Queens

May 27, 2021

The 7 best beaches in NYC

Want to hit the beach? Most New Yorkers have two options--sit in endless hours of traffic trying to get to the beaches on the Hamptons or down the Jersey Shore, or have a staycation in the city. And while the latter may sound boring (and hot!) there are plenty of beaches to hit up within the boroughs. From the Rockaways to Fort Tilden, we've rounded up the seven best sandy spots in New York City.
Check out the list

For $1.7M, an Arts & Crafts colonial in the Queens enclave of Douglaston

All photos courtesy of Dan Jenney and Kevin Wolfe

May 25, 2021

For $1.7M, an Arts & Crafts colonial in the Queens enclave of Douglaston

By Devin Gannon

With a suburban-like feel coupled with waterfront parks and a treasure trove of historic homes, the Queens neighborhood of Douglaston is one of New York City's hidden gems. A lovely freestanding Arts & Crafts style colonial located within the Douglas Manor community is now on the market for $1,700,000. Constructed in 1911, the five-bedroom home at 315 Hollywood Avenue boasts oak details, wood-burning fireplaces, a screened-in porch, and an intimate backyard garden.
Full tour ahead

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 19, 2021

$6M Beechhurst home is like a waterfront Mediterranean villa in Queens

By Dana Schulz

It's hard to believe this waterfront villa is in New York City, however, it is not in the Mediterranean but rather in Queens. Located in a gated community in Beechhurst, a waterfront neighborhood in the northeastern section of the borough, the seven-bedroom home has a Florida room, wine cellar, 20-foot mahogany foyer, and a 3-4 car garage. Out back, there's a huge covered outdoor kitchen, a large pool with a hot tub, a dock for a 60-foot boat, and amazing views of the Throgs Neck Bridge. It's on the market for $5,950,000.
Take a tour

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 29, 2021

A stately brick Tudor in Forest Hills Gardens just hit the market for $2.6M

By Dana Schulz

Forest Hills Gardens--the first garden city in NYC and one of the oldest planned neighborhoods in the country--is known for its wealth of Tudor-style homes that make it resemble an English village. One of these homes, located on a storybook block, has just hit the market for $2,595,000. The brick beauty was built in 1930 and has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a fully finished basement rec room, all with lovely architectural details.
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Distinctive Homes

Leasing launches at Long Island City’s latest waterfront rental, from $2,900/month

All images courtesy of TF Cornerstone

April 28, 2021

Leasing launches at Long Island City’s latest waterfront rental, from $2,900/month

By Devin Gannon

One of the latest residential towers to rise on the Long Island City waterfront has officially kicked off leasing for its 200 market-rate apartments. Developed by TF Cornerstone as part of the redevelopment of Hunter's Point South, 5241 Center Boulevard is one half of a two-building project designed by ODA, with SLCE as the architect of record. One- and two-bedroom apartments start at roughly $2,900/month and $3,525/month, respectively, with concessions included, according to current availability.
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Lottery opens for 124 apartments at former historic hospital site in Jamaica, from $885/month

Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

April 14, 2021

Lottery opens for 124 apartments at former historic hospital site in Jamaica, from $885/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are currently being accepted for 124 mixed-income units at the "T building," a former hospital in Jamaica Hills, Queens that has been converted into apartments. Located at 82-41 Parsons Boulevard, the 10-story building features amenities like a library and computer room, outdoor sun terraces, a gym, and a shared laundry room. New Yorkers earning 60 and 100 percent of the area median income (AMI) can apply for the income-restricted units, which range from $885/month studios to $2,215/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Apply for 166 affordable apartments at new Passive House in Jamaica, from $667/month

Rendering of Tree of Life, Courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development

March 15, 2021

Apply for 166 affordable apartments at new Passive House in Jamaica, from $667/month

By Dana Schulz

In Jamaica, Queens, 166 affordable apartments are now up for grabs at Tree of Life, a new mixed-use Passive House project at 89-46 164th Street. In addition to its residential component, the building offers community facility and social service spaces, a health center, and it is adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica (the oldest continuously serving Presbyterian church in the United States). The available units range from $667/month studios to $2,264/month three-bedrooms and are available to those earning 50, 60, 90, and 120 percent of the area median income.
See if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery opens for 330 middle-income units at 5Pointz towers in Long Island City, from $1,850/month

