November 28, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo at right was taken this week, along 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, on a rainy evening. While the rain may have put a damper on things, it certainly didn't stop them.
Sunrise 6.57 am. Sunset 4.30 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 9 hours & 48 minutes of daylight or five hours and 18 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. There's a 93% chance of about 1/3 inch of rain on Sunday between the hours of 11 am and 7 pm. Otherwise dry and partly cloudy the rest of the weekend. The temperature highs will be in the mid 40's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the high 40's on Sunday, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will range between 40% - 70% on Friday, 40% - 60% on Saturday, and 60% - 90% on Sunday. The winds will range from 15 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph the rest of the weekend. With the exception of Sunday afternoon, it looks to be another pretty nice Fall Weekend. Enjoy.
Friday Late Evening Edition @ 11.45 pm. Still quite a bit more to do, but holiday markets are up to date, and making progress on holiday events, which will be updated as early in the day as possible on Saturday. Follow directions below denoted by *** FYI *** for best results, keeping in mind that as a general rule, holiday markets come into full swing this weekend and next; while holiday events come into full swing next weekend and the weekend after that. Both markets and events have stragglers that run into the new year. Enjoy.
The Weekend News Updates will follow Saturday, so check back in, for some local news, that oftentimes gets passed over on billionaire TV Network News.
New News Section Still a Work in Progress. In late September we started adding a weekly news segment with multiple stories including links to more in-depth reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar above, in the upper left corner. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Thursday, November 13, 2025 - February 2026 - The 21st Annual Holiday Toy Train Show at Grand Central Terminal. On the ground floor at 89 East 42nd Street in Midtown. The hours are 10 am to 7.30 pm weekdays and closing at 6 pm on weekends - but closed for major holidays. For details see Midtown events below or https://grandcentralterminal.com/event/new-york-transit-museums-holiday-train-show/
The photo above or at right was taken in Midtown Manhattan earlier this week. While the holidays are generally joyous times, it's also important to do what we can. to help others less fortunate than ourselves. That is the true spirit of the season.
Friday, October 24, 2025 to January 4, 2026 from 10 am to 8 pm weekends & opening at 11 am weekdays - Bryant Park Winter Village & Holiday Shops - Between 40th and 42nd Streets and between 5th and 6th Avenues in Midtown. The market features about 200 different vendors. For details see - https://bryantpark.org/activities/holiday-shops
There's also Chelsea Flea market on 25th Street, the Grand Bazaar on West 77th Street and numerous other fairs, fleas and markets. Use the links below to our pages of holiday markets and holiday events. And for details about both of these markets see the street fairs page link below or use these urls - https://www.brooklynflea.com / https://grandbazaarnyc.org
Ongoing _ UWS _ Friday, November 7, 2025 to Sunday, January 6, 2026 at various times - Big Apple Circus - at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Ongoing _ Daily, November 6, 2025 to January 4, 2026 at various times - 100th year of Rockettes Holiday Performances - at Radio City Music Hall at 1260 6th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Ongoing _ Monday, November 24, 2025 thru early January 2026 - the Origami tree will be lit at the American Museum of Natural History - at 200 Central Park West on the UWS. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Next Week.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 from 5.30 - 8 pm [there's a 7.30 pm meet & greet w/ ballerina Tiler Peck] - Tavern on the Green Tree Lighting Event. At Tavern on the Green at West 67th Street and Central Park West. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 begins at 6 pm - South Street Seaport Holiday Tree Lighting Event - at Water and Fulton Streets in the Seaport District in Downtown Manhattan. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 beginning at 5.30 pm / Line starts forming at 4 pm - Bryant Park Holiday Tree Lighting Event. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 from 7 - 10 pm - Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Event. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm - NYSE 102nd Annual NYSE Tree Lighting Event - at 11 Wall Street. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 5.30 - 6.30 pm - Dana Discovery Center Tree Lighting Event - in the northeast corner of Central Park. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Gramercy Theater concerts - info coming but in the meantime - https://www.thegramercytheatre.com/shows
CLICK here for holiday markets Manhattan NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Manhattan NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
November 2025 _ Purefinder is hosting a couple of tours each week in Manhattan thru late November - see MCAL link above for details and links.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Friday - Monday, November 21 - December 14, 2025 - Vazquez Family Circus - see the Parades & Festivals page for details - https://www.circusvazquez.com
The photo above or at right was taken on the Upper West Side earlier this week. Lincoln Center is one of New York City's most aesthetically pleasing, architectural landmarks. Sadly, it's an aesthetic that seems missing from the buildings erected since then [erected 1959 - 1966].
Thursday, November 6 to December 14, 2025 weekday evenings & weekend afternoons & evenings - Off the Wall Affordable Art Fair - at Culture Lab LIC at 5-25 46th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. The fair hosts an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm on Thursday 11/6/25. The Gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Last year all art work priced was under $999 and I expect this year the same but I haven't confirmed that with anyone. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/LICArtists | the following are from 2024 - https://www.culturelablic.org OR https://www.licartists.org/off-the-wall-2
Next Week.
