BQE Admin, Author at LIC Journal

Mighty Oak Hosts Curley’s Bagels for Anniversary Pop-Up

BQE Admin on May 18, 2026

Astoria coffee favorite Mighty Oak Roasters celebrated its 7-year anniversary this past weekend by teaming up with Curley’s Bagels for a special one-day pop-up that brought together two beloved Queens brands.

The event drew a steady crowd of locals who stopped by the café for fresh bagels, specialty schmears, and Mighty Oak’s signature wood-roasted coffee, turning an ordinary Sunday morning into a neighborhood celebration.

Now marking its 7-year anniversary, Mighty Oak has evolved from a neighborhood favorite into one of Queens’ most respected specialty coffee brands. Known for its wood-roasting process—an old-world technique that creates a smoother, more balanced cup—the company has developed a loyal following both in-store and nationwide through direct-to-consumer coffee sales. Its wholesale program has also expanded significantly, supplying beans to cafés and restaurants across New York City.

“Our goal has always been to create something that feels both rooted in tradition and forward-thinking,” partners Peter Moses and Sean Donnelly said. “Reaching seven years was a big moment for us, and collaborations like this were a way to celebrate with the community that supported us from day one.”

That community-first mindset made Curley’s Bagels a natural fit for the celebration. The Sunnyside-based bagel company has quickly built a strong reputation for its high quality sourdough bagels, creative flavors, and neighborhood-focused approach. From classic plain and everything bagels to rosemary salt and jalapeño cheddar varieties, Curley’s has become one of the borough’s fastest-rising bagel brands.

“We were excited to bring Curley’s to Astoria and be part of Mighty Oak’s anniversary,” said Mark Curley. “It’s always about creating something fresh for the community and teaming up with brands that share that same energy.”

“There’s something really special about seeing people come together over good coffee, great food, and small businesses supporting one another,” said Bridget Kane, wife of Mark Curley and a founding member of the Curley’s Team. “That’s the kind of atmosphere we’re always excited to be part of,” she added.

One of the highlights of the event was the “New Yorker,” a classic combination of cream cheese, sliced lox, tomato, red onion, and capers that paired perfectly with a cup of Mighty Oak’s coffee. With bagels starting at just $2 and limited quantities available, many items sold out quickly as crowds continued flowing through the café throughout the morning.

For longtime Astoria residents, the anniversary event reflected exactly why Mighty Oak has remained such an important neighborhood staple over the years.

“Mighty Oak has become part of the fabric of Astoria,” said local resident Marc Heller. “The coffee is consistently some of the best in Queens, but it’s also the atmosphere and the people that keep everyone coming back. It’s the kind of place that makes the neighborhood feel like home.”

Beyond its signature wood-roasted coffee program, Mighty Oak Roasters has become especially popular for its rotating lineup of single-origin coffees and carefully crafted house blends. Favorites include the award winning Victor Morera from Colombia, Kiangoi from Kenya, and Juan Lucas roast alongside their well-known Espresso No. 1 blend and locally loved cold brew. You can purchase Mighty Oak coffee delivered to your home on their website.

The café also pairs its coffee program with pastries from Masa Madre, the acclaimed Latin-inspired bakery known for items like guava and cheese pastries, conchas, croissants, and seasonal specialty baked goods that have become a staple behind the counter in Astoria.

Events like the Curley’s collaboration continued to showcase what makes Queens’ food scene so unique: community-driven businesses supporting one another while creating experiences that bring neighbors together. Seven years after first opening its doors, Mighty Oak’s success story appeared to be about much more than coffee—it was about building a lasting community hub in the heart of Astoria.

The Mystery Grave of 30th Drive

BQE Admin on May 18, 2026

The headstone of William Barry, discovered on Raffaele Mollica’s property. Photos via Alan Arichavala.

The long lost story of Revolutionary War officer William Barry, who was laid to rest in what is now the side yard of Raffaele Mollica’s unassuming Astoria home.

BY ALAN ARICHAVALA

news@queensledger.com

ASTORIA — On 30th Drive by Vernon Boulevard, there stands a row of Victorian-era wood-frame homes. One of them is owned by Raffaele Mollica, a long-time Astoria resident who immigrated with his family from Sicily at just ten years old.

Known to friends and family as Ralph, Mollica built a respected career as a custom wig maker, working for renowned names such as Vidal Sassoon and Elizabeth Arden before opening his own studio on the Upper East Side in 1975. In 1982, Mollica purchased the house where he still lives today.

In the early 1990s, Mollica began a major landscaping project on the property’s side yard, which sat atop a small hill. The project included excavating large amounts of dirt, sand, and stone to create a street-level parking lot along with terraced gardens and steps to the backyard.

