Results tagged “jacksonheights”

With fires breaking out right and left—including one that originated in a furniture shop and wiped out a row of beloved mom-and-pop stores this weekend—Queens lawmakers are now saying there may not be time to make massive cuts to the FDNY. Mayor Bloomberg had previously proposed getting rid of 20 fire companies around the city, as well as those quaint street fire alarm boxes. According to NY1, Councilman Daniel Dromm and Assemblyman Jose Peralta say the Queens fire "proves the city needs to find a way to keep all of its firehouses open." Demolition crews are clearing out what's left of the eight businesses that were destroyed in Jackson Heights. Meanwhile, the city's other recent fire victims, especially those of a Brooklyn fire that killed five, continue to mourn and recoup from their losses. more ›

Mom-and-pop stores are the main casualty of a huge blaze that overtook a block in Queens Saturday morning. It took 168 firemen to calm the four-alarm fire, which was under control by 1:30 pm. Meanwhile 54 apartments were evacuated in a nearby building. The fire got going at Acme Furniture in Jackson Heights around 10 am, reports NY1; people as far away as Long Island City could see the billowing smoke. It quickly spread down a row of shops on 37th Street to a dry cleaner, a shore repair shop, a liquor store, an art supply store, a packaging store and a purveyor of beauty supplies. "You have a lot of that wood furniture, finishings on the furniture. As it extended to the other stores, other materials got involved and let the fire escalate quickly," said New York Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief Robert Maynes. more ›

A retired corrections officer working the security detail at a Woodside bowling alley shot two rowdy patrons early this morning, sending them to the hospital. Gerard Hourigan and Justin Donaghy, both 29 years old, were having cigarettes in the vestibule, flouting city non-smoking regulations when the guard, Michale Iavecchio, gave them the boot. But when he escorted them outside the friends attacked him, he says. Iavechhio—who because of this past employer had a license to carry a concealed weapon—reached for his .380 Ruger and fired two rounds, hitting one man in the stomach and the other in the chest. more ›

Tarlach MacNiallais is a gay activist from Belfast who helps run the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, which fights for homosexual inclusion in NYC's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. Around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, he says two security guards at the Jackson Heights nightclub/restaurant Guadalajara De Noche assaulted him because he was dancing with a man. A police source tells the Post, "[The bouncer] said, 'You can't do that here, this is not a gay bar.' " MacNiallais replied, "I have just as much right as anyone else." Then they allegedly wrestled him to the ground and dragged him away from the other dancers, before punching him, kicking him, and smashing a chair over his head. more ›

On Monday, the Allegheny County District Attorney dropped all charges against two Jackson Heights-based anarchists accused of listening to police scanners and sharing riot cops' movements with demonstrators on Twitter during the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. Elliot Madison and Michael Wallschlaeger were arrested on September 24th in a Pittsburgh hotel room, where they were found sitting in front of personal computers listening to both police and EMS scanners. On Monday, lawyers for the men were poised to argue for the unsealing of a secret 18-page affidavit authorizing the raid, but then the prosecution unexpectedly withdrew all charges. A spokesman for the district attorney offered this explanation:

After an extensive review of the facts and circumstances underlying those two arrests... there appears to be sufficient evidence to suggest that certain acts that occurred during the G-20 summit were not isolated incidents confined to Allegheny County but instead may have been related to more expansive activities that went beyond the Pittsburgh G-20 in both time and substance. That being the case, a determination was made that until further investigative activities by law enforcement agencies can be completed, it would be more prudent to have the current charges withdrawn rather than prosecuted at this time.

That's right, a Twitter crackdown. A lawyer for Jackson Heights social worker Elliot Madison, 41, says that the feds searched his client's house for 16 hours on Thursday after Madison was arrested on September 24th at a Pittsburgh hotel room with another man. What were they up to? Sitting at laptops sending Twitter messages advising G20 demonstrators about riot police activity in the streets. And yet real Twitter threats like Lindsay Lohan and Courtney Love remain at large. more ›

James (pictured), in Prospect Heights, specializes in farm-fresh French-American cuisine. It's said that chef James Calvert once catered a nightmarish photo shoot for the demanding Britney Spears, who dismissed his buffet and demanded BLTs. She then sent those back, insisting upon BLTs sans mayo. Irrevocably scarred, Calvert went on to open what Frank Bruni at the Times describes as "the kind of modest, warm refuge produced by a chef who wants to simplify things, to personalize things, to work on a scale that doesn’t require or invite the meddling of too many outsiders...It’s also an example of how quietly sophisticated the food at restaurants fashioned as affordable neighborhood bistros has become. No bigger, brasher restaurant around town served me an heirloom tomato salad this summer that I enjoyed any more than one at James." more ›

