NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria Kate Doyle April 9, 2020...NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria URST 5020 3 Henry Steinway (German immigrant, né Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg).17 In 1870,

NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria Kate Doyle April 9, 2020 Introduction An extensive range of architecture, infrastructure, and industry characterizes the northern

perimeter of Astoria, Queens. I selected this area as the focus of my New York City Guide in

part because I find it fascinating in its mix of land uses and architectural styles, and in part

because I expect it is likely to change dramatically in the next two decades — the latter based

both on recent patterns of development in the wider neighborhood of Astoria, and on a proposed

zoning change for Rikers Island. My guide is a mix between a walking tour of historical sites in

the area, a review of current land use, an informal photographic survey, and a long-term

projection for neighborhood change.

Land Use: The Current Edge

The walking tour begins where East Elmhurst meets Astoria, taking the visitor along the

main routes of 19th and 20th Avenues and onto the smaller 41st Street, Berrian Boulevard, and

Steinway Place. The route traces what is essentially the edge of northern Astoria, moving east to

west. Despite the neighborhood being bordered by the East River on both the north and the west,

the tour does not hit the geographical edge, where the land meets the water, until its conclusion.

Due to current land use regulations, much of this area is closed to the public; the majority is

designated for heavy manufacturing.1 Guiding the visitor along the border between the

manufacturing and residential zones, and into the section that is designated for light

manufacturing and mixed-use, the walking tour follows what is, for the general public, the

accessible edge of northern Astoria.

NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria URST 5020

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This zoning map shows how the land that is the focus of the tour is currently divided. The map has been adapted from its original version,2 with original shading greyed for emphasis. Yellow shading marks the edge of the residential zone and purple marks manufacturing; light purple marks light manufacturing (accessible), while darker purple (M3-1)

marks heavy manufacturing (closed to the public). Pink (Rikers Island and North Brother Island in this map) are currently zoned as commercial.

Walking Tour: The Sites

Within this area, a number of historically significant sites reflect the development of both

the neighborhood and New York City as a whole, as well as patterns of land use, economic and

political power, and industrialization that characterized American urbanization in the 19th and

20th centuries. I believe these sites will either be altered or face possible demolition in the near

future. Some but not all of the sites included in this guide are listed on the National Register of

Historic Places (National Register), but this does not preclude alteration or demolition.3 Some

are designated New York City landmarks and therefore have a greater degree of protection from

alteration or demolition, namely, any proposed changes must be approved by the Landmarks

Preservation Commission (LPC).4 However, none of the sites are protected in perpetuity.

Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead (1654-1656)

The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead is among the oldest extant buildings in New York

City.5 The home was originally built by Abraham Riker (Dutch immigrant, né Rycken), the first

owner of record of Rikers Island.6 Although the Riker family sold the island long before the jail

that bears their name was built,7 they had ties to the slave trade, race-based violence, and abuses


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of power that presaged the injustices that continue to be inflicted there today;8 Richard Riker, a

descendant of Abraham and New York City’s first district attorney, was known for using his

position to sell free black New Yorkers into slavery under the guise of the Fugitive Slave Act.9 10

The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead and its grounds, which include gardens and a

cemetery, remained in the possession of the Riker family from its construction through the 20th

century.11 A New York City Landmark and included on the National Register, the site is

privately owned and requires approximately $100,000 in annual maintenance.12 It is easy to

imagine that this amount could lead a future owner to claim economic hardship to the LPC,

thereby opening the door to possible demolition.13

Left(L): The Lent-Riker-Smith home in the 1970s, AIA Guide to NYC (1988).14 Right(R): Technically located in East Elmhurst on 19th Road, the home is the first stop on the walking tour. All photos original unless noted.

