WNYC visited the Rockaways in advance of their seasonal opening on Saturday. The area has improved from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, but there’s still work to be done. The Army Corps of Engineers plans to start beach nourishment in late June. Additionally, the A train won’t be in service until the end of May, according to the MTA.
If you head out to the Rockaways or anywhere else in the borough this weekend, please feel free to send photos to queens@brownstoner.com. We’re happy to use cool pictures and will give credit and links back. Thanks for a great first week!
Almost every day there is something new and exciting on the menu at Panorama of My Silence-Heart Café, but patrons have grown to expect other pleasant surprises, such as a man hastily peeling kiwis, balancing endlessly on a medicine ball or using chopsticks to shovel jelly into his mouth. More than 40 Guinness Book of World Records entries have been established in this vegetarian eatery, located in a hilly, suburban section of Jamaica Hills. Owner Ketan Goldman is a disciple of Sri Chinmoy, a guru and sitar player who lived in the area from the 1960s until his death in 2007 and promoted self-transcendence through extreme physical acts as well as meditation, kindness and compassion. One of Chinmoy’s final desires was that Goldman spread good will by opening a restaurant named after one of his favorites quotes with a peaceful atmosphere featuring his music, fresh flowers and comfortable spaces to meditate. The delicious soy mock meat entrées, baked goods and wide array of Irving Farm coffee beverages (see red velvet latte below) are Goldman’s ideas. “When customers come in, I serve great, healthy food with a positive attitude,” says Goldman, who also organizes poetry readings, live music events and movie-themed Sunday brunches (above photo). “It’s a tangible way of spreading good will.” (more…)
A 98,000-square-foot office and retail building at 42-15 Crescent Street in Long Island City will be converted into a rental bulding, according to Multihousing News. The 1953 building will become a 124-unit market rate building developed by Meadow Partners. Investment manager PCCP is providing a $30 million senior loan. “The project will be a very appealing option for those looking for more space or less costly apartment rents. Although Long Island City is one subway stop away from Midtown Manhattan, it has rents that are up to 30 to 40 percent less than similar product in Manhattan,” PCCP vice president Kevin Chin told Multihousing News.
PS 290, which began life in 2010 co-habitating with middle school IS 73, is getting close to having its own newly-constructed building on the site of a former Rite Aid at 55-20 Metropolitan Avenue in Ridgewood. When it opens in the Fall of 2014, the K-5 program will be known as the Geraldine A. Ferraro Campus. Check out renderings from architect Michael Graves on the jump. GMAP (more…)
Astoria is slated to get its third ramen restaurant in the near future: Ramen Okidoki is moving in to the old Harissa Mediterranean space at 3405 30th Avenue. While the giant Ramen Okidoki sign has been posted a few weeks now, there’s still no announcement about an official opening date. We’ll be watching closely, however, and are eager to compare Astoria’s growing noodle dish options. GMAP
If you’ve visited PS1 in Long Island City recently, you might have noticed work going on at the corner of 21st Street and 46th Avenue and wondered what was happening. Turns out it’s a five-story, eight-unit residential project that’s actually been in the works for six years, although DOB only issued a permit for the new building this spring. In all, there will be about 5,500 square feet of residential space and another 1,150 square feet of commercial space. GMAP
Community Board 3 voted on Thursday night against the proposed redevelopment of Willets Point, citing traffic congestion, overcrowding and housing concerns. Willets Point United reported that the board voted 30-1 against the project, with one abstention. ”The proposed project would change the character of the surrounding neighborhoods and impact the livelihoods of 250,000 residents and many small mom-and-pop businesses,” the board stated. Last week, Community Board 7, whose jurisdiction is also affected, narrowly voted in favor of the project in a 22-18 vote. Both votes are non-binding, advisory actions. The Department of City Planning and the City Council will ultimately approve or disapprove the project. The developers at Willets Point are Sterling Equities, controlled by the owners of the Mets, and the Related Companies, the builder of Time Warner Center and Hudson Yards.
Long Island City’s new development market is getting physical. A potential buyer charged through a line of roughly a dozen people at the opening of Five27 at 5-27 51st Ave, the Daily News reported. “He ran in by the agent after he was told to wait and tried to start looking around himself,” Modern Spaces founder Eric Benaim, who is handling sales, told the Daily News. “He hardly spoke any English. He was aggressive and we had to escort him out. I guess he really wanted to get in.” Price at the 27-unit building range from $430,000 to $1.3 million. The building is over half sold.
Why has no one bought the First German Sport Club at 60-60 Metropolitan Avenue? Even if there aren’t a too many hipsters in the immediate area, the retro facade is so cool that we can see bearded types from Bushwick and broader Ridgewood making the trip. Or could the club’s mobster history be holding it back? In 2005, the Queens District Attorney brought charges against 17 members of the Genovese and Bonano crime families for running numbers out of this and two other locations. That didn’t stop the current owner from picking it up for $350,000 back in 2009. The current broker is Queens Central Realty at 718-417-0700. GMAP
Katch Brewery & Grill in Astoria celebrated its grand opening on May 16. Located at 3119 Newtown Ave., Katch is looking to become Astoria’s coolest new sports bar and beer garden. Unfortunately the beer garden isn’t open yet, but the sports bar is already getting good reviews. Serving 50 tap beers and a wide selection of food including burgers, chicken wings, pastas and salads, this will be a good place to catch the next game. Oh, did we mention they have more than 50 TVs?