Fridays, December 5, 2025 from 6 to 10 pm - Bohemian Hall Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Celebration - at 29-19 24th Avenue in Astoria. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
CLICK here for holiday markets Queens NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Queens NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBERCALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Queens Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 4.30 to 5.30 pm - Park Slope 5th Avenue BID Holiday Tree Lighting at the Old Stone House - located at 336 3rd Street in Central Brooklyn NYC. For details scroll down or see - INST https://www.instagram.com/oldstonehousebklyn/ OR https://theoldstonehouse.org
Friday November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026 from 4.30 to 8.15 pm - 5th Annual Lightscape Show - at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden at 990 Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights. They describe it as "light-splashed landscapes and luminous installations" showcasing the garden. Holiday things to do in Brooklyn. For $15 - $44 tickets / person and details see - https://www.bbg.org
In the photo above or at right is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree after it was erected this year, but a week before being fully decorated and lit up. The tree will be lit on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, with the festivities beginning at 7 pm.
Friday, November 28, 2025 - January 2, 2026 - Dyker Heights Neighborhood Christmas Lights - in Dyker Heights with the epicenter generally between 11th - 13th Avenues and 83rd - 86th Streets. Free holiday things to do in South & West Brooklyn NYC. There isn't any official website for this organic holiday lights competition among neighbors.
Next Week.
Friday, December 5, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm - Tree Lighting with Sinterklaas at the Lott House - at 1940 East 36th Street in Marine Park. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Friday, December 5, 2025 from 3 to 5 pm - Holiday Tree Lighting Event - at Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 5th Avenue and 60th Street in Sunset Park neighborhood of South & West Brooklyn. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Two Plays - Polonsky & Billie Holiday Theater.
CLICK here for holiday markets Brooklyn NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Brooklyn NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up. Click this link Brooklyn MCAL - Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Saturday, November 29, 2025 beginning at 7.15 pm - City Island holiday tree lighting - at Hawkins Park, followed by a reception at the Kaleidoscope Gallery at 271 City Island Avenue on City Island. Holiday events, things to do and tree lightings in the East Bronx NYC. For details & updates see - https://cityislandchamber.org
Ongoing _ Friday, November 21, 2025 - January 4, 2026 from 10 am to 4.30 pm - Holiday Lights - at the Bronx Zoo at 2300 Southern Blvd. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Day. Holiday events in the Belmont and Pelham Park neighborhoods of the Central Bronx. For $26 - $42 tickets [kids age 2 & under free] and details see - https://bronxzoo.com/holiday-lights
The photo above or at right was taken on the Upper West Side on Thanksgiving Eve this week. The balloons that fly in the parade on Thanksgiving, are all inflated and staged along Central Park West near the American Museum of Natural History, the day / night preceding Thanksgiving. This year the evening rain thinned out the crowd, allowing those of us who braved the inclement weather, to move around easily and freely.
Ongoing _ Saturday, November 15, 2025 thru January 11, 2026 from 10 am - 6 pm [closed holidays] - NYBG Holiday Train Show - at the New York Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Belmont Neighborhood. Intricate handmade replicas of NYC landmarks and bridges, through which the train travels. Bronx holiday events & things to do nyc. Central Bronx. For $25 - $31 tickets and details see - https://www.nybg.org
The photo above or at right was taken in Bronx Little Italy along Arthur Avenue. Bronx Little Italy is a nice place to spend some of your holiday time, with good Italian food stores and restaurants.
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 4 to 9 pm there's a Vegan Bazaar - at the Andrew Freeman Home - for details see street fairs page.
CLICK here for holiday markets Bronx NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Bronx NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Bronx MCAL Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 4 pm to 8 pm - Holiday Market & Tree Lighting Event by the Grace Foundation - at 460 West Brielle Avenue near Manor Heights. Holiday market with multiple vendors, refreshments, Santa, performance and tree lighting. West Staten Island. For details see - https://graceofny.org/tree-lighting-event/
The photo above or at right was taken earlier this week outside a restaurant on a rainy day. The restaurant was busy in spite of the rain. On Sunday afternoon we are expecting to receive a bit more rain.
Next Week.
Monday, December 1, 2025 from 5 - 7 pm - Victory Blvd Holiday Tree Lighting Event - at 1958 Victory Blvd in Castleton [Safari Realty]. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 6 to 11 pm - Christmas Tree Lighting at Monsignor Farrell at 2900 Amboy Road in Richmond. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
Historic Richmond Town _ Friday, December 5, 2025 from 5 to 6 pm - Historic Christmas Tree Lighting - at Historic Richmond Town [see next event]. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links.
CLICK here for holiday markets Staten Island NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Staten Island NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Staten Island Events - Member Events to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes TBD.
Have a nice weekend.
November 21, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo at right, taken at a Thanksgiving Day Parade in a prior year, shows a very famous native New Yorker dressed in costume, floating above the crowd ... like he always does. The parade returns next Thursday.
Sunrise 6.50 / 40 am. Sunset 4.33 / 40 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 9 hours & 58 minutes of daylight or five hours and 8 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. From shortly after midnight Friday until about 12 noon on Saturday there's a 70% chance of an 1/8th inch of rain. Otherwise dry and partly cloudy the rest of the weekend. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's, while the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's, both, all weekend. The humidity will range between 70% - 90% on Friday thru Saturday afternoon, then dropping into the 60 - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph Friday, dropping to 3 - 5 mph the rest of the weekend. With the exception of Saturday morning, it looks to be another pretty nice Fall Weekend. Enjoy.
