🍜 Japan Fes Is Back This Sunday — 30+ Vendors, Steinway Street

🏗️ Inside the $21B Plan to Build Over Sunnyside Yard

🛍️ The Astoria Spring Retail Crawl Kicks Off TODAY

🌳 31st Ave Open Street Returns for a New Season

Friday · April 24

Saturday · April 25

Sunday · April 26

One of Astoria's most beloved street food events returns this Sunday, April 26, for a milestone worth celebrating. Japan Fes hits Steinway Street between Broadway and 34th Street from 10 am to 6 pm, bringing 30+ vendor stalls of Japanese food, drink, and culture to the neighborhood for its 10th anniversary.

Returning fan favorites include Menya Jiro (fresh ramen noodles), Soofley (gluten-free souffle pancakes), Spot Dessert Bar (Asian-inspired bubble tea and desserts), and Cozy Tea Loft. There's also a ramen contest running throughout the day, and to mark the anniversary, organizers have set up a stamp-collection challenge: visit multiple vendors, snap a photo at the reception tent, and earn exclusive rewards.

Admission is free. Popular stalls get long lines early, so go with time to spare — and bring some cash, since not every vendor takes cards. See you on Steinway.

👉 Full preview on QNS

It's one of the most ambitious housing proposals New York City has ever seen — and it's aimed squarely at Western Queens. Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to deck over the 180-acre Sunnyside Yard rail complex (home to Amtrak, the LIRR, and NJ Transit) and build 12,000 affordable homes on top, along with new parks, schools, and healthcare clinics. To fund it, he made an unannounced trip to the Oval Office in February to pitch President Trump directly on more than $21 billion in federal grants.

Last week, nearly 200 Queens residents packed an information session on the proposal. The room was divided: roughly 32% expressed strong or moderate support, 26% were opposed, and the rest said they needed more engagement before forming an opinion. Recurring concerns included whether the units would be truly affordable, how the community would have a real say in the process, and whether any of this is actually fundable right now.

Councilmember Julie Won pushed back hard, calling it a "failed housing project" and criticizing the mayor for going to Washington before coming to the community. No federal funding has been committed, and the timeline is speculative — but at this scale, it's a story Western Queens residents will be living with for years.

👉 Community response via QNS

It's one of the best reasons to finally check out that shop you've been walking past all winter. The Astoria Spring Retail Crawl officially kicks off today, April 24, and runs through May 4 — ten days to explore 25 participating local businesses across the neighborhood.

Here's how it works: grab a passport at any participating shop, collect at least nine stamps by making purchases at different locations, and turn in your completed passport at The Brass Owl or Lockwood. Everyone who hits nine stamps gets a limited-edition Astoria baseball cap made exclusively for this year's crawl, and you'll be entered into a drawing for five grand prizes — $100 gift certificates to Rivercrest, Queen's Room, Butcher Bar, Mars, and Tootles & French.

Visit shopsmallastoria.org for the full list of participating businesses and to download the passport. It's a ten-day tour of the best of Astoria — get moving.

👉 Full details at Astoria Post

One of Astoria's most popular weekend rituals returns tomorrow. Starting Saturday, April 25, the 31st Avenue Open Street closes to cars every Saturday and Sunday through December 21, transforming the block between 33rd and 35th Streets into a car-free community hub from 12 pm to 8 pm.

The weekly programming mix includes maker markets, live music performances, outdoor dining, and movie nights — something different almost every weekend. For the spring opener, the organizers are inviting vendors, volunteers, and programming partners to sign up for the season at 31staveopenstreet.org.

If you've never made it out, this weekend is the one to start. The open street has become one of Astoria's signature summer-through-fall experiences — and it's free, it's local, and it's back.

👉 Season details and signup at 31staveopenstreet.org

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!