The A train to the Rockaways and more in the QNYC Evening Edition for Monday February 25, 2013

The A train should run to and from the Rockaways by June 2013

The MTA has good news for the Rockaways – the damaged length of the A train in the Rockaways should be fixed, up and running by June, according to MTA President Thomas Prendergast. The area has not had any subway service off the peninsula since late October after Hurricane Sandy hit. The H train has been running within the Rockaway peninsula, but one has to take a bus to get off and into the rest of Queens (or drive all the way around the eastern part of Queens, into Nassau, and back into Queens again, which is very time consuming).

The MTA has been working on it since just after the Hurricane, “tirelessly” in Prendergast’s words. But they’ve had to deal with a lot out there. Some of the things the MTA had to deal with in the process of fixing this section of track (it crosses Jamaica Bay) is removing storm debris (like that boat), rebuilding the track bed, replacing damaged and missing third rail protection board and insulators, and replacing signal, power, and communications equipment. Glad to know service will be back by June.

Ramen and a raw bar – two new restaurants opening in Astoria

We’ve heard about a couple of new restaurants opening in Astoria – Off The Hook, which features oysters, steamers, beer, and wine; and a new ramen spot called Tamashii. Ramen is a relatively new arrival in Astoria, with HinoMaru being quite popular in its offerings. We look forward to seeing what both restaurants can offer to the community.

And yet more Astoria restaurant news

We Heart Astoria has also been keeping an eye out for new restaurant opening news. They mention the Shady Lady (which looks to be a real deal restaurant – the menu looks like a lot of comfort food) and Tamashii, which we’ve talked about before. Two we were not aware of before are Milk Flower – a brick oven pizzeria on 31st Ave and 35th Street – and Ovo American Kitchen in the strip mall near Broadway and 21st Street. Can’t wait to check them all out!

Have you heard of the Pan Am Worldport at JFK? Check it out before it gets torn down

Many people have heard about the TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen, which serves as the entrance to Jet Blue’s Terminal 5 at JFK. But perhaps lesser known to today’s flying audience is the Pan Am Worldport, AKA Terminal 3. It has a “flying saucer” roof, which is easily spotted from above. Delta Airlines and the Port Authority believe the best thing to do with this cramped, dated terminal is the get rid of it. More:

So what is Delta going to do with the Pan Am Worldport? First, they’ll dismantle it. Then they’ll expand neighboring Terminal 4 (to the right of the Worldport) to the tune of $1.2 billion, and then the former site of the Worldport will be an aircraft parking lot. The New York Port Authority supports this decision, too.

There is a petition to save it.

The Waterside Band Gets Its Groove Back

This is a great story about kids making music at PS 317.

“The band at PS 317 – The Waterside Children’s Studio School in Rockaway Park, NY – is getting back together three months after Superstorm Sandy forced them to evacuate. Now, they are making music once again, and it has never sounded sweeter.”

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/60342247]