Author: sobrien

Hunters Point Parks offer free summer programming for children under 10

Families enjoy a puppet show from Wonderspark Puppets at last year's Summer Kids. Photo courtesy of HPPC.

July 11, 2025 By Shane O’Brien The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy (HPPC) is hosting its 10th year of free programming for children this summer in Hunter’s Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park on the Long Island City waterfront, providing free family-friendly programming every morning at 10 a.m. across July and August. HPPC’s Summer… Read more »

Dim Sum Palace celebrates LIC grand opening in former location of Brooks 1890

July 3, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Dim Sum Palace, a New York City chain offering dim sum and a variety of other Chinese dishes, has opened its doors in Long Island City, replacing the historic neighborhood bar Brooks 1890.  Dim Sum Palace celebrated its grand opening at 24-28 Jackson Ave. on Thursday, June 26, representing… Read more »

Hunters Point South Park earns international recognition for design and and public value

From left to right: Stephanie Pankiewicz - ULI Jury Committee, Tom Balsley - Design Principal - swa/Balsley, Rob Basch - President Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, Ebony Young - Deputy Queens Borough President, Frank Ottomanelli - Owner, Frank Ottomanelli's By The Water, Len Greco - Senior Vice President EDC, Mark Focht - Deputy Commissioner NYC Parks, Kevin Parris - Director NYC Housing, Preservation and Development. Photo courtesy of HPPC.

June 27, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Hunters Point South Park has been selected as one of ten winners of the prestigious 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Americas Awards for Excellence, a recognition honoring outstanding development efforts across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors throughout the Americas. Located on the Long Island City waterfront, the park… Read more »

LaGuardia students celebrate graduation at college’s 53rd Commencement Ceremony

LaGuardia Community College students celebrate graduation on Friday. Photo courtesy of LaGuardia Community College.

June 23, 2025 By Shane O’Brien More than 2,000 LaGuardia Community College students celebrated their graduation at the college’s 53rd Commencement Ceremony Friday morning, which toasted the resiliency of LaGuardia’s student body. Kenneth Adams, president of LaGuardia Community College, also celebrated increased enrollment, improved grades and increased participation in extra-curricular clubs at Friday’s commencement ceremony…. Read more »

OneLIC rezoning plan earns conditional support from Community Boards 1 and 2

OneLIC Neighborhood Plan will update outdated zoning and expand access to the waterfront. Image Credit: DCP.

June 19, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Community Boards 1 and 2 have both voted to support the city’s OneLIC Neighborhood Plan—with conditions— and described the vote as a “hard-fought endorsement of a more equitable Long Island City.” Community Board 2 passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday night with a 37-7 vote in favor of the… Read more »

Officials break ground on new public park beneath Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City

Council Member Julie Won joins city officials and private partners for Tuesday's groundbreaking. Photo: Shane O'Brien

June 17, 2025 By Shane O’Brien City officials and community leaders gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Baseline, a long-anticipated public open space located beneath the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City’s Court Square. Council Member Julie Won, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr., Queens Borough Commissioner… Read more »

Lawmakers call for Green Asphalt closure amid air quality concerns in Queens and Brooklyn

Fumes emitting from the Green Asphalt plant in Blissvillle. Photo courtesy of Thomas J. Mituzas.

June 17, 2025 By Shane O’Brien A group of Queens and Brooklyn lawmakers is calling on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to temporarily suspend operations at Green Asphalt, an asphalt plant in Blissville, until the company addresses alleged air pollution affecting nearby neighborhoods. Green Asphalt, located at 37-98 Railroad Ave., uses… Read more »

NY Irish Center hosts fourth-annual Queens Irish Heritage Festival at Culture Lab

The fourth-annual Queens Irish Heritage Festival platformed Irish music and culture at Culture Lab. Photo: Shane O'Brien.

June 16, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Hundreds of people visited Culture Lab LIC Saturday for the fourth-annual Queens Irish Heritage Festival, celebrating Irish music and culture as well as the importance of diversity in Long Island City. The event, co-presented by the New York Irish Center and the McManus Irish Dance, featured five hours of… Read more »

City releases RFP for next phase of Hunters Point South Parcel E in Long Island City

Parcel E

June 13, 2025 By Shane O’Brien The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to develop Parcel E at Hunters Point South on the Long Island City waterfront, including plans for hundreds of mixed-income units, community space and at least one 100% affordable housing development. Parcel E,… Read more »

Antisemitic messaging sparks outrage over OneLIC neighborhood plan opposition

June 10, 2025 By Shane O’Brien Several elected officials and community members have condemned a text blast circulated ahead of last month’s OneLIC neighborhood plan hearing, calling it antisemitic for describing the proposal as “Zionist capital at work.” The text blast, which was distributed in advance of a joint Community Board 1 and 2 hearing… Read more »