Friday Mid Evening Edition @ 11.55 pm. Almost done, but have work to do on attendant pages, which may extend into Saturday morning. The holiday season has begun.
The Weekend News Updates will follow Saturday, so check back in, for some local news, that oftentimes gets passed over on billionaire TV Network News.
New News Section Still a Work in Progress. In late September we started adding a weekly news segment with multiple stories including links to more in-depth reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar above, in the upper left corner. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
November 18, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion.
Billionaire TV News is waiting at the Capitol to cover the House vote to open the Epstein files.
Like it actually matters.
If you have absolutely nothing else going on in your life, then stay glued to the TV News screen to find out how the House and Senate will vote on the issue.
But it doesn't matter and it won't make a difference, as Donald Trump is doing what he does best. Making fools on the American people and the rule of law, by deceiving them and finding loopholes in the law to exploit. Both skills that Donald J. Trump has been practicing all of his life.
November 14, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 6.40 am. Sunset 4.40 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 10 hours & 15 minutes of daylight or four hours and 51 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken recently in a Queens neighborhood. The leaves have turned color, many have fallen and the temperatures have been slowly heading down. Last week we even dipped into the high 30's, overnight. But we're expecting temperature highs in the low 60's next weekend, so while winter may be on its way, it does not appear imminent.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 50's Friday and Saturday, rising to the high 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's Friday and Saturday, rising to the high 40's on Sunday. On Saturday evening between 7 pm and 12 midnight, there's a 70% chance of an 1/8th inch of rain. Otherwise dry and partly cloudy the rest of the weekend. The humidity will range between 45% - 75% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 90% on Sunday, but fall back to 45% during the day. The winds will range from 5 - 15 mph Friday and Sunday, quieting down on Saturday to about 5 mph. Looks like another pretty comfortable Fall Weekend. Enjoy.
Friday Afternoon Edition @ 3.45 pm. Looking good. As you will see below there's more happening than there used to be, this late in the season. We still have to update associated pages, which should be done by the end of the day.
The Weekend News Updates will follow Saturday, so check back in, for some local news, that oftentimes gets passed over on billionaire TV Network News.
New. Note the Changes Below. In late September we started adding a weekly news segment with multiple stories including links to more in-depth reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar above, in the upper left corner. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
November 7, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 6.33 am. Sunset 4.45 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 10 hours & 11 minutes of daylight or four hours and 55 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken at the Green Room in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. It's been open about a year and a half and it's a great neighborhood dining and gathering place.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. There's a 60% - 80% chance of a 1/4 inch of rain forecast for between 10 pm tonight and 7 am Saturday morning. On Sunday there's the threat of less than a 1/4 inch of rain all day [so how likely is that?]. Because of the extreme dryness in our climate in recent years, we've noticed water weather systems tend to be over-forecast, as by the time they get here, they have dried out. While this may make for nicer weekends, it's a huge warning sign that the planet is drying up, which is going to wreak havoc on human and other life. Ignorance is bliss. The temperature highs will be between 60 and 65, and the temperature lows will be 55 - 60 all weekend. The humidity has been tending to peak around 7 - 8 am and dip in the late afternoon. Friday and Saturday the highs will be 80% and 95% respectively, while the lows will be 35% and 50% respectively. On Sunday it's going to be about 90% humidity all day. The winds will range from 10 - 15 mph on Friday and Sunday and from 5 - 10 mph on Saturday. Some wind, possibly a bit of rain, with moderate temperatures - all in all not a bad November weekend.
Friday Afternoon Edition @ 5.15 pm. Mostly done, but with some work to do on related pages. Should be done later this evening.
Our Weekly News Updates will follow later this weekend, so check back in for some local news that either gets passed over on billionaire TV Network News, or isn't covered well.
New. Note the Changes Below. In late September we started adding a weekly new segment with multiple stories with links to deeper reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar in the upper left corner under the header. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
October 31, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 7.25 am. Sunset 5.53 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 10 hours & 27 minutes of daylight or four hours and 39 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken at the NYC Halloween Parade in a prior year. The parade returns tonite. See details below.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. Cloudy, but no rain all weekend, continuing an extremely dry Fall, and year in NYC & NYS, due to climate change. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's all weekend and the temperature lows will be in the mid 50's Friday, low 50's Saturday and the high 40's on Sunday. The humidity will range from about 50% to 90% on Friday, 50% 65% on Saturday and 50% to 80% on Sunday. The humidity highs peak each morning around 8 or 9 am and the humidity lows bottom out mid to late afternoon between 2 and 4 pm. The winds will range from 10 - 20 mph Friday, 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and from 5 - 10 mph on Sunday. Looks like another dry and comfortable Fall Weekend. Enjoy.
Saturday Morning Edition @ 6 am. Done.