View of 5 Pointz LIC in September 2020; Photo: © CityRealty

February 25, 2021

Lottery opens for 330 middle-income units at 5Pointz towers in Long Island City, from $1,850/month

By Devin Gannon

View of 5 Pointz LIC in September 2020; Photo: © CityRealty A housing lottery launched this week for 337 rental units at the pair of residential towers in Queens that replaced the famed graffiti-covered warehouse 5Pointz. Located at 22-44 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, the development, dubbed 5 Pointz LIC, contains two buildings, one at 47 stories and the other at 41, and over 1,100 units of housing. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,850/month studios to $3,200/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

FEMA community-based vaccination sites open in Brooklyn and Queens this week

Photo by Jules Antonio on Wikimedia

February 22, 2021

FEMA community-based vaccination sites open in Brooklyn and Queens this week

By Devin Gannon

Two coronavirus vaccination sites run by the state with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will open in Queens and Brooklyn on Wednesday, with appointments set aside for residents of specific ZIP codes. Appointment slots opened over the weekend for vaccinations at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights and York College in Jamaica, starting this Wednesday. According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, there are many appointments still up for grabs.
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Policy

Lottery opens for 351 mixed-income apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $524/month

Rendering courtesy of Omni New York

February 18, 2021

Lottery opens for 351 mixed-income apartments in Downtown Jamaica, from $524/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are now being accepted for 351 mixed-income apartments at a new rental building in Jamaica, Queens. Dubbed Archer Green, the development is located at 92-23 168th Street and will feature 15,000 square feet of community space and more than 68,000 square feet of retail. New Yorkers earning 40, 60, 100, and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from $524/month studios to $2,638/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

See the new Long Island City condo tower anchored by Trader Joe’s

All renderings courtesy of Viserio

February 17, 2021

See the new Long Island City condo tower anchored by Trader Joe’s

By Devin Gannon

A new condo building in Long Island City is offering buyers a rare amenity in New York: private outdoor space. Located at 22-43 Jackson Avenue, The Prime contains 71 units, all of which boast balconies. And perhaps even more exciting for some, a Trader Joe's grocery store will open on the building's ground floor this year. Sales launched earlier this month at the building, developed by Circle F Capital and designed by Andres Escobar's Lemay+Escobar Architecture, with residences starting at $700,000.
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Citi Field’s mass vaccine site opens this week for TLC drivers, food delivery workers, and Queens residents

Mayor de Blasio with Mets owner Steve Cohen and Mr. and Mrs. Met. Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

February 8, 2021

Citi Field’s mass vaccine site opens this week for TLC drivers, food delivery workers, and Queens residents

By Dana Schulz

The Mets will join the Yankees in offering their stadiums to serve as mass COVID vaccination sites. Just as Yankee Stadium is earmarked for Bronx residents, Citi Field's appointments will be set aside 50 percent for drivers with TLC licenses and food delivery workers and 50 percent for Queens residents, Mayor De Blasio announced today in a press conference. The Flushing, Queens site will open this Wednesday, February 10th at 10:00am.
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Policy

All renderings courtesy of Astor LIC

February 5, 2021

Apply for 43 affordable units at new amenity-rich rental in Long Island City, from $2,050/month

By Dana Schulz

At the crossroads of two of Queens' most sought-after neighborhoods, Long Island City and Astoria, an affordable housing lottery has just launched for 43 units. The new, lifestyle-forward rental development, located at 36-20 Steinway Street and dubbed Astor LIC, offers studios, one-, and two-bedroom residences, all of which were designed with luxury in mind. In addition, the amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, co-working space, and two rooftop terraces with views of the Manhattan skyline. The affordable units range from $2,050 to $3,100 per month and are available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income.
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Affordable Housing