All NYPD precincts do not ticket equally; and a graphic in the Daily News displays where drivers are most and least likely to receive a parking ticket in New York City. It's not indicated why, but the total number of tickets issued by parking agents, 672,149, is down 13% from last year. The City hopes to remedy this with the recent addition of 200 more parking agents. more ›

Someone went on a rampage just before noon yesterday, shooting five people standing at a bus stop in a fusillade of gunfire in Jackson Heights, Queens. It wasn't as much a rampage, exactly, as a reckless attempt to kill a single person by firing into a crowd. The alleged target was a 21-year-old man, who was shot in the side before staggering into a restaurant and collapsing. Police are searching not just for a single shooter, but a group of men he was with that ran off in different directions. more ›

Tandoori chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices, is notably tender and arrives on a bed of sizzling onions with a wedge of lemon at its side. The murg korma – a cashew nut curry with broiled chicken – was creamy with hints of sweetness and spice. All entrees come with a side of dal, a refreshing side of cucumber and yogurt raita, and basmati rice garnished with fresh peas. more ›

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes. more ›

While many folks were busy guzzling green beer, two food-obsessed Queens residents checked out a new restaurant in Jackson Heights for lunch yesterday. Since the joint is called Green Plantains, token points for St. Patrick’s day spirit should be awarded, even if there was no corned beef and cabbage to be had. more ›

A 6-7 month old baby girl, strapped in a car seat, was left in the backseat of a livery cab this morning. Tel-A-Car driver Klever Sailema picked up a man and the baby around 9:45AM this morning at 106th Street and Northern Boulevard in Queens. When the cab got to 83rd and Northern, the man said he needed to make a call and left the car. Only he crossed "the street to a pay phone and fled." more ›

Tonight is the last chance until December 2010 to witness a total lunar eclipse. This is the third such eclipse in the past year. With any luck the weather will cooperate. It looks like there will be breaks in the clouds over the city, which should make for dramatic views. Break out the tripods and cameras! more ›

Yet another culinary transfer point has been added to the many ethnic eateries radiating outwards from the 74 Street/Broadway subway stop in Jackson Heights: Shangrila Express. Yesterday when Gothamist learned that the city's first and only Tibetan food cart had opened near the renowned Sammy’s Halal we couldn’t wait to try it. We approached the cart next to Sammy’s and ordered some momos only to be told they only serve chicken over rice. Upon... more ›

Gastronauts seeking Indian fare have rocketed along the 7 line to 74 St./Roosevelt Ave. for a decade or more. Sadly many Jackson Heights stars, including the Jackson Diner, have long faded. Even when one finds tasty grub it still seems like eating from a vast steam table. Nevertheless, we hold out hope and were glad to happen upon Malgudi. more ›

If you're applying for a mortgage, you're willing to give up your personal details. Unfortunately, for some first-time applicants, their mortgage manager stole their identities - and $1 million. more ›

Omesh Hiraman, the 22-year-old St. John's University student who caused panic when he brought a .50 cailber rifle on campus, will be arraigned today in his hospital room at Bellevue. Queens DA Richard Brown said that Hiraman was being "held on two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon (with intent to use said weapon unlawfully against another and possession of a rifle in a building or grounds used for educational purposes) and several violations of the New York City Administrative Code (possession of a rifle without a permit or a certificate of registration)." He will face up to one year in prison if convicted. more ›

Gotham Gazette has an excellent look at the effects of "a housing bust" by Queens College demographer Andrew Beveridge. This map shows how much income goes towards mortgages; Beveridge notes:

The median income of those paying less than 30 percent of their income on housing is $120,900. For those paying between 30 and 50 percent of their income, though, the median is $74,390, and for those paying over 50 percent the median income is $39,900. more ›