Buried several feet beneath the surface, lying flat in the earth, workers uncovered a marble slab etched with decorative carvings.

Recognizing the object’s possible historical significance, Mollica contacted the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Members of the society immediately suspected the slab was a gravestone and soon after contacted gravestone historian Elise Madeleine Ciregna for consultation. Ciregna and her colleagues concluded that the artifact was likely an 18th-century headstone.

Yet one mystery remained: if this was indeed a gravestone, who had it meant to honor? The marble slab bore no name.

Historian Alan Arichavala (left) and Raffaele Mollica (right).

After much research, a newspaper article from 1781 was uncovered. The article details a funeral service held by British Army officers and presided over by the Reverend Josiah Bloom of St. James Church in Flushing. The funeral was held to honor an officer named William Barry, a fascinating yet troubled figure whose origins remain largely unknown. It is speculated he was a member of a family of minor Irish Protestant gentry, although he faced slim opportunities in Ireland. With little else to look forward to, Barry joined the Prussian Army which was known for its brutal discipline and harsh training methods.

In 1778, Barry resigned from the Prussian Army and joined the British Army, purchasing a commission as a Lieutenant with the King’s Orange Rangers. Barry was sent to fight against the rebelling colonists in what would become the American War of Independence. He saw action in the Portsmouth Expedition of 1779 and the Siege of Charleston in 1780. Later, he would become a Captain in the Volunteers of Ireland.

Despite his active military career, Barry’s service record was marred by his erratic behavior. During the Charleston siege, he reportedly disappeared for stretches of time, only to return at one point without his horse or equipment. His superiors eventually brought him before a court martial, where he was guilty of wanton desertion and other unspecified offences.

Some historians speculate that these incidents were tied to Barry’s fondness of heavy drinking and extravagant socializing—not unusual for 18th-century army officers — but enough to damage his reputation. Facing disciplinary action, Barry resigned from his Captain’s commission.

By 1781, with the Revolutionary War turning against the British, experienced officers and men were in short supply. Barry obtained a Lieutenant’s commission with the Loyal Foresters, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Connelly, a provincial Loyalist unit tasked with auxiliaryduties in New York and New Jersey.

Despite his checkered career, Barry was known for the bacchanalia-filled parties he hosted for his fellow officers in British-occupied Queens, which saw a number of British and Hessian regiments stationed across its villages and hamlets. In the autumn of 1781, Barry suddenly fell ill and died shortly afterwards. His death came as a shock to his fellow officers, who had enjoyed his companionship and hospitality.

It is said that the officers purchased a marble slab and carved it with decorative designs, though Barry’s name was not etched into the stone. It is instead believed that his name was painted onto the surface, only to fade away with time and exposure.

As the decades passed, Barry’s grave—and his story—slipped into obscurity until it was rediscovered by Mollica. Although no trace of Barry’s remains were ever found on the site, Bob

Singleton of the Greater Astoria Historical Society has speculated that the remains may have been mixed into the soil later transported to Socrates Sculpture Park for landfill use. Today, the weathered and nameless slab survives as one of the few lingering reminders of a long–forgotten officer and the turbulent American Revolution in Queens.

LIC Feral Feeders Seeks Support

BQE Admin on May 13, 2026

Photo via LIC Feral Feeders.

BY COLE SINANIAN

cole@queensledger.com

SUNNYSIDE — Long Island City has transformed into a forest of glass skyscrapers in recent years, but have you ever wondered where all the street cats went?

As Western Queens resident Victoria Koulouris explained at a Queens Community Board 2 meeting in Sunnyside on May 7, street cats live in colonies, and when these colonies are disturbed by developments, the cats, like people, are displaced.

“This is probably one of the biggest impacts that I felt having grown up in Long Island City, is seeing that the colonies that we’ve been caring for for the last 10 years have really sort of disappeared,” she said. “Where do those cats go?”

Recent estimates have put the citywide street cat population at somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million and counting. In response to this booming population, Koulouris founded a nonprofit called LIC Feral Feeders that serves these displaced felines. Her organization has mobilized a team of 170 volunteers that help feed and care for the area’s unhoused cats while tackling their booming population through a trap, neuter and release program (TNR).

“We are going outside and we are finding cats that are in need,” Koulouris said. “Cats that live outdoors that don’t have any services. Cats that are reproducing like crazy and trying to get control over the population in Western Queens and beyond.”

In 2024, LIC Feral Feeders spayed and neutered a total of 240 cats, a number that jumped to 590 in 2025, while adoption rates increased too, with 72 adopted in 2024 and 151 adopted in 2025.

“When they look like they are in need of medical help, we bring them to a vet,” she continued. “We also find cats that look like they’re friendly and possibly could be adopted.”