The one-acre grounds hold gardens and a cemetery at which 132 members of the Riker family are buried.15 The home’s current owner, Marion Duckworth Smith, is dedicated to its preservation and opens the

home for seasonal tours in order to make it available to the public.16

Steinway Factory (1870-1872)

Steinway & Sons piano manufacturing company was established in Manhattan in 1850 by


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Henry Steinway (German immigrant, né Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg).17 In 1870, Henry’s son

William purchased a 400-acre site in Astoria and relocated the factory and headquarters.18 The

anti-union William “was motivated by the desire to remove large numbers of his employees from

the influence of [Manhattan] labor organizers and to provide additional production facilities.”19

The contemporary Steinway Factory sits on an 11-acre site and comprises 27 buildings;20

not all are in use, nor are they all original.21 In 2000, the company completed an extensive

restoration, making buildings more efficient and reopening some of the spaces that had been

closed; the work was subsidized in the form of $7 million worth of real estate abatements.22

Steinway & Sons remains a profitable business and a global leader in piano manufacturing and is

likely to continue operations in Astoria, if not remain intact as a site; neither the buildings nor the

property has historic designation. In 2020, roughly half the property was sold to Wildflowers

Studios, a production company owned by Robert DeNiro.23 Plans are underway to demolish

some of the buildings on the property, which reportedly have not been used for piano

manufacturing, and start construction on production facilities in the summer of 2020.24

L: “Steinway & Sons Pianoforte Factory, Foundry, Metal Works and Lumber Yards, Astoria, N.Y,” circa 1875, Queens Borough Public Library;25 Middle (M),R: The factory sits on approximately 11 acres.


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L, M: The main entry of the factory is on Steinway Place. R: The back end of the property, which appears to be out of use. The site is generally closed to the public, but the company does offer limited tours.26

Steinway Village (1870s)

The Steinway family played a significant role in the economic and social development27

of this part of Astoria, reflected in other stops on the walking tour. On the same 400-acre site,

William Steinway established Steinway Village, an informal company town with shopping,

recreation, transportation, and housing for factory employees.28 29 Some of the original housing

remains, with buildings varying in level of maintenance and alteration. Neither the privately-

owned homes nor the district have historic designation, though they did for a brief time: the LPC

designated the Steinway Historic District in 1975, but residents successfully had the designation

nullified that same year.30 At the time, there were 29 homes. The designation was nullified at the

request of 22 owners, in part because they had not been involved in the proposal.31

L: Some of the Steinway Village homes, circa 1900, LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.32 R: A row of homes on 19th Avenue as they are today. I am unaware of how many homes remain.


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L: Cornerstones on the extant buildings reveal old street names, which reportedly came from names of workers; this marker says “Winthrop Av” on the 20th Avenue side (front in image, above the yellow sign) and “Theodore Ct” on the

42 Street side.33 R: The home at right reveals extensive alteration, with the façade covered by a restaurant.

Steinway Mansion (1858)

At the other end of the housing spectrum is Steinway Mansion. The hilltop estate was

built in 1858 and purchased by the Steinway family in 1870 to serve as their country residence.34

It is reportedly “the only surviving example in Queens of an aristocratic Victorian country

home.”35 Originally part of the same 400-acre site, the estate was reduced to about an acre in

1926.36 The 12,285-square-foot37 mansion is a designated New York City Landmark and is on

the National Register, although the property itself is not designated.38 Privately owned, the

site was at the center of a controversial sale in 2014, in which it was acquired by two “Astoria-

raised investors” who remained anonymous.39 The property has since been sub-divided40 for

commercial development, as a local preservation group had feared in opposing the sale.41 With

the expected financial gain from the commercial development, it is perhaps less likely that the

owners of this site, as opposed to at the Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead, could claim economic

hardship to the LPC as a strategy to pursue demolition; however, the site remains relatively

mysterious, with new development projects varying in states of completion and the mansion

itself essentially closed in on its sides.


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L: William Steinway and family on the front side of the mansion (which faces the East River/Bowery Bay), 1881, Henry Z. Steinway Archive.42 M: William Steinway on the front side of the mansion, Date unknown, Steinway

Mansion.43 R: One of the recent developments built on the property, which encroaches on the mansion from the front side, is leased as office space.

L,M: A development on the back side of the mansion (facing 19th Avenue, away from the East River/Bowery Bay) appears to be in progress; the image on the green wall surrounding the lot depicts a similar office space as the

completed project above. R: The mansion’s tower is visible on the right, looking up 41st Street from 19th Avenue.

Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant (1940)

From their hilltop mansion, the Steinway family could look down to the East River

waterfront and see another part of the veritable empire they had built — the Bowery Bay Beach

and Gala Amusement Park, which opened in 1886 and was known as “the Coney Island of

Queens.”44 Due to increased water pollution, declining use and other factors, the beach and its

attractions were closed by the 1920s, with much of the waterfront area filled in to serve industrial

purposes.45 The Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant was one of three sewage facilities built

in New York City under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1937 and 1944.46

Still in use today, the site is occupied primarily by industrial equipment, but a stunning Art Deco

building sits at its front entrance. Built in 1940 as part of the larger WPA project, the building is

used by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the agency that runs the plant. It is


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not open to the public, though much of it remains visible behind fencing, nor does it have

historic designation. I expect that, if the proposed zoning change described in the next section is

approved, the building will be demolished within the next decade.

Though the view is partially blocked by fencing, the Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant is visible from Berrian Boulevard. The Art Deco building was constructed in 1940 under the WPA.

Cast reliefs by sculptor Cesare Stea,47 glass bricks, and Art Deco details adorn the building’s façade.

Marine Terrace (1948)

After guiding the visitor to the sites described above, my walking tour heads westward

along 19th and 20th Avenues and concludes at Marine Terrace, an example of the many post-

World War II apartment complexes constructed in Queens. When it was built in 1948, Marine

Terrace was the largest private housing development in Astoria, with approximately 1,400

units.48 At a date unknown to me, the property was divided and Marine Terrace reduced its

number of units. In 1980, the complex was converted to subsidized affordable housing under the

Section 8 program.49 In 2016, the Related development company purchased Marine Terrace and


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built two new buildings on the property.50 The Section 8 contract for the original buildings,

which hold 444 units, was extended through 2036.51 The units in the new buildings, 53 in total,

are rent-restricted but not Section 8, with rental preference going to low-income veterans.52

I chose to include this site less for its historical significance and more for the questions it

raises about contemporary affordable housing, specifically with regard to private ownership and

long-term affordability. What motivates large development companies like Related to purchase

and manage Section 8 properties? Is it a relatively safe investment that offsets high-risk projects

like Hudson Yards? How significant is the developer’s economic investment when measured

against financial incentives received? According to a local labor union, Related’s purchase was

supported by a subsidized $99 million loan.53 What will happen in 2036 when the Section 8

contract at Marine Terrace ends? These questions are not answered in my guide, but are

important ones to ask in light of the potential changes that could lie ahead for the neighborhood.

A comparison of an early marketing brochure54 and a current Google map view shows that the buildings on the waterside property remain much the same structurally. R: Today, the Marine Terrace apartments, outlined in pink,

occupy roughly half of the site.


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L: When Related purchased Marine Terrace, the company constructed two new buildings on 20th Avenue; this is one of them. R: One of the existing buildings at Marine Terrace, at the corner of 20th Avenue and Shore Boulevard.

Land Use: Potential Changes Ahead

In 2019, the New York City Council voted to close the jail on Rikers Island by 2026. A

central part of this plan is a land use change: converting the island to use for public space, from

its current commercial zoning designation, would prohibit the incarceration of people there.55

This zoning change is currently in the city’s uniform land use review process (ULURP).56

Various proposals for future land use on Rikers Island have surfaced in anticipation of the

Planning Commission’s approval. The Queens Borough President, a position for which there is

currently a special election,57 will play a key role in determining future land use at Rikers.

The Renewable Rikers proposal, sponsored by City Council Member Costa

Constantinides58 — who both represents the district in which Rikers is located and is a candidate

for Queens Borough President — seems to have the most traction and public support.

Comprising three bills, the proposal calls for the construction of a wastewater treatment facility

and renewable energy facilities on Rikers; and a transfer of control of the island from the

Department of Corrections to the DEP.59

Implications

Renewable Rikers would drastically impact Queens and the city as a whole. Among

several major changes, it would relocate Bowery Bay and additional wastewater treatment plants


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to Rikers, removing industrial facilities from proximity to residential areas and making the

waterfront land on which they sit available for public use.60 Additionally, the plan could open up

nearly 12 miles of shoreline for public access.61 Details of the plan reflect its driving goals of

environmental, racial, and economic justice for the communities most impacted by industry,

climate change, and the city’s penal system.62

If the initial zoning change for Rikers Island and the subsequent Renewable Rikers plan

are approved, I believe that significant financial investment will pour into northern Astoria from

large developers like Related. This will in turn make it less likely that the environmental, racial,

and economic justice sought by the authors and supporters of Renewable Rikers will be

achieved. Additionally, it will threaten the long-term preservation of some of the sites included

in my guide — for example, the WPA building at Bowery Bay, which I predict will be

demolished, if not for economic reasons than for the site remediation that would be required on

that land — as well as the long-term affordability of Marine Terrace and other housing in the

area. I say this all based on both recent development throughout Astoria, particularly on its

waterfronts,63 and on historical patterns; big money hasn’t traditionally supported the

preservation of existing buildings over new construction, nor has it been a driver of

environmental justice, housing justice, or fair access to public space.