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Recently, we learned that the Oaxacan delicacy of chapulines, or dried grasshoppers, hits the shelves in NYC at the end of this month. This news came to us from a diminutive friend who's been bestowed the nickname Chapuline by his fellow line cooks at a Chelsea restaurant. Ever optimistic in our quest for weird foods we hit Mexican groceries in both the Bronx and Queens armed with the question, "Se vende chapulines," only to come up empty-handed. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: Is there a bank robber hitting up multiple banks on the Upper West Side? There were robberies at 2438 Broadway and 59 West 86th St; there were also two separate police vehicle MVAs in The Bronx and Brooklyn; and a fatality under a train in Jackson Heights (it says A, but we'll assume it's the E).
• If any Wall Street types you know were depressed yesterday after the Dow lost 280 points, they'll be happier today: The Dow gained almost 250 points in a rally and Nasdaq had its biggest rally in a year (thanks to speculation that Apple will introduce new iPods before Christmas).
• Just in time for the start of school, a federal judge upheld the city's ban on metal bats during high school games. The law hits the books Saturday and groups opposing the ban have yet to decide if they're going to appeal.
• Also in time for school: Almost half of NYC teens have had sex: More than two-thirds use condoms, while only 8% use birth control pills.
• Quinnipiac pollster Mickey Carroll talks to The Politicker about Spitzer's scandal ("It's crazy!").
• Stop dreaming about your home fix it's and make them happen: Brownstoner is having a Salvage Fest on September 8.
• The 12-year-old girl hit by a stray bullet in Crown Heights was back playing with her friends yesterday.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects will be designing the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
• Finally, a note to all aspiring gangsta rap parody artists. Don't film the video at the grocery store you work in like a pair of brothers in New Jersey did. That will get you fired.

A reader sent us this horrible but all-too-familiar story:

I was on the 7 train riding from Flushing Main Street when a man sat across from me (a few stops before 82nd street Jackson Heights he got on) with a newspaper on his lap pretending to be sleeping. I glanced over and to my horror all his goods were in plain view. I did not react and I pulled out my cell phone and took a picture of him. He got really nervous and was rustling around; I then proceeded to call 911 as I was still sitting across from him and was giving a description of him as I was looking right at him. He got nervous and got off at the next stop which was 82nd Street-Jackson Heights. more ›

Maybe it’s the weather, but lately Gothamist has been craving Indian food. Rather than go to one of the numerous steam-table joints in Jackson Heights, we decided to give Hyderabadi, a new restaurant in Woodside down the street from the much-acclaimed Spicy Mina’s a try. The scuttlebutt on Chowhound was that this spot serves cuisine from the South Indian city of Hyderabad, renowned for its myriad biryanis and the mysterious Chicken 65, among other things. more ›

As the name implies, Terraza Cafe Art is a rather Bohemian hang complete with an eclectic decor we like to call Colombian folkloric hippie. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an aircraft emergency at Laguardia Airport in Queens, a carjacking on 7th Ave. and 115th St. in Manhattan, and a pedestrian fatally struck on Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn.
• The director of the Public Theater's production of A Midsummers Night's Dream suffered four broken ribs and a collapsed lung after falling through a trap door at Central Park's Delacorte Theater during a rehearsal this week.
• Do not adjust the controls on your radio, 1010 WINS will be off the air between 12:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning to transition to HD broadcasting.
• Artists living in Carnegie Hall studio spaces are suing the Carnegie Hall Corporation to prevent their eviction. Carnegie Hall wants to renovate the space for educational programs.
• Spitzer aide Steven Mitnick resigned after admitting he threatened a Republican on the Public Service Commission. Mitnick repeatedly threatened the career of Cheryl Buley as she investigated ConEd after last summer's blackout.
• Streetsblog has a piece on citizen journalists filming the pernicious effects of traffic in Jackson Heights, Queens.
• Accused LES and East Village sex attacker Asuncion Dejesus-Garcia was released from custody after another crime fitting the same pattern as those he was accused of was committed while he was in jail.
• The New York Times looks at the decline of tar beach tanning in the city.

- As an alternate route, customers are advised to take the Q43 bus to the Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue bus stop and take the j train at the Supthin Boulevard Station. more ›

Like many New Yorkers we're huge fans of the cornucopia of Central American and Mexican fare available at the Red Hook ballfields. But we're do you go when you don't feel like trekking to Red Hook? For us Elmhurst and Jackson Heights often fit the bill, particularly because of the specials at the nabe's taquerias. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni dines at Mercat, awards the restaurant one star. He likes the food; doesn't like the noise level. "Some wonderful food, some clangorous acoustics: these are the defining traits of Mercat," he says. Prices at the Spanish restaurant are quite reasonable, and with it come some tradeofffs: the food is sometimes uneven (particularly the seafood), service a bit off, noise level too high, desserts less than spectacular. more ›