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.
December 19, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken last weekend at Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. Skating in Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center as well as rinks around the city continues through the holidays.
Sunrise 7.15 am. Sunset 4.30 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 9 hours & 30 minutes of daylight or five hours and 36 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. The temperature highs will reach 60 on Friday, drop to 40 on Saturday, and rise again to 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will hit 35 on each overnight this weekend. There's a 100% chance of a half or more inch of rain between 3 am and 1 pm on Friday morning, but otherwise the rest of the weekend is dry. The humidity will swing wildly on Friday from 100% to 55%, then stabilize at 50% to 60% Saturday, and then fluctuate from 70% to 40% on Sunday. The winds will range from 10 - 25 mph Friday and then settle down a bit to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and Sunday. Other than Friday morning, looks to be another nice December weekend. Enjoy.
Friday Evening Edition @ 9.15 pm. Done, excepting some of the attendant pages, which we expect to finish later tonight. If you follow the directions below denoted by *** FYI *** you should be able to find most or all of what you're looking for. Enjoy.
The Weekend News Updates will follow over the weekend, so check back in, for some local, state and national news, the details of which seem to get 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. We've fallen a bit short this month, as the holidays have overwhelmed us, but please stay tuned we'll get it right eventually and thanks for clicking in.
Sunday, December 21, 2025 - The Winter Solstice - is the shortest day of the year and the beginning of Winter.
Monday, December 22, 2025 - Hanukkah - the Jewish festival of lights ends.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and holiday events links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page. Note that what you see below in events, is nearly matched by the number of markets posted in the holiday markets page, but you have to click into the link below to view it.
The photo above or at right was taken along 42nd Street last weekend in Manhattan. As you can see, the streets were crowded, but less so on 5th Avenue between 47th and 52nd Streets. The city blocked off 5th Avenue from cars in Sunday afternoon. I found the experience somewhat disappointing.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday, December 18, 19 & 20, 2025 beginning 7 pm and at 3 pm on Saturday only - Holiday Showcase - at Harlem School of the Arts - at 645 St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem. A modern performance of music, dance, theater and joy. For details and $19 tickets see - https://hsanyc.org
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm - St. Nick on St. Nick's Extravaganza - at Harlem School of the Arts at 645 St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem. This is a toy collection drive. Free holiday things to do in Manhattan NYC. For details see - https://hsanyc.org
Friday, December 19, 2025 from 5.30 - 7 pm - Birdland Big Band Jazz - at the Birdland Jazz Club. Holiday events, concerts and things to do in Midtown Manhattan NYC. FYI - there are performances almost every night. For $36 - $46 tickets and details see - https://www.birdlandjazz.com/tm-event/birdland-big-band-19/
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 7.30 to 10 pm - Shades of Truth Theatre: 5 Days Before Christmas - at the Harlem Community Center at 228 East 125th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan NYC. Organized by Shades of Truth Theater and Voza Rivers / New Heritage Theatre. Free. For details see - WS https://shadesoftruththeatre.com or NWS - https://www.harlemonestop.com/event/34154/shades-of-truth-theatre-5-days-before-christmas
Multiple Days _ Saturday, December 20 - Thursday, December 25, 2025 - Yiddish Festival - Hebrew Union College at 1 West 4th Street [and possibly other venues based on event] in the Village in Manhattan NYC. For details and $11+ tickets see - hhttps://yiddishnewyork2025.sched.com
Next Week.
Monday & Tuesday, December 22 & 23, 2025 beginning at 7 pm - Handell's Messiah - in the Stern Auditorium / Perlman Stage at Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan NYC. Holiday Concert Performances and things to do in Midtown NYC. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.carnegiehall.org/Events
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 from 5 to 6 pm - Washington Square Park Christmas Carol Event. By the Arch at 5th Avenue and Washington Square North [the equivalent of about 7th Street] in the Village. For details see - http://www.washingtonsquarenyc.org
Wednesday Night / Thursday Morning, December 24 / 25, 2025 - St. Patrick's Cathedral Midnight Mass - at St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan NYC. Free holiday events and things to do in Manhattan NYC. For details and to submit for the annual midnight mass ticket lottery, which opens June 15 and ends October 1, see - https://saintpatrickscathedral.org
Multiple Days _ Midtown _ Sunday - Monday, December 14 - 22, 2025 beginning at 5 pm nightly except Friday at 3.45 pm & Saturday at 6.30 pm - Menorah Lighting at Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Use the holiday events link below for details.
