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“A Palpable Love:” Irish Folk Music Thrives at Ridgewood’s Dada

BQE Admin on February 27, 2026

Musicians flocked to Dada, an artist-owned space at 60-47 Myrtle Ave, on February 21 — but attendees also gave their recommendations for regular open sessions throughout Queens and Brooklyn. (Photos: Tashroom Ahsan)

By Adeline Daab | news@queensledger.com

RIDGEWOOD — “What percentage of Irish folk tunes do you think are in the key of D?”

The question circulated around the group of good-humored musicians gathered on Saturday, February 21, for an Irish folk music open session at Ridgewood’s Dada, an artist-owned music & art space, cocktail club, and espresso bar. Fiddlers, flautists, accordion/concertina players, and a lone guitarist chimed in as they prepared to harmonize in Irish tune. Answers to the question ranged from “75% if you combine D and D minor,” to a conspiracy theory that “100% of Irish tunes are in D but we just moved some to other keys.”

The session kicked off with “Shoemaker’s Fancy,” and danced through dozens of other sprightly and charmingly-named tunes including “Toss the Feathers,” “Humours of Glynn,” and “The Rambling Pitchfork.” The notes fluttered and frolicked in lively rhythm, moving me to tap my toes along with the musicians. These fast instrumental dance tunes are a subgenre of traditional Irish music sometimes called “geantraí,” which means “joy music” more or less. Mixed in with these were some American folk songs, including songs from shape note singing—a participatory singing tradition that originated in New England in the early 1800s and lives on in the American South. A few Irish songs also made an appearance. ‘Songs,’ feature words, while ‘tunes’ refer to instrumental melodies. “Mrs. Gilhooley’s Party,” one of the songs that brought humor to the session, wraps up each verse with “so he picked up the pipes and he started to play until some lads got fooling about, and they cut a big hole in the bag of his pipes and this is the tune that came out” followed by an impressive display of “lilting”—a practice of imitating the sounds of Irish music through nonsense syllables.

As ice melted in the players’ iced coffees and foam disappeared from their once-frothy pints, folk music fans and curious passersby alike stopped to steep in the melodies. They sat as mesmerized as I was, conversations never rising above soft chatter. But the two dozen onlookers present at the session’s peak witnessed a ritual clearly intended not for us, but for the players themselves. There was a palpable love for the music within the ensemble and for the activity of playing it in the company of others. Musicians sat in a tight-knit oval, facing each other. They jovially passed around the opportunity to lead a tune, and the less experienced of the bunch were kindly guided through tough phrases.

After a line-up of fast-paced dance tunes called “geantraí,” fiddlers begin to show signs of happy exhaustion.

Each participant was drawn to this musical community for a different reason. For the solo guitarist of the group, that reason was a chance encounter between a tipsy girlfriend—formerly an Irish dancer—and a pub emanating Irish folk tunes. She popped in and had so much fun dancing along that she dragged her musically-savvy partner to another session where he was roped into playing the guitar. Another participant, a classically trained flautist and flute teacher turned Irish folk musician, was indoctrinated through the contra dance community. Contra dance is a type of folk dancing — “a mix between swing dancing and square dancing” — that has a lot of overlap with the Irish folk music community.

One of the hosts of the session, Myra Smith, played classical violin growing up and returned to the instrument in the COVID era. “I was drawn to the instrument that I had from my childhood as a tool for making music and for art, and I wanted some sort of way to develop a deeper relationship with the instrument,” Myra told me, “and that timed up nicely with a family trip that I went on to Ireland. That trip was a moment of remembering that traditional Irish music both exists and communities around it are still very active. I had an ‘aha’ moment of like, oh, this is the path I want to go down as I work on playing violin.”

That’s how Myra’s Irish folk music journey began, but the main thing that’s kept her in has been “forming friendships and relationships through making music with people.” She’s also developed a fondness for the melodies as she continually expands her repertoire. She calls herself a “collector of melodies.”

If you are interested in getting involved in the New York Irish folk music scene, Myra suggests you “go out and find places that have regular sessions. Talk to the musicians there and ask them about their recommendations.” There are a lot of great places to learn that are welcoming for people who are just beginning, and Myra hopes her sessions will always be an open place for these curious crowds. A great place to start would be her weekly Wednesday night sessions at The Swan in Bed-Stuy, 7PM!

Pia Rahman Seeks Stability in Assembly District 37

BQE Admin on February 27, 2026

Pia Rahman Aims to Be First Bengali in Albany From Queens

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Pia Rahman is running for New York State Assembly in District 37, pitching herself as a stabilizing force in a seat that has seen rapid turnover. When she stopped by the Queens Ledger’s Woodside newsroom, her newly adopted dog Otto trotted in beside her, a small reminder of the neighborhood life she says she wants to represent.

Rahman, a registered dietitian and Community Board 2 member, is running to represent a rapidly growing swath of western Queens that includes Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth and Ridgewood.

Her message is simple: stability, healthcare and trust.

“This seat has been playing musical chairs and this community needs stability,” Rahman said. “My commitment is Queens and my commitment is the district.”

If elected, Rahman would become the first Bangladeshi-American and the first dietitian nutritionist to serve in the Assembly.

Rahman calls herself a native New Yorker, a phrase she uses expansively. Born in Parkchester in the Bronx, she has lived in every borough except Staten Island. She spent her middle and high school years in Utica before returning downstate for college and now resides in Long Island City, where she has lived since 2018.

“It’s important to understand the lay of the land,” she said. “You’re dealing with all of New York.”

That perspective, she argues, matters in Albany.

“New York State has a big rural population that we forget,” Rahman said. “Whether it’s a cab driver in Queens or a dairy farmer in New York, we are still viable, we are still able to succeed.”