Weekly News Updates will follow this on late Friday or early Saturday, so check back in for some local news that too often gets passed over on billionaire TV Network News. And while we will only partially update the Halloween page [also see below for parades and related events], the Halloween page contains the events from last year, which provides clues as to what might be planned this year. We include the urls so you can easily see what's in the works this year.
New. Note the Changes Below. In late September we started adding a weekly new segment with multiple stories with links to deeper reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar in the upper left corner under the header. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
CLICK here to read the rest of our report, as well as other Weekend Things To Do in NYC Last Month 2025 _ NYC events.
Nov 14, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / NYC Politics / New York City News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
*** What Follows was posted Mid Week Ending 11.13.25
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Staten Island Transit / Staten Island News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Staten Buzz NYC.
Beginning December 8, 2025 the NYC Ferry will beging operating a number of new interborough routes in NYC Harbor and along the East River and Hudson River. The new routes to and from Staten Island include one that lands in Sunset Park and another that lands at Battery Park City. For details see 1) the NYEDC announcement and 2) the NYC Ferry website.
New NYC Ferry Service to Staten Island to and from Brooklyn
https://edc.nyc/press-release/nycedc-announces-ferry-route-changes-system-growth-future-vision
NYC Ferry Service Service New Routes December 2025
https://www.ferry.nyc
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Brooklyn Transit / Brooklyn News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Brooklyn BLVD NYC.
Beginning December 8, 2025 the NYC Ferry will beging operating a number of new interborough routes in NYC Harbor and along the East River and Hudson River. The new routes to and from Staten Island include one that lands in Sunset Park and another that lands at Battery Park City. For details see 1) the NYEDC announcement and 2) the NYC Ferry website.
New NYC Ferry Service to Staten Island to and from Brooklyn
https://edc.nyc/press-release/nycedc-announces-ferry-route-changes-system-growth-future-vision
NYC Ferry Service Service New Routes December 2025
https://www.ferry.nyc
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Bronx Transit / Bronx News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Bronx Buzz NYC.
This week the NYC Ferry Service announced a few new routes, amongst which is a route from Throgs Neck and Soundview in the Bronx, making multiple stops along the East River in Manhattan, one at Sunset Park in Brooklyn, before terminating in the Rockaways in Queens. The changes go into effect on December 8, 2025.
New NYC Ferry Service Between Bronx and Queens Rockaways
https://gothamist.com/news/new-nyc-ferry-routes-bring-direct-boat-ride-between-brooklyn-and-staten-island
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Queens Real Estate & Business / Queens News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz NYC.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 the New York City Council approved the One LIC Neighborhood Real Estate Development Plan. The plan will rezone 54 blocks in the neighborhood, to facilitate real estate developers efforts to erect new luxury housing, and 4,350 'affordable housing' units. In the past 'affordable housing' units in this neighborhood, were generally 'affordable' to folks making between $100,000 and $250,000. For details see -
NYC Council Approves One LIC Neighborhood Real Estate Development Plan
https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/11/12/3008/
November 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Manhattan Politics / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
The grandson of President John F. Kennedy announced his intention to run for the congressional seat of Jerry Nadler, who announced he would be retiring from congress at the end of 2026. Members of the first generation of Kennedys in American politics, were impressive. But since then, far less so.
That said, I generally try to keep an open mind, until such time as I have enough information, to begin to make a fair assessment resulting in the formulation of an opinion and point of view.
Kennedy Schlossberg to Run for Nadler's UWS Congressional Seat
https://people.com/caroline-kennedy-reveals-what-she-really-thinks-about-jack-schlossberg-offensive-social-media-posts-11847987
Jack Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg Makes Run for Nadler's Seat on UWS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Schlossberg
October 15, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / NYC NYS Politics / New York City News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
On Wednesday, November 12, 2025 House Speaker, Mike Johson, reconvened the U.S. House of Representatives after one of the longest periods of the House being out of session in modern American history. To many, the Speaker's decision to keep the House out of session was seen as a shirking of duty, and an abdication of the power of the branch of government that is most repesentational of the people, to the Executive branch of government.
In the bill, which reopens the federal government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, reportedly allowed a provision in the bill to enable senators, who had their electronic communications devices inspected and / or monitored, to sue the federal government for $500,000 - per each device - for the inconvenience. The measure allows for retroactive lawsuits, dating back to the January 6th Insurrection - even if the government was acting with a court order.
One of the problems with the bill is that given it is retroactive, it essentially guarantees million to multi-million dollar payouts to the ten sitting senators probed during the January 6th Insurrection. They are: Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming; Dan Sullivan of Alaska; Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida.
Republican Senators Vote Themselves [Multi] Million Dollar Payouts by U.S. Taxpayers
https://rollcall.com/2025/11/12/senate-payouts-unnerve-some-in-house-gop-ahead-of-shutdown-vote/
Queens News - Weekly Updates Important Information and Reports, You'll Scarcely Find on Billionaire TV News October 28, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV N...
October 24, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
Sunrise 7.17 am. Sunset 6.02 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 10 hours & 44 minutes of daylight or four hours and 22 minutes less of sunlight than we were getting the weekend of the Summer Solstice, on June 20, 2025. The Summer Solstice is the longest day of this year, providing 15 hours and 6 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
The photo above or at right, was taken Wednesday at the Spectrum News NY1 NYC Mayoral Debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, in Queens. From left to right are Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa. The debate was suprisingly spirited and interesting. We'll provide details over the weekend, or early next week.
