Great advertising for the paint store across the street

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Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

A New City Rises

Overview of 7 Train Upgrades in Queens

The 7 train line, which connects Flushing to Midtown Manhattan, is undergoing significant upgrades in Queens, including at the 33rd Street–Rawson Street station. These improvements are part of a broader initiative to enhance the subway system's infrastructure and accessibility.

Key Upgrades at 33rd Street–Rawson Street Station

Accessibility Improvements

ADA Compliance:

The station is currently undergoing renovations to become ADA-accessible. This includes the installation of elevators, which is part of a larger $6 billion investment in accessibility across the subway system.

Elevator Installation:

The contract for adding two elevators at the station was awarded in December 2023, with work expected to improve access for all riders.

Structural Enhancements

Temporary Platforms: To accommodate construction, temporary platforms have been set up at the 33rd Street–Rawson Street station, along with other nearby stations.

Service Changes:

As part of the ongoing upgrades, Manhattan-bound 7 trains are skipping the 69th and 52nd Street stations through early 2026. Riders are advised to use nearby stations like 74th Street–Broadway and 61st Street–Woodside during this period.

Timeline and Impact

Construction Duration:

The upgrades are expected to continue into 2026, with various phases of work being coordinated to minimize disruptions.

Customer Experience:

These improvements aim to enhance the overall customer experience by providing better access, improved safety, and modernized facilities throughout the 7 train line.

These upgrades are crucial for ensuring that the subway system meets the needs of all New Yorker's, particularly those requiring accessible transit options.

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Included in the album:

#7 Train Upgrades/33rd-Rawson Street Station

Part of the album Queens: Skillman Ave Greenstreets

(click to view the entire album)

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The Greenstreets program converts paved, vacant traffic islands, and medians into green spaces filled with trees, shrubs, and groundcover in an effort to capture stormwater.

The program is a part of the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan. All funding for Greenstreet construction under this plan is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Green Infrastructure

www.nycgovparks.org/greening/green-infrastructure

Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

Included in the album: Queens: Astoria

Part of the album titled 23-10 Queens Plaza South / 42-19 24th Street - Before & After Construction

Walking home from my office. Thankfully the days are beginning to grow lighter in the late afternoon's

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Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

The Manhattan New York Temple is the 119th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the second temple built in New York. Door handles shaped like the Statue of Liberty torch are found throughout the Manhattan New York Temple.

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Hmmm. That last tidbit of info sounds awesome, and would be a great Jeopardy question. Not looking to convert, though I wonder if they'd mind if I just photographed all of those door handles. LOL

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Part of the album: Manhattan: Lincoln Square

(click to view the entire album)

As far back as I can remember this corner had been the Harley-Davidson motorcycles dealership, which closed up its business in October 2024. At one time there were also car dealerships along Northern Boulevard.

Per the 'LIC Post', The owner cited current economic conditions and limited real estate options as key factors in the difficult decision.

Hmmm. Sounds like the landlord upped the rent beyond what they could even afford. The Long Island City neighborhood is in a state of gentrification, and the powers that be are molding the entire neighborhood into what they want it to look like. I can see this corner being a coffee shop, or light grocery store.

Those Pinnacle Realty signs are all over the place. I walk everywhere and may notice it more than most

Included in the album:

A New City Rises

Part of the album:

31-28 Northern Blvd / Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

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They're constructing yet another public storage building on Northern Blvd. As for the other two, I have never seen anyone, ever, go inside either one. And I walk past this area twice per day.

Part of the album titled

37-12 31st Street / Before & After Construction

(click to view that entire album)

Year built: 1959

Purchase date: 07/03/2025

Purchase price: $11,009,125

Here's the design for the upcoming new building. I really like it

www.caliendoarchitects.com/project-gallery/31-05-astoria-...

History of the site:

After 40 years in business the Neptune Diner located in Astoria, Queens, NYC served its last meal on Sunday, July 29. 2024. The owners claimed they were not given a chance to renew their lease, because the property will soon be turned into a residential building.

Since 1983, The Katsihtis brothers have owned the building on Astoria Boulevard but not the land, which was sold in 2018 for over $10 million.

The brothers also had a 35-year lease which expired in 2019. But since then, they were not able to come to a long-term agreement with the landlord.

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But that's what Long Island City/Astoria needs is another apartment building. It's already so overbuilt, it's ridiculous. Yet they keep tearing them down and building new ones, many of which are luxury rentals. The neighborhood is losing its character to steel and glass.

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This photo is part of the overall album titled

Queens: 31-05 Astoria Blvd North - Before & After Construction

This one's going up pretty quickly

Part of the album titled

23-10 Queens Plaza South / 42-19 24th Street

Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

included in the album titled:

Manhattan: Kips Bay

Part of the album 39-26 30th St / Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

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The Fifty

Stupid name for a building. Seems these new buildings may be receiving some kind of write off if they think up the dumbest, quirkiest name.

