NYC Property Tax Assessments Favor Wealthy Neighborhoods
Lawsuit Alleges that NYC Property Tax Assessments Favor Wealthy Neighborhoods OANA supports equitable property taxes. Our Board members Diane Kontzoglou and Kevin Hernandez were thanked by Tax Equity Now NY for their “civic efforts in propelling this story.” How does New York City decide how much property tax you...
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114th Precinct NCO Safety Summit
On May 25th at 7 pm, 114th Precinct Sector David invites you to join your Neighborhood Coordination Officers at a Safety Summit where you can discuss concerns you may have and contribute ideas on keeping your community safe. Sector David runs from Astoria Park South to Queens Plaza North...
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An “Astoria Character” – Dominque Perrot
In case you missed it, Nancy Ruhling, who contributes the popular “Astoria Characters’ series to the Huffington Post, featured OANA’s own Dominique Perrot, a strong supporter of OANA, back in February. In this profile, Dominique discusses growing up in Astoria, the influence of the library on 14th Street where...
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A Chance to Learn More About Ferries
With the new ferry service from Astoria due to start in August, now is the perfect time to learn more about ferries! The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association will hold a Ferry Safety and Technology conference, MarineLink reports, on May 11 and 12 in downtown Manhattan. You can find out...
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“Forgotten NY” Tour of Old Astoria Village
On Saturday June 17, join legendary tour company Forgotten NY for a tour of old Astoria Village. Hear about the founding of the village by Stephen Halsey as you walk along a route that dates back to the Revolutionary War. Meet at noon at “Astoria’s Flatiron Building,” the former...
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The Evolution Of Bollywood
On Saturday May 6, the Queens Library’s Astoria branch will host the Payalia Dance Company as they present a performance of Bollywood dance, discuss various styles of dance, and invite the audience to join in and learn some of the steps. The event is from 3 to 4 pm...
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New Hotel in Ravenswood
A new hotel is coming to Ravenswood, on a lot at 37-10 24th Street that is currently cleared and awaiting construction. According to documents filed with the Department of Buildings, the new hotel, at 13 stories, would be the tallest edifice in the immediate neighborhood apart from the Ravenswood...
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Local Theater Group’s New Production Likely to be a Hit
The Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) is rehearsing for their new production, a revival of Raisin, directed by Dev Bondarin. “Raisin” is a musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway, as well as...
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People’s Climate Rally
On Friday April 28 at 6.30 pm there will be a People’s Climate Rally on the Great Lawn in Astoria Park. Hosted by District 22 Council Member Costa Constantinides and co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, Astoria Park Alliance, Senator Michael Gianaris, and the National Resources Defense Council, this event...
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Queensboro Bridge Gets Funds For Repairs
New York City has allocated an rehabilitation of the East River bridges through the end of 2019, bringing the total funding for the project to $936 million. The Queensboro Bridge will get $110 million of the additional funds, making the total funding for the repair work on the bridge...
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Celebrate Earth Day With The Astoria Park Alliance
Join the Astoria Park Alliance on Saturday April 22 for an Earth Day Celebration on Shore Blvd! The day will feature volunteer opportunities and fun and educational programming. The timetable for the day: 9:00 – 1:00 Volunteer Planting, Raking & Gardening 1:00 – 2:30 Shoreline Cleanup: meet at the...
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Hell Gate Bridge Meeting
The next meeting of the Hell Gate Centenary Celebration Group at Riccardos on Thursday April 27th at 6:30 PM. Get updates on the plans for celebrating the Hell Gate’s 100th birthday, as well as the mural created by artists (in conjunction with the New York Anti-Crime Agency) on the...
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LINK NYC Kiosks Seen in Astoria
Some of our sharp-eyed neighbors have spotted new LINK NYC kiosks in our neighborhood. According to amNY, 150 new kiosks have recently installed, mainly in Queens and Brooklyn, and they will be activated soon. The LINK NYC stations offer free phone service, WiFi, and cellphone charging ports and have...
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“Affordable New York” Program Approved
A replacement for New York City’s 421-a program, which gave tax abatement’s to developers who included affordable housing units, has finally been approved by Albany. According to the Queens Chronicle, in Queens Community Boards 1 and 2, the new “Affordable New York” program will apply to developments with 300...
