LICNYC

Volunteers from the 2016 cheering station interacting with NYC Marathon runners (Queens Center for Progress)

Nov. 2, 2017 by Nathaly Pesantez

COURT SQUARE — A “cheering station” will be set up in Court Square during the Nov. 5 TCS New York City Marathon to encourage runners passing through Queens, fresh off the race’s halfway mark.

The station will be set up at 44th Drive and 21st Street, where volunteers can sign up to cheer on the hoards of runners making their way through Long Island City before reaching the Queensboro Bridge. The runners enter the neighborhood after passing the 13.1 mile mark at the Pulaski Bridge and go through sections like Jackson Avenue, Vernon Boulevard, 44th Road, and Crescent Street.

The 2017 TCS New York City Marathon course map, zoomed in on Long Island City. (New York Road Runners)

Orange and blue pompoms, balloons, cowbells, whistles, rattles, and more will be on hand for volunteers to use, who can sign up to cheer in two shifts, one from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and another from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The station, in its third year, was devised by the Queens Center for Progress and the Queens Tourism Council, part of the Queens Economic Development Corporation.

Rob MacKay, director of public relations for the QEDC, says the cheering station was partly organized in an effort to liven the brief time the runners spend in Queens in a moment of the race he calls a “perfect negative storm.”

“When you go into Queens you’re about exactly halfway, and runners say that that’s exactly when things go bad,” MacKay said. “The adrenaline and early energy have left, and you realize you have all this time to go.”

MacKay added that Queens doesn’t put out a crowd of spectators during the event like the other boroughs do, noting the lines of fans along the large stretch of 4th Avenue in Brooklyn and the hype of Manhattan’s Central Park. “We came up with the idea of having a cheer station to represent the borough,” MacKay said.

One runner, however, with seven New York City marathons to her name, said that sight on Vernon Boulevard after coming off the Pulaski is welcoming.

“The crowds when you first get over the Pulaski are wonderful, as are the spectators on Vernon” said Heather Laurel, a music theory professor based in New York City and member of the Woodside-Sunnyside Runners group.

NYC Marathon runners on Vernon Boulevard and 46th Avenue in 2015. Spectators often line up on the long stretch of Vernon Boulevard for the race. (Photo by Jack Zalium)

Last year’s cheer station saw about 75 volunteers throughout the course of the race, including MacKay. “I end up being more tired than the marathon runners at the end,” he said.

Interested volunteers can sign up with the Queens Center for Progress for the event.

The 2017 TCS New York City Marathon, a 26.2-mile race and “block party”, is expected to see over 50,000 runners and close to one million spectators across the city. A list of all street closures can be viewed here.

A 50-year-old Long Island City resident whose car was hit pelted with eggs by teenagers on Halloween night retaliated by running over a 17-year-old with his car.

According to police, Keith Richard was driving a 2008 Dodge caravan when he started arguing with teenagers who had vandalized his car at the intersection of 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue at about 8:19 p.m.

Richard started following the teenagers, making a U-turn on 23rd Street and then turning right on Jackson Avenue onto the sidewalk, where the group was trying to run away.

He slammed into the group, hitting 17-year-old Christopher Miraba, according to Queens District Attorney Ricard A. Brown. Richardreversed his car and intentionally hit Miraba for a second time before putting his car into drive and hitting him for a third time.

When a bystander approached the vehicle and told Richardson he had killed a person, Richard allegedly said, “That’s what happens.”

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the teenager on the ground with a fractured skull base, multiple spinal fractures, bruised lungs, a broken right femur, a pelvic fracture and a broken right ankle.He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition.

Police said Richardson was arrested soon after near a Bank of America at 24-10 Jackson Ave., a short distance from his home.

He was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting serious physical injury and reckless driving. Richard faces up to 25 years in prison and was ordered to return to court on Nov. 14.

DNAinfo/Alan Neuhauser

LONG ISLAND CITY — The driver who ran over a 17-year-old for egging his car on Halloween night told a shocked witness “that’s what happens” after repeatedly crushing the teen under the wheels of his minivan, leaving him with skull and spinal fractures, authorities said.

Keith Richard, 50, of Long Island City, was arraigned Wednesday on attempted murder and other charges following the incident Tuesday night, in which he pulled a U-turn to drive his Dodge minivan onto the sidewalk on Jackson Avenue near 23rd Street and struck the teen, who was with a group egging his car, police said.