This photo is included in the album:

30-25 Queens Blvd / 29-10 Northern Boulevard

Before & After Construction

Part of the album:

Queens: Long Island City, Queens Blvd

(click to view the entire album)

Included in the album titled:

Crosswalks (USA) / Zebra Crossing (UK)

Year built: 1959

Purchase date: 07/03/2025

Purchase price: $11,009,125

Here's the design for the upcoming new building. I really like it

www.caliendoarchitects.com/project-gallery/31-05-astoria-...

History of the site:

After 40 years in business the Neptune Diner located in Astoria, Queens, NYC served its last meal on Sunday, July 29. 2024. The owners claimed they were not given a chance to renew their lease, because the property will soon be turned into a residential building.

Since 1983, The Katsihtis brothers have owned the building on Astoria Boulevard but not the land, which was sold in 2018 for over $10 million.

The brothers also had a 35-year lease which expired in 2019. But since then, they were not able to come to a long-term agreement with the landlord.

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But that's what Long Island City/Astoria needs is another apartment building. It's already so overbuilt, it's ridiculous. Yet they keep tearing them down and building new ones, many of which are luxury rentals. The neighborhood is losing its character to steel and glass.

~

This photo is part of the overall album titled

Queens: 31-05 Astoria Blvd North - Before & After Construction

Year built: 1959

Purchase date: 07/03/2025

Purchase price: $11,009,125

Here's the design for the upcoming new building. I really like it

www.caliendoarchitects.com/project-gallery/31-05-astoria-...

History of the site:

After 40 years in business the Neptune Diner located in Astoria, Queens, NYC served its last meal on Sunday, July 29. 2024. The owners claimed they were not given a chance to renew their lease, because the property will soon be turned into a residential building.

Since 1983, The Katsihtis brothers have owned the building on Astoria Boulevard but not the land, which was sold in 2018 for over $10 million.

The brothers also had a 35-year lease which expired in 2019. But since then, they were not able to come to a long-term agreement with the landlord.

--

But that's what Long Island City/Astoria needs is another apartment building. It's already so overbuilt, it's ridiculous. Yet they keep tearing them down and building new ones, many of which are luxury rentals. The neighborhood is losing its character to steel and glass.

~

This photo is part of the overall album titled

Queens: 31-05 Astoria Blvd North - Before & After Construction

Part of the album titled

Manhattan: Upper Eastside

(click to view the entire album)

Concrete pumping is a specialized technique used in the construction industry to move freshly mixed concrete from a ready-mix* truck to the placement area. This process utilizes hydraulic power to transport concrete through a system of pipes and hoses, significantly simplifying the logistics of concrete placement compared to traditional methods like wheelbarrows or crane-lifted buckets.

(*) Ready-mix concrete is concrete that is manufactured in a batch plant and delivered to the job site ready to use. It is ideal for large patios, driveway renovation, pool decks, home foundation slabs, parking lots, and new sidewalk construction.

This photo is included in the albums:

Before & After Construction

A New City Rises

I've always loved this building, as it has such a classic look to it. And over the years along my walks to/fro my office I've taken to photographing it.

This building was recently sold

Purchase date: 12/31/2025

Purchase price: $9,150,000

Original Year built: 1927

Included in the album titled: Queens: 35-10 Skillman Avenue - Before & After Construction

Included in the album titled:

Crosswalks (USA) / Zebra Crossing (UK)

This photo is part of the overall album titled

Long Island City: Court Square

(click to view that entire album)

After almost an entire year, this project is starting up again thanks to new funding

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8:00 am on June 30, 2025

Updated Design Revealed for 561-Unit Skyscraper at 30-25 Queens Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens

newyorkyimby.com/2025/06/updated-design-revealed-for-561-...

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Part of the album:

30-25 Queens Blvd / 29-10 Northern Boulevard

(click to view the entire album)

Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eintracht_Frankfurt

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This photo is included in the album titled: Big Bus New York

(click to view that entire album)

Year built: 1959

Purchase date: 07/03/2025

Purchase price: $11,009,125

Here's the design for the upcoming new building. I really like it

www.caliendoarchitects.com/project-gallery/31-05-astoria-...

History of the site:

After 40 years in business the Neptune Diner located in Astoria, Queens, NYC served its last meal on Sunday, July 29th. The owners claim they were not given a chance to renew their lease, because the property will soon be turned into a residential building.

Since 1983, The Katsihtis brothers have owned the building on Astoria Boulevard but not the land, which was sold in 2018 for over $10 million.

The brothers also had a 35-year lease which expired in 2019. But since then, they were not able to come to a long-term agreement with the landlord.

--

But that's what Long Island City/Astoria needs is another apartment building. It's already so overbuilt, it's ridiculous. Yet they keep tearing them down and building new ones, many of which are luxury rentals. The neighborhood is losing its character to concrete

~

This photo is part of the overall album titled

Queens: 31-05 Astoria Blvd North - Before & After Construction

(click to view that entire album)

included in the album titled:

Manhattan: Kips Bay

UBB = Unending Building Boom

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Part of the album:

29-15 40th Road, LIC / Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

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New Rendering Revealed For 29-15 40th Road in Long Island City, Queens

newyorkyimby.com/2024/04/new-rendering-revealed-for-29-15...