Multiple Weekends _ Sundays ONLY, December 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025 from 10 am - 5 pm - Vintage Subway Car / Nostalgia Subway Holiday Train Rides - along the F and Q subway lines in Manhattan. See holiday markets link below for details.
Ongoing _ Tuesday - Sunday, December 9, 2025 thru January 4, 2026 at various times - Home for the Holidays Wreath Exhibition - at El Barrio Art Space at 215 East 99th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues on the UES of Manhattan. See holiday markets link below for details.
Ongoing _ 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. See holiday events link below for details.
Ongoing _ 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. See holiday markets link below for details.
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.
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.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and holiday events links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
FINAL WEEKEND _ Floral Park _ Fridays & Saturdays, December 5, 12, 13 & 19, 2025 from 8 to 11 pm - 18th Century Tavern Night - at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. For details and $98 / person tickets excluding beer, wine, cider and cocktails - https://www.queensfarm.org
FINAL WEEKEND _ Sundays, December 14 & 21, 2025 from 1 to 5 pm - NEW Sunnyside Shines BID Holiday Market - at Sunnyside Community Services at 43-31 39th Street in Sunnyside. See holiday markets link below for details and website links.
Sunday - Monday, December 14 - 22, 2025 beginning at 4.11 - 4.13 pm - Nightly Hanukkah Candle Lightings - at Temple of Gates Prayer Shaarai Tefilla Synagogue at 171-39 Northern Blvd in Flushing Queens. For details see - https://www.templegatesofprayer.org
The photo above or at right was taken last weekend in a public park in Corona Queens. Last weekend the temperatures were in the 20's, while today (Friday) the temperature may hit 60 degrees. What a difference a week can make. The temperatures will range from the low 20's to the mid 50's Christmas week.
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm - Winter Wonderland - at the Queens County Farm - at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. For details and $12 / person tickets see - https://www.queensfarm.org
FINAL WEEKEND _ Floral Park _ Saturday, December 6, 13 & 20, 2025 from 10 am to 5 pm except on 12/6 when it's open until 8 pm - 2nd Annual Holiday Craft Market - at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park. See holiday markets link below for details.
CLICK here for holiday markets Queens NYC.
CLICK here for holiday events Queens NYC.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR 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:
Friday & Saturday, January 16 & 17, 2026 from x to y - Zlatne Uste Balkan Festival - at the Marquee Astoria at 25-22 Astoria Blvd in Astoria. See MCAL link above for details.
Wednesday - Sunday, January 21 - 25, 2026 times vary by day but generally from 12 noon - 8 pm - NY Boat Show - at the Jacob Javits Center at 11th Avenue & 36th Street in Manhattan. See MCAL link above for details.
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and holiday events links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page. Note that what you see below in events, is nearly matched by the number of markets posted in the holiday markets page, butyou have to click into the link below to view it.
The photo above or at right was taken this weekend of the Christmas tree at Grand Army Plaza located adjacent to Park Slope, Prospect Park and Crown Heights in Brooklyn.
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 19, 20 & 21, 2025 beginning at 7.30 pm Friday, 2 pm on Saturday & at 12 noon & 3 pm Sunday - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - at 17 Smith Street in Downtown BK. Free. Holiday events and concerts in North Brooklyn. For details see - https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 9 am to 8 pm - Tents of Kedar Holiday Market - at 1119 Bedford Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of North Brooklyn. For details see - FB - https://www.facebook.com/TentsofKedarInc/
Sunday, December 21, 2025 from 5 to 6.30 pm - A Very Merry Brooklyn - Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra Christmas Concert - at St Ann & the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague in Brooklyn Heights NYC. Holiday events in BK. For $45 tickets and details see - https://brooklynchamberorchestra.org/concerts/
Saturdays & Sundays, December 20 & 21, 2025 from 11 am to 6 pm - Brooklyn Pop Up Holiday Market in Dumbo - at Smack Mellon Gallery at 92 Plymouth Street in the Dumbo neighborhood BK. They tell us there will be up to 35+, " ... artisans, designers, and makers selling contemporary fashion, accessories, home goods, food, beauty, jewelry and more ...". For details see - https://www.brooklynpop-up.com
Next Week.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 at 9 pm - Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Concert - at All Saints Episcopal Church at 286 7th Avenue in Park Slope. Central Brooklyn. Done in conjunction with midnight mass [Eucharist at 10 pm]. For details see - https://www.allsaintsparkslope.org
THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW OF THE ONGOING HOLIDAY MARKETS & EVENTS THIS WEEKEND IN BROOKLYN. CLICK INTO THE LINKS BELOW TO VIEW ALL OF THEM. MOST OF THE HOLIDAY MARKETS END THIS WEEKEND.