While the organization is growing with the help of groups like Cultural Lab LIC, the ASPCA, Materials for the Arts, the Queens Public Library and others, with growth comes greater needs. Currently, the group has no formal headquarters, relying on partnerships, pop-up events and help from the Long Island City ASPCA. LIC Feral Feeders has primarily operated its foster system out of volunteers’ homes and temporary spaces around Queens, but is now in the process of moving into an already acquired, 400 square-foot space in Hunters Point, which will allow them to expand their services and reach in Long Island City.

As LIC Feral Feeders Director of Operations Jannatul Ahmed explained, the new space will allow the organization to provide low-cost spay and neutering services to cat owners in the community who can’t afford to have their pets fixed.

“So much of pet veterinary care has become privatized, owned by private equity and it’s not good for us, not good for our community members,” said Ahmed.

“We need all kinds of volunteers, fosters especially, “ she added. “But for this project, we’re really looking for somebody who can lend their expertise, their time, their money. All help is welcomed.”

ASTORIA STREET SPECTATOR: The Great Astorian Diner

BQE Admin on May 13, 2026

The Neptune Diner in all its former glory. Photo via @dinersofnyc on Instagram.

Diners kind of suck — and that’s why we miss them when they close.

NICOLAS STERGIOU | nicolas.stergiou@gmail.com

Producer, Social Media Manager, labor Organizer, and Unofficial “Astoria Street Spectator.

Last week, Astorians watched as Neptune Diner was bulldozed after being forced to close in July 2024 after 40 years. Almost immediately, the photos and videos of remnants started making their rounds online.

I was doomscrolling through AstoriaCentric on Facebook after Neptune Diner was demolished when I saw people commenting about how sad it was seeing old photo frames and pieces of brick sitting in the rubble. Then someone commented: “It wasn’t even good anyway.”

Earlier this week, I also came across another “What Astoria place do you miss the most?” post on the r/Astoria subreddit. The original poster and several comments mentioned Mike’s Diner, alongside nostalgic names like Igloo Cafe and Fatty’s. And of course there was an honorable mention of Neptune diner’s Avgolemono, their classic Greek lemon chicken soup

But I think people are misunderstanding the point of a diner. Diners are not supposed to be “good.” They’re supposed to be THERE. They are part of our neighborhood infrastructure.

No disrespect to diner workers. Hear me out.

Diners were never meant to compete with Michelin-star restaurants or trendy brunch spots with reclaimed wood tables. Diners are “good” in a different way. They’re dependable. They’re open at weird hours. They exist for regular people. They’re fine. A different kind of “fine” dining.

In Astoria, diners have always been part of our neighborhood’s infrastructure. Right alongside laundromats, corner stores, and old timers arguing on plastic lawn chairs about bike lanes. You knew diners would be there after a night out, after a breakup, or during a brutal hangover when your body was rejecting every decision you made the night before.

And when nobody could decide what they wanted to eat, diners solved the problem by saying: “Fine. We have everything.”

As a 2nd Generation Greek-American, diners have always felt culturally familiar to me. Greek families helped shape diner culture throughout New York City for decades. Big menus. Long hours. Fast coffee refills. Places built for workers, night owls, families, and people who just needed somewhere to sit for a while.

Astoria especially became tied to that culture. As the neighborhood grew into one of the largest Greek communities in America during the 1960s and 70s, Greek-owned diners became gathering places for workers, families, late-night crowds, and regulars who treated them almost like extensions of their living rooms. Over time, the classic Queens diner became so recognizable it even appeared in pop culture staples like Jackson Hole in Goodfellas. I think younger generations (my own included) sometimes miss the point of diners because we grew up during the rise of “food culture.” Everything now has to be optimized, aesthetic, and “TikTok ready”. Everyone’s chasing the perfect brunch spot or the hidden gem.

But diners operate under a different philosophy.

You can’t serve pancakes, burgers, chicken, a milkshakes, cheesecake, and breakfast at 3 a.m. and expect every item to taste handcrafted by an artisan chef.

The deal is FREEDOM. (Cue American Eagle “SCREEEEE”)

What if I want waffles with my steak? Or an egg in my burger? Or pasta and a gyro AT THE SAME TIME? Diners let people do that. Beautiful working-class chaos.

One of my favorite diner memories happened after a snowstorm. My partner and I walked through a snowy 23rd Street while almost everything was closed–except Bel Aire Diner.

We walked in freezing cold and ordered pancakes, eggs, bottomless coffee, and chicken strips–because we’re adults. Nothing fancy. But I will always remember it because the diner felt like a safe harbor during chaos. The kind of place that quietly tells you: “Yep. The world’s a mess right now. Sit down. Coffee?”