NYC Specific Weather - This can be very Different than TV News TriState Weather. No rain all weekend, continuing an extremely dry Fall, and year in NYC & NYS, due to climate change. The temperature highs will be in the 60's all weekend and the temperature lows will be around 50 all weekend. The humidity will range from about 50% to 80% all weekend with the humidity highs peaking each morning around 8 or 9 am and the humidity lows bottoming out mid to late afternoon between 2 and 4 pm. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph all weekend. Looks like a very nice Fall Weekend. Enjoy.
Saturday Early Morning Edition @ 3 am. Done with the Front Page Weekend Post of events and attendant pages. Weekly News Updates coming later in the weekend, so stay tuned.
New. Note the Changes Below. In late September we started adding a weekly new segment with multiple stories with links to deeper reports. Scroll down the page for some enhanced local news coverage and check out our local news section using the drop down button, on the main tool bar in the upper left corner under the header. This will continue evolving over time. Stay tuned and thanks for clicking in.
November 30, 2025 / Astoria Neighborhood / Long Island City LIC Neighborhood / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Woodside Neighborhood / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Corona Neighborhood / Flushing Neighborhood / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Things To Do Holidays / Queens Buzz NYC.
NOTE. We added an Update Log at the beginning of the listings, so it's easier for you to stay abreast of changes / updates / new additions.
Be sure to visit our Queens holiday markets page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
These holiday events on Queens are organized as follows:
1. BY NEIGHBORHOODS OF QUEENS
2. BY DATE (not always as it depends on when the info comes in)
Watch carefully as some locales have multiple dates, and all dates for a given locale are shown at the time the venue is first listed.
3. ALL OF THESE ARE FREE UNLESS FEES ARE SPECIFIED.
4. Note QUEENS HOLIDAY MARKETS are published on a separate page - the links to which are posted above and at the bottom of this page, along with links to holiday events in other boroughs.
The holidays are a special time of the year. In ancient times there were harvest celebrations to give thanks and enjoy the bounty after a long growing and harvesting season aka a year of work.
Holiday lighting festivals and ceremonies have been on the rise in Queens in recent years. While some date back many years, most are traditions that started within the past five or ten years.
What does an increase in holiday lightings mean? It means you have ample opportunity to go yourself, or with friends, or to take your kids to one or more of them to learn a bit more about your own culture or the culture of others.
Each lighting is a bit different, as some are community and business-oriented, some are religiously oriented, a few have arts organizations behind them, and some are backed by non-religious cultural organizations. Please feel free to send us a notice of your holiday lighting event if it's not posted herein.
This is not meant to be a complete list, but rather a list of the holiday lighting events, many of which I’ve attended one or more times since late 2007. The holiday lighting events are organized individually by each Queens neighborhood including Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Jamaica and Whitestone. Many include the serving of some beverage like hot chocolate and generally something to munch on like cookies.
Nov 30, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Oct 31, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
November 28, 2025 / Astoria Neighborhood / Long Island City LIC Neighborhood / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Woodside Neighborhood / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Forest Hills Neighborhood / Flushing Neighborhood / Jamaica Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Shopping NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.
NOTE. We added an Update Log at the beginning of the listings, so it's easier for you to stay abreast of changes / updates / new additions.
Be sure to visit our Queens holiday events / Queens holiday things to do NYC page, as it contains related holiday events with a shopping element to them.
For links to holiday events and markets in all five boroughs of NYC scroll down to the bottom of this report.
The growth in the number and size of Holiday markets has risen in Queens and New York City over the years. While some date back many years, most are traditions that started within the past five or ten years.
What does an increase in holiday markets mean? It means you have multiple opportunities to go holiday shopping yourself, or with friends, or with your kids or the whole family. Oftentimes the local markets offer unique items made locally, which you may not find anywhere else.
Each Queens holiday market is a bit different, as each of those listed in this posting are organized in collaboration with arts organizations and / or with religious or cultural organizations. Please feel free to send us a notice of your community organize Queens holiday market if it's not posted herein.
This is not meant to be a complete list of Queens holiday markets, but rather - as mentioned above - a curated listing of Queens holiday markets run by community organizations. The Queens holiday markets are organized individually in each Queens neighborhood including Astoria, Long Island City LIC, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, Flushing and Jamaica. Many of these markets may also host holiday tree lighting, menorah lighting or Kwanzaa candle lighting events in Queens.
Mar 19, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Nov 30, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Oct 15, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
9.10.25 _ Queens News / News Analysis & Opinion _ Click here to learn a bit more through an interview by Erroll Louis on Spectrum TV on August 28, 2025, who interviewed an author / community activist and the President of the FEC Tenants Against Demolition about what's going on there - NYC Oligarchy - Stephen Ross, Related Companies, Essence, Eric Adams transferring huge amount of public wealth & NYC billionaire TV doesn't much report it. Also on the front page scroll down to the Landlord Tenant Harassment button to become familiar with the bigger picture. And click into the drop down OpEd section from the front page tool bar to learn more about the FEC Chelsea NYCHA land grab by Stephen Ross and Related Companies. Ross and Related Companies have been the beneficiaries of the transfer of acres upon acres of prime public NYC land all over NYC for what seem like fire sale / corruption prices.
