Category Archives: Forest Hills
Shoppers looking to buy some fresh and healthy produce will soon have that opportunity while enjoying some fresh air. Beginning this July, an outdoor green market will be coming to Forest Hills. Community Board 6 (CB 6) voted to approve the market at its meeting on Wednesday, May 9. According to Frank Gulluscio, district manager of CB 6, the green market will be on Queens Boulevard near the Forest Hills post office and the Forest Hills Jewish Center. It will … Continue reading
The building that houses New York’s bravest in Forest Hills could be added to the list of New York City landmarks if it gets the approval of a city agency and the City Council. Engine 305, a firehouse on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, has been nominated for landmark status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The facility was built between 1922 and 1924, and was intended to serve the population boom of that neighborhood during that time. It had … Continue reading
Every year for the past five years, Queens fights for its libraries. Council members, the borough president, Queens Library employees— anyone who can read and wants a place to do it—take to the steps of their libraries and city hall. This year is no different, except there’s more on the line. Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his executive budget last week, and in it he proposed a $26.7 million cut to the Queens Library— a 31 percent reduction from last … Continue reading
The Forest Park Civic Association’s inaugural meeting started with politics last week on Wednesday, May 2. The organization is trying to be an umbrella group for civics around Forest Park. It began to find its feet, searched for a core group of supporters and heard from all the candidates running for the area’s congressional seat. “This meeting is more or less to get to know each other, introduce ourselves to each other,” said the 26-year-old leader of the group, Paul … Continue reading
As another way to drum up support for a possible new transportation option in Queens, one local legislator has turned to the internet to gather signatures. Asssemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway) recently launched a petition on his assembly website to get community support for restoring the Rockaway Beach Rail Line, which would stretch 3.5 miles starting from Rego Park and continuing through the Rockaways. The rail, which would come across the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) line, has been inactive since … Continue reading
Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) and the Forest Hills Civic Association (FHCA) both announced Tuesday night that they are ready to fight against the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Rail Line that some state assemblymen have called for recently. That Long Island Rail Road line has been inactive since 1962. It runs from Forest Hills and Rego Park south to the Rockaways. In recent months, assemblymen Phillip Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) and Mike Miller (D-Glendale) have advocated revitalizing the line. They … Continue reading
Complaints have long been lodged about parking abuse by privileged officials who display city-issued permits in the front window of their vehicles and occupy parking spots clearly marked as no standing any time zones. Residents near Kew Gardens Road and 84th Road in Forest Hills say they know first-hand about the placard abuse—with at least three cars regularly parked in the clearly marked stretch every day. The problem, according to those that live in the area, is that after confirming … Continue reading
Police are searching for a woman that stole $50,000 worth of diamonds from a Forest Hills jewelry seller, according to published reports. On April 27, the NYPD released surveillance pictures of Erika Cooper, leaving the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Manhattan and asked the public for help locating her. Police said that Cooper—also known as Bianca Williams—stole property from her victim just after midnight while he was asleep in his room at the Cosmopolitan, 95 West Broadway. Police also noted that they … Continue reading
The Forest Park Greenhouse, which for over a century has been a haven to flowers and plants that are shipped off to all parts of Queens, has gotten a multi-million dollar facelift. City and local officials had the chance to show off the renovated the agricultural facility at a ceremony outside the greenhouse on Monday, April 30th. The ceremony celebrated the $3.8 million reconstruction of two sections of the greenhouse, which was built between 1904 and 1905. New York City … Continue reading
Twenty-six-year-old Paul Gagliardotto said he’s long been politically active. He’s participated in local party politics to try to make a difference around his neighborhood in Glendale. But since the recent redistricting process chopped up Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Glendale and other areas situated around Forest Park, Gagliardotto saw unified power on the local level dwindling. That’s why Gagliardotto is taking a step back from political activism and going grassroots. He’s starting the Forest Park Civic Association—a new civic group that had … Continue reading
Residents andpublic officials got their chance to speak up on Thursday, April 26 against a New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) plan, which would increase water rates 7 percent for the upcoming fiscal year. In one of five meetings it held throughout New York City, the DEP presented its water rate hike plan at Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Carter Strickland, commissioner of DEP, said that the main reason for the hike is to cover … Continue reading
It’s been a decade of flavor for Queens Taste. The annual event lets attendees try a morsel of food from restaurants all around the borough. And this year, the Queens Economic Development Corporation marked the tenth year of the event’s existence at Citi Field. Business owners, community leaders, restaurateurs and foodies got a culinary tour of Queens with dozens of restaurants offering tasting. The event also celebrated the 35th anniversary of the corporation, which awarded StartUP awards to promising business … Continue reading
People who have had their iPhone stolen know it happens all too quickly. In less than a minute, they go from having their face buried in their phone, checking text messages or surfing the internet, to having it snatched out of their hands and never seeing it again. Police officers have been warning residents of a spike in robberies of Apple products, and trying to get the word out that there are things you can do to make sure the … Continue reading
Crime is a mixed bag in Forest Hills and Rego Park, with two crimes on the rise and two others seeing a decrease, according to the latest crime statistics from the 112th Precinct announced at April’s 112th Precinct Community Council meeting. Deputy Inspector Christopher Tamola, commanding officer of the 112th, first spoke about two anti-semitic graffiti incidents that happened over the past month. The most recent one occurred on Friday, April 13, when police found a spray-painted swastika and racial … Continue reading
Police are asking for the public’s help finding a woman who disappeared after leaving her home in Forest Hills one evening more than a week ago. Lina Rafailova, 32, was last seen leaving her residence at 77-34 Austin Street on Friday, April 13 at 8 p.m. Police described Rafailova as white, 140 pounds and 5 feet 3 inches tall. She has brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing a green sweat suit with black Nike sneakers and a black hat … Continue reading