Daily beginning Sunday, December 14 - 22, 2025 - beginning at 4 pm the 1st night & 6 pm all week nights except Friday 3.30 pm, Saturday 7.15 pm & Sunday 5 pm - Lighting of the Largest Menorah in Brooklyn - at Grand Army Plaza where Flatbush Avenue, Prospect Park West and the Eastern Parkway converge. For details see - https://www.chabadparkslope.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/2401293/jewish/Schedule.htm
LINK _ Saturday & Sunday, December 6 & 7, 13 & 14 and 20 & 21, 2025 - Walk the Windows Along Atlantic Avenue - from Clinton Street to Third Avenue along Atlantic Avenue. Use the holiday events link below to obtain details and event website links. Use the link above or see our MCAL for a kids party today - https://www.brooklynblvd.nyc/calendar/event/15/63/childrens-party-with-santa
Multiple Weeks _ Saturdays & Sundays, December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 & 27, 2025 and January 3, 2026 from 9 am to 4 pm Saturdays opening at 10 am Sundays - Brooklyn Pop Up Holiday Market in Fort Greene Park - along the southern perimeter, near the farmers market, along De Kalb Avenue from Washington Park to South Portland in North Brooklyn. See holiday markets link below for details.
Multiple Weeks _ Saturdays & Sundays, December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21, 2025 from 12 noon to 7 pm - Make Manifest Winter Holiday Pop Up Market - at Maker Manifest at 382 Tompkins Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant BK. See holiday markets link below for details.
Ongoing _ 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. See holiday events link below for details.
Ongoing _ 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. See holiday events link below for details.
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 holiday events links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
The photo above or at right was taken on City Island in a prior year. Both the Menorah and the Christmas tree lightings happen in Hawkins Park which is located halfway down City Island Avenue. The last lighting of the Menorah is this Sunday.
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 5 to 8.30 pm - Winter Solstice Pub Night - at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in Riverdale. The ticket includes "... music, bar snacks, whiskey tasting, materials and instruction for crown project, and access to the grounds after-hours. Cafe food, drinks and bottled spirits from MS Walker available for purchase ..." North & West Bronx. For $65 tickets and details see - https://www.wavehill.org/calendar/winter-solstice-pub-night
The Bartow Pell Mansion Holiday Events & Market - Holiday Luncheon 12/6, Holiday Party 12/6, Holiday Gift Fair 12/8, Selfies w/ Santa 12/13, A Christmas Carol 12/11 - 12/14, Jazzy Holiday Concert 12/19, and Holiday Cookies & Crafts 12/20 & 21. The details to all of these are posted in our Member Calendar as well as on their website - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/events-2/
Sunday, December 21, 2025 begins 6.30 / 7 pm - Performance of A Christmas Carol - at the Van Cortlandt House Museum at 6036 Broadway in the north Bronx. Light refreshments begin at 6.30 and the perofmance begins at 7 pm. North & West Bronx. For details see - http://www.vchm.org/events.html
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. See holiday events link below for details and website url.
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. See holiday events link below for details and website url.
Ongoing _ Thursday, December 4, 2025 to Sunday, January 4, 2026 from 10 am to 4.30 pm - Winter Haven Opening Weekend [12/6 & 7/2025] Holiday Events & Holiday Market - at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in Riverdale in the North & West Bronx. Wreath making, ice sculpture, artisans market and the Hudson Highland Pipe Band. For tickets and details see - https://www.wavehill.org/calendar/winter-haven-opened-weekend-2024
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.
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 19, 20 & 21, 2025 - A Jazzy Holiday Concert & Cookies & Crafts - at the Bartow Pell Mansion. See MCAL link above for details.
The Bartow Pell Mansion Holiday Events & Market - Holiday Luncheon 12/6, Holiday Party 12/6, Holiday Gift Fair 12/8, Selfies w/ Santa 12/13, A Christmas Carol 12/11 - 12/14, Jazzy Holiday Concert 12/19, and Holiday Cookies & Crafts 12/20 & 21. The details to all of these are posted in our Member Calendar as well as on their website - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/events-2/
*** FYI *** Use the holiday markets and holiday events links for each borough for a full look at the upcoming weekends. There's too much to post to the front page.
Wednesday - Wednesday, December 17 - 31, 2025 except Mondays & Tuesdays - Holiday House Tours - at Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue on Staten Island. Holiday events in Central SI. For $10 / person tickets and details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org.