And nowhere do I see diner culture more clearly than in my own industry.

I work in film production, and film crews here run on diner coffee and a filling breakfast. People glamorize the entertainment industry, but most crews operate more like blue-collar workers than celebrities. We wake up at absurd hours, work long shifts, and often report to a diner before sunrise to catch the company shuttle van to locations nowhere near public transportation.

If we were heading to Jersey, it’s Tick Tock Diner. Long Island? Kellogg’s Diner. For years, if we were heading north, it was Neptune Diner because the Triborough Bridge is RIGHT there. Many days in my early film career started before dawn at Neptune, coffee in hand before a 12-hour shoot day.

Part of my job sometimes is curating local recommendation lists for incoming producers and directors from Los Angeles. My restaurant suggestions often get rejected for not being trendy or upscale enough. It makes me feel defeated as a New Yorker.

But one thing that always stuck with me was working on “The Amazing Race.” The executive producer, Bertram van Munster — originally from the Netherlands — ALWAYS wanted to go to a diner. Not a rooftop. Not a tasting menu. An old-school “Great American Diner.” Something about that stayed with me. Here’s a guy who LITERALLY travels the world and still wants diner coffee in a thick white mug and fried eggs in New York.

I don’t think Americans realize how iconic diners are until somebody from somewhere else reminds us.

Because before a 14-hour workday, people need somewhere to sit quietly with coffee under fluorescent lights while questioning their life choices at 4:30 in the morning.

That’s diner culture. And sadly, that culture is disappearing. In fact, New York City has lost roughly 60% of its diners in less than 30 years. The classic neighborhood diner — once one of the defining symbols of New York life — is quietly disappearing in real time.

There are plenty of places left in Astoria to get a good meal. But there are fewer and fewer places that just let people exist without rushing them out the door.

That’s why watching Neptune get demolished felt emotional for so many people. Not because it had the best food in Queens. But because places like that quietly carry part of the neighborhood’s soul. And when one disappears, you realize diners were never really about the food. They’re about late nights. Early mornings. Coffee before work. Pancakes after heartbreak. Snowstorms. Hangovers. Film crews. Families. The working class.

They’re about New York.

They’re about America.

Enjoy them while you can, Astoria.

Sky Farm LIC Celebrates Major Upgrades

BQE Admin on May 6, 2026

Photo via Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens.

By COLE SINANIAN

cole@queensledger.com

LONG ISLAND CITY — On April 23 the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ) officially launched its new and improved Sky Farm LIC, a rooftop urban farm that provides thousands of pounds of fresh produce to the LIC and Astoria communities.

Situated atop the Standard Motors building at 21-12 30th Road, Sky Farm LIC is a one-acre rooftop farm and educational space where local students use organic farming techniques to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers in the summer and fall. About 75% of the produce goes to VBGCQ itself, while the rest gets donated to LaGuardia Community College and Astoria Food Pantry and shared with volunteers.

More than 4,000 pounds of food have been distributed and 1,200 community members have been served yearly since the Sky Farm’s opening in the summer of 2023. In addition to food, Sky Farm LIC offers after school programming, farm tours, and hosts field trips for schools from Queens and throughout New York.

Now, thanks to funding from the New York Power Authority (NYPA), Sky Farm LIC is getting major infrastructure upgrades like a greenhouse, a temperature controlled high-tunnel, a new enclosed wash and pack station, expanded electrical access, new irrigation systems, new walkway pavers, and a fully-equipped indoor classroom for cooking classes, energy education, and an expansion of art-based activities.

To celebrate the upgrades, community partners, elected officials, sponsors, supporters, and students gathered on the rooftop of the Standard Motors building Thursday.

Elected officials and community members present included Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung, Assemblymember Diana Moreno, Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, New York Power Authority CEO/President Justin Driscoll, Brooklyn/Queens Electrical Operations General Manager Zeffrey Frazier, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens CEO Costa Constantinides, Assemblymember Claire Valdez, Chief Operating Officer Hydro Quebec Energy Services Serge Abergel, and NYSERDA President/CEO Doreen Harris.

“New York’s clean energy transition is not just about infrastructure,” said Harris, “it’s also about making sure the benefits of a cleaner, healthier future are felt in every community – which is at the very heart of Sky Farm LIC’s mission.”

“As the farm blooms once again, we are grateful for The New York Power Authority’s critical investment in helping us build a new greenhouse, new high tunnel, improved pathways, reimagined learning space beneath the water tower, new plumbing and our newly christened Educational Center,” Constantinides added. “These investments will help SFLIC grow our reach to exceed the fantastic more than 4,500 pounds of food in 2025 and 1200 visitors served.”