She recalls watching an upstate dairy farm sit unsold for years before eventually being converted into a solar field, a sign, she said, of changing economic realities and the need for legislators to think creatively about agriculture, climate and workforce transitions.

“I consider myself a New Yorker before I consider myself an American,” she said.

Rahman’s path to politics runs through public healthcare.

A proud CUNY and SUNY graduate with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition, she was born in a public hospital and later worked in one during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the nutrition department, she said, the crisis exposed systemic weaknesses.

“During COVID, you saw how we were not prepared for the virus,” she said. “We didn’t have preventive care ready for a public health crisis. I remember running into the hospital thinking about all the lives we’ve lost, whether they were patients or healthcare workers, and thinking, ‘I can’t believe this is America.’”

The experience, she said, was transformative.

“I would love to bring my clinical judgment to Albany,” Rahman said. “Not just for healthcare now, but for years coming.”

She supports the New York Health Act, Cover for All and expanded SNAP access, arguing that preventive nutrition and universal coverage are long term cost savers.

“Nutrition is one of the most effective preventive healthcare tools we have,” she said. “If we’re not covering everyone, the diseases we worked so hard to eradicate become a liability for all.”

Healthcare is personal for Rahman. Her mother, an oncologist retiring this spring, worked upstate. Her sister is a doctorate level psychologist specializing in traumatic brain injury. During the pandemic, she said, she watched retired Black doctors return to hospitals, and some died doing so.

“I think about them a lot,” she said.

She has stood alongside nurses on strike lines and rallied with home care workers in Brooklyn, arguing that underpaying predominantly older women of color in caregiving roles is morally wrong.

“They have the most intimate relationships with patients,” Rahman said. “We always make excuses when we don’t want to address a problem, especially when it’s a vulnerable community.”

Rahman frames her campaign around three pillars: affordability, healthcare equity and transportation.

On affordability, she warns that Long Island City’s rapid growth risks pricing out the families who built it. She supports more social housing and says development projects like OneLIC must include adequate hospitals, childcare centers and schools.
“It depends on the resources around the neighborhood as well,” she said. “When you’re building, you want to make sure we have enough hospitals, enough childcare, enough education.”

Queens, she noted, lacks a transplant center and a dedicated birthing center.

“The fact that we have to cross a borough to go to a transplant center,” she said, trailing off.

She has even floated the idea that one day the district may need a child bearing center as it continues to grow.

On transportation, Rahman is a traffic violence survivor. At age seven, she was injured when her family’s car was struck by a school bus in Sheepshead Bay, leaving her with a scar she still carries.

“A little kid shouldn’t be thinking about these things,” she said, recalling how the crash changed how she viewed the world. She still notices ghost bikes marking fatal crashes across the city.

She commutes with an unlimited OMNY card, regularly rides the 7 train and wants to see a more reliable G line and greater inter borough connectivity, including support for projects like the Interborough Express.

“I want every resident to walk out their door and, within 20 minutes, reach what they need,” she said, whether that is transportation, healthcare, groceries or green space.

At the same time, she emphasizes community input on major decisions such as free buses or rezonings.

“My commitment is the people in the district,” Rahman said. “When you are elected, you are representing them, not anything else. I’m not making decisions based on a movement but what people want. I am accountable to the people.”

Rahman’s organizing roots trace back to the pandemic, when she sought volunteer hours at a food pantry and ended up joining Team AOC’s operation in Parkchester. Six years later, she is on the ballot herself.

She has worked in Queens politics, she said, before people were widely known, and is a top donor to several Democratic Socialists of America backed candidates, though she no longer identifies as a DSA member.

“I want to build a bigger coalition,” she said, describing her campaign as grassroots and neighbor driven.

She has hosted and helped lead Know Your Rights trainings across the district, from PTAs to tenant groups.

“Despite the budget deficit, despite what’s happening to our neighbors, there is still hope,” Rahman said. “When I see people come together and organize, I do think we will find a way out of it.”

Queens has one of the largest Bangladeshi populations in the country, Rahman noted, yet has never sent a Bengali to Albany.

“We have yet to send a Bengali to Albany,” she said. “Queens is populated with Bengalis, yet we don’t have a seat at the table.”

She thinks about cab drivers who have donated to her campaign and neighbors who stop her on the street.

“My legacy would be sending a Bengali to Albany to represent Queens,” she said.

On a lighter note, Rahman names Takumen, a Japanese restaurant in Long Island City, as a favorite, along with walks through Gantry Plaza State Park and trips on the 7 train to Patel Brothers for Indian groceries or to a Vietnamese market near Court Square for baby bok choy.

But for voters wary after years of turnover, this will be the fourth person to hold the seat in four years, Rahman knows the central question she faces.

“People ask, ‘Will you stay?’” she said. “New York is my forever home.”

Asked why residents should vote for her, she described knocking on doors in her own building, introducing herself simply as Pia, a neighbor running for Assembly.

“I am a native New Yorker,” she said. “I serve on Community Board 2. I’ve been involved in local Queens politics. My commitment is Queens. My commitment is the district.”

Mamdani Issues Ultimatum to Hochul: Tax The Wealthy Or Face Property Tax Hike

BQE Admin on February 27, 2026

NYC Mayor Warns: Tax the Rich or Burden Working Families

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is threatening to raise property taxes if Gov. Kathy Hochul does not approve a tax hike on high earners and profitable corporations, escalating a fiscal standoff between City Hall and Albany.

In his $127 billion preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027, Mamdani framed the city’s finances as a crisis inherited from the prior administration and presented what he described as two clear paths forward: raise taxes on the wealthy with state approval, or increase property taxes and draw down reserves.

