I've called Queens community board 6 several times and today also reached out to Council member Gennaro's office for an update about when the building construction timeline should wrap up. From what i've been told, most of the reconstruction work for the building is done. Now the main barrier to re-opening are several permits from various city agencies.

Two months ago I discovered the park behind the building that borders the AT&T building. It has an amazing tree canopy for sunny days and some beautiful landscaping. I'd go as far as to say an urban oasis between 3 very busy roads and the LIE. However there is a lot of trash scattered around and a lot of the seating looks like its not been actively taken cared of for years, if not decades.

Would people be interested in doing a community clean up to make it look nicer? Doesn't have to be anything crazy but just coming out to make the space more inviting. Let me know what you think.

Next week is very important for the safe streets community in Central Queens. On May 13th community board 6 will vote on the application to approve/disapprove the Austin Street Open Street application which would operate on Sundays from 8/30 - 9/20 between the hours of 9am and 6pm. If you support safer streets and want to see family friendly 3rd spaces in our community, please continue reading.

https://preview.redd.it/yw4337c8rxzg1.jpg?width=564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fa4c3c8239ed1d019fc04df508ca0bd84c12763

What is this all about?

Last year Neighbors for A Safer Austin Street held two successful open street pilot events on the single block of Austin Street between 71 Avenue and 71 Road: 'Austin Day' and 'Trick or Streets'. For several hours, the streets were closed off to cars so that pedestrians could reclaim the street for sitting, mingling and activities like learning how to bike and the popular children's corner. People who haven't seen each other in months or even years reconnected and had a great time. During the Trick or Streets event, kids in their stunning costumes had space to eat lots of candy and show off their incredible costumes.

Check out our write-up from Austin Day September 14th 2025 https://www.asaferaustinstreet.com/news/hurray-for-austin-day/

Despite what haters will say from the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce or the Queens Chronicle, people that stopped by enjoyed themselves and nearly all participants asked when the next one was scheduled. Local businesses like Tacombi said they saw record foot traffic for Sunday which normally does not see much activity.

To Sign up

To sign up to speak please send an email to 'qn06@cb.nyc.gov' with subject 'Austin Street Open Street' and write to say you would like to speak in support. Our own anecdotal evidence here on Reddit and social media is not enough. We need to ensure that the community hears from people outside of the chamber of commerce all the reasons why they support the open street.

There will also be a large turnout from the community for the 108th Street rezoning application. Make sure you register early. After 3pm on May 13th, you will not be able to speak during the public comment period.

Join CQM for another opportunity to collect trading cards in honor of the Queens Library's 130th anniversary of servicing the community. Last time we rode west towards the Queens waterfront stopping at branches in Elmhurst, Sunnyside, LIC, Astoria and East Elmhurst. If you missed the last event, don't worry! Each branch still has plenty more cards available at the branch locations. Check out our photos from that event on the main CQM facebook page.

On April 20th, the second set of trading cards was released and now there are even more cards to collect. See entire list here. https://www.queenslibrary.org/.../qpl-130.../card-collection

For this ride, we will stop at branch locations primarily located in Central Queens. We will budget approximately 10 minutes per stop to keep the pace of the ride interesting for all riders and allow the participants ample time to complete the scavenger hunts.

Ride will be approximately 17-18 miles with a mix of on street vs bike lane routes. We will start in MacDonald Park and end at MacDonald Park. Please budget about $20-35 for a lunch stop. Dress appropriately for the weather, ride. We will do our best to chart the route with a reliable restroom/bathroom/WC along the way.

Looking forward to seeing you at MacDonald Park!

Ride with GPS route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54789907

On Saturday, April 18, let’s visit MoMA PS1 to celebrate their 50th anniversary block party. More details here about the block party: https://www.momaps1.org/.../741-50th-anniversary-block-party

Here’s the basic plan:

1. Meet up at MacDonald Park, at the bike racks across from Trader Joe’s. Wheels down and roll out at 10 am.

2. Ride west, mostly on Queens Blvd bike path, 6.5 miles to MoMA PS1 in LIC. Should arrive shortly before 11 am. Bike racks available on 46th Avenue in front of the entrance to MoMA PS1 so bring a bike lock.

3. Admission is free but looks like online reservations are full now so if you want to go inside and check out the exhibits, “walk-up registration” will be available. The website encourages early arrival for that option.

4. In the courtyard, there will be food vendors from Queens Night Market all day, so there should be plenty of good food to choose from. Bring cash for that.

5. We can hang out for an hour, hour-and-a-half, depending on what the group is up for. If you want to spend the afternoon at MoMA PS1, that’s up to you, but you will have to find your own way back home.

6. For those heading back to Forest Hills, we will depart by 12:30 pm and be back at MacDonald Park before 1:30 pm.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: There is no charge to join this ride. It is volunteer-led, and everyone participates at their own risk. Make sure that your bike is in good working condition. Bring tools and spare tube just in case. Wear a helmet. Obey all rules of the road and traffic signals. Follow the directives of the ride leader(s). Any help you accept will be at your own discretion and risk. We will do what we can to watch out for each other, but ultimately, you are responsible for your own health, safety and actions. By riding with us, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

I haven't heard much about the expansion since it was announced last year. We were expecting stations to be assembled around now for early Spring as the biking season is starting to pick up.

Anyone know why things are delayed?

Please call Phil Wong and Lynn Schulman's offices. Start asking questions.

Attention micromobility and book nerds, we now have QPL trading cards! It's the perfect blend of Pokemón cards and Baseball/Soccer Trading Cards. And they are free!

Queens Public Library turns 130 years old this year and to celebrate they are giving away trading cards (while supplies last!) If you enjoy great artwork, architecture or just want to celebrate Queens Library, this event is for you.

Each location we stop at will have a short scavenger hunt. We will budget about 10-20 minutes for each branch depending on how big our group is or how complex each scavenger hunt challenge is. They are not meant to be difficult but rather to help expose you to the diverse collections you probably didn't even know exist.

The ride is approximately 20 miles with varying elevation changes. Note we do NOT have a rain date option for this ride, unfortunately.

Meet us at the former site of the Queens sign in MacDonald Park by Trader Joes. We'll head west towards Sunnyside and Long Island City, then north towards Astoria, go east to East Elmhurst, pass through Corona and finish back at MacDonald Park.

Will plan to stop for lunch about halfway through in Astoria. Budget about $20-30 for lunch. Bring a good lock as well so you can comfortably spend some time in the library without worrying about your bike.