46th Street subway station turned into Joe Biden tribute

Photo by Adrian Wilson / @plannedalism

January 21, 2021

46th Street subway station turned into Joe Biden tribute

By Dana Schulz

Street artist Adrian Wilson decided to mark the momentousness of yesterday with a special NYC-themed tribute to our new President. At the 46th Street subway station in Astoria, he used stickers to change the "46th St" mosaic to read "46th Joe" with a change to the directional below to read "45th Out." In his Instagram post, Wilson wrote, "Total cost including 4 train rides, $12. Anyone could have done it. But I had to do it. For Joe."
Get the scoop

Last-ditch effort to sell Trump’s childhood home in Queens before Inauguration Day

Image courtesy of Paramount Realty USA

January 19, 2021

Last-ditch effort to sell Trump’s childhood home in Queens before Inauguration Day

By 6sqft

The boyhood Queens home of President Donald Trump is making a last-ditch effort to find a buyer before Trump leaves the White House. Paramount Realty USA has once again put the home on the auction block with the auction date set for tomorrow, the date Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Though it's listed as a sealed bid auction, Paramount Realty founder Misha Haghani told NY1, "The seller is prepared to take $3 million today, tomorrow, next week."
Details here

Celebrities

Queens Night Market will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring

Photo credit: Storm Garner

January 14, 2021

Queens Night Market will return to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring

By Devin Gannon

After canceling its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Queens Night Market is set to return this spring. John Wang, founder of the popular open-air market, said he plans to kick off the event on April 17 at the New York Hall of Science at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, while keeping an eye on the city's COVID-19 metrics. The food market, open on Saturday nights, will tentatively run through October 30.
Find out more

IKEA’s first small-format location opens in Queens

All photos courtesy of IKEA

January 7, 2021

IKEA’s first small-format location opens in Queens

By Devin Gannon

The first small-format IKEA in the United States will open in Queens this month. The retailer, known for its affordable flat-pack furniture, will take up 115,000 square feet at a shopping mall in Rego Park. Expected to open sometime in early January, the new store is the third IKEA in New York City, joining existing locations in Red Hook and on the Upper East Side.
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Uncategorized

Mixed-use proposal for Long Island City would have a residential village, a waterfront pool, and oyster beds

All renderings by CAZA

December 18, 2020

Mixed-use proposal for Long Island City would have a residential village, a waterfront pool, and oyster beds

By Dana Schulz

First spotted by CityRealty, this mixed-use proposal for the Long Island City waterfront is part futuristic, part industrial, and part sustainable. The architects at Brooklyn-based studio CAZA conceptualized a plan for a swath of land just north of the site that was almost home to Amazon. Called Long Island City Oyster, their development would include an office tower, residential tower, and low-scale residential village. More distinctly, it would also include year-round indoor and amenities such as a waterfront ice skating rink that converts into a pool, a restored oyster-bed wetland, a sandy beach, and a ferry landing.
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Architecture And Design

13-tower project proposed for Flushing as part of rezoning gets City Council approval

Rendering: FWRA LLC

December 10, 2020

13-tower project proposed for Flushing as part of rezoning gets City Council approval

By Devin Gannon

Plans to rezone parts of the Flushing waterfront to make way for a 13-tower mixed-use development were approved by the New York City Council on Thursday. The approval of the zoning changes and the project, which calls for 1,725 units of housing, a hotel, offices, and retail space across 29 acres, came after elected officials reached an agreement this week with union groups SEIU 32BJ and the Hotels Trade Council to provide good-paying jobs for service workers, as well as hire public housing residents in the area.
Find out more

Policy

Apply for 48 middle-income units at new Long Island City rental, from $2,156/month

Photo by Harry Gillen on Unsplash

December 2, 2020

Apply for 48 middle-income units at new Long Island City rental, from $2,156/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are now being accepted for 48 units below market rate at a newly constructed Long Island City rental. Located at 45-57 Davis Street, the nine-story development contains over 150 units and commercial space on the ground floor. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $2,156/month studios to a $3,122/month three-bedroom. The median rental price for market-rate units in the neighborhood is $2,700/month, according to CityRealty.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

November 13, 2020

New food hall Jacx & Co opens at massive Long Island City office complex

By Devin Gannon

As New York City restaurants continue to face an uncertain future, a new food hall in Queens is defying the odds. The Jacx & Co opened on Wednesday at 28-17 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, part of a mega-development from Tishman Speyer. The opening line up of eateries includes a mix of established NYC vendors and some newbies, including Crif Dogs, Beebe's, Taïm, Fieldtrip, Ghaya, Lotus + Cleaver, and Méxology.
Details this way