“There are two paths to bridge the city’s inherited budget gap. The first path is the most sustainable and fairest: raising taxes on the wealthiest and corporations, and ending the drain by fixing the imbalance between what the City provides the State and what we receive in return,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “If we do not go down the first path, the City will be forced to go down a second, more harmful path of property taxes and raiding our reserves — weakening our long-term fiscal footing and placing the onus for resolving this crisis on the backs of working and middle-class New Yorkers. We do not want to have to turn to such drastic measures to balance our budget. But, faced with no other choice, we will be forced to.”

Mamdani said the projected two-year budget gap now stands at $5.4 billion, down from an earlier estimate of roughly $12 billion. The administration credited $1.77 billion in savings initiatives, $7.3 billion in revised revenue projections and $1.5 billion in additional state support.

Absent new revenue authority, the budget assumes a 9.5 percent property tax rate increase, projected to generate $3.7 billion in fiscal year 2027. It also calls for using $980 million from the Rainy Day Fund and $229 million from the Retiree Health Benefit Trust to meet the city’s legal requirement to balance the budget. Adjusting the property tax rate is one of the few tools available to a mayor, and it has not been done since former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in office.

Most of the roughly $9 billion increase over the current budget fills underbudgeted essential services such as rental assistance, shelter operations and special education. The plan includes $576 million in new targeted spending, including snow removal, additional attorneys and expanded food assistance.

The proposal drew swift criticism from local officials.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. called the proposed increase unacceptable.

“As I told Mayor Mamdani this afternoon, a property tax hike upwards of 9.5 percent, as considered, is a nonstarter. Under no circumstance should we consider balancing our budget on the backs of working-class New Yorkers, especially seniors on fixed incomes and public sector workers who keep our city running,” said Borough President RICHARDS.

Christie Peale, CEO and Executive Director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, warned of displacement.

“New York City’s working-class homeowners are the foundation of strong, vibrant neighborhoods across New York. … We must not balance the budget by accelerating the displacement of long-time New Yorkers with increased property taxes. We hope to work with the Administration to strengthen and expand homeownership for working-class New Yorkers.”

City Comptroller Mark Levine said the financial picture is severe but cautioned against relying on property taxes and reserves.

“Our city is under the greatest fiscal strain since the Great Recession, despite a strong economy and record revenues from Wall Street. We are legally required to balance our budget, but it will not be easy.”

“To rely on a property tax increase and a significant draw-down of reserves to close our gap would have dire consequences.”

City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Finance Chair Linda Lee signaled resistance in a joint statement.

“At a time when New Yorkers are already grappling with an affordability crisis, dipping into rainy day reserves and proposing significant property tax increases should not be on the table whatsoever.”

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams framed the debate as a choice between taxing the wealthy and burdening working families.

“Someone has to pay for the gaps left behind by the gross mismanagement of the previous administration – and the governor can decide who. Either the wealthiest New Yorkers can pay their fair share, or working class New Yorkers will see their costs raised and possibly services cut.”

Council Member Phil Wong also rejected the proposal.

“Any proposal to raise property taxes by nearly 10 percent is a nonstarter for the hardworking families I represent and for me.”

As budget hearings approach, the fight now shifts to Albany, where Hochul has drawn a line against raising income and corporate taxes. Whether state leaders reconsider or the city moves forward with a property tax increase could define the coming fiscal year for millions of New Yorkers.

Queens Casino Plans Move From Paper To Construction

BQE Admin on February 27, 2026

Post-Approval, Queens Casino Developments Enter Next Stage

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

Mfarghaly@queensledger.com

New York City’s newly approved downstate casino licenses are entering their final implementation phase, with two Queens projects — Metropolitan Park near Citi Field and Resorts World New York City in Jamaica — moving from years of planning into early construction and hiring.

After the state Gaming Facility Location Board cleared the proposals in December and the Gaming Commission granted final approval, developers are shifting focus from licensing to execution. Officials have framed the projects as cornerstones of a broader economic strategy expected to generate billions in tax revenue, expand tourism and create tens of thousands of union jobs over the next decade.

The $8.1 billion Metropolitan Park development, backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, is slated to transform 50 acres of parking lots around Citi Field into a year-round sports and entertainment district. The project includes a hotel and casino complex, a live music venue, public parkland and infrastructure upgrades centered around Willets Point.

“Metropolitan Park’s approval is a win for Queens, the local community, and our neighbors who have supported us along the way. Construction is expected to begin soon with the project to be completed in 2030. As it has been from the beginning, our top priority remains delivering what we promised for the local community, and being open and honest as we build the next great sports and entertainment destination for New York,” said Karl Rickett, a Metropolitan Park spokesperson.

Developers say early site work is expected to begin in the coming months, with full construction ramping up after final permitting. The plan calls for 25 acres of new public park space, a rebuilt and ADA-accessible Mets–Willets Point 7 train station, roadway upgrades and a $163 million community impact trust to fund nonprofit groups serving Queens. Project leaders estimate 23,000 permanent and construction union jobs, alongside a Queens-focused hiring initiative and new lending programs for minority- and women-owned businesses.

“Since the day I bought the team, the community and Mets fans have made it clear to me that we can and should do better with the area around the ballpark,” said Steve Cohen, Owner of the New York Mets. “Now, we are going to be able to deliver the sports and entertainment district that our fans have been asking for.”

Meanwhile, Resorts World New York City is preparing to expand its footprint at the Aqueduct Racetrack complex after securing approval for a $5 billion overhaul that could make the property one of the largest gaming and hospitality destinations in the country. The Jamaica-based casino, which opened in 2011 as the city’s first legal gaming facility, is expected to begin generating new revenue quickly as expansion planning accelerates.

The proposal includes a 350,000-square-foot casino floor, a 1,600-room Crockfords hotel, a 7,000-seat arena and more than 10 acres of public green space, along with 3,000 units of affordable, union-built housing. Community investments include a $50 million Genting Innovation Center housing education and wellness programs.