Conclusion

How this unfolds depends in large part on who is elected Queens Borough President and

who sits on the City Council and in the Mayor’s Office when final decisions regarding current

and future land use are made. It also depends on who supports causes like architectural heritage

preservation, fair housing, and climate justice versus big money, profit-driven planning, and the

inequalities they can cause. This guide is my attempt to understand the changes that may lie


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ahead for the area through the lens of its history; to document it as it is now, on the edge of

transformation; and to point out some interesting sites along the way.

1 “New York City’s Zoning & Land Use Map,” NYC Planning, accessed March 2020. https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/ 2 Ibid 3 “National Register of Historic Places: FAQs,” National Park Service, accessed March 2020. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm 4 “Landmark Designation,” NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, accessed March 2020. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/lpc/about/landmark-designation.page 5 Hana R. Alberts, “Tour New York’s Oldest Home, A Pastoral Oasis for 360 Years,” Curbed, June 9, 2015. https://ny.curbed.com/2015/6/9/9952126/tour-new-yorks-oldest-home-a-pastoral-oasis-for-360-years 6 Edgar Alan Nutt, “The Rikers: Their Island, Homes, Cemetery, and Early Geneaolgy,” correctionhistory.org, accessed March 2020. http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/cw_units/html/rikersbook004.html 7 Matilda Jaxson, “The History of Rikers Island,” classicnewyorkhistory.com, 2017. https://classicnewyorkhistory.com/the-history-of-rikers-island/ 8 Rebecca Bratspies, “Renewable Rikers as a Blueprint for a Sustainable City,” Nature of Cities, March 12, 2020. https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2020/03/12/renewable-rikers-as-a-blueprint-for-a-sustainable-city/ 9 Ibid. 10 Mariya Moseley, “Rikers Island Was Named After a Judge Who Was Eager to Upload Slavery,” Essence, April 6, 2017. https://www.essence.com/culture/rikers-island-slavery-ties/ 11 Jason D. Antos, “Astoria Is Home to City’s Oldest Residence,” Queens Gazette, September 24, 2014. https://www.qgazette.com/articles/astoria-is-home-to-citys-oldest-residence/ 12 Alberts, “Tour New York’s Oldest Home.” 13 Andrew Berman, “First Avenue Estates Win a Big Victory for Preservation Everywhere,” Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, May 30, 2014. https://gvshp.org/blog/2014/05/30/first-avenue-estates-win-a-big-victory-for-preservation-everywhere/ 14 “Lent Riker Smith Mansion,” forgotten-ny.com, September 24, 2006. https://forgotten-ny.com/2006/09/lent-riker-smith-mansion/ 15 Alberts, “Tour New York’s Oldest Home.” 16 www.rikerhome.com (NB: Website is often malfunctioning); [email protected] 17 Claire Leaden, “The Top 10 Secrets of the Steinway Piano Factory in Astoria, Queens,” Untapped Cities, October 19, 2018. https://untappedcities.com/2018/10/19/the-top-10-secrets-of-the-steinway-piano-factory-in-astoria-queens/ 18 Jonathan Tarleton, “Field Trip,” Urban Omnibus, June 26, 2013, https://urbanomnibus.net/2013/06/field-trip-steinway-village/ 19 Ibid. 20 Edwin McDowell, “Steinway & Sons Factory Nears End of $5 Million Makeover,” The New York Times, July 12, 2000. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/12/nyregion/commercial-real-estate-steinway-sons-factory-nears-end-of-5-million-makeover.html 21 Leaden, “The Top 10 Secrets of the Steinway Piano Factory.” 22 McDowell, “Steinway & Sons Factory Nears End of $5 Million Makeover.”