The photo above or at right was taken this weekend of the Christmas tree at Borough Hall in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.
Friday, December 19, 2025 beginning at 7 pm [doors open at 6 pm] - Universal Temple of the Arts & the 37th Staten Island Jazz Festival - at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street in Downtown North Staten Island. For details and $37 tickets see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com
Saturday, December 20, 2025 from 11 am to 4 pm - Maker Space Holiday Market - at Maker Space at 450 Front Street in Stapleton on North Staten Island. Free funky & festive with 21 local artisans and vendors. For details see - INST - https://www.instagram.com/makerspacenyc | WS - https://www.makerspace.nyc
Saturday & Sunday, December 20 & 21, 2025 beginning at 3 pm & 7 pm and 2 pm & 5 pm respectively - the Nutcracker by the Staten Island Ballet Dancers - at the Williamson Theater at the College of Staten Island at 2800 Victory Blvd in the North & West SI. Adjacent to Bullshead, Heartland Village and Manor Heights. For details and $70 - $90 tickets see - https://www.siballet.org
Sunday, December 21, 2025 beginning at 4 pm - Holiday Family Concert by Spotlight Repertory Theatre - at the Staten Island Play House at Empire Outlets at 55 Richmond Terrace in St. George. North Staten Island. For $20 tickets and details - https://spotlighttheatresi.org
Sundays, December 7, 14 & 21, 2025 from 11 am to 3 pm - Holiday Sunday Brunch with Santa - at The Historic Old Bermuda Inn at 301 Veterans Road West in Rossville. See holiday events link below for details.
https://www.statenislandusa.com/bp-office.html
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.
December 15, 2025 / NYC Issues / NYC Business / Queens News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.
The NYS casino licenses approved include Ballys in the Bronx, an expansion of Resorts World Casino in Queens, and Steve SAC Capital Cohen's Metropolitan Park at Flushing Meadows Corona Park [see story below].
The rest of this was posted before the NYS Gaming Commission vote noted above, but represents an important back story about how TV news and NYC and NYS government officials failed their community. It's also about what appears to be letting a predatory fox into the community chicken coop.
Today at 1 pm, the NYS Gaming Commission is expected to vote on the final approvals of NYS casino licenses in New York City. Bally's in the Bronx and Metropolitan Park licenses will be voted upon. The final vote, according to a Spectrum News report today, is to address the following, " ... The commission is expected to ratify the board's recommendation Monday after one final review of each applicant's ethical and financial qualifications before issuing the licenses ...".
In the photo above or at right you can see community members trying to make their voices heard in the Corona neighborhood in Queens. The protesters oppose the Metropolitan Park Casino planned which will, in essence takeover some of the parkland in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. But you won't hear about this on the corporate billionaire TV News Networks, because they appear to be protecting the interests of one of their own, by not reporting this to the community.
Nowhere in Spectrum New reports did I find any discussion of Steve Cohen's SAC Capital being involved in the largest insider trading scandal in modern history involving a hedge fund. Steve Cohen named the firm he founded, SAC Capital, after himself - Steve A. Cohen. The firm was fined $1.8 BILLION. Cohen himself was not found guilty in the courts, but journalists covering the story believed that he had fostered a 'culture of corruption'. Based on how the NY Mets ball club has conducted itself since Cohen took over - that description may also apply to them.
So, will the NYS Gaming Commission, make a mockery of the importance of ethical considerations, in the disposition of gaming licenses, by awarding Steve Cohen a license? Given how corrupt our municipal [Adams] and state governments [Cuomo √ | Hochul ?] appear to have functioned recently, I'll bet they don't give a damn. But we'll find out later today.
Here are a few related links. The third link will take you to a report by NY Magazine goes to the heart of the possible motivating forces behind the actions of campaign funded government officials, the fourth link is a very short video discussing how Steve Cohen appeared to dodge conviction in the courts, and the fifth link is to an earlier report on the back story we did on Steve SAC Capital Cohen's 'Black Edge'.