“Resorts World New York City continues to expand its workforce in Queens and is actively hiring across a range of positions. Our focus remains on creating thousands of good-paying jobs right here in the community where we’ve been operating for 15 years. For current opportunities, residents can visit https://rwnewyork.com/careers/,” said Michelle Stoddart, Senior Vice President of Community Development, Resorts World New York City.

Developers say hiring is already underway as the company prepares for the next construction phase. Resorts World officials have emphasized workforce development, tourism growth and proximity to JFK Airport as central pillars of the expansion strategy, positioning the complex as an international gateway entertainment hub.

Both projects are expected to undergo additional city permitting and environmental steps as construction timelines advance. State officials project that the three newly approved downstate casinos will collectively deliver billions in tax revenue over the next decade, funding transit improvements and other public priorities while reshaping large sections of Queens’ waterfront and industrial corridors.

If completed on schedule, Metropolitan Park is targeting a 2030 opening, while Resorts World’s expansion is expected to roll out in phases, beginning as early as this year. Together, the developments mark the most significant expansion of legal casino gambling in New York City history and a defining redevelopment push for Queens.

Lunar New Year at MoMA PS1

BQE Admin on February 25, 2026

Politically powerful dancing rings in the Lunar New Year at MoMA  PS1

By ANDREW KARPAN

LONG ISLAND CITY — Queens is perhaps the only place you’ll find people celebrating Lunar New Year by salsa dancing.

Since 2017, MoMa PS1 has been putting on public celebrations of the Chinese diaspora’s Lunar New Year inside the century-old shuttered public school in Long Island City now occupied by the museum. A month after PS1 stopped charging  admission, this year’s celebration was its most crowded yet, per Molly Kurzius, a museum spokesperson.

“We’re expecting over 1,000 guests,” said Kurzius. “I think it’s going to be our most popular one ever. The last one we did, we had about 800 people. So, clearly there’s an interest and demand.”

Some of those thousand people would end up crowded inside a MoMA exhibition series called “Homeroom,” which “features artists related to our community partners,” as Kurzius puts it.

The current community partner in the space was a group called “LA ESCUELA___, who have been operating a show, closing the next week, called “Education as Resistance,” described in press materials as a “collective learning project… charting pedagogies from across Latin America.” Drawn on the walls was an immense map of the Latin American dysphoria–  the South American continent flipped upside down.

Meanwhile,Talisa Velazquez and Carlos de la Rosa taught salsa dancing on a central platform. Starting with the traditional style, then Colombian, then Puerto Rican, before finally merging them in New York style, as a kind of conceptual metaphor for the last few centuries of history.

“I’ve been dancing salsa since I was a baby,” said Velazquez, who regularly picks up teaching work from MoMa. The idea to employ her to teach salsa dancing came from Miguel Braceli, one of the co-founders of LA ESCUELA___.

“For me, it’s politically powerful to end this exhibition with a salsa class,” said Braceli, “The political power of dance and salsa is a form of resistance.”

The evening’s salsa dancing class ended with a presentation on “New York style,” Photos by Andrew Karpan.

Upstairs, lines busily formed inside the one of the museum’s expansive gallery spaces, which was filled by a  food court, where one could find at least seven different restaurants and bakeries giving out miniature sliders and wobbly slices of mille crêpes cake from Japanese patisserie Lady M.

Funding for the food and the event as a whole had come from the city through a $10,000 grant furnished by City Councilwoman Julia Won (D-Long Island City), said Ren Lee, who works government affairs for the museum. Won has been delivering the museum this funding for the last three years, Lee said.

“We hope to do more of these kind of ‘Neighborhood Night’ events that are free, and support local businesses in LIC,” said Lee, who was volunteering at a table keenly shaped like the barren concrete courtyard outside. People were invited to sit down and draw their vision for what the museum should do with it, part of what Kurzius, the museum flack, had described as a five year project.

“It’s in the very early stages, but this is a great moment for our neighbors and the community to share their thoughts and ideas for the future of this space,” said Kurzius. “We’ve been doing about five years of community feedback on this project. We’re hoping to see that our new neighbors and community members are interested in the same things that our neighbors were five years ago.”

Katie Mayo and Ysabella Genato doing crafts. Photos by Andrew Karpan.

Lee, working the table, said contributions at the coloring table were divided about “70% kids and 30% adults.”

“We didn’t know about this before. It was shared in a Mom’s group on What’sApp, that’s how we found out about it,” said Ei Mon, a market risk manager who lives around the corner in Long Island City with Nader Shirazie, a software engineer. Their one year-old child, Lin, was busily contributing her ideas for the space.

“We get really good ideas from kids,” said Lee.  She was far from the only newcomer.

“It’s my first ever time at MoMA PS1,” said Katie Mayo, who recently moved to Crown Heights, from London, and works in fashion and who had arrived with Ysabella Genato, who moved to Crown Heights from LA and teaches French. Both came to the museum to catch the tail end of the museum’s show on Vaginal Davis, the punk-era icon.

They ended up at a different crafts table, making larger paper medallions at the instruction of Jaclyn Reyes, a member of the Little Manila Queens Bayanihan Arts, an arts collective based in Woodside that had put on their own show at the museum in 2024. The pieces were handmade, affixed on a celebratory string like the kinds of traditional lanterns used to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

On the other side of history, floors above, enormous screens were broadcasting Ayoung Kim’s Delivery Dancer trilogy, a video installation at the museum that “collide geopolitics, synthesize mythologies, and interrogate technologies,” a story about delivery drivers in a futuristic city called Novaria. One imagines it was Lunar New Year there too.

Date Night with the Assembly

BQE Admin on February 25, 2026

We asked incumbents and candidates to recommend date spots in their districts. Here’s what they said. 

By COLE SINANIAN | cole@queensledger.com 

Emily Gallagher, AD 50 (Greenpoint, Williamsburg)

Photo via emilyforassembly.com.