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23 Mary Diduch, “Robert De Niro’s Wildflower Studios Closes on $72M Astoria Site,” The Real Deal. https://therealdeal.com/2020/02/10/robert-de-niros-wildflower-studios-closes-on-72m-astoria-site/ 24 Ibid. 25 Tarleton, “Field Trip.” 26 https://www.steinway.com/about/factory-tour 27 “Steinway Historic District,” New York Preservation Archives Project (NYPAP), accessed April 2020. http://www.nypap.org/preservation-history/steinway-historic-district/ 28 Spencer Cohen, “History of NYC Streets: Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens,” April 9, 2014. Untapped Cities, https://untappedcities.com/2014/04/09/history-of-nyc-streets-steinway-street-in-astoria-queens/ 29 Steinway Historic District,” NYPAP. 30 Ibid. 31 Glenn Fowler, “City Nullifies Designation of Steinway Historic Area,” The New York Times, January 24, 1975. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/01/24/archives/city-nullifies-designation-of-steinway-historic-area.html 32 “The House I Live In: A History of Housing in the United States,” LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, accessed March 2020. https://www.flickr.com/photos/laguardiaandwagnerarchives/31318344612/in/photostream/ 33 Cohen, “History of NYC Streets: Steinway Street.” 34 Jason D. Antos, “Steinway Mansion Sells for $2.65 Million,” Queens Gazette, May 14, 2014. https://www.qgazette.com/articles/steinway-mansion-sells-for-2-65-million/ 35 James Barron, “Turning a Hoax Into a Spotlight on a Neglected Steinway Mansion,” The New York Times, November 8, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/nyregion/turning-a-hoax-into-a-spotlight-on-a-neglected-steinway-mansion.html 36 Sergey Kadinsky, Hidden Waters of New York City: A History and Guide to 101 Forgotten Lakes, Ponds, Creeks, and Streams in the Fiver Boroughs, The Countryman Press, 2016, via Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?id=Czw1CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96&dq=astoria+bowery+bay+wastewater+treatment+plant+art+deco&source=bl&ots=3rq-TSUxqD&sig=ACfU3U1La9UTK7TcM8j-v6PAYYTevT06ag&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD6NrVkproAhV0hHIEHRekBaUQ6AEwEnoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=astoria%20bowery%20bay%20wastewater%20treatment%20plant%20art%20deco&f=false 37 “Bowery Bay-North Astoria, Queens,” forgotten-ny.com, October 20, 2010, accessed March 2020. https://forgotten-ny.com/2010/10/bowery-baynorth-astoria-queens/ 38 Antos, “Steinway Mansion Sells for $2.65 Million.” 39 Lisa L. Colangelo, “Mystery Duo Purchases Historic Steinway Mansion for $2.6 Million,” Daily News, May 6, 2014. https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/historic-steinway-mansion-sold-2-6-million-article-1.1780575 40 “Update on the Steinway Mansion in Astoria, Queens,” QueensBuzz.com, September 12, 2016. http://www.queensbuzz.com/steinway-mansion-cms-689 41 Colangelo, “Mystery Duo Purchases Historic Steinway Mansion.” 42 “Steinway Mansion, Astoria, NY,” National Museum of American History, accessed April 2020. https://americanhistory.si.edu/steinwaydiary/annotations/?id=1995 43 “Steinway Historic District,” NYPAP. 44 Dana Schulz, “The History of Bowery Bay Beach,” 6sqft, July 6, 2016. https://www.6sqft.com/the-history-of-bowery-bay-beach-the-coney-island-of-queens/ 45 Ibid. 46 “Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant – Queens, NY,” The Living New Deal, accessed March 2020. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/bowery-bay-treatment-plant-queens-ny/ 47 “Muffled Shouting,” newtownpentacle.com, accessed March 2020. https://newtownpentacle.com/tag/bowery-bay/