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Demoliton And Closures On 1st Street
Good news on the Halletts Point development: now that an Affordable Housing plan (replacing the old 421-a program) deal has been reached in Albany, Phase 2 of the building is moving ahead. The Durst Organization has informed OANA that several buildings on 1st Street will be demolished and the...
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Healthy Eating Habits Workshop At Mount Sinai Queens
Are you living on TV dinners and Twinkies? Would you like to improve your diet and help protect yourself against Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer? Mount Sinai Queens has you covered with a workshop, Easy Ways to Make Healthy Eating Habits a Habit on...
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“Textured Sights” Event at QCA
On Wednesday, April 19, 2017, from 6.30 to 8.30 pm, LAB at QCA presents “Textured Sights,” paintings by Shenna Vaughn. During the event, a series of works of art in progress will be shared that consists of paintings depicting social and cultural differences rather than biological with regards to...
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New Location for Ride-Sharing Pick-Ups at LaGuardia
If you ever use ride-sharing app-based services like Lyft, Uber or Gett to pick you up at LaGuardia Airport, you should be aware that it just got a little more complicated. According to the Queens Courier, the Port Authority has announced that there will be a new location for...
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Socrates Sculpture Park Plans for the Summer, and the Future
At our March OANA meeting, we had an exciting presentation from John Hatfield, the Executive Director of Socrates Sculpture Park. Open to the public all year around, this Astoria gem that provides the neighborhood with amazing art as well as community events, free cultural programming and children’s educational workshops,...
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Deal Reached in Albany to renew the 421 a tax abatement
Following are the details in The Real Deal: this could finally allow our major developments such as Hallets Point to proceed. https://therealdeal.com/2017/04/05/lawmakers-reach-deal-over-421a-by-linking-it-to-rent-regulation/. However, the language of the measure has not been created, and it has not been voted on by the Legislature. And, as far as we know at...
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Comment on the Proposed CitiBike Stations in Astoria
Citibike and NYC DOT have announced their initial selections for the placement of 59 Bike Docking Stations in Astoria/LIC north of Queensboro Plaza. They are initiating the process of receiving feedback from the community on these locations, and they welcome ideas on how they may be improved. This process...
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April Programs at the Noguchi Museum
On Wednesday April 5, join the Noguchi Museum for the Poems About Sculpture program, from 7 to 8 pm followed by a reception, with former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, sculptor Murray Dewart who edited the Poems About Sculpture anthology, poet Rachel Hadas, and the Executive Director of the...
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Astoria Cove Site on the Market
According to Crains New York, a partnership headed by Alma has put Astoria Cove, an extensive development project on the East River, up for sale. New York City allowed zoning that would permit the construction of up to 1.7 million square feet of housing on the site, in return...
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Phase 1 of the Astoria Park Renovation will begin in 2018
The New York City Parks Department has given Community Board 1 details on the first phase of the renovation of Astoria Park thanks to the $30 million “Anchor Park funding from the City. The proposal includes a reconstructions of the running track, at the center of which will be...
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Whitey Ford Field, A Great American Diamond
There is a gem on Hallets Peninsula on the waterfront in Astoria. Next to the Durst Organization’s new Hallets Point development is a Great American Diamond, with a view of the Hell Gate: Whitey Ford Field. Named after Astoria Houses Native and Yankees star Whitey Ford, this baseball field...
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DOT: 27th Ave Speed Hump
We are pleased to announce that the NYC Department of Transportation, Queens Borough Commissioner has informed us that they’ve approved installation of a speed hump on 27th Avenue between 8th and 21st Streets. You can read the letter the from Department of Transportation here.
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DOT: 18th Street Speed Hump
We are pleased to announce that the NYC Department of Transportation, Queens Borough Commissioner has informed us that they’ve approved installation of a speed hump on 18th Street between Hoyt Avenue and Astoria Boulevard. You can read the letter from the Department of Transportation here.
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Installing Angle Parking In The Astoria Neighborhood
As per OANA’s request, the Transportation Division of DCP looked into the feasibility of installing angle parking in the Astoria neighborhood. Our analysis focused on the six streets that are identified as potential sites by OANA. We assessed if those streets are good candidates for angle parking implementation and...