Organizer, activist and former columnist at the Greenpoint Star (our sister paper), Emily Gallagher has been Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s most passionate fighter in the State Assembly  since she took office in 2021. For a special night out in Greenpoint, Gallagher frequents the chic Spanish seafood bar with an iconic blue door, El Pinguino. She explained that she tries to get something new every time she goes, though she’s especially likes the restaurant’s cured fish offerings. “Cozy, cute, with a variety of good low ABV options and creative, protein-rich snacks,” Gallagher wrote of El Pinguino in a text message.

El Pingüino’s iconic blue door. Photo via @el_pinguino_greenpoint.

Diana Moreno, AD 36 (Astoria, Ditmars)

Photo via @dianaforqueens on Instagram.

Having just started her new job representing Astoria in the State Assembly with a new baby at home, the Ecuadorian-born labor organizer Diana Moreno has limited free time these days. But when she does have a night out, her dinner pick is Kondo, an unassuming Japanese eatery on Broadway. “It’s the best fish, the best sushi and the service is great,” Moreno said. “They also have a green tea parfait that’s maybe one of the best desserts in Astoria.” For drinks, her go-to is Diamond Dogs, a local watering hole known for hosting DSA campaign events. “Not only do they have great drinks, great music, and great bartenders, but they have great politics too,” Moreno said.

A plate of Sashimi Salad with yuzu onion dressing. Photo via @kondorestaurant on Instagram.

Samantha Kattan, Candidate, AD 37 (Sunnyside, Ridgewood, LIC)

Samantha Kattan stopped by the Queens Ledger office in Sunnyside in February. Photo by Mohamed Farghaly.

When tenant organizer, new mother, and AD 37 candidate Samantha Kattan stopped by the Queens Ledger offices last week (see page 4!), she heaped praise on Ridgewood’s Mount Everest Deli & Grocery for its delectable samsoas, wraps and South Asian snacks. But for something more formal, Kattan — who’s originally from Austin, Texas — reccomended the classic old school Italian joint, Joe’s Restaurant on Forest Ave, which is in her neighborhood. “My husband and I keep it *very* local these days since we have a young daughter,” Kattan wrote in an email to the Ledger.

A pork chop at Joe’s Restaurant. Photo via @joesrestaurant_nyc on Instagram.

Brian Romero, Candidate, AD 34 (Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona). 

Brian Romero, who’s running for Assembly District 34, during an interview with the Queens Ledger in January. Photo by Mohamed Farghaly.

Romero, former chief of staff for Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, is now running to replace his former boss in AD 34. The son of Colombian immigrants, Romero’s roots in his district run deep, having grown up in an East Elmhurst basement apartment. For a date night in Jackson Heights, he reccomends Addictive Wine & Tapas, an intimate Spanish restaurant owned by chef and sommelier Frank Diaz. “It’s on Northern Blvd too so if you wanted to get a drink at Amaru, Queensboro, or D’Antigua you could right after!” Romero wrote in a text message.

The vibe at Addictive Wines and Tapas in Jackson Heights. Photo via @addictivewinebar on Instagram.

Streak Hits 13 as Red Storm Take Over BIG EAST Lead

BQE Admin on February 24, 2026

Regular Season nears finale as Johnnies beat Marquette and Creighton, rise to #15

It was a Red Storm rampage from start to finish on Saturday afternoon. Their win over Creighton was the largest in BIG EAST play at Madison Square Garden since 1992! (Photos by Noah Zimmerman)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The Red Storm surged into first place outright in the BIG EAST last week following a win on the road against the Marquette Golden Eagles and a UConn loss to Creighton. St. John’s would go on to thank Creighton with a blowout win over the weekend, downing the Bluejays 81 to 52.

It wasn’t pretty but the Red Storm did enough to dispatch the bottom-dwelling Golden Eagles. Despite blowing a sizable lead around halftime, St. John’s were able to lock in late to claim a 76-70 win.

Bryce Hopkins led St. John’s scorers with 23 points, also pulling down ten boards for a double-double. He didn’t get much help as only Oziyah Sellers and Zuby Ejiofor scored in double figures. Dillon Mitchell and Dylan Darling were both held scoreless, though they led the team in assists with four and five, respectively.

On Saturday afternoon, the Red Storm looked for a much more decisive result. They opened play against Creighton with an 8-0 run, holding a ten-point advantage for most of the opening frame.

It was Johnnies Day at the Garden, and fans were in high spirits with their red shirts and signs. The Red Storm fans were invigorated by a Darling steal and Ejiofor dunk, re-establishing a double-digit lead after a pair of Fedor Zugic threes cut the lead to six.

By the end of the first half, St. John’s were firmly in control, 42-27. In the second frame, the Red Storm began to really pull away.

It didn’t take long until the lead was up to 30 points, growing as large as 33 in the final minutes of action. There was no path back into the game for the Bluejays as St. John’s finished off their biggest conference win at MSG since 1992, when they took down the #6 UConn Huskies.

A pair of 15-point performances by Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins led the way for St. John’s starters but it was another stellar game from Dylan Darling to lead the way for the Red Storm. Darling scored 17 points on 5/7 shooting, also picking up a game-high three steals.

Bryce Hopkins has turned his season around, especially in the last few games since a heated exchange in Providence.

For Creighton, no Bluejay scored more than Zugic’s 9 (3/5 from three). They were handily out-assisted and out-rebounded by St. John’s and matched their season worst with 18 turnovers.

With the win, St. John’s improved to 15-1 in the BIG EAST and 22-5 overall. On Monday they continued to ascend the AP College Basketball rankings, moving to #15. It’s their highest mark since they were ranked #14 in November.

Dylan Darling has been spectacular during the Red Storm winning streak. He filled the bucket off the bench against the Bluejays.

