First Annual Honey Festival! Here's an exciting fall festival for everyone! Get you bee costumes out (for kids of all ages!) and head out to Rockaway! Astoria's Brooklyn Grange announces the first Annual Honey Festival hosted by Rockaway Beach Club. There will be something for all ages: costumes, prizes, tastings, music. Check it out and save the date: September 17th.

If you haven't had a chance to check out Astoria's very own farm, market day is every Wednesday 2 - 6. You can't find fresher veggies than here - exotic ones too!

Rally, MONDAY August 1st - Don't Close Grand Ave Post Office

Community organizer Costa Constantinides has called out to Astoria residents to join together tomorrow to try and keep open the Grand Station Post office. The rally is tomorrow, Monday @ 6:30. For anyone who uses the Grand Ave or Broadway Branches you know how crowded and under served residents are here in Astoria.

Yoga in Socrates Park Saturdays & Astoria Pool!

Get in shape with yoga and Pilates at Socrates Park: right around the corner on the East River!


Astoria Pool is getting in shape as well. Workers are fixing, repairing and painting our deco pool so it will be ready for summer fun. Free!

Stand up for your library!

Your local branch needs your help and support. Take a few seconds and sign this online petition here. Pass it around. Our free libraries are a treasure and need our help.

We Heart HourChildren Vintage Store in Astoria

This evening we met Pat Gallo, Thrift Store coordinator for the Not-For-Profit Hour Children "Love Makes A Difference" Thrift shops. The store is an amazing shop chock-a-block full of every kind of magic and inspiration: exotic fabrics, chests full of vintage fine china, a 1940's Japanese tea set, fine crystal, antiques, yarns, vintage clothing, beautiful childrens' books and so much more! One could spend hours browsing. Best of all, proceeds benefit the children of women in prison.

The 36th Avenue shop, one of three Hour Children thrift stores, is located at 25-09 36th Avenue and definitely worth checking out.

Queensboro Art Studios' (QAS) artists are getting ready for Open Studios weekend. Open Studios is the culminating event of a week long, Long Island City Arts Festival.

This year LICAO has expanded to include not only Open Studios, but music, theater and culinary arts as well! May 14th - 22nd promises to be an exciting week in LIC!

The two maps below are to help you find Queensboro Art Studios:

1) A close-up map of the QAS neighborhood
2) A bigger map for those coming from out of town

The Queensboro Art Studios loft building is located 2 blocks north the Queensboro Bridge on 21st Street in Long Island City (LIC) and a 5 minute drive from the Triboro Bridge.
Street parking is plentiful.

QAS is also close to all NYC public transportation; buses, subways and the Queensboro Bridge bike path!!! So ride on over.

For additional Long Island City Open 2011 Arts festival Information click here

We look forward to seeing you!

Gray Zone Parking Complaint to DOT

Great News!!! NNA has had tremendous success over the past three months in reaching out to local businesses to help solve illegal parking in community easements. With the exception of one business there has been 99% cooperation and the community drive is now nearly 100% free and clear.

The "Gray Zone" parking is NNA's next challenge. NNA contacted The Department of Transportation requesting the installation of 4 new signs and painting "Gray zones" next to the community drives yellow. Parked cars jutting into the drives restrict view of oncoming traffic as many residents have reported (see photo above) causing a dangerous situation.

All suggestions welcome.