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NYC To invest $150 Million in 5 City Parks
Five New York City Parks are about to get upgrades that include new running tracks, hiking trails, baseball and soccer fields. Mayor Bill de Blasio recently unveiled plans to invest $150 million in 5 NYC parks and among those parks slated for improvements is Astoria Park in Queens.
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Cuomo 421a Property Tax Break Proposal
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to revive a property tax break may be essential to building new rental apartments in New York City, but it appears to be something identical to a City Hall plan from 2015 that he has called “unacceptable.” Read more.
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NYC SAFE Disposal Event
Time to get rid of those old car batteries, solvents, out-of-date medication and other items that it’s not safe to dispose of in the household trash. The New York City Department of Sanitation is holding a SAFE Disposal event in the parking lot of Astoria Park: Hoyt Avenue and...
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Aki Development Brings Luxury To Queens
Aki Todic and Brett Harris of Aki Development are both essential members of OANA, and have an impressive history of giving back to the community. Aki Todic has said that “Astoria, Queens, the best neighborhood on the East River”. Read more about Aki Development and how they are...
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Block Party for Earth Event
Big Reuse is throwing a block party in celebration of the planet we call home… Earth! Saturday, September 24 at 12 PM – 4 PM Astoria NY 11102 Between 3rd & 4th Streets Learn more at http://www.bigreuse.org/compost Come to their FREE family friendly event to learn and share in...
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US Open Tennis Community Day – Complimentary Grounds Pass
On Thursday, September 8th from 12pm to 6pm, the community is invited to the National Tennis Center for free to see men’s & women’s doubles, mixed doubles and the junior competitions that will be taking place on that day. Don’t miss your chance to see some of the up...
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Queens Library job hunting program
Are you job hunting this summer, or looking to add skills to your resume that might help you with a job search? The Astoria Branch of the Queens Library has you covered with workshops this summer that will help you on your hunt for employment. Preregistration is usually required...
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BQX Connector Project Gets a Streetcar Czar
On July 15 2016, City Hall announced that Adam Giambrone had been appointed to lead Mayor de Blasio’s BQX Connector project. Giambrone spent years working on developing Transit City, a system of suburban streetcars, only to have the project canceled by Mayor Rob Ford shortly after taking office in...
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Astoria Cove Development on Hold Waiting for Tax Abatement Renewal
Another large housing development on hold because of the expiry of 421-a is the Astoria Cove project, which would bring approximately 1,700 apartments, 27% of them affordable housing, to the Hallets peninsula. John Mavroudis, of 2030 Astoria Developers told DNAInfo without the 421-a tax break, the project can’t move...
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Coffeed Comes to Astoria
A new coffee shop is coming to Astoria: the planned location is 26-08 Hoyt Avenue South, between Crescent St and 27th St. But not just any coffee shop: this is a new branch of COFFEED, a company that gives a portion of its profits to local non-profits. A percentage...
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Independence Day Celebration in Astoria Park
The Central Astoria Development Association continued to delight the residents of Astoria with the annual Independence Day fireworks and concert in Astoria Park. Chairs and blankets covered the Great Lawn as neighbors listened to the patriotic music of the Queens Symphony Orchestra and watched the spectacular Gucci fireworks light...
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2017 Queens Art Funding
Applications opened on July 1 for the 2017 Queens Arts Fund (QAF) funding cycle. Queens Council on the arts invites Queens-based individual artists and nonprofit organizations who produce cultural programming in all arts discipline and who meet the eligibility requirements to apply to the 2017 QAF grant program. All...
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New Department of Sanitation Location
The New York City Department of Sanitation is looking for a new location for the Queens West One (QW1) Sanitation garage. DOD officials said that the present garage at 34-28 21st Street, which has housed QW1 for some 80 years, is in such bad condition that it is in...
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East River Bridge Tolls Proposals
Attention drivers! Legislation was introduced in the State Senate in June by State Senator Andrew Lanza of Staten Island that proposes a $5 toll (provided drivers have EZPass) on the Queensboro Bridge. Lanza’s plan would also involve reducing charges on other bridges that are currently tolled, such as the...
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Funding For Charybdis Playground
Astoria Park’s popular Charybdis Playground, which has not been renovated in many years, is to receive $1 million for improvements. Council Member Costa Constanides, when announcing that he had allocated these funds in the budget, said that the extra funds would go to expanding the play area, new play...