► READ MORE: Driver Mows Down Teen Who Threw Eggs at His Car on Halloween, Police Say

An eyewitness told police that after Richard ran over the victim, he reversed his van over him again before driving forward over the teen a third time, according to the criminal complaint. 

Richard stopped his minivan about half a block away, where the bystander told him that he might have killed the teen, the complaint says.

“That’s what happens,” Richard replied, according to the complaint.

The teen was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and treated for a fractured skull base, multiple spinal fractures, bruised lungs, a broken right femur, a pelvic fracture and a broken right ankle, officials said.

Richard fled the scene but was arrested shortly after, police said. He was charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, leaving the scene of an incident and reckless driving. 

He was ordered held without bail and is due back in court Nov. 14, records show.

Richard’s defense attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. 

A nonprofit in Long Island City that provides free access to the arts is looking for funding to continue its work in the neighborhood.

Long Island City Artists (LIC-A), which was established in 1986, operates out of a 12,000-square-foot space provided by a plastics manufacturing company, Plaxall, last October.

Since then, LIC-A has used the space to display artwork, host dance, music and theater performances, provide free drawing classes, children’s art workshops, tours for  English as a Second Language students from LaGuardia College and more.

But according to Edjo Wheeler, artistic director for LIC-A, funding has dried up and unless they get help from the community, it won’t be possible to run these programs.

“We love this neighborhood,” he said. “We want to serve the community. We just can’t do it without some help. Our volunteers are really getting burned out. They all have rents and jobs. They have other lives and it’s a lot to ask someone to donate 20 hours a week to keep the place running.”

A Kickstarter page has been established and the group hopes to raise $15,000 by Nov. 10. So far, $6,593 have been raised. If all $15,000 isn’t raised those who have donated will get their money back.

People who donate will receive prizes such as t-shirts, pins, artwork by LIC-A artists, tickets to a dinner party and more.

The money will help the group hire a director that can run day-to-day operations, provide monthly stipends to volunteers, cover expenses like supplies for free art classes, computers, Wi-Fi, furniture and more.

“People can come and see beautiful art by mostly local artists,” Wheeler said. “They can see dance, full theatrical runs and we are also expanding and we want to provide studio space for artists to use who have lost their studios. We’re a community arts center and we want to continue to provide these free services to the community.” 

LIC-A, which boasts more than 180 members, has seen its membership double since it acquired the Plaxall Gallery. Despite its deep roots in the community, Wheeler said that it’s been “challenging” to raise money. The organization currently has enough money to continue its programs until the end of the year.

“We don’t have enough volunteers to cover everything we want to do so we’re going to have to start cutting back,” he said.

If the money isn’t raised the free programming will be difficult to continue, he said.

“We doubled in membership since we started running the Plaxall Gallery so we definitely have really strong forward momentum,” he said. “More and more people are coming to us with proposals and ideas for performances. I think we’re doing amazing things and we want to continue to do amazing things.”

To donate, visit the organization’s Kickstarter page.

Rendering of Vernon Tower, via PACS Architecture and Excel Development

On Monday, the lottery opens for 21 affordable units in a new luxury residential building located on the border of the trendy Queens neighborhoods of Astoria and Long Island City. The mixed-use rental at 11-06 31st Drive, called the Vernon Tower despite being just eight-stories, sits directly across from Socrates Sculpture Park and just a few blocks from the Noguchi Museum and waterfront promenade. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from $867/month studios to $1,123/month two-bedrooms.

Unit renderings from 2016 of Vernon Tower apartment, via PACS Architecture and Excel Development. These are for marketing purposes only and do not reflect the specific units available through the lottery.

Rendering from 2016 of Vernon Tower roof deck, via PACS Architecture and Excel Development

In addition to the 105 apartments, the building, developed by Excel Development Group and designed by PACS Architecture, includes 1,500 square feet of retail space. Residents of Vernon Tower can enjoy a well-equipped fitness center, landscaped green roof deck, a recreation room, bike storage and in-unit washer/dryer. A 24-hour doorman will be stationed in the lobby as well as a hi-tech security system throughout.

