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Queens predator gets 15-year sentence for brutal rooftop rape and attempted murder: DA

moped

Feb. 25, 2025 By Bill Parry A Southeast Queens man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for rape, attempted murder, and another charge for the violent sexual assault of a woman in broad daylight on a Jamaica rooftop in August 2023. Jerson Vasquez, 25, of 170th Street in Jamaica, pleaded guilty in…

New 7 train passageway opens at Grand Central Station, improving customer flow

grand-cenral

Navigating Grand Central Station just got a little easier now that a new passageway to the 7 line has been completed and opened, MTA officials announced on Tuesday.  The newly unveiled passageway provides a direct connection between the Flushing, Queens, 7 train and the 4, 5 and 6 lines, making it easier for riders…

NYC’S HOUSING CRISIS: Why affordable housing really isn’t as ‘affordable’ as you think

Affordable housing in New York City

Feb. 25, 2025 By Emily Swanson New York City’s affordable housing landscape remains one of the most complicated — and contentious — in the nation. Despite billions of dollars in annual investments, the crisis persists, leaving many New Yorkers struggling to secure a roof over their heads. To help you understand what affordable housing…

Mayor Adams breaks ground on new Far Rockaway health center to expand care access by 2027

mayor

Feb. 25, 2025 By Athena Dawson Mayor Eric Adams announced the groundbreaking of a new 22,000-square-foot NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Community Health Center in Far Rockaway Tuesday morning. Joined by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, City Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers and NYC Health + Hospitals leadership, Adams celebrated the start of construction at…

Exclusive: Ridgewood priest and Hungry Monk founder Fr. Mike Lopez announces bid for Council District 30

mike lopez

Feb. 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Fr. Mike Lopez, founder of Ridgewood-based food poverty non-profit the Hungry Monk Rescue Truck, has announced his candidacy for Council District 30, joining a growing list of candidates vying to replace outgoing Council Member Robert Holden. Holden, who has represented District 30 in Queens since 2018—which includes Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale—is term-limited.…

Queens advocate fights for NYC’s street vendors amid immigration and policy battles

street vendors

Feb. 25, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin In the heart of Woodside, inside the cozy Moa Coffee, Queens resident Rafi Islam—an organizer with the membership-based organization Street Vendor Project (SVP)—set down his cup of coffee and greeted me with a warm smile. The rhythmic hum of the espresso machine underscored our conversation as he shared…

Saving history: Queens preservationist helps rescue vintage storefront signs

preservationist

Feb. 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien A Queens preservationist has helped save dozens of signs from iconic businesses that have closed down across the borough by ensuring that they end up in the New York Sign Museum in Brooklyn. Michael Perlman, a historic preservationist based in Forest Hills who founded Rego-Forest Preservation Council, has…