Wednesday night’s battle in Connecticut could prove to be a decisive one with just three games remaining in regular season play. The Red Storm have all but clinched a top seed and bye for the start of the BIG EAST tournament, but there’s still work to be done to see out a phenomenal finish to the season.

On Saturday night the Red Storm will take on Villanova at Madison Square Garden, their final big matchup of the season. The Wildcats have been on the cusp of the Top-25 for a good portion of the season, also playing the Johnnies well despite an 86-79 loss in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

The final home game of the regular season is next Tuesday, March 3. St. John’s and the Georgetown Hoyas will start at 7pm. The season finale will tip-off across the Hudson River when the Red Storm visit the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday, March 6.

A&E Tenants Brave Cold to Demand Housing Justice

BQE Admin on February 24, 2026

Tenants rallied in a blizzard against the notorious landlord as heating outages and crumbling infrastructure push them to the brink. 

By COLE SINANIAN | news@queensledger.com

JACKSON HEIGHTS — “What do we want? Housing justice! When do we want it? Now!” 

Clad in an enormous fur hood that nearly obscures her face, Mirela Bulagea leads the few dozen of her neighbors before her in the chant as she squints against the blowing wind and snow in the courtyard of her Jackson Heights apartment building. 

If you’d told Bulagea a year ago that she’d soon be speaking at a press conference as one of the lead organizers for the newly inaugurated La Mesa Verde Tenants Union, the Romanian-born mother of two might not have believed it.  But for Bulagea and her neighbors at La Mesa Verde, a six-building apartment complex along 90th and 91st St in Jackson Heights, the union is a necessity. Landlord A&E Real Estate Holdings is among the city’s most negligent, having topped public advocate Jumaane Williams’ annual “Worst Landlords” list in 2025 with 4,872 open HPD violations across its 181-property portfolio.  

At La Mesa Verde, this means chronic heating failure broken elevators, rat and roach infestations, and damp, black mold-covered walls that have brought health problems and despair to the property’s tenants,  leaving them with no choice but organize a union in the hope that together, they can force A&E into compliance. 

“We all have to work hard to make payments for rent,” Bulagea said. “All we demand is for them to provide decent living conditions for everyone.” 

‘We Won’t Back Down’

At the press conference, held February 22 amidst a once-in-a-decade blizzard, tenants described unlivable conditions and demanded that A&E address the hundreds of HPD violations across La Mesa Verde’s six buildings. 

“We’re here today because our  landlord has left us in freezing and unsafe conditions and we’re tired of them ignoring us,” said Ivonne Calderon, a mother of two originally from Mexico.

The Queens Ledger toured Calderon’s two-bedroom apartment in December as part of an investigation into conditions in the building. The walls in her living room were covered with peeling and bubbling paint, while rat and cockroach infestations had forced her to pack all of her food and kitchen  supplies into airtight plastic bins. 

Calderon, who pays around $1,300 a month, described calling A&E’s emergency maintenance hotline, only to be sent to voicemail or told to wait for a callback that never came. 

“We’ve paid our rent, but we haven’t received the basic living conditions that we’re owed,” Calderon said in Spanish at Sunday’s conference. “We’re united, and we won’t back down until our homes are safe.” 

As her neighbors aired their grievances outside in the snow, Emily Benko, who had planned to speak at the conference as one of the union’s lead organizers, sat coughing at a friend’s house, sick with bronchitis. The 34-year-old carpenter has been without heat since the last week of January in her one-bedroom rent-stabilized apartment, for which she pays $1,999 monthly. 

In an interview, she explained that when her heat first went out during late January’s cold snap, she left small cups of water around her apartment to gauge the temperature. After just a few hours they had all frozen, she said. When she came down with bronchitis last week, Benko decided to take her dog and cat to a friend’s house until her condition improved. 

“Basically I’ve just been living in my bedroom for a month because it’s smaller and I just keep the heater on and keep the door cracked,” Benko said. “I was afraid if I went outside for too long, I wouldn’t be able to get warm again.” 

Inconsistent heating, broken elevators and moldy walls are problems in A&E buildings throughout Queens. Earlier this month, the Ledger spoke to tenants at 32-52 33rd St in Astoria, where the heat would turn off nightly in some apartments, causing the temperature to drop into the 50s during some of New York’s coldest days in years. 

Several tenants at the press conference complained of an old and faulty heating system, leaving corner apartments like Benko’s cold while others swelter. La Mesa Verde was built in 1927, while its two boilers were most recently renovated in 2008 before A&E acquired the building, according to an A&E spokesperson in an email statement via PR firm Rubenstein Communications. The spokesperson explained that only one of the two boilers is reliably functioning, and that management has already invested $400,000 in a replacement boiler to address heating issues. The new boiler was supposed to arrive on February 23, the spokesperson wrote, but the blizzard had delayed delivery.

“Our boiler service company has attempted several different repairs since January to restore service to the down boiler and has determined that the boiler is approaching the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced,” they wrote. “Upon this determination, an emergency permit was filed to begin the boiler replacement work immediately.” 

The spokesperson continued: “With only one of the two boilers servicing the property fully functioning, some apartments are being over-heated and others under-heated. We were losing pressure and steam was escaping through the damaged boiler. Welding crews were dispatched to seal off the steam headers that were connected between both boiler plants. Until the work is completed for the ultimate solution of replacing the out of service boiler, we continue to work on steam balancing for the properties to provide more even heating levels to all units.”

La Mesa Verde Property Manager Jenna McKeegan did not respond to requests for comment. 

Ivonne Calderon in her kitchen, where constant infestations have forced her to store everything in airtight containers. Photo by Cole Sinanian.

