✨ Business Spotlight: 🧺 The Laundry Link — The Neighbor Who'll Handle Your Laundry

⚽ World Cup Fan Zone Opens TODAY at USTA — Plus 10+ Queens Watch Parties

🎾 2,500+ Astorians Sign Petition Against Park Tennis Bubble

🔫 Teen Fatally Shot in Astoria Early Saturday Morning

🗳️ Early Voting Starts Saturday — Your Western Queens Ballot Guide

THURSDAY, JUNE 12

🎨 Pioneers Go East Collective @ Socrates Sculpture Park — Free outdoor exhibition opening. Vernon Blvd & Broadway, LIC. All day.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

🗳️ Early Voting Begins — June 13–22, Queens locations open 10 AM–8 PM. Find your site at vote.nyc.

🎨 Pioneers Go East @ Socrates Sculpture Park — Opening day, free

🎭 1980s Murder Mystery Drag Roast @ QED Astoria — 27-16 23rd Ave, 11:30 AM. Tickets: qedastoria.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

🌿 Astoria Farmers Market @ 31st Ave & 34th–35th St — Second Sunday, 1–5 PM. Fresh produce, local vendors, free.

🧘 Morning Yoga @ Socrates Sculpture Park — Free, Vernon Blvd & Broadway

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

🌅 Sunset Meditation @ Socrates Sculpture Park — Free, bring a mat. Vernon Blvd & Broadway, LIC

COMING UP — MARK YOUR CALENDAR

🏳️‍🌈 June 20: Astoria Has Pride @ Socrates Sculpture Park — Free celebration

☀️ June 21: Summer Solstice + Socrates Annual 2026 opening — Free

🗳️ June 23: Primary Election Day — Western Queens polls open 6 AM–9 PM

🎆 June 25: America! Come Together in Harmony! @ Astoria Park, 7:30 PM — Free outdoor concert

It's the chore that never ends. You work long hours, you commute longer, maybe there are kids, maybe a side hustle, and every single week the laundry is just sitting there, waiting, judging you a little. The Laundry Link is built on a simple bet: what if getting it handled was as easy as texting a friend? No app to download, no faceless service, no clunky scheduling window where you wait around for three or four hours. You text a real person, you say when, they show up.

That real person is Suman, who founded The Laundry Link in Astoria almost a year ago. He came to New York from Nepal about eight or nine years back and has lived in Astoria ever since, working as a bartender and server with stretches in hospitality and logistics. Watching how stretched thin everyone around him was, he wanted to build something simpler and more personal than the big services. So he did, and he runs it as a pickup and delivery laundry covering Astoria and nearby Sunnyside, Woodside, and Long Island City.

What makes it work is the human part. Suman remembers your preferences, handles special requests carefully, and keeps the whole thing feeling less like a transaction and more like a neighbor you trust with your stuff. He's got a helper who's been doing the laundry side for twelve years while he stays on top of operations and is, in his words, always there. You can text him "Hey, I'm out of town this week, let's reschedule," and it's done. Try getting that from an app.

Now the value, and it's a good one. The rate is $1.59 per pound, and if you set up a weekly or bi-weekly pickup it drops to $1.49 per pound with no fee to sign up. For anyone who's ever done the math on hauling everything to the laundromat and burning a Saturday on it, that's real time bought back cheap. And for Astoria Insider readers, Suman is offering 15% off your first pickup when you mention the code "Astoria Insider."

The growth so far has been almost entirely word of mouth, the best kind of proof. One neighbor refers another, someone tapes his number up in their apartment building, and it spreads floor by floor. Looking ahead, Suman is keeping an eye out for a local driver who knows the neighborhood, so he can keep up with demand without losing the personal touch that started the whole thing.

Ready to delete laundry from your mental to-do list? Reach The Laundry Link through their website at http://www.thelaundrylinknyc.com/, find them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thelaundrylinknyc/, or just send a text to (347) 418-2999 and talk to Suman directly. Don't forget the "Astoria Insider" code for 15% off your first pickup.