September 21, 2025 / NYC Mayors Race / Queens Politics / Queens News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz NYC.
This section is dedicated to providing our audience with a weekly update of recent polls surrounding the NYC Mayoral Race, and select other NYC public positions to be decided in this upcoming election.
September 18, 2025 / New York City News / NYC Billionaire Press Billionaire TV News & Free Speech in America / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
All six TV Networks are controlled by billionaires [or folks whose wealth rounds up to billionaires or are members of billionaire families]. Increasingly they appear to be turning the TV networks into privately controlled propaganda machines. Too often they appear to resemble Rupert Murdoch's mistreatment of the truth in the news. This means they seem to omit key facts and even entire stories from view, while amplifying falsehoods and outright lies spoken by politicians and their teleprompter readers alike, which go uncorrected, leaving those who still trust Network TV News, ignorant and in the dark as to what's really going on in this country.
Colbert was cancelled by CBS and numerous seasoned journalists departed for journalistic integrity reasons. CBS appeared to be compromising their integrity, as Colbert is the top rated show in the time period. But Trump doesn't like Colbert, and CBS had a merger deal that needed to be approved by the Trump Justice Department and FCC, so poof, Colbert cancelled. CBS denies this reasoning, saying they have other [unannounced] plans.
Disney / ABC paid off Trump in a lawsuit many attorneys were sure they could have easily won. And this week Disney / ABC took the Jimmy Kimmel Show off the air for making an opinionated comment of which Trump didn't approve, on the Kirk assassination shooter. Kimmel had joked that the shooter was a MAGA Republican which he does not appear to be, although reportedly the rest of his family is.
The alleged shooter was reportedly in a relationship with someone working through gender identity issues, which is just one of the many important issues of our day, that billionaire TV News repeatedly fails to fully inform upon. This link will take you to the Metropolitan Museum website, of a past photo exhibit, wherein in the mid 1800's a French photographer documented a hermaphrodite, which is someone with both male and female genitalia. That's a fact, that I have NEVER seen raised nor discussed by the flunkies on TV News, who don't seem to be knowledgeable about the world around them, and definitely far too often, just simply do not do their basic homework on important issues.
And the sad thing is that this translates to an increasingly ignorant American public, as up until this year TV was the dominant news source. This year news on the web FINALLY passed TV News, and I am hoping that that trend will accelerate as more Americans start paying attention to how badly TV News fails them, daily.
If you decide to click this link you'll encounter what is likely a shocker to most folks [was to me the first time I saw it at the Metropolitan Museum exhibit in the late 1990's]. But the idea isn't to shock, but rather to instruct - Metropolitan Museum photo exhibit by Nadar of hermaphrodite.
7.7.25 Update / Opinion / Work in Progress
We've entered The Disinformation Age. Much of the mass media is controlled by billionaires, especially TV assets. They changed the FCC laws so they are no longer required to behave ethically, accurately and so the billionaire press does what it does best, pursues profits regardless of community collateral damage. They're only sharing information that they want you to know. They omit key facts they don't want you to know or even entirely ignore important stories that may embarass their billionaire friends. They try to manipulate viewers' perceptions in order to get them to vote for candidates representing the billionaires' interests, and provide open mics to the candidates their choice - not fact checked - even when these pols are making numerous false or misleading statements.
6.20.25 _ Currently Recommended News Sources to Help You Wean Yourself from Servile Dependence on Billioniare TV News. We currently favor The City, Politico, Axios, Vox, Wikipedia, the Gotham Gazette, Gothamist, City & State, Mother Jones, Wired, the browser Firefox curates a fair news offering, finance.yahoo.com is good for business news, and moderated social media outlets like BSky.app hace an intelligent audience that does a fair job of identifying key news reports, and use the search engines to look things up. Collectively these news sources should enable you to effectively do your civic duty to inform yourself about people and issues before voting. The NON-Billionaire TV News that we currently find reliable, includes left-leaning Democracy Now [on FNX & CUNY TV], PBS News Hour, and PBS Documentaries are also very informative. The Washington Post and New York Times are still fairly reliable, but not as implicitly so as in the past. Both the NYT and Wapo have undergone ownership / top management changes within the past six years. And the new management teams' values appear to differ from their predecessors, so pay attention to editorial changes / impacts. I no longer find any of the Network TV News outlets to be sufficiently informative. I doubt they ever were, but back in the day they used the newspaper reporting to help keep them informed, which today no longer cuts it. But that said, you can still pick up a few leads from TV News, which you can then use to more fully inform yourself, by doing further research on the internet. Also Vox & Axios. 6.20.25 Murdoch Iran War Monger.
December 6, 2024 / NYC Real Estate & Business / NYC Government & Politics / City of Yes Special Section / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunities bill passed yesterday afternoon / evening in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. The City of Yes or NYC Municipal Legislative Bill - L.U. 181 & Res 689 - App. N 240290 ZRY (City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity) amendment of the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York, modifying multiple Sections to expand opportunities for housing within all zoning districts, Citywide. *
The photo snapshot at right shows the NYC Council voting on the City of Yes.