Strength in Numbers 

Emily Mervosh lives at 35-65 86th St, a different A&E building just a few blocks away from La Mesa Verde. She attended the Sunday press conference in solidarity with La Mesa Verde tenants, and described similar conditions at her building. Like at La Mesa Verde, lack of adequate heating, mold, peeling lead paint, collapsing ceilings, chronic infestations and unresponsive management has led tenants at Mervosh’s building to organize a union, which she said she hoped would one day coalesce into a city-wide A&E tenants union. 

“We are slowly building, and we want to collaborate with other buildings like Mesa Verde,” Mervosh said in an interview. “Because there really is strength in organizing, strength in numbers. So we’re trying to organize as many A&E buildings as we can.”

In January, the Mamdani Administration ordered A&E to immediately correct outstanding violations at 14 properties across Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, and announced a $2.1 million settlement with the company that would go towards restitution to tenants for the alleged harassment brought by A&E’s neglect. Neither La Mesa Verde, 35-65 86th St, nor 32-52 33rd St were included in the settlement.

Founded in 2011 and led by Douglas Eisenberg and Margaret Brunn, A&E has been hit by recent financial troubles. In February 2025, PinusCo. reported that A&E faced foreclosure proceedings on a $506.3 million J.P. Morgan Chase loan backing a 31-property portfolio. Meanwhile, in order to purchase the 32-52 33rd Street property in Astoria, the company took out a $22 million loan from the now-defunct Signature Bank, which folded in 2023. A&E now owes the $22 million to Spanish bank Santander, which acquired Signature’s debt, according to online databases ACRIS and Signature Portfolio Dashboard.

In an email statement sent to La Mesa Verde tenant organizers, Jackson Heights City councilmember Shekar Krishnan condemned A&E’s neglect and pledged solidarity with La Mesa Verde tenants.

“As neighbors, you all have stood up for each other and looked after one another day after day,” Krishnan wrote. “And we will hold A&E — one of the worst landlords in our city, who has been especially neglectful in Jackson Heights — accountable.” 

He continued: “A&E’s greed has gone unchecked for too long and while the recent settlement is a step in the right direction, as Chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee and the representative of the most A&E buildings in the city, I will keep fighting for tenants’ rights and an end to A&E’s neglect.” 

A&E had more than 4,000 open HPD violations as of the end of 2025. Photo by Cole Sinanian.

‘We’re All Working Class People’

According to Benko, tenants at La Mesa Verde began organizing last summer. Both of the building’s elevators had broken in March, forcing many tenants to climb multiple flights of stairs daily— a potentially dangerous physical burden for the building’s elderly and disabled tenants. 

Benko credits one of her neighbors, a woman named Celina della Croce, with igniting organization efforts at La Mesa Verde. She said della Croce, who did not attend Sunday’s press conference, had previously worked as a professional labor organizer and is now a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) — a socialist political organization with chapters nationwide. 

Della Croce gathered a group of tenants and fellow PSL organizers to canvas La Mesa Verde, going door-to-door with flyers for the nascent tenants union and urging neighbors to unite against their negligent landlord. Meetings were held in building lobbies and group chats were formed, which Benko said have been instrumental in both forcing A&E to make necessary repairs and keeping each other safe as temperatures dropped and conditions in the building worsened. 

“If it wasn’t for the tenants association, people would have died,” Benko said. 

On cold days, neighbors with heat used the group chat to offer up their space heaters to those without. It was through one of these tenants’ group chats that Benko met Bulagea, whom she now considers a friend. Bulagea had responded to Benko’s post in the chat about some Swiffer pads she was giving away. The two women met in the lobby to exchange the pads, and ended up bonding over their shared struggles. 

“You don’t have to be best friends with your neighbors,” Benko said, “but you might as well take advantage of the proximity. We’re all working class people.”

More than 100 tenants at La Mesa Verde have signed onto a lawsuit against A&E seeking both immediate corrections to outstanding violations and restitution for alleged tenant harassment brought by A&E’s negligence. Lawyers with Communities Resist — the legal nonprofit representing La Mesa Verde tenants in the case  — gathered retainers from tenants, while the union’s organizers coordinated mass 311 calls in an attempt to address the building’s most severe violations as quickly as possible. 

Benko said it was these coordinated efforts through the union that pushed A&E to fix one of the elevators, which has now been working since early January. The other elevator, however, remains broken. 

“It feels like we have some power,” she said. “It feels like when they break the law now, they’re not gonna get away with it as easily.”

At  Sunday’s press conference, Communities Resist attorney Christos Bell urged tenants to continue organizing, both with regards to the legal case and in their day-to-day lives.  

“We are trying to do our best to compel them to make the necessary repairs in this building, but it’s not just about legal cases,” Bell said. 

“By ourselves, we’re not gonna be able to win,” he continued. “But together, that’s when we have the power to win.”

Another battery energy storage system is coming to Wong’s district but local officials aren’t sure where — or when

BQE Admin on February 20, 2026

The site identified for the battery energy storage system by NineDot Energy is at 64-30 69th Place in Middle Village, directly next to the Juniper Valley Animal Hospital and across the street from P.S. 128.

Emily Smith

Middle Village could see another storage system for lithium-ion battery energy, but local officials are unclear as to where the facility will be located and when construction is expected to begin.

City Council Member Phil Wong told residents of his district that a battery energy storage facility could be coming directly across the street from a local elementary school but he said he’s suggested other sites in industrial areas. One thing is clear: it’s happening soon.

“They are going to start construction in a month,” said Walter Sanchez, chairperson for Queens Community Board 5, at last Wednesday’s board meeting, citing a call he received from the energy company a week prior.

He asked the energy company whether they had met with Wong — to which they said that they did in December, privately informing him that the project would be moving forward, to which Wong and his office denied.

NineDot Energy, a company who’s built battery storage facilities across the city, started the process to build in Middle Village last April. They’re just one of the many companies planting these shipping container-like storage buildings in various city neighborhoods. According to government data, there are currently 20 facilities operating in Queens and 83 city-wide.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) says that the facilities capture and hold energy for later use, increasing New York’s renewable energy capabilities.