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48 “Investigation of Housing, 1955[-56],” United States House of Representatives, Banking and Currency Committee, p. 298, 1955, via Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?id=LJHX4vbSVbQC&pg=PA298&lpg=PA298&dq=marine+terrace+astoria+largest+private+housing+complex+1948&source=bl&ots=4gjqjsFN2a&sig=ACfU3U16_Pcj0hjziNiH09kQaAXH8trI9Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj68suBjNnoAhXllOAKHQxzAn8Q6AEwAHoECBEQKA#v=onepage&q=marine%20terrace%20astoria%20largest%20private%20housing%20complex%201948&f=false 49 E.E. Lippincott, “1,000 Tenants Cheer Marrine[sic] Terr. New Federal Housing Contract,” Queens Chronicle, April 19, 2001. https://www.qchron.com/editions/western/tenants-cheer-marrine-terr-new-federal-housing-contract/article_91341b77-296c-5d55-a2a2-4e09c1718ed9.html 50 Hannah Wulkan, “New Veterans Housing Coming to Marine Terrace, Claims That It Will Be a Shelter Debunked By Developer,” Astoria Post, October 24, 2016. https://astoriapost.com/new-veterans-housing-coming-to-marine-terrace-claims-that-it-will-be-a-shelter-debunked-by-developer 51 Rich Bockmann, “Related in Talks to Buy Astoria Affordable Portfolio for $115 Million,” The Real Deal, June 7, 2016. https://therealdeal.com/2016/06/07/related-in-talks-to-buy-astoria-affordable-portfolio-for-115m/ 52 Angela Matua, “New Marine Terrace Apartments in Astoria Will Not Become a Homeless Shelter, Developer Says,” qns.com, October 25, 2016. https://qns.com/story/2016/10/25/new-marine-terrace-apartments-astoria-will-not-become-homeless-shelter-developer-says/ 53 Joe Maniscalco, “#CountMeIn Campaign Teams Up With Related Tenants to Fix Housing Woes,” Laborpress.org, January 15, 2019. http://laborpress.org/countmein-campaign-teams-up-with-related-tenants-to-fix-housing-woes/ 54 “Marine Terrace, 21-09 21 Avenue, Marine Terrace Apartments, Inc,” New York Real Estate Brochure Collection, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, accessed March 2020. https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/nyre/cul:d7wm37px28 55 Caroline Spivack, “City Council Seeks to Pass ‘Ironclad’ Provision to Close Rikers Island,” Curbed, October 10, 2019. https://ny.curbed.com/2019/10/10/20908449/city-council-seeks-provision-to-close-rikers-island 56 David Russell, “BP Hears Arguments for Rikers Land Use,” Queens Chronicle, January 31, 2020. https://www.qchron.com/editions/central/bp-hears-arguments-for-rikers-land-use/article_ef134088-4463-11ea-8d29-9b36e682d61a.html 57 Max Parrott, “Mayor Cancels Special Election for Queens Borough President Due to Coronavirus Fears,” qns.com, March 15, 2020. https://qns.com/story/2020/03/15/mayor-cancels-special-election-for-queens-borough-president-due-to-coronavirus-fears/ 58 Victoria Merlino, “AOC and Constantinides Support a ‘Renwable Rikers Island,’” Queens Eagle, June 7, 2019. https://queenseagle.com/all/aoc-and-constantinides-support-a-renewable-rikers-island 59 “Constantinides, Rosenthal, Kallos to Introduce Renewable Rikers Act on the Future of the Island in City Council this Week,” council.nyc.gov, June 10, 2019. https://council.nyc.gov/costa-constantinides/2019/06/10/constantinides-rosenthal-kallos-to-introduce-renewable-rikers-act-on-the-future-of-the-island-in-city-council-this-week/ 60 Costa Constantinides, “Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek Stink. Renewable Rikers is the Plan to Fix That,” Queens Eagle, August 28, 2019. https://queenseagle.com/all/flushing-bay-and-flushing-creek-stink-renewable-rikers-is-the-plan-to-fix-that 61 “Regional Plan Association Testimony for the New York City Council on Introductions 1591, 1592 and 1593 (The ‘Renewable Rikers’ Act),” Regional Plan Association, January 29, 2020. https://www.rpa.org/article/regional-plan-association-testimony-for-new-york-city-council-on-introductions-1591-1592-and 62 Ibid. 63 C.J. Hughes, “Discovering the Lost Coast of Queens,” The New York Times. February 3, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/realestate/discovering-the-lost-coast-of-queens.html

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NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria Kate Doyle April 9, 2020...NYC Guide: The Edge of Astoria URST 5020 3 Henry Steinway (German immigrant, né Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg).17 In 1870,