Dec. 20, 2024 By Emily Davenport and QNS News Team After decades of helping New Yorkers celebrate life’s biggest moments, Party City is throwing its final party—announcing the closure of all its stores, including its last two locations in Queens. On Friday, Dec. 20, CEO Barry Litwin informed corporate employees during a meeting that…
Dec. 20, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Governor Kathy Hochul visited Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst on Thursday, engaging with local residents amid their holiday shopping to discuss the rising cost of living in New York and to promote her proposal to deliver Inflation Reduction checks aimed at easing financial burdens for New Yorkers. Hochul,…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Bill Parry A Queens grand jury indicted an East Elmhurst man in connection to a July 4th fatal collision at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Yersson Diaz, 27, of Ericsson Street just south of LaGuardia Airport, appeared at Queens Criminal Court for a summons on Tuesday and was taken into custody,…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Barbara Russo Lennon and QNS News Team Queens commuters frustrated with inadequate bus service can look forward to improvements as the MTA plans to enhance service on several key routes next year. Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that the upgrades, which will impact 24 bus lines across New York City,…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Shane O’Brien Eviction rates at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties have surged under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program, raising concerns about tenant protections, according to a new audit by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander. The PACT program, designed to address decades of underfunding and disrepair in public…
Dec. 19, 2024 By Athena Dawson Tap-to-pay is here to stay, and the iconic yellow MetroCards will soon be a New York City relic. The MTA announced on Friday, Dec. 13, that tap-and-go fare technology is now available for nearly all of the MTA’s millions of transit riders. OMNY, the MTA’s contactless fare payment…
Dec. 18, 2024 By Shane O’Brien A Forest Hills homeowners group has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against the operators of Forest Hills Stadium due to the “harms caused” by the yearly concert series at the stadium. Forest Hills Garden Corp (FHGC), a homeowners association whose members live by the venue, has…
Dec. 18, 2024 By Ethan Marshall The average rental price in Queens for studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units maintained an upward trend from the previous year in November 2024, according to a report by the real estate firm M.N.S. Real Estate. Year-over-year, Queens experienced a 4.44% increase in its average rental price, from $2,763…
Dec. 18, 2024 By Bill Parry A Whitestone mobster was sentenced on Dec. 13 to two-and-a-half years in federal prison for racketeering in connection with operating an illegal gambling business in Lynbrook, Long Island. Carmelo Polito, 64, a former acting captain and soldier in the Genovese organized crime family, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal…
Dec. 18, 2024 Pilar Deleon and QNS News team After a $6.1 million transformation, the Bay Terrace Library has reopened, unveiling a modern, state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the needs of today’s residents. The newly renovated library, located at 18-36 Bell Blvd., marked its grand reopening on Tuesday, Dec. 17, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.…