Here's a local Facebook page about the gaming commission's ethics requirement.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksonheights/posts/10163288745263965/
Here's a Spectrum report about the parkland aspect of the Metropolitan Park proposal. Spectrum reporter Erroll Lewis does a great job of avoiding the most important issue - that Steve Cohen founded SAC Capital which was involved in the largest insider trading scandal by a hedge fund in modern American history. And it shows how NYS Senator John Liu appeared to do a 180 betrayal of the interests of the community he represents in favor of Cohen's casino $$$.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq0Ihy_xBbM
And here's a report in NY Magazine on December 2, 2025 about how apparently corrupt Eric Adams and the NYS Democratic party [aka Kathy Hochul's vote] are. Wherein, they seem to trade the interests of the communities they are supposed to serve, in favor of their own and the Democratic party campaign funding cash.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/steve-cohen-mets-queens-casino.html
And here's a very short video by Business Insider on February 26, 2017, explaining, in a nutshell, how the federal prosecutors nailed SAC Capital, but were unable to nail slippery Steve Cohen himself.
LINK
Here's an earlier report we published about Steve Cohen's ethical eligibility for an NYC / NYS casino license, for Metropolitan Park Casino in Flushing, and his 'black edge' history.
https://www.gothambuzz.nyc/article/606/steve-cohen-sac-capital-metropolitan-park-casino-queens
Black Edge, Steve SAC Capital Cohen, is shown in the photo at right.
Going forward, keep in mind that little to none of this was reported on any billionaire TV News network in NYC. If you think billionaire TV news is informing you about things that really matter to your quality of life, safety, public resource allocation, pocketbook and everything else - you're flying blind and still don't even know it. Our public media / public information system is badly broken - especially traditional TV and radio.
But the people's press is still alive on the web. And folks need to migrate their news consumption to news sites on the web, if we are to have any chance of surviving the billionaire takeover of our democracy.
The following is a separate but related item worth noting.
12/15/25. Tonight. Following a review of the corporate TV Network Evening News shows reporting on the death of Rob Reiner, I found that only the ABC TV News report included full context, by mentioning a reference to Donald Trump's despicable Truth Social post, bashing the popular, recently-deceased actor and director.
All of the other billionaire controlled corporate broadcast TV News Networks [meaning excluding CNN] left Trump's completely insensitive rant out of their reports. This is worth noting because these same TV Networks seem to repeat almost every despicable racist rant made by Trump, every day, all day long, ever since Trump first announced he was running for president in 2015.
So why did the billionaire TV Networks decide to omit Trump's depraved rants, attacking a beloved American icon who opposed Trump? Was it because Trump is a fellow billionaire? Or was it because one or more of them, like the Ellisons' CBS, have business deals in play that Trump can influence [hostile takeover of Paramount / CNN]. Or perhaps it was because it clearly showed Trump's complete lack of any moral compass, that goes far beyond his bigoted racism?
The TV News shows I watched included: 1) the Ellisons' CBS at 5 pm with no mention, 2) the Murdochs' Fox News at 10 pm with no mention, 3) Perry Sook's Nexstar's WPIX at 10 pm with no mention, 4) Brian Roberts' NBC at 11 pm with no mention, and 5) the outlier who properly their job of reporting fully, Iger's ABC, at 5 pm with a mention.
Keep this in mind. It helps you understand which of the TV Networks is reporting the news, and which of them are manipulating the news and hence you (if you're in their audience).
December 12, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo above or at right was taken a few weeks ago at the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan. Six years ago, shortly before the pandemic, the museum reopened following significant renovations that spanned about five years. I had not seen it since the renovations, and as you can see by the photo, they did a nice job of opening it up into an airy, interactive, human space.
Sunrise 7.10 am. Sunset 4.28 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 9 hours & 33 minutes of daylight or five hours and 33 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 is a 92% chance of some precipitation between 10 pm Saturday and 8 am Sunday. We believe it will be under a 1/4 inch of rain [maybe less], but the forecasters are non-commital [rain v. snow] as the temperature will be only a few degrees above freezing. Otherwise it's a dry weekend again, with sun on Friday and cloudy thereafter. The temperature highs will be in the high 30's on Friday and Sunday and in the low 40's on Saturday. The temperature lows will be around 20 on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday and descending into the mid teens on Sunday evening. The humidity will range between 40% - 70% on Friday, 60% - 70% on Saturday, and swing wildly from 90% - 50% on Sunday. The winds will range from 5 - 12 mph all weekend. With the exception of a bit of precipitation Saturday night / Sunday morning, it looks to be nice and normal December weekend. Enjoy.
Saturday Early Morning Edition @ 6 am. Queens holiday events still needs a bit of work, as well as some related pages for all of the sites, but if you follow the directions below denoted by *** FYI *** you should be able to find most or all of what you're looking for. We'll have this completed by Saturday night late or Sunday noon - but that might be too late for some of the events, which you can look up yourself using the website urls. Enjoy.
