Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a sudden water main break snarled Queens-Midtown Tunnel traffic

Make time for The Duprees on the Queens Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday December 19th Patch AM
Friday December 19th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Coffee in hand, Queens? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a sudden water main break snarled Queens-Midtown Tunnel traffic
  • How could new Airbnb rules reshape housing in Southeast Queens?
  • Is USPS still leaving Queens mailboxes vulnerable to thieves?

Also on today's calendar: Anna Maria Villa sings at Vetro Restaurant Every Friday! and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Queensfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Queensfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Windy; heavy morning rain, with a high of 58 and low of 31 degrees.
  • Saturday: Cooler; breezy in the morning, temps: high: 41, low: 36.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny and windy, with a high of 48 and low of 27 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Water main break in Long Island City affects Queens-Midtown Tunnel traffic (abc7ny.com) — A water main break in Long Island City flooded 50th and 51st avenues near 11th Street on the Queens side of the Pulaski Bridge, sending water into the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and closing inbound lanes early Thursday. Crews shut off the water after 6:30 a.m. and sent a salt spreader into the tunnel to prevent icy conditions for Queens commuters.
   

2. SEQ divided over short-term rentals (qchron.com) — A proposed rollback of New York City’s strict short-term rental rules is sharply dividing Southeast Queens, where supporters say Airbnb income could help Black homeowners stay afloat while opponents fear more displacement and transient rentals. Local community boards, housing advocates, and a Queens councilmember are all deeply involved as the City Council weighs the bill and a likely veto from the incoming mayor.
   

3. Rep. Meng calls out USPS for failure to combat mail theft in Queens (qns.com) — Mail theft remains a serious problem across Queens, and Rep. Grace Meng is pressuring the U.S. Postal Service to fully carry out federal recommendations meant to fix it. She says USPS has missed multiple deadlines and still hasn’t completed three key reforms, leaving residents’ checks, credit cards and personal information vulnerable in local blue and green mailboxes.
   

4. Schwartz celebrates his 100th birthday (qchron.com) — A century-old pillar of Queens civic life, Seymour “Sey” Schwartz was surprised with a 100th birthday celebration at Community Board 8’s Dec. 10 meeting in Hillcrest. The longtime Briarwood leader has helped secure a local post office, library improvements, the Queens Boulevard promenade and the Briarwood subway renaming, and he’s still pushing the city to expand or renovate the neighborhood library.
   

5. NYC Council passes housing bills focused on affordability in final 2025 meeting (nydailynews.com) — New housing bills passed by the City Council could reshape how affordable family-sized apartments are built across New York City, with Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino among the most vocal critics of a key measure. The legislation, which Mayor Adams plans to veto and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani also questions, would prioritize nonprofits in buying distressed buildings and mandate more multi-bedroom affordable units, potentially affecting Queens renters and landlords alike.
   

📸 Around Queens

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Queens

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

    Saturday December 20
  • The Duprees
    Lefrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave, Flushing
    7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Queens Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Queens PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Thieves are riding around in 2 mopeds stealing packages in the neighborhood.
    They are driving around Richmond hill by 110 and Atlantic avenue (Nextdoor Richmond Hill (116St-91Ave))
  • BEWARE of CONed phone call scam !!!!
    few minutes ago, I received a call from a man name Victor Gonzalez, he said, he worked for coned and was calling to notify my that my electricity… (Nextdoor Bellerose - East)
  • McDonald's posted a job opening for Copy - Crew Team Member in Elmont. Apply here.

Ok Queens! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Queens