024 By Shane O’Brien The tenth annual Shop Small Astoria retail crawl is set to kick off this Friday, featuring a record 32 local businesses. Shop Small Astoria, first launched for the 2015 holiday season, will run from Friday, Nov. 29, until Wednesday, Dec. 4. It aims to celebrate and promote independently owned… Read more »

Q.E.D. Astoria to close in early 2025 after a decade as a community staple

Photo: Q.E.D. Astoria Facebook

: Nov. 22, 2024 By Shane O’Brien The curtains are closing on a beloved performance venue after a decade as a neighborhood cornerstone. Q.E.D. Astoria owner and creative director Kambri Crews has announced that the popular arts venue will shutter permanently at the beginning of 2025. Crews opened Q.E.D. at 27-16 23rd Ave. in 2014, and… Read more »

Construction begins on CHPE transmission line along Shore Boulevard in Astoria Park

Construction work underway along Shore Boulevard. Photo: Shane O'Brien

Nov. 21, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Construction work for the Champlain-Hudson Power Express (CHPE) has started along Shore Boulevard in Astoria Park as part of the final stretch of a 339-mile underground transmission line that will bring clean energy from Canada to a converter station in Astoria by 2026. Once completed, the transmission line will… Read more »

Thieves break into popular Astoria gay bar Albatross and make off with ATM

An NYPD car outside Albatross Bar on 24th Avenue on Wednesday morning. Photo: Albatross Bar Instragram

Nov. 20, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Two men broke into a popular Astoria gay bar early Wednesday morning and made off with an ATM containing around $3,000, according to the bar’s owner. Nathan Finnegan, who owns Albatross Bar at 36-19 24th Ave., said two men broke into his establishment shortly after 5 a.m. on Wednesday,… Read more »