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Halletts Point Development Stalled by Albany Stand-Off
Although the construction of Building 1 in the Halletts Point housing development is going ahead, the rest of the project is on hold due to the expiration of the program known as 421-a. Launched during New York City’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, 421-a encouraged the building of residential...
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Art in Astoria: Summer 2016 Movies, Concerts, and More
2016 Roundup of Summer Arts and Culture in Astoria This summer, Astoria residents and visitors to the neighborhood can enjoy outdoor movies, concerts, art exhibits, and performances almost every day of the week. Mondays: Bring a blanket and a picnic to Astoria Park’s great lawn for family-friendly flicks like...
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Brooklyn Queens Connector Meeting in Astoria
On June 14, the first Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) community meeting was held at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria. Residents had many questions about Mayor de Blasio’s street-car proposal, including what would be the best street for such a venture, how much the project would cost, and...
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Welling Court Mural Project
On June 11 the artists who participated in the Welling Court Mural Project chatted to local residents and discussed their art during a day-long event as 2016’s murals officially replaced last year’s. 140 colorful murals now decorate the walls and fences around Welling Court. Garrison Buxton was a guest...
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Western Queens Waterfront Symposium
OANA chair Richard Khuzami took part in a valuable symposium on May 21st about the future of the Western Queens waterfront, an event co-sponsored by the Waterfront Alliance, the Greater Astoria Historical Society, and Green Shores NYC. The panelists also included representatives from Newtown Creek Alliance, Hunters Point Parks...
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Voice Your Opinion On The Brooklyn-Queens Connector
The BQX Connector, a proposed streetcar line between Astoria and Sunset Park, is moving closer to becoming a reality. A newly released City report says that the 17-mile Brooklyn-Queens trolley is a feasible plan. The study finds that existing bridges could be modified to accommodate the streetcars and that...
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Plan The Hell Gate Bridge’s Centennial
How would you throw a party for a bridge? Astoria residents are invited to share their ideas at a planning meeting for a celebration of the Hell Gate Bridge’s 100th Birthday. Here’s an email with more details that landed in our inbox this morning: The Hell Gate Bridge is...
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Astoria’s Parks Need More Officers
When the City recently announced funding for 67 additional Parks Enforcement Personnel (PEP Officers), Queens residents and elected officials cried foul over the fact that only 8 of those PEP officers were being assigned to Parks in Queens. PEP Officers, while not part of the NYPD, have the authority...
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TACKLING 21ST STREET TRAFFIC
The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association has been calling for a comprehensive traffic study in our area since August of 2015. After a recent tragic hit-and-run fatality on 21st Street and 30th road, traffic safety in Astoria is getting more attention. Yesterday, Community Board 1 adopted a resolution (pictured) calling...
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PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING BRINGING IMPROVEMENTS TO ASTORIA PARK
Improvements are coming to Astoria Park as a result of Councilman Costa Constantinides’s 2016 Participatory Budgeting Process. Participatory Budgeting, introduced in 2015 by the New York City council, has been called “grassroots democracy at its best.” It lets local residents decide how their tax dollars are spent, by proposing...
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RESIDENTS DISCUSS IDEAS FOR ASTORIA HEALTH PLAYGROUND
Astoria residents and members and officers of the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association gathered last week to share their ideas for renovating the Astoria Health Playground, on 14th Street and 31st Drive. The workshop, sponsored by the NYC Parks Department was part of the City’s Community Parks Initiative, which has...
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NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING FOR WELLING COURT
A new luxury apartment building is coming to Astoria’s Welling Court. The 7-story project, at 11-07 Welling Court, will feature apartments with glass balconies and stunning views of the East River. The site will be just steps away from the new Astoria ferry landing and is surrounded by the...
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AMC SERIES FILMING IN OLD ASTORIA
Local photographer Scott Young captured some shots of a television shoot in Old Astoria yesterday. Filming is underway on 18th Street for Feed the Beast, a new series premiering next month on AMC. The show is about two longtime friends who decide to open an upscale Greek restaurant in...
