🎬 Kaufman Astoria Studios Faces a $359M Foreclosure Suit

🏠 $545 Apartments in Sunnyside — Housing Lottery Now Open

🏡 Astoria's Priciest Listing: A $3.19M Townhouse With a Pool

🍴 New Eats: Gyro City, Brooklyn Bread Cafe & More

📈 Astoria Is Queens' Only Rental Inventory Hotspot

Wednesday · April 22 · 🌎 Earth Day

Thursday · April 23

Friday · April 24

Saturday · April 25

Sunday · April 26

Coming Up

One of Astoria's most iconic addresses is fighting for its future.

Deutsche Bank has filed a foreclosure suit against Kaufman Astoria Studios — the roughly 500,000-square-foot film and television campus at 34-12 36th Street — after its owner, Hackman Capital Partners, defaulted on a $340 million loan that matured last November. With accrued interest, late charges, and exit fees, the outstanding balance has ballooned past $359 million. The suit, filed in Queens Supreme Court, also seeks to enforce an $18.5 million personal-recourse guarantee against Hackman CEO Michael Hackman and several affiliates.

This isn't an isolated stumble. Kaufman marks the second major studio property Hackman has lost grip on in six months: in January, the firm surrendered the historic Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles to Goldman Sachs after defaulting on a $1.1 billion loan. A Crain's editorial called the foreclosure fight "a warning for the city's entertainment industry." For Astoria residents, the stakes are closer to home — Kaufman is a neighborhood landmark, a major local employer, and the anchor of the surrounding Kaufman Arts District.

👉 Read the full story on QNS

Astoria real estate just hit a new ceiling.

A completely remodeled townhouse at 69-04 Ditmars Boulevard has been listed for $3.195 million — a record price point for comparable properties in the neighborhood. The three-story home, originally built in 1955, has been transformed into something the listing agent describes as "everything of Miami and high-end New York City living" under one roof: think in-ground heated pool with a waterfall, a rooftop deck, floor-to-ceiling slate finishes, and Gaggenau luxury appliances throughout.

It's an eye-popping number for a neighborhood where the median home price hovers well below seven figures. Whether it signals where Astoria's market is headed or simply represents a one-of-a-kind outlier, it's the kind of listing that stops the scroll.

👉 Read the full story on QNS

The neighborhood restaurant pipeline isn't slowing down — here's what just opened (or is about to).

Gyro City soft-opened in Astoria and will hold its official grand opening on Saturday, April 25. Following the success of their Brooklyn location, the expanded menu features grilled skewers, pita sandwiches, halloumi fries, and more. Brooklyn Bread Cafe has also expanded to Astoria with freshly baked bread, gourmet sandwiches, and solid vegan options.

Freddy's Pizza opened a second location — the original Whitestone shop has been a family institution since 1961, and the Astoria outpost brings the vintage photo walls and checkered tile floors. Coffee lovers can check out L'oro Espresso Bar for bombolones in flavors like pistachio and Nutella. And over in Sunnyside, The Screen Door is scooping classic ice cream treats — sundaes, banana splits, and something called "ice cream nachos."

👉 Full roundup on QNS

There's a reason it feels like new buildings are popping up everywhere.

According to a recent market report, Astoria is the only Queens neighborhood to land in New York City's top ten for rental inventory growth. The borough as a whole saw inventory climb 9.6% year over year — from 3,692 units to 4,046 — but Astoria is carrying an outsized share of that growth, fueled by proximity to Manhattan and a wave of amenity-rich new construction.

The silver lining for renters: all that new supply appears to be keeping a lid on prices. Rent growth in Astoria is running notably slower than the borough average, suggesting the new inventory is helping moderate what landlords can charge. For a neighborhood that's been a "best value in NYC" darling for years, that's welcome news heading into peak leasing season.

👉 Read the full story on Astoria Post

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!