The waterfront property overlooks Socrates Sculpture Park and sits near the site of the Welling Court Mural Project and plenty of restaurants and shops. It’s nearest to the N and W trains.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments until January 8, 2018. Residents of Queens Community Board 1 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city. And find future market-rate listings for the Vernon Tower here.

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Tags :
11-06 31st Drive, PACS Architecture, vernon tower

Neighborhoods :
Astoria,Long Island City

When Joffrey Ballet School was looking for a new space, they searched all over Manhattan south of 120th street and in Brooklyn neighborhoods of Dumbo and Williamsburg. They consistently encountered two problems — price and finding space that met their physical requirements.

“We need large open spaces with high ceilings,” says Lee Merwin, the school’s director of operations.

But such spaces in Manhattan have become increasingly scarce. “Many arts organizations are moving out of Manhattan into the outer boroughs because the rent is simply becoming unaffordable,” he says.

The boutique Zipper Building, at 47-10 – 47-16 Austell Place in Long Island City, suited their needs.

They also liked the fact that at less than 60,000 square feet, the Zipper Building didn’t swallow them up. That’s what also resonated with David Yang, co-founder and creative officer for the Coalition for Queens (C4Q), when he was looking to relocate from another Long Island City location.

“We wanted our new space to become a hub for tech,” he says, “with the ability to create flexible environments for us, including students having 24/7 access.”

To accommodate their physical requirements, Yang and his team have worked closely with Vanbarton Group, the building’s management. “It’s been invaluable to be able to work directly with management but also with their team of designers, engineers, and contractors.”

Of course, being in Long Island City is another amenity — close to transportation, and in the middle of the City’s most booming development.

“There’s an incredible number of families moving into all the new high rises in the area,” says Merwin, “which is exciting for our after-school programming.”

Yang likes the bustle of the area. “For a building of this modest size there’s a lot of activity, from our students coming in and out, the ballerinas from Joffrey, and the food production with [fellow tenant] Dr. Smood,” he says.

Indeed, the Zipper Building is a bustling center of mixed-use commercial and cultural activity that greatly adds to LIC’s growing vibrancy.

“There’s a vibrant dance and arts community in the area,” adds Merwin. “In many ways it’s similar to Williamsburg before Williamsburg became Williamsburg.”

Zipper Building @ Austell Place, which is located between 27th Street and Skillman Avenue, is close to Hunters Point Avenue subway station and the Hunters Point Avenue LIRR.

Currently, two bays on the ground floor are available, which can be leased individually or combined. On the third floor, three units are available, ranging from 2,000 to 12,000 square feet, with ability to divide to suit potential tenant’s needs and communal spaces including a conference room and pantry.

For more information, click here.

A 50-year-old Long Island City resident whose car was hit pelted with eggs by teenagers on Halloween night retaliated by running over a 17-year-old with his car.

According to police, Keith Richard was driving a 2008 Dodge caravan when he started arguing with teenagers who had vandalized his car at the intersection of 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue at about 8:19 p.m.

Richardson started following the teenagers, making a U-turn on 23rd Street and then turning right on Jackson Avenue onto the sidewalk, where the group was trying to run away.

He slammed into the group, hitting a 17-year-old whose identity has not been released, police said. Richardson fled eastbound on Jackson Avenue.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the teenager on the ground with head and body trauma. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition.

According to the Daily News, the teenager’s name is Christopher Miraba; he suffered a broken leg, a broken pelvis, a fractured skull and bruised lungs.

Police said Richardson was arrested soon after near a Bank of America at 24-10 Jackson Ave., a short distance from his home.

He was charged with attempted murder, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, vehicular assault and reckless driving. Richardson has not been arraigned, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

LONG ISLAND CITY — A pair of photographs worth $100,000 were swiped from MoMA PS1 in Queens, the NYPD said.

The museum’s director, who closed the facility on Sunday night, arrived at the Long Island City building at 22-25 Jackson Ave. around 11 a.m. Monday to discover the pricey images missing, police said. 

There were no signs of forced entry at the site, and the building’s security alarm never went off, an NYPD spokesman said. 

Police did not have additional details on what the photos featured or where they had been displayed in the museum.

A MoMA PS1 spokeswoman declined to comment on the theft, citing the ongoing police investigation. 

The museum is an affiliate exhibition space of the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.