Bay Terrace has a new sign

image003 (1)

Last week, Councilman Paul Vallone joined Cord Meyer Development and the Bay Terrace Community Alliance to unveil a new community welcome sign.

The sign sits on the corner of Bell Boulevard and 26th Avenue.

“The Welcome to Bay Terrace sign will serve as the official gateway to Bay Terrace,” says Matt Silverstein from the Bay Terrace Community Alliance, “welcoming people to our community.

BTCA is celebrating 20 years of civic activism this year.

Three street co-namings coming to northeast Queens

File photo

File photo

Last week, the City Council approved legislation to co-name streets across New York City in honor of community leaders and beloved individuals.

In Councilman Paul Vallone’s northeast Queens district, three intersections will be co-named. Here’s a breakdown of each one:

The intersection of 130th Street and 23rd Avenue in College Point will soon be called “Joe Femenia Way” in honor of the late civic leader in College Point.

In Whitestone, Utopia Parkway and 16th Avenue will become “Madeline Sershen Way” in tribute to the 17-year-old whose life was cut short after being hit by a car.

Her death was the catalyst for mandatory vision retesting for drivers. It led the State senate to require a written exam upon renewal of a driver’s license.

Finally, in Bayside, Northern Boulevard between 207th Street and Clearview Expressway northbound will be co-named “CW5 Howard C. Haider Way.”

It will honor the late Chief Haider, who served in the New York Army National Guard from 1963 until 2003.

The official ceremonies for the street co-namings will take place later this year. Vallone’s office will coordinator with the Department of Transportation and each of the families.

Whitestone intersection gets its stop sign

All Way Stop 163 Street

After more than a decade of local advocacy, a dangerous intersection in Whitestone finally received an all-way stop sign.

The new traffic control at 163rd Street and 24th Road is a relief to Councilman Paul Vallone, who has been advocating for it since 2014.

According to Vallone, residents Cyrille Kousiaris and Salvatore Cippo circulated a petition and submitted it to DOT back in 2013.

Last December, Cippo reached out to Vallone to report a series of recent car collisions at the intersection.

Without the all-way stop, there would have been six continuous blocks along 163rd Street without a stop sign.

“In 2007, I moved to a corner house in Whitestone, and soon after I started to see accidents due to speeding on 163rd Street and poor visibility on the adjacent road,” Cippo said in a statement. “In the last 12 years, Cyrille has lost two new cars to accidents and my house was hit by a car.

“A new stop sign was installed on July 15, saving someone from injury or possible death,” he added.

Roadway Resurfacing Schedule

The following streets will be undergoing milling and paving. Plan your commute accordingly.

Monday, July 22

  • Briarwood – 67 Ave (164 St to 173 St)
  • Briarwood – 78 Ave (162 St to Parsons Blvd)

Tuesday, July 23

  • Briarwood – 78 Ave (162 St to Parsons Blvd)

Wednesday, July 24

  • Flushing – 77 Rd (Main St to 153 St)
  • Briarwood – 176 St (Union Tpke to 75 Ave)

Thursday, July 25

  • Flushing – 77 Rd (Main St to 153 St)
  • Briarwood – 72 Ave (164 St to Aguliar Ave)

Friday, July 26

  • Flushing – 72 Rd (Kissena Blvd to Maint St)

Get free Mets tickets by donating blood

Summer Blood Drive 2019

Watch the New York Metropolitans for free by donating blood this summer.

Assemblyman Edward Braunstein is hosting his 7th annual Summer Blood Drive on Thursday, August 8 from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center (Bell Boulevard and 26th Avenue).

All donors will receive a voucher for two tickets to see the Mets at Citi Field.

Additionally, the first 100 people to donate a pint of blood will receive a certificate for a free pint of soup from Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant & Caterers.

Donors will also receive free refreshments courtesy of the Stop & Shop Bay Terrace.

“Each blood donation will help save up to three lives,” Braunstein says. “Our hospitals are in need of your assistance, so I hope you will take the time to share this lifesaving gift.”

Health Department to conduct aerial larviciding

image006

Mosquito season is back, and the Health Department is stepping up its pesticide treatment in local marshes.

The Health Department is conducting a second aerial larviciding treatment to marshes and wetland areas throughout the city from Wednesday, July 17 to Friday, July 19, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In case of bad weather, application would be delayed to Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

The helicopter will treat only non-residential areas.

To date, no human cases of West Nile virus have been reported this season, according to the Health Department.

The agency will use environmentally-friendly and EPA-approved “VectoLex® FG,” which contains naturally occurring bacteria and kills young mosquitos before they grow into adults.

The most effective way to control mosquitos, the department notes, is to eliminate standing water.

Here are the Queens areas that will be part of the aerial larviciding:

  • Alley Pond Park – Alley Creek
  • Linden Hill/College Point – Abandoned Flushing Airport
  • Edgemere, Somerville – Dubos Point and Edgemere Park
  • Brookville Park
  • Kissena Park

Eastern Queens neighborhoods make list of most expensive areas

Top 10 Neighborhoods Median Sale Price 2019_Q2_Queens

Unsurprisingly, Malba tops the list of most expensive neighborhoods in Queens.

According to a report by PropertyShark.com, Malba’s median sale price in the second quarter of 2019 was $1.12 million, good for first among Queens communities.

Queensboro Hill also made the list, coming in at $880,000, followed by Fresh Meadows at $851,000.

East Flushing’s median sale price was $832,000, and Auburndale was at $739,000.

TriBeCa remains the most expensive neighborhood in New York City at $4.34 million, followed by Hudson Yards at $3.68 million. Little Italy snagged the third spot, and Cobble hill jumped to seventh.

You can see the full PropertyShark report here.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is moving to One Fulton Square

Photo Credit: One Fulton Square

Photo Credit: One Fulton Square

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, one of Flushing’s most recognizable soup dumpling spots, closed its doors last month.

While local residents and foodies wondered what happened, the mom-and-pop restaurant was plotting an upgrade and expansion to One Fulton Square.

Nan Xiang plans to reopen in the fall into a bigger and better space – able to accommodate 150 guests – just 100 feet from its original location. The restaurant will move into a 5,113-square-foot space with a 10-year lease. F&T Group will be its new landlord.

Known for its crab and pork soup dumplings, steamed buns and Shanghainese dim sum, Nan Xiang also serves crispy noodles, fried rice cakes, scallion pancaked and pan-fried dumplings.

Other restaurants at One Fulton Square include Pappa Rich, Guan Fu, IKI Modern Japanese Cuisine, The Coop and Leaf Bar and Lounge.