A new rendering has been revealed for 29-15 40th Road, an upcoming 12-story residential building in Long Island City, Queens. Few details have been made public about the project, which is being designed by Fogarty Finger Architects and developed by SB Development, which also acquired the adjacent lot at 29-13 40th Road for $8.7 million last fall.

Part of the album titled

Manhattan: Flatiron District

(click to view the entire album)

A fantasy-sized urn and fire hydrant invite New Yorkers to smile while celebrating Puerto Rican culture and summer in the city

When Roberto Lugo was a kid growing up in the gritty Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, summers were hot and dirty. Fortunately for Lugo, his father had a monkey wrench. The elder Lugo was that dad, the one who knew how to open a fire hydrant to cool things down and clean things up when the heat was on and the water was not.

Further info

Galerie: Roberto Lugo’s Giant Pottery Installation Brightens Madison Square Park

Roberto Lugo's website: www.robertolugostudio.com/

This photo is included in the album titled:

Manhattan: Madison Square Park

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Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for Founding Father James Madison, the fourth president of the United States.

Address: 11 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10010

Size: 6.2-acre

madisonsquarepark.org/

This is a great find. I had taken this photo in May 2024. That corner building on the right is now gone, as is the 3rd building in from the right. I need to organize my multitude of photos better

Part of the album:

29-15 40th Road, LIC / Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

Included in the album titled:

30-01 Northern Boulevard / Before & After Construction

My hunch paid off as this structure was completely torn down. I've been photographing the back of the building, as the front faces a police station, and not many people understand why I photograph construction. Several times I've been asked if I was an insurance surveyor. That one makes sense, as many times I'm dressed from work. No, just a hobbyist photographer. Essentially it's my documenting the pre/post gentrification of my neighborhood

Part of the album

38-27 32nd St and 38-38 32nd St / Before & After Construction

(click to view the full album)

Part of the album:

Queens: Long Island City, Queens Blvd

(click to view the entire album)

Read The Fascinating Origins of Pumpkin Carving: From Ancient Legends to Modern Halloween Tradition

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Part of the album: Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

Radio Flyer is an American toy company best known for its popular red toy wagon. Radio Flyer also produces scooters, tricycles, bicycles, horses, and ride-ons. The company was founded in 1917 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Antonio Pasin immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1914 when he was 16 years old.He started building wooden toy wagons in Chicago in 1917, selling them to area shops. He was working as a craftsman at the time, mostly selling phonograph cabinets, and built small wooden wagons to carry around his tools. After he received numerous requests from customers of phonograph cabinets to buy the wagons as well, he refocused his business on the wagons. His business grew until the Liberty Coaster Company, named in honour of the Statue of Liberty, was formed in 1923. The demands for these original wooden wagons, dubbed the "Liberty Coaster," quickly outpaced production. Incorporating the mass manufacturing techniques of the auto industry, Pasin began making metal wagons out of stamped steel in 1927. At around that time, the red wagons sold for slightly less than $3, or about $40 in 2016 dollars.

Complete history:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Flyer

Included in the album: Self-Portraiture

Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

Included in the album titled:

Crosswalks (USA) / Zebra Crossing (UK)

Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

BEFORE & AFTER CONSTRUCTION

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Today I was the epitome of laziness and instead of walking 24-minutes to my office, I opted to take the train roundtrip. Sometimes it's good to see what's going on above ground

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Further info on 23-10 Queens Plaza South aka Opus Point

Part of the album titled

23-10 Queens Plaza South / 42-19 24th Street

Before & After Construction

(click to view the entire album)

Included in the album titled:

Citi Field 11368

(click to view that entire album)

Part of the album: Manhattan: Lincoln Square

(click to view the entire album)

Part of the album

38-27 32nd St and 38-38 32nd St / Before & After Construction

(click to view the full album)

Nothing yet on this one, the Janovic Paint building, though the blue and white Pinnacle Realty signs are a telltale indication something's coming down the pike. Those signs are plastered everywhere around Long Island City/Astoria

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Part of the album titled Queens: 30-35 Thomson Avenue

This photo is part of the overall album titled

Thomson Avenue, Long Island City

(click to view that entire album)

Part of the album:

Walk/Commute to/fro Work

(click to view the entire album)

Part of the album titled Queens: Astoria

(click to view the entire album)

Former location of Astoria's renowned Pizza Palace

Coming Soon - Wells Fargo

Included in the albums titled:

Queens: 29-21 and 29-29 Ditmars Blvd / Before & After Construction

Crosswalks (USA) / Zebra Crossing (UK)

Included in the album titled

Queens: Sunnyside Queens Blvd

(click to view the entire album)

I've not seen any abandoned shoes in quite awhile. I suppose even the aliens that abduct people, though leaves their shoes behind, need to take a vacation every now and then.

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This photo is included in the album titled

Beam me up Scotty. Forget the shoes

(click to view that entire album)