The Weekend News Updates will follow over the weekend, so check back in, for some local, state and national news, the details of which seem to get 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. We've fallen a bit short this month, as the holidays have overwhelmed us, but please stay tuned we'll get it right eventually and thanks for clicking in.
December 5, 2025 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo at right was taken last week along 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. A week from Sunday [aka 12/14] 5th Avenue, between 48th and 57th Streets, will be closed to traffic from 12 noon to 6 pm. For details see - https://fifthavenue.nyc/holiday-open-streets-2025
Sunrise 7.04 am. Sunset 4.28 pm. Daylight Savings Time. We're getting 9 hours & 39 minutes of daylight or five hours and 27 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. No precipitation is expected this weekend. It will be dry and partly cloudy all weekend. The temperature highs will rise from the low 30's on Friday to the low 40's for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's to the mid 30's the rest of the weekend. The humidity will range between 40% - 70% on Friday, 90% - 65% on Saturday, and 55% - 70% on Sunday. The winds will range from 0 - 5 mph all weekend. With the exception of a bit of cold on Friday and cloudy overhead, another fairly good fall weekend. Enjoy.
Saturday Early AM Edition @ 10.45 am. Getting there, but we still have a fair amount more to do. Should be done by mid morning Saturday and defintely by Saturday noon. Follow directions below denoted by *** FYI *** for best results. Enjoy.
The Weekend News Updates will follow over the weekend, so check back in, for some local, state and national news, the details of which seem t get 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.
December 1, 2025 / NYC Business / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The short story on Steve Cohen is that in 1992 he founded a company that operated a number of hedge funds. He was so proud of it, that he put his name on it - SAC Capital - which is short for Steve A. Cohen Capital. Fast forward less than 20 years to 2010 and the SEC is investigating SAC Capital associates for insider trading. Fast forward another three years and SAC Capital has paid $1.8 billion and has pleaded guilty to insider-trading charges. It's one of the biggest insider trading scandals in modern history and the largest involving a hedge fund.
For details on the Steven A. Cohen Capital Insider Trading case see -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.A.C._Capital_Advisors
Cohen himself never personally pleaded guilty, in part because it's difficult to prove scienter - which is a legal term for intent or knowledge of wrongdoing. But that said, the Steve A. Cohen Capital firm, was founded by and run by Cohen for 20 years. And one of Cohen's high school chums, Michael Steinberg, became one of SAC's most senior portfolio managers. Steinberg was cited by one of his analysts, Horvath, as essentially telling Horvath to seek out non-public information, that they could trade on, which in essence is insider trading.
And while the Steven A. Cohen Capital firm says they take compliance with regulations seriously, a report by American University Business Law Review notes that SAC refused to give them even one example of its refusal to hire someone because of compliance concerns. On the other hand, the Steven A. Cohen Capital firm did hire people, such as Richard S. Lee, who was known to be a risk, as he had just been fired by a Chicago firm for altering his holdings in their accounting system on his first day on the job. Even SAC Capital Legal had reportedly advised against hiring him. Lee eventually ended up as one of the firm's employees who was convicted.
For further details on Cohen's alleged malfeasance use the following links.
https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=aublr
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hedge-fund-manager-steven-cohen-settles-with-commodities-agency
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.
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 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.
December 19, 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.
Dec 07, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Oct 31, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
December 19, 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
Dec 20, 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

Fun Restaurants to Celebrate New Years Eve / News Years in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside & Jackson Heights in Queens on New Years Eve NYCUpdating December 7, 2025 vs 12.16.24 / Queens New Years Eve Parties & Restaurants / Queens Buzz NYC.
LAST YEAR _ Weather Forecast. NYE Sunrise in NYC - 7.20 am. NYE Sunset in NYC - 4.38 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, dropping to the mid 40's for the rest of the three day holiday weekend including Monday. The temperature lows will be around 40 through Sunday, dropping into the low 30's on Monday. Humidity will be around 70% on Friday, descending into the 60's for the rest of the three day weekend. The winds will be about 8 to 10 mph on Friday & Saturday, dropping to about 5 to 7 mph on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast, although it will be cloudy all days except NYE Sunday. Have a safe and Happy New Year.
New Years Eve occurs on a Sunday this year. While New Years Eve is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like St. Patrick's Day, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.
The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in Queens NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.
Click this link to view a brief guide of Queens New Years Eve parties and NYE parties & events in Queens NYC where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Enjoy.
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
Dec 19, 2025 at 12:15 am by mikewood
Dec 14, 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.