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Astoria Grapples with Traffic Safety
Traffic safety has been a longtime concern for Astoria Residents. In August 2015, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association passed the following resolution in reference to traffic flow and pedestrian/bicycle safety on roads surrounding Astoria Park.
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OANA investigates parking options
At our March meeting, OANA President Richard Khuzami asked the group to look into the feasibility of residential parking permits for our neighborhood. Other cities in the U.S. and around the world have successfully used residential parking permits and Khuzami believes now is a good time to look into...
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Astoria Ferry Service Launching June 2017
The City announced today that new Citywide Ferry Service will begin in June 2017. For the price of just one subway ride, riders can travel from Astoria to East 34th street in approximately 22 minutes and from Astoria to Wall Street in about 40 minutes. The boats will carry
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RUMORS AND OPINIONS ABOUT NEW FERRY SERVICE
There’s no official word yet from the City, but rumors are swirling that the Economic Development Corporation has picked an operator for the new East River Ferry. Crain’s New York was the first to break the news that Hornblower Cruises will get the contract to run the new ferries...
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HELLGATE BRIDGE TURNING 100
This year marks the one hundredth birthday of one of Astoria’s most photographed structure: the Hell Gate Bridge. It was built to connect rail lines in New York with New England and later served as the model for Australia’s famous Sydney Harbor Bridge. To mark the anniversary, several local...
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NEW IDEAS FOR RIKERS ISLAND
As the campaign to close the correctional facility on Rikers Island picks up steam, some people are turning their attention to future possibilities for the island. Rikers features 413 acres of waterfront land. Because the only way to access the island is over the bridge from Queens, any development...
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STREETCAR FROM ASTORIA TO BROOKLYN PROPOSED
Have you heard about the BQX Connector? It’s a proposed streetcar line running from along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront from Astoria to Sunset Park. When Mayor DiBlasio announced the project a few weeks ago he said that a ride from Astoria to Williamsburg would take about 27 minutes and cost...
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NEW APARTMENT BUILDING PLANNED NEAR ASTORIA HOUSES
Details are scarce, but the Astoria Post reports that another new building is on its way to the Astoria Waterfront. Plans for the site, near Hallet’s Cove and Astoria Houses, call for a seven story building with sixty five residential units. It will also have ground floor retail space,...
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Hallets Point Project Breaks Ground, But Future Is In Doubt
Mayor Bill diBlasio, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and other officials were on hand for the groundbreaking of the Halletts Point mega development on the Astoria Peninsula. Plans for Halletts Point call for seven buildings (which will include 483 affordable apartments), a supermarket and other retail, space for a new public...
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FEBRUARY OANA MEETING: UPDATES ON ASTORIA PARK
Councilman Costa Constantinides stopped by last night’s meeting of the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association with some updates on what’s happening in Astoria Park. First, some bad news: the transformation of Astoria Pool’s old diving pool into a new performance space will take longer than initially expected. It turns out...
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OANA RESOLUTION ON SAFETY & SECURITY
On October 13th, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association Adopted the following resolution on safety and security in Hallets Point.” October 13, 2015 Resolution: Historically Hallets Peninsula has always had the most violent crime in the 114th Precinct. Just recently, there were shooting within the Astoria Houses, gunplay on 2nd...
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OANA HONORS CREATOR OF BUGSY’S DOG RUN
During its October meeting, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association had the pleasure of honoring George “Tex” Cruikshank. In 1994 he created “Bugsy’s” dog run next to Astoria Park, and has maintained it since. Over the years, no one has been a more devoted advocate for the Dogs in our...
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Astoria Park Amphitheater
The long-awaited Astoria Park Amphitheater will include hundreds of seats, a new entrance and a tribute to the diving pool it is replacing, according to the Parks Department. The design plan was finalized in April.
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National Night Out Against Crime
National Night Out is an annual summer event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watches in which precincts organize anti-crime rallies with the participation of local business and civic organizations. National Night Out has proven to be an effective and enjoyable police/community partnership. It is held on the...
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Push For Astoria Safety After Death
After the tragic early-morning hit-and-run that left 21-year-old Astoria resident Betty Jean Dibiasio dead on Ditmars Boulevard and 19th Street on June 27, area leaders look to create permanent measures to stop the longtime issue of speeding in Western Astoria. Shortly after Dibiasio’s death, in which police said 24-year-old...
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