But, some residents worry that they’re noisy and potentially dangerous. They can emit a constant hum and a battery storage site in Warwick, New York was ignited in December with the flame lasting for over three days, as battery fires are very difficult to extinguish.

NineDot Energy’s Chief Marketing Officer Karen Alter said that the FDNY’s safety standards prevent similar fires. “Those sites use technology and designs that simply would not be allowed in New York City,” she said. Since these facilities were first introduced to New York City in 2019, there haven’t been any fire safety incidents reported. Still many community members say the issue lies with the chosen site.

“The area that they’re looking to put it into is just tone deaf,” said Paul Pogozelski, President of the Middle Village Property and Residents Association. “It’s right across the street from the school and it’s in a residential area.”

P.S. 128, The Lorraine Tuzzo, Juniper Valley Elementary School, stands directly across the street.

Gary Giordano, the district manager for Queens Community Board 5, said he too is most concerned about the location of the site. “The risks may not be great of a fire,” he said. “But, they exist and that is not a good choice of place to put that sort of facility.”

Giordano added that NineDot has let the vacant lot become an “eyesore,” in the meantime.

Alter said NineDot has been in communication with local officials, including Wong and the community board chairperson, for over a year, “to answer questions and provide accurate information about energy storage.” Sanchez, board chairperson, said he had not communicated with NineDot until he received the call informing him that they would be moving forward with construction.

Wong’s office said they were disappointed with NineDot’s lack of communication with the Council Member.

“They never told us they were moving forward with it,” said Wong’s chief of staff, Daniel Kurzyna. Kurzyna said that Wong’s office learned that NineDot was moving forward with construction after Sanchez called P.S. 128, and someone associated with the school told Wong’s office.

Kurzyna also added that Wong isn’t completely against a battery storage facility in his district.

“We’re not opposed to the technology, we think it’s actually very, very good technology and it is necessary,” said Kurzyna. “We can’t have it literally across from a school. We can’t have it next door to an animal hospital, a daycare center and the children’s fun house.” He said business owners from all locations are worried that the facility will hurt them.

Wong said he was in negotiations with NineDot over moving the proposed facility to a more industrial area.

“We have someone in the community who’s willing to put up his own money, buy that property, and then, give them an alternate location that he owns not too far away,” said Kurzyna. “It’s a perfect location.” He said that Wong’s office reached out to the lobbyist representing NineDot with this idea and at least three more alternative locations, but he did not specify the addresses of those locations.

NineDot declined to comment on the date construction is planned to begin, but Wong is scheduled to meet with NineDot on February 19th. “I hope they come to us and say, this is a great offer,” Kurzyna said.

How SwipeSave is Cutting Credit Card Processing Fees & Supercharging Local Marketing for NYC Business Owners

BQE Admin on February 19, 2026

SwipeSave, a new Queens-based Merchant Services company, has launched with a clear focus: helping New York businesses lower their credit card processing fees while giving them access to free marketing support. 

Founded by local entrepreneurs — Michael Nysirou, Joe Carrozza, and John Sanchez — who understand the day-to-day challenges of running a business, SwipeSave leads the way in bringing restaurants onto Clover POS platform, delivering fast, seamless transitions with no downtime, no monthly fees, and no setup costs—saving owners thousands from day one.

SwipeSave helps restaurants, bars, cafés, fast-casuals, dessert shops, retail stores, and more slash their processing costs and keep more of their hard-earned revenue.

For more than a decade, Michael Louca has helped local entrepreneurs thrive in the heart of Queens. He has invested his time and expertise into understanding the challenges and strengths of small businesses—especially within the restaurant community—supporting hundreds of local restaurants in cutting costs and improving operational efficiency.

“Most business owners don’t realize how much they’re overspending on every swipe,” says co-founder Michael, a longtime insurance agent who understands the financial pressures small businesses face. “We wanted to create a service that finally puts the power back in their hands.”

Louca’s deep knowledge of the insurance market, combined with strong relationships across major carriers, gives him the leverage needed to help business owners significantly lower their insurance premiums. 

But SwipeSave doesn’t stop at lowering fees — it goes further.

Thanks to co-owner John Sanchez, SwipeSave includes complimentary marketing services powered by BQE Media & Marketing, the media company behind the Queens Ledger and several other established newspapers across the tri-state area.

For over 40 years, John’s family business has been a trusted voice in local media. Today, he leads BQE’s marketing division, a mid–six-figure agency that specializes in elevating hospitality brands, neighborhood eateries, and fast-growing small businesses.

“Business owners need more than savings — they need visibility,” says John. “SwipeSave gives them both. We’re not just lowering their bills; we’re helping them grow.”

Whether it’s social media content, digital strategy, audience targeting, design work, or promotional features in major local publications, SwipeSave clients enjoy access to a robust suite of marketing perks unavailable from any other merchant processor.

Behind the scenes is co-founder Joe Carrozza, a technology and data professional with experience supporting major organizations and iconic destinations. He began his career at IBM’s Watson Research Center, where he helped streamline IT processes for clients such as Morgan Stanley, Honeywell, and Cigna, and developed an internal application used globally across IBM to improve workflow efficiency. 

Most recently, Joe worked with the Empire State Building, helping modernize operations and playing a key role in launching the building’s first dynamic pricing strategy to improve the visitor experience and drive revenue growth. 

SwipeSave may be headquartered in Queens, but its mission spans all of New York City. The company proudly serves businesses across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, delivering cost savings, better service, and marketing support that truly understands the heartbeat of NYC neighborhoods.

Businesses interested in cutting costs and elevating their brand can reach the SwipeSave team directly:

📞 347-267-4990

🌐 SwipeSave.com

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