Food & Dining

14 middle-income apartments up for grabs in Astoria, from $2,050/month

Photo courtesy of JLS Designs Architecture and Planning PC, Joe Sultana Architect

November 13, 2020

14 middle-income apartments up for grabs in Astoria, from $2,050/month

By Dana Schulz

In the heart of Astoria, a middle-income affordable housing lottery has launched at the brand-new rental building at 14-53 31st Avenue. Known as the Centennial Astoria, it was designed by local firm JLS Designs and offers a modern, glassy living experience not often found in the neighborhood. There are 14 units available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income. They include $2,050/month one-bedrooms and $2,500/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Middle-income housing lottery launches for 47 units at new amenity-filled rental in Jackson Heights

All photos courtesy of Marvel Architects

November 12, 2020

Middle-income housing lottery launches for 47 units at new amenity-filled rental in Jackson Heights

By Dana Schulz

A new affordable housing lottery has launched for Roosevelt Parc, a brand-new rental in Jackson Heights, Queens designed by Marvel Architects. The mixed-use project has a unique Flatiron-esque shape that lends itself to a large outdoor garden. There's also a huge roof deck complete with outdoor kitchens and grills and various lounging and dining areas, among a slew of other amenities. There are 47 units available to those earning 130 percent of the area median income, ranging from $1,121/month studios to $3,283/month three-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Mist garden from 1964 World’s Fair restored at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Photos by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

November 2, 2020

Mist garden from 1964 World’s Fair restored at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

By Dana Schulz

When the World's Fair descended upon Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1964-1965, one of the big attractions was the Unisphere. And leading up to this 140-foot-tall stainless steel globe was the Fountain of the Fairs, a large reflecting pool that acted as an interactive mist garden. Though they were renovated in 2000, the fountains were seriously damaged during Hurricane Sandy and stopped working. However, after a recent $6.8 million upgrade, they are back up and running.
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191-year-old Neir’s Tavern stays afloat in Queens with new five-year lease

Mayor Bill de Blasio and owner Loycent Gordon at the ceremonial lease signing at Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens. Thursday, October 29, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 30, 2020

191-year-old Neir’s Tavern stays afloat in Queens with new five-year lease

By Devin Gannon

Historic Neir's Tavern will stay open in Queens for at least another five years. The 191-year-old bar nearly shuttered earlier this year after a rent increase. It then temporarily closed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, Loycent Gordon--the owner of the Woodhaven watering hole--signed a new agreement with the landlords that was brokered by local officials and the Queens Chamber of Commerce. The new five-year lease gives Gordon the option to extend it an additional five years, which would bring the business into its 200th-year.
Get more details

Food & Dining

Courtesy of the TWA Hotel

October 29, 2020

The TWA Hotel’s rooftop is now a retro Alpine-themed retreat with a heated ‘pool-cuzzi’

By Michelle Cohen

Looking to safely hang with friends outdoors without freezing your bum off? Then you might consider heading out to the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. For the second year, the hotel is sharing its Eero Saarinen-designed mid-century fabulousness with its guests by transforming its rooftop bar into the Runway Chalet for the rest of the winter season. In addition to a tented and heated Alpine-themed restaurant and bar, the chalet offers the "pool-cuzzi," which is heated up to 95 degrees.
Find out more

Photo credit: Scott Costanzo

October 22, 2020

$1.15M Astoria condo has a terrace twice the size of the apartment

By Dana Schulz

Located at the luxury Astoria condo known as the East River Tower, this two-bedroom home has a 1,000-square-foot interior and a whopping 2,000-square-foot terrace. Moreover, the deck features an outdoor kitchen and a shed that's currently set up as a personal gym. The residence is right on the waterfront, and it's asking $1,150,000.
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Distinctive Homes

520 Fifth Avenue

Midtown West

Live at the center of NYC

1 beds starting at $2,445,000
2 beds starting at $3,435,000
3 beds starting at $6,775,000

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