Rockin’ with Rockweed: Exploring Local Biodiversity at Hunters Point Park

BQE Admin on May 5, 2026

BY MARYAM RAHAMAN

HUNTERS POINT — At the edge of Hunters Point Park South, most of the rocks are mossy green. Many of them are covered in layers of leafy rockweed, a kind of brown algae or seaweed that can be found throughout northeastern coastlines. Its name comes from the fact that it grows on hard surfaces, like rocks and shells.

Last Friday afternoon, the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy hosted a Rockweed workshop, dedicated to educating New Yorkers on the seaweed and giving them the opportunity to create their own rockweed art. It was one of eight events the Conservancy planned this April for Earth Month and held in collaboration with Biotech without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community-led biotechnology efforts.

“We were really looking at a balance of which communities we are serving and how we can connect with people to fulfill our tradition,” Jessica Sechrist, executive director of Hunters Point Parks, said, in regards to how the team designed programming for Earth Month.

Photos by Maryam Rahaman.

Lowell Iporac from Biotech without Borders led the workshop and provided background on rockweed. The algae provides shade and cooling for other organisms, meaning microhabitats can be found within rockweed. According to Iporac, one reason rockweed is so plentiful in New York is because its secretions make it not very appetizing for predators. Iporac does not recommend eating it because of the nutrients the rockweed absorbs. Also, Hunters Point Park is connected to the notoriously polluted waterway and Superfund site, Newtown Creek.

Because Sechrist and her colleague aren’t scientists, bringing in experts from groups like Biotech Without Borders is very important to her.

“That kind of like specialized knowledge, to be able to present it in a way that brings in an art focus and a hands on experience to make it feels much more accessible, while still giving very high quality information,” she added. “It’s just something that we’re really happy to be able to bring out.”

Between bursts of sunshowers on Friday, the workshop took a turn outside to go collect rockweed. Along the edge of the park, rockweed is married into every nook and cranny of the rocks right above the shoreline. A family of geese watched as Iporac ducked down to grab the seaweed from the slippery rocks.

After heading back inside with a bucket’s worth of rockweed, some pieces were placed under a microscope to view the microhabitats in full. At one point, the discovery of a tiny crab sent a wave of excitement through the room. As Iporac explained, three species of rockweed can be found in New York City: spiraled rockweed, bladder-wrack, and Y-shaped rockweed. The differences can be spotted based on the shapes. Y-shaped, the most common, was well-represented in the bucket.

The workshop then transitioned into making rockweed herbariums with the collected algae. Iporac demonstrated how to make no-stress rockweed presses using layers of newspaper, wax paper, watercolor paper, and cardboard. As one younger attendee aptly put it, the process is quite similar to making a burger. In a week’s time, the press will reveal a print of the preserved piece of rockweed.

Each participant left with at least one press, with several participants layering multiple on top of one another. This Thursday, the Hunters Point Conservancy will continue its Earth Month programming with a marsh cleanup to remove plastic that’s gone into the wetlands. An art opening will take place in the park post-cleanup.

Post-Earth Month, volunteers are also needed at Gantry Plaza State Park on May 2nd for I Love My Park Day, a statewide initiative. Adults can join the LIC Waterfront 5k Run/Walk on June 6th, while kids can participate in the dash right after. To learn more about events or sign up, visit hunterspointsparks.org.

ASTORIA STREET SPECTATOR: “Go Back to Hollywood”

BQE Admin on May 4, 2026

Kaufman Studios has operated in Astoria since the 1920s. (Photo via Wikimedia)

A film-production worker’s take on sharing space on Astoria’s increasingly busy streets.

NICOLAS STERGIOU | nicolas.stergiou@gmail.com

Producer, Social Media Manager, labor Organizer, and Unofficial “Astoria Street Spectator.”

I’m one of the crew members on those pesky film sets and I hear this all the time. From drivers to cyclists and pedestrians alike–we are a minority that manages to annoy all three. But here’s the thing: most of us are from here and live here in NYC. And yeah – the frustration that comes when a truck blocks a bike lane, I get it.

And with productions like The Exorcist shooting around Astoria lately, it’s not exactly subtle when a block gets taken over.

You know how to get to Sesame Street? Take the N to 36th Avenue or the R/M to Steinway. They shoot at Kaufman Astoria Studios. That’s not Hollywood. That’s Astoria baby. Did you know the first Nickelodeon theater was in Astoria? It wasn’t—it was Pittsburgh. But you believed me for a second. Still, “Nickelodeon” comes from the Greek word “odeon”… and Astoria’s still pretty Greek last time I checked. “THERE YA GO!”

