Or maybe this guy was just a regular old LIRR fare jumper who thought it better to get on top of the train than stowaway in the bathroom.
Whatever the reason, commuter Boruch Nemtzov, 28, was awaiting his train at the Forest Hills LIRR station when he spotted a guy lying face down on top of a passing train, NYDN reports. “Maybe he was trying to beat a $20 fare,” Nemtzov quipped to the paper. Since the most recent fare increase in March, a peak hours round-trip ride from Manhattan to Forest Hills costs $16.
MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the man—whose photo was snapped as he passed through the Forest Hills station—is still at large, though officials are “working to find the individual” since train surfing is “obviously illegal.”
How often does this occur, anyway? “I’ve been working here since ’07, and this is the first time I’ve recalled this happening on the LIRR or Metro North,” Donovan said.
Here’s a roundup of our top posts in March 2013. As usual, food is a big interest as well as the ever more invisible dividing line between Queens and Brooklyn. ‘A newbie’s guide to Astoria subway stops – the N/Q’ takes the top spot though – and thanks again ghoes to Bushwick Daily for its inspiring A Newbie’s Guide to Bushwick Subway Stops.
What actually divides Queens and Brooklyn? There’s no great wall or border patrol to mark the line between Brooklyn and Queens. The Queens-Brooklyn border issue has been confounding the two boroughs, especially residents of Ridgewood and Bushwick, for hundreds of years.
Gothamist has put together a list of the 7 Best Buskers in NYC and we’re happy to say that buskers from Queens made the cut.
First up is Natalia Paruz, better known as The Saw Lady. You’ll find her playing her musical saw throughout the subway system, the hauntingly beautiful sounds emanating throughout any particular station. (more…)
We recently read A Newbie’s Guide to Bushwick Subway Stops from Bushwick Daily and we liked it so much, we decided to do our own version for Astoria. Here, we present a brief subway stop by subway stop breakdown of where to live and why. We start with the N/Q in Astoria (Astoria is also served by the M/R – more on that at another time).
In general, rents throughout Astoria run about around $1,600 for a one bedroom and $2,000 for a two bedroom, but of course there are exceptions to that on either end of the pricing spectrum. New construction tends to be more expensive than older construction, and rather than big developments, Astoria has a lot of infill construction, which affects rents as well.
Wine bar recommendations for central and eastern Queens
Our own Danielle McClure has put together an article on wine bars further out into Queens, that’s making us want to enjoy a glass right now! All are worth checking out - Danny Brown, Jack and Nellie’s, Uvarara, and Fino are on the list, and along with your wine, enjoy some nibbles – all spots serve tasty treats. Enjoy!
Astorian saves man who fell on subway tracks
We’re not sure why there seems to be an uptick in folks falling (or being pushed) onto the subway tracks, but it sure is a head scratcher – there hasn’t been this amount of news in such a short period of time on the subject for quite some time. In that vein, we heard about another incident, where an elderly man fell on the tracks at the 59th Street/Lexington subway station around 4pm, Friday, January 18. And then Astorian Ramiro Ocasio jumped down and saved the guy! About his bravery, he said “I grabbed him by his collar and his pants and threw him to the platform. Don’t ask me how because I’m not a strong dude.” He couldn’t get back on the platform himself, so then four or five other people helped him up. A Q train came by about 10 seconds later. Wow. Such an amazing story!!
Flushing, Queens is the cradle of the gay rights movement
We really enjoyed reading a NYT City Room post about Jeanne and Jules Manford, two parents of a politically active gay son, who in the early 19702 started the group Parents of Gays (hear President Obama talk about this), which then became PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) later. They never wavered in support of their son, and helped other gay youth and their parents with support and counsel. And it happened right here in Flushing, Queens. Jeanne recently died at age 92, but her legacy lives on.
The Happy Hour Guys visit SingleCut
The Happy Hour Guys visited SingleCut with their own brand of humor, peppered with lots of interesting info. And beer… delicious, delicious beer. And they’ve announced the first food addition to the SingleCut scene – meat pies! Should be yummy with the fab beer they make. Enjoy!
Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Awards and Reception was recently held
Last Thursday, January 17, the Queens Chamber of Commerce held their annual Building Awards and Reception at the LaGuardia Mariott Hotel (which we recently told you had been sold for $22 million). There were 21 winners in the following categories - new construction; rehabilitation, re-adaptive use, alteration or addition; interiors; and public work, infrastructure and civil projects. Infamous developer Joseph Pistilli was given the Lifetime Achievement Award and Resorts World Casino New York City was inducted into the Building Awards Hall of Fame.
Damage on the New York City Subway’s Rockaway Line (A train), shortly after Hurricane Sandy came through. Photo: MTA New York City Transit / Leonard Wiggins
The folks who run the Rockaway Emergency Plan posted an update on the A train track work scheduled for this winter. Work that was originally planned for later this year has been bumped up to and earlier timeframe, which is good news for the area. (more…)
For a while construction has been humming along 31st Street just around the corner from Bohemian Hall and just south of the Peter Vallone Sr. school (PS 85). Located at 23-88 31st Street (GMAP,) it’s going to be a 32,122 square foot, seven story mixed used building – residences and commercial. There was a 2 story house there originally, a very boxy brick building, that was demolished two summers ago. In its place will be 28 residential units and 14 enclosed parking spaces. The commercial part (office and retail) will take up about 9,000 square feet.
If you’re riding the subway on a Sunday during holiday season, you might be in for a treat. From Queens Plaza in LIC to 2nd Ave in Manhattan, the MTA is replacing the M train with a vintage train, featuring cars dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. We took a ride this past weekend and it was a lot of fun.