Voting For the City of Yes Members. Carlina Rivera District 2, Eric Bottcher District 3, Keith Powers District 4, Julie Menin District 5, Gale Brewer M District 6, Shaun Abreu District 7, Diana Ayala District 8, Yusef Salaam M District 9, Carmen De La Rosa M District 10, Kevin Riley Bx District 12, Pierina Ana Sanchez District 14, Oswald Feliz District 15, Althea Stevens District 16, Rafael Salamanca Bx District 17, Amanda Farias District 18, Francisco Moya Q District 21, Tiffany Caban Q District 22, Shekar Krishnan Q District 25, Julie Won Q District 26, Nantasha Williams Q District 27, Speaker Adrienne Adams Q District 28, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers Q District 31, Lincoln Restler District 33, Jennifer Gutierrez District 34, Crystal Hudson District 35, Chi Osse District 36, Sandy Nurse District 37, Alexa Aviles District 38, Shahana Hanif District 39, Rita Joseph District 40, Justin Brannan Bk District 47.
Pay attention to the delineation of NYC Council members by the boroughs noted above by letters. Speaker Adrienne Adams delivered enough Queens council member votes (7) in favor of the legislation, which had they voted as their Community Boards did, would have killed the City of Yes bill.
Did Adrienne Adams and these NYC Council members betray the people of Queens they were elected to represent? Well, if so, keep in mind they are up for re-election in June 2025. So please educate yourself, fact check the statements made herein by using the power of the internet, and then after you've done enough research to know what's true, start spreading the news and get behind people who will represent you, the voters, not the big money that funded their campaigns.
Voting in the Negative. Joann Ariola District 32, Chris Banks District 42, Joseph C. Borelli District 51, David Carr District 50, Eric Dinowitz District 11, James Gennaro District 24, Kamillah Hanks District 49, Robert Holden District 30, Linda Lee District 23, Farah N. Louis District 45, Kristy Marmorato District 13, Christopher Marte District 1, Diane Mealy District 41, Mercedes Narcisse District 46, Vickie Paladino District 19, Lynn Schulman District 29, Sandra Ung District 20, Inna Vernikov District 48, Kalmar Yeger District 44, Susan Zhuang District 43.
We will keep this roll call of the vote on our site indefinitely in the City of Yes Special Report Section, because you, the voters, can use it as one benchmark vote, that helps you understand who is representing you, and how they are representing you. This becomes particularly important as there is the Democratic Primary in June 24, 2025 and the general election is November 4, 2025. Almost all of the elections are decided in the June primary because 56% of NYC is Democratic and only 26% is Republican. The remaining 18% are independent.
* Editor's Note. The summary of the bill leaves out the part about the NYC Council members forfeiting their power, and because they represent us, they are forfeiting our power and legal rights to weigh in on new developments in our neighborhoods. The summary also leaves out the part where by rushed passage of the 1,388 bill, the real estate developers and international investors can harvest a huge amount of tax abatements for 'affordable housing' that would be 'affordable' to individuals making up to $141,000 and a family of three making up to $183,00 per year or making rental payments of $4575 per month. And the summary leaves out the part about the negotiated deal, wherein how Eric Adams is going to miraculously fund the $4 billion, that magically appeared just by Eric Adams promising it, after Eric Adams tried to cut $100 million from the budgets of public schools in January 2024 and cut $22 million from the budget for public libraries as recently as November 2023. Adams promise of $4 billion is just that, and only that - a promise - as it is NOT IN THE BUDGET. And we all know the value of a politician's promise, especially when it's made by someone like Eric Adams, who has a documented history of lying, and is managing a tight budget that doesn't have $4 billion of funding lying around. He's going to have to take that funding from other places like public schools, public libraries and the NYPD.
Sep 16, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Oct 20, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Apr 23, 2024 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Reposted September 11, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things to do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
This is a video of one of the rehearsals for the Table of Silence performance this morning at Lincoln Center, commemorating the 19th anniversary of 911. They return to perform the Table of Silence at Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center on Thursday 9/11 at 8.10 am. Free. Or catch the live stream - https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/table-of-silence-project-911-259
Dec 16, 2024 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Feb 10, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Mar 10, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
May 09, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Apr 23, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Sep 10, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Please be advised that this series will be evolving slowly starting sometime in Q4 2025 and continuing thereafter. Thus far we've posted some of our historical coverage, but by far and away, the best is yet to come.
Oct 20, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Nov 30, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Nov 30, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
November 27, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.
A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.
The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.
Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.
Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.
At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.
Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.
Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?

December 26, 2024 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.18 am. Sunset 4.35 pm. For the first time since June, the days are starting to get longer. We're up 2 minutes of sunlight versus last week.
It looks to be a rainy weekend, on both Saturday [1/3 inch] and Sunday [over 3/4 inch]. There are bound to be plenty of times, during both days, when there's little rain falling; so be brave, and don't let a little water stop you from enjoying your precious time with family and friends.