Film history and Astoria have always been closer than people think. Most of what you’re seeing on your block isn’t even a movie. It’s more likely a commercial, a TikTok campaign, a TV spot, or something you’ll scroll past in five seconds. Those trucks and vans are holding lights, cameras, wardrobe, and catering—everything needed to make that content. The people inside them are your neighbors. It might look like chaos, but it’s organized and necessary chaos for us to do our jobs properly and safely.

We hire locally, too. Background actors come from companies like Central Casting and Background Inc., and many of them live right here in Astoria. When I worked at Sesame Street we regularly got catered meals from Napoli, Pollos Mario Astoria Restaurant, and Chicken Shack. This neighborhood has long been a hub for working actors, rental houses, and crew because it’s a bit more affordable and well-connected. Astoria isn’t just part of film history—it helped build it.

But the industry is changing fast. What used to be “film” is now “content.” It’s faster, smaller, and increasingly vertical. Attention spans are shorter. At the same time, costs in New York are rising, AI is replacing parts of the process, and crews are shrinking. As Bernie Sanders often says, AI should benefit workers and not just billionaires. Right now, it doesn’t. Our days are getting cut, but the workload isn’t getting lighter.

A film crew on 30th Street. (Photo via Astoria Community Connect on Facebook)

If there’s one group carrying the weight on set, it’s them. PAs are often the most reflective of the working-class, marginalized black and brown communities that make up New York—people from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Many are born and raised here and the rest are transplants who are driving a truck in the city for the first time, desperate to try to make it here and accepting their first job on an indie film set. They work the longest hours for basically minimum wage, and they take the most heat. They’re the ones holding parking spots, coordinating trucks, making runs, knocking on doors, and dealing with frustrated neighbors. They get yelled at and are often too scared to speak up.

Of course, companies should pay fair wages—that’s something we fight for every day. And it’s happening finally with movements like Production Assistant United for TV/Film and our new labor union IATSE Local 111 The Production Workers Guild for commercials. But in real time, it’s usually the PA absorbing pressure from all sides. And when you’re just trying to make a living, getting yelled at on your own block by someone who doesn’t see how long and difficult of a day you’ve had… yeah, there’s going to be friction.

And look—I’m pro-bike lane even though I don’t ride a bike (anymore). I’m pro-safety. I’m pro-making Astoria better for everyone. But I’m also going to look out for the truck driver–especially that non-union one fighting labor rights.

And to be clear, when a truck blocks a bike lane, that’s not okay. It’s dangerous. I don’t expect cyclists to just deal with that, and they shouldn’t have to. No one should be put in harm’s way because of how a job is planned. The issue isn’t cyclists versus drivers—it’s a system where workers are sent out with nowhere to legally stop, and where companies aren’t held accountable for planning safe, realistic logistics. If we actually enforced clear loading zones and required productions to plan for them, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Until then, both cyclists and workers are stuck dealing with the consequences.

Because those are workers under pressure to deliver, to move, to keep things running—often with nowhere to legally stop even when there are loading zones (often taken by cars wingin’ it). I think about people like Chris Smalls, who fights for delivery workers and reminds people that convenience has a human cost. The same people getting yelled at for double-parking are the ones delivering your packages, your food, your life. The film industry runs on that same backbone.

So while we build a safer, better neighborhood, we can’t forget the people doing the hardest, most exhausting jobs to keep it running. And we still need to hold companies accountable for safely executing that work.

Yeah, when a production takes up your parking spot for a day or two, I get the frustration. But those trucks represent jobs—local ones—for laborers and artists trying to make a living in a historic filmmaking city and an industry that is getting harder to work in by the year.

Astoria has always been a place where culture is made, not just consumed. That hasn’t changed. What’s changed is how fragile that ecosystem has become.

So the next time you see cones and trailers on your block, just remember: it’s not Hollywood invading. It’s your neighbors trying to hold onto an industry that’s shifting under their feet.

And if things keep going the way they are, you might see me out of work more often and DJing karaoke or running a Super Smash Bros tournament on 31st Avenue. But you know what? That’s not the worst outcome for me at all. The worst outcome is a city where the people who make it run can’t afford to work in it anymore.

The New Math of Buying vs. Leasing in 2026

BQE Admin on May 3, 2026

By Dan Rose,

Most people approach the buy-versus-lease question the same way they approach a menu at an unfamiliar restaurant: they scan quickly, pick something that looks familiar, and hope for the best. The problem is that the automotive market in 2026 is anything but familiar. New car prices, interest rates, tariffs, and EV depreciation have all moved in ways that genuinely change the calculation. If you haven’t run the numbers lately, the answer you’ve been operating on might be wrong.