Join us in celebrating The Laundry Link, one neighbor quietly making everyone else's week a little lighter. That's about as Astoria as it gets.

The FIFA World Cup 26 is officially underway, and Queens is ready. The free World Cup Fan Zone at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows opens TODAY (Thursday, June 11) and runs through July 4 — with giant screens, live entertainment, and the kind of international crowd that only Queens can put together. Gates open at 1:30 PM daily. No ticket required.

But that's just the headliner. Borough President Donovan Richards has helped organize nearly a dozen free watch parties across Queens — from NY Hall of Science to MoMA PS1 to Queens Borough Hall — spread across all group stage match days. It's the most ambitious sports celebration the borough has thrown in years.

Full schedule and locations are at the official NYC/NJ FIFA 2026 site. With games in this group stage already underway, there's no better day to start than today.

👉 Queens watch party schedule: queenseagle.com/all/2026/6/9/queens-to-host-nearly-a-dozen-free-world-cup-watch-parties

👉 Fan Zone info: nynjfwc26.com/queens/

More than 2,500 people have signed a Change.org petition opposing NYC Parks' plan to install an inflatable bubble enclosure over the tennis courts at Astoria Park. The petition, which circulated widely this week, argues the year-round bubble would block sightlines, alter the feel of one of Astoria's most beloved open spaces, and serve a small number of paying members at the expense of the broader community.

NYC Parks issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a private operator to run the bubble, raising concerns that public courts would effectively become a paid private facility for part of the year. Community members say they were not meaningfully consulted before the RFP went out.

The pushback is notable — 2,500 signatures in a neighborhood of roughly 80,000 represents real grassroots momentum. Parks has not yet responded publicly to the petition. If you feel strongly, the link is below.

👉 Full story: qns.com/2026/06/petition-astoria-park-tennis-courts-enclosure/

👉 Sign the petition: change.org (search "Astoria Park tennis bubble")

An 18-year-old man was fatally shot in Astoria early Saturday morning, June 7, according to the NYPD. The shooting occurred on 49th Street. Police responded to the scene and found the victim with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The investigation is being handled by the NYPD's 114th Precinct, which covers Astoria. As of press time, no arrests had been reported. The victim's name had not been publicly released.

It was a dark weekend for the neighborhood. Our thoughts are with the family. If you have any information, the 114th Precinct tip line is (718) 626-9311.

👉 Via CBS New York: cbsnews.com/newyork/video/18-year-old-fatally-shot-in-astoria-nypd-says/

Early voting for the June 23 Democratic primary begins this Saturday, June 13, and runs through June 22. For Western Queens voters, this is the last election before the new district lines fully kick in — and there are contested races worth paying attention to.

In State Senate District 12, incumbent Michael Gianaris faces a primary challenge from Aber Kawas and Steven Raga. In Assembly District 34, Brian Romero is challenging incumbent Jessica González-Rojas. Both races have real competition and distinct visions for the neighborhood.

Early voting hours are typically 10 AM–8 PM on weekdays and select weekend hours. Find your polling site and check your registration at vote.nyc. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 23.

👉 Race guide: cityandstateny.com (search "2026 state legislative primary races")

👉 Find your site: vote.nyc

Astoria Insider is inviting local businesses and organizations to be featured in its growing community newsletter.

The platform highlights local news, events and community stories, providing businesses with an opportunity to reach a highly engaged local audience and showcase what they offer.

From restaurants and shops to services and community groups, all are encouraged to participate and share their story with readers across the Astoria and surrounding areas. Don’t own a business? That’s ok… Know of one that should be featured?

Those interested in being featured can reach out to learn more about available opportunities and upcoming editions. Click the button below to feature your business or send an email to [email protected] with your business details and we’ll reach out!