🌱 Restaurant Week In Queens + NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund

Hello there, Queens. I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and breezy. High: 44 Low: 32.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. NYC Restaurant Week is underway and many Queens eateries are getting in on the action. Bookings are available through Feb. 12 for hundreds of restaurants across the five boroughs — including 30 restaurants in Queens, such as Sanger Hall in Sunnyside, El Gran Coffee Shop in Corona, and La Baraka in Little Neck. The citywide culinary event allows foodies to enjoy curated menus and prix-fixe prices. “Like Queens itself, this year’s roster is quite diverse and there’s something for everyone!” Joe DiStefano, aka the “Culinary King of Queens,” said. (QNS)
2. Construction is complete on the new affordable housing project Tree of Life. The 12-story building is located at 89-46 164th Street in Jamaica and features 174 affordable units for a range of incomes from extremely low to moderate- and middle-income households, along with a fitness room and community center. Per the city's inclusionary housing program, a total of 53 apartments will be permanently affordable. (New York YIMBY)
3. On Monday, the New York City Mayor and a Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner announced the opening of applications for the largest public-private loan fund for small businesses in the city’s history. Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim announced the creation of the $75 million NYC Small Business Opportunity Fund, a groundbreaking fund that will serve approximately 1,500 local businesses with loans up to $250,000 at a market-leading rate of 4 percent. “Our efforts to cut red tape and jumpstart our recovery are already delivering results: We saw 13,600 new businesses open in the first half of 2022, including 1,800 new storefronts. This new loan fund will help us build on that progress and represents the next great step forward in our city’s partnership with our entrepreneurs and small business owners,” Mayor Adams said. (nyc.gov)

Today in Queens:

• Applying For Loans & Grants For NYC Small Businesses | BOC Network, At NYC Department of Small Business Services (Online) (2:00 PM)
• Lunar New Year Celebration, At Queens Place Mall (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Our youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and they deserve both a seat at the table and opportunities to be civically engaged. That's where Queens Borough President Donovan Richards's Youth and Young Adult Council comes in! If you're between the ages of 13-25 and you want to help create a better Queens, apply here. (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• Former top FBI counterintelligence agent Charles McGonigal was arrested on Saturday night at JFK International Airport in Queens and charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Russia. (NBC New York)
• Last week, Queens Councilman Robert Holden requested the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) install a pedestrian ramp at the intersection of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue in Ridgewood. (PoliticsNY)

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Featured businesses:

• Cash For JUNK Cars — (Visit website)
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Events:

• St. Mary's High School Br. Kenneth Robert, FMS Alumni Hockey Game (January 27)
• Br. Kenneth Robert, FMS Memorial Mass and Reception (January 28)
• Open House Personal Tours (January 29)
• Berkeley College Master of Business Administration Information Session (January 31)
• Vampire Cirque Cabaret Dinner Show (February 11)
• Big Game Sunday at Bourbon Street (February 12)
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Announcements:

• Dementia Caregivers Needed for Research Study (Details)
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Other classifieds:

• Behind The Scoreboard – Determination Brings Success To Local Powerlifter (Details)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.