Let’s start with what’s changed on the buying side. New car prices are hovering around $48,000 on average, and interest rates for auto loans sit in the 7-to-9% range. A 60-month loan on a $40,000 SUV at 8% runs roughly $810 per month before tax, title, and insurance. The same car on a 36-month lease might run $450 to $550 per month, a 30 to 40% lower payment for the same vehicle in your driveway. That’s a serious gap for any household managing a monthly budget.

And yet buying has its own logic, one that holds up under certain conditions. A car bought in 2026 and kept until 2034 will have its loan paid off around 2031, leaving roughly three years of driving with no payment where the only costs are insurance, fuel, and maintenance. Over a long enough horizon, ownership typically wins on total cost. The question is whether your life actually looks like that scenario.

Who Should Be Leasing Right Now

The case for leasing is strongest for people whose priorities match what leasing actually delivers. Younger generations express greater interest in leasing, with 17% of Gen Z and Millennials favoring it compared to 7% of Baby Boomers, reflecting a preference for flexibility and lower upfront costs. But flexibility isn’t just a generational value; it’s a practical strategy given how fast the automotive landscape is shifting.

Consider the tariff factor. Because leases are short-term contracts with fixed monthly payments, they can help insulate buyers from unpredictable market forces. If you lock in a lease today at a known payment, whatever happens to car prices over the next three years simply isn’t your problem. You return the car, evaluate the market fresh, and make your next decision with current information. Buying, by contrast, means absorbing whatever the market dealt you at signing and living with it.

The depreciation angle matters too, especially for EVs. EV values have been volatile, with some models losing 40 to 50 percent of their value in three years as new supply increased and federal incentives shifted. When you lease, that depreciation risk sits with the leasing company, not you. For most people who are EV-curious but not committed to a specific model long-term, that’s a meaningful protection.

Who Should Be Buying

Buying makes the most sense in a specific set of circumstances that are worth naming plainly.

Long Holders: If you intend to drive a vehicle for seven years or more, loan payoff eventually produces payment-free miles that leasing never will. The longer your horizon, the more ownership favors you.
High Mileage Drivers: Lease contracts typically cap annual mileage at 10,000 to 15,000 miles. If you routinely drive 20,000 miles per year on Long Island commutes and weekend travel, overage fees will erase any payment savings quickly.
Equity Builders: The average new-car buyer pays $812 per month in 2026, with many opting for 72-to-84-month loan terms. For buyers with strong credit and a clear plan to own, that commitment does build an asset over time.
Customizers: Leased vehicles must be returned in largely original condition. If you’re the kind of driver who puts on aftermarket wheels, tints, or audio upgrades, you’ll either lose those investments or pay to reverse them at lease end.

The Honest Middle Ground

Neither path is universally correct, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. The right answer depends on your annual mileage, how long you tend to keep cars, your monthly cash flow, and your tolerance for depreciation risk. What has changed is the relative weight of those factors. Leasing as a share of all new vehicle transactions has risen to 23% in early 2026 and analysts expect that trend to continue, reflecting how many drivers are voting with their wallets in a high-price, high-rate environment.

Working through the actual numbers with someone who understands the current Long Island market is worth the conversation. The deals shift month to month, and the difference between a competitive lease and a mediocre one is rarely obvious from the advertised payment. Reach out to a team that tracks Nassau and Suffolk County lease programs in real time before you commit to a path based on outdated assumptions.

Contributed by Dan Rose, A Senior Auto Finance and Leasing Strategist.

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Want to Get Involved? CB2 Has Ideas

BQE Admin on April 17, 2026

City Councilmember Julie Won speaks to Sunnysiders. Photo via NY City Council.

BY SIDDHARTHA HARMALKAR

SUNNYSIDE — Between Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 19, Queens residents across Council Districts 25, 26, 27, and 29 will be able to cast their ballots for how they want to fund local projects to improve schools, parks, libraries, streets and other public spaces in their community.

District 26 residents, for example, can vote on upgrading community gardens in Long island City or Astoria, providing technology upgrades to enhance learning for students, funding a 24/7 road service truck for fire trucks and ambulances, and more.

Voting is open to everyone aged 11 and older (or at least in 6th grade) who lives in, works or has a special connection (i.e. goes to school) in participating districts. Cast your ballot at https://rnd.council.nyc.gov/PB_Voting/.

This month’s Community Board 2 meeting featured announcements about other ways for community members to receive support and get involved with a variety of initiatives to shape their district.

On April 21, Sunnyside Community Services is hosting a free conference about memory loss, care options, and caregiver tips and resources at the Queens Botanical Garden.

The center, which also hosts Community Board 2 meetings, recently held an information session on the Sunnyside Yards development project that brought out close to 200 local residents.

Next month’s community board meeting will be on May 7.