The temperature highs will rise from about 30 on Thursday, to 34 on Friday, 44 on Saturday, and into the low 50's on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the mid teens on Thursday, to the high 20's on Friday, into the low 40's on Saturday and Sunday. The winds will range from 5 - 7 mph on Thursday and Friday, kicking up to 5 - 10 mph Saturday and then again up to 15 mph on Sunday. It's going to be a humid weekend ranging from 70% on Thursday up to 90% on Sunday. These temperature statistics are unusually high for this time of year versus historical norms.
The photo at right, taken in Sunnyside Queens a year ago this week, shows an example of the holiday home decorations one can find in the five boroughs of NYC.
This weekend use the links below to find holiday events, holiday markets and look for things to do over the New Years Eve weekend. We'll be updating the NYE pages over the weekend.
January 1, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year. It's an opportunity to start anew. And even if we don't fulfill our highest expectations, moving the needle in the right direction, is always a good thing.
The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2025 a better year for you.
Feb 10, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Jan 19, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Feb 14, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Mar 08, 2025 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
Click Manhattan 4th of July fireworks NYC for Manhattan independence day fireworks or click July 4th fireworks in NYC for NYC independence day fireworks in the 5 boros of NYC. Also see the Astoria Park fireworks and the Fort Totten fireworks in Bayside.
October 8, 2024 / LIC Neighborhood / Queens Real Estate & Business / Queens Buzz.
It was a beautiful, sunny, dry day as I walked over to the Museum of the Moving Image in LIC / Astoria. I arrived around 11 am to attend part of the second half of the LIC Summit, which is a real estate and business conference which examines in depth, an LIC centric world, but also mindful of the surrounding environment.
After I made my way through a flawless check-in, I found my way into the theater and sat down to listen in on the panel providing a Long Island City real estate update. These panels are structured such that the moderator serves up a number of questions to the panelists for comment, which is then followed by audience questions, which sometimes are the best, because they are asked by people like you and me, who have lived and worked in the area for a long while and witnessed and have adjusted to the huge changes that have occurred in Long Island City over the past couple of decades.
This panel included Patricia Dunphy of SVP of Rockrose Development, Eric Benaim CEO / Founder of Modern Space, Dan Mogolesko SVP of the Durst Organization, Peter Papamichael Principal of the VOREA Group and Crystal Xu Director of Business Development United Construction & Development Group.
As I came in at the end of the panel presentation, I only caught the Q&A portion of the program, which follows.
A performance theater / school owner pondered aloud whether the developers were still interested in involving and supporting the arts and culture scene in Long Island City. At the turn of the century LIC was well known as a thriving artists community, as it offered very competitive rents and good access to mass transit. In the near quarter century since then many - if not most - of the artists have moved out of the area as they can no longer afford the rents, which have skyrocketed from under $1,000 / month to over $4,000 per month.
One of the panelists said they are interested in supporting the arts and he mentioned Culture Lab LIC as one of the arts institutions that has survived the changes. But that was pretty much the full extent of the conversation surrounding the arts community. So I reckon the short answer would be no.
Sep 24, 2024 at 12:15 am by PeterParker
May 14, 2019 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Real Estate / Queens Buzz NYC.
The Sunnyside Yard development effort began on February 9, 2015, when Mayor Bill de Blasio presented a vision for the development of Sunnyside Yard in his first State of the City Address. The first effort in the project was a Feasibility Study, which began soon thereafter.
Two years ago, on April 18, 2017, I attended a session where the NYC Economic Development Corporation presented the results of the Feasibility Study to the Community Board in Sunnyside regarding the building of a deck over Sunnyside Yard, in a fashion similar to what was done over a century ago, when the rail lines heading north from Grand Central Station were decked over and Park Avenue was paved over them. Click here to read our series on the History of Sunnyside Yard.
The photo to your right shows Park Avenue between 1910 - 1920, being decked up above NYC infrastructure.
Last year, on October 24, 2018, the NYC Economic Development Corporation hosted an estimated 375 people at the NYCEDC's first Public Meeting at La Guardia Community College in Long Island City. I was told that they had modified the process and expanded the venue there in order to accommodate the community interest. The goal of the meeting was to obtain community input on how to utlize, the largest publicly controlled space in New York City, likely to be developed in our lifetimes.
The photo at right shows some of the elevated roads traversing Sunnyside Yard, in the same manner as some of the east / west roads traversed Park Avenue in the early 1900's. The plan is to deck it over to make use of the nearly 180 acres that encompass the space.
And on March 26, 2019 the NYCEDC held their second Public Meeting at PS 166Q Henry Gradstein Elementary School in Astoria. At this meeting the NYCEDC and the committee presented the findings of the first Public Meeting, and then oversaw breakout sessions by topic for anyone interested in contributing input into the direction of the Sunnyside Yard development project.
The breakout sessions centered around three primary topics: 1) Urban Design, 2) Transportation and 3) Open Space. I chose to attend the transportation session, as it represents the underlying infrastructure - but I must admit that I would have also liked the opportunity to sit in on the two other sessions, as each has its own set of opportunities and costs.
More coming later today. I also placed a request earlier this morning with the NYCEDC as to the timing of next steps, as the information was not available on their website.