Board members encouraged community members to take part in the public comment period at these meetings in order to advocate for local issues. The board recently welcomed 12 new members at April’s meeting, who will serve for 2 years.

A representative from the newly elected board of the 472-unit Phipps Gardens Apartments Tenant Association said during the public comment period that the group is hoping to build community and advocate for tenants living conditions, and is looking for more members who live in the complex.

The board is looking for a community member with tech skills to help them create an online tracker to keep track of public and private commitments made by the OneLIC development project. At the meeting, Amaurys Valdez, chair of the Engagement and Inclusion and Tech Committee, encouraged community members to reach out to the board to get involved with the project.

In mid-May, the board will be distributing a survey about community needs and ideas for budget expenses, kicking off a 7-month-long process that culminates in a public hearing and votes to approve budget requests that will be sent to the city to advocate for funds for the following fiscal year.

The Capital and Expenses Budget Committee is also seeking a community member to assist the board with survey development, community outreach, drafting/proofreading, and otherwise help with the process.

Interested applicants can email the board at QN02@cb.nyc.org with the subject line “Public Member Application” and a paragraph describing what they hope to bring to the process.

Medusa Art Studio Reopens As Whimsical Bar

BQE Admin on April 15, 2026

Artist and Medusa owner Katherine Grammes.

BY COLE SINANIAN

cole@queensledger.com

ASTORIA — For any Astorians who may have been wondering what exactly goes on behind the green facade of Medusa Art Studios at the corner of 21st St. and Astoria Blvd, you’re in luck. The studio and event space is now opening as a whimsical new bar, part of owner Katherine Grammes’ yearslong vision to merge her love of hospitality, art, and fantasy into a single, one-of-a-kind experience.

Grammes has operated Medusa as an art studio since 2021, but as she explained in an interview, integrating her two livelihoods — art and hospitality — into a single venture had always been the plan.

“I thought it’d be a cool idea in the end to eventually have a place that could support both things,” she said.

Originally from Maryland, Grammes has lived in Astoria since 2019, where she’s worked as a photographer and set designer, supporting herself as a bartender in between when necessary. Now that she’s finally got a liquor license for Medusa, Grammes has committed to hiring fellow artists who can’t quite make ends meet on their art alone; one of her bartenders has a homemade candle business, another is a singer.

Medusa’s decor comes mainly from Grammes’ personal antique collection. It counts a cozy back patio, a spacious back room with several tables and a fireplace (stand up comedy happens here), a transitionary nook with a giant leather chair and a “cave wall,” and a “splash room” decked out with curtains and ever-changing mood lighting. Gargoyles, Roman statues, masks, skulls, faux ivy and whimsical paintings of all sorts adorn Medusa’s corners, the bounty of a lifetime of perusing the antique shops of America.

“It brings a welcoming aspect to the space,” she said. “So when people come here, they can speak to another world a little bit, but also just relax and feel welcomed.”

From the bar at the front comes an expansive list of bespoke cocktails with names like “Strawberry Monster Matcha Martini” and “Medieval Cherry Blossom” featuring several varieties of nordic meads (one of which is called “Viking Blood”). For the less adventurous there’s wine of all shades and local beers by the can.

Regarding her mead-heavy cocktail menu, Grammes explained that the ancient honey-wine pairs well with Medusa’s aesthetic.

“It worked well with the fantastical and the Renaissance— we have a lot of those themed events here,” she said. “Not everyone’s tried mead, so the first week I had to do a buy-one-get-one-free so people would be more open to trying.”

Rather than just a bar or art studio, Grammes wants Medusa to be something in between, what she describes as a “community creative space.” Come on a Tuesday and you might find comedy in the back room. If it’s a Wednesday it might be a movie in the “splash room.” Grammes’ calendar is already packed— on Thursday, April 16 an event called “Intuition and Oracle Cards 101” is listed, during which a professional Tarot reader will give a class on the secrets of her craft. Last Thursday was Dungeons and Dragons. Come on a weekend afternoon for a “Ritmo and Reiki’ Zumba class or a workshop on “enchanted figure drawing.” While the activities are fun, guests are welcome to drop in for a quick drink as well; the separate rooms are intentional, allowing multiple vibes to be cultivated simultaneously without interference or interruption.

“Tuesdays, you can still chill out, but if you want a good laugh at the end of the night, come,” Grammes says. “Wednesdays, if you want to chill and watch a movie and just get the week over with, you can watch the film or you can still hang out over here.”

As for the name, Grammes says it comes from her childhood affinity for the monstrous Greek goddess, whom she says is misunderstood. Also, with her Greek roots and deadly looks, Grammes pointed out that there’s something vaguely Astorian about Medusa.

Glendale Register