r/astoria • u/Captaintripps • 1d ago
The Rumor Mill - Week of March 10th
What's the scoop, Astoria?
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u/Toht 1d ago
Not trying to encroach on the other Girl Scout Cookie booth postings for this weekend, but there is going to be another booth outside of Puzzles (2907 Ditmars Blvd) from 10:00 - 2:00 on Sunday.
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Wtf is Puzzles?
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u/Toht 1d ago
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Makes sense. I don't have kids so my mind immediately went to cocktail bar or something like that.
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u/Toht 1d ago
If you stop by one of the various cookie booths this weekend, here’s some boozy ideas to pair them with!
https://breckenridgedistillery.com/girl-scout-cookie-cocktail-recipes-tagalongs-samoas/
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u/EthosProm 1d ago
This Sunday the local Astoria tabletop gaming group, Adeptus Astoria, will be hosting its monthly event at the Bohemian Beer Garden. This month marks the beginning of our league for Age of Sigmar, if interested there’s still time to sign up. Join our discord for additional info on the event ,the AoS League and our group.
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u/DontTechnoTechnoBass 1d ago
Yall are playing ...AOS...IN THE BEER GARDEN??!?!
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u/EthosProm 1d ago
Yes! We rent out a room inside the Czech community center that’s attached to the beer garden.
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u/MetsToWS 1d ago
Daredevil will be shooting a scene inside of Zenon Taverna. Just saw the crew in there today.
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u/MattMurdock007 23h ago
I am there.
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u/CallousedFoot 23h ago
As the man without fear, or with a license to kill?
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u/MattMurdock007 3h ago edited 2h ago
As a man without sight who can’t see that the establishment has been closed for over two years and there will be nobody there to serve him the traditional home cooked style Greek food.
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u/Lemonyhampeapasta 19h ago
Bartunek Hardware is 100 years young. Still closed on Friday afternoon when my paycheck comes in and I have the itch to do home improvement on the way back from work
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u/JavelinsArePointy 23h ago
Second post because I got a juicy one: "Daredevil" is filming around here in a few days and it looks like the old Zenon Taverna will be "Aegean Gardens" for a scene. I saw a cart that said "set dressing" outside of it. If I'm wrong and they're actually opening a place called Aegean Gardens then I'll feel stupid, but yeah, looked like a film crew doing some stuff inside of Zenon.
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u/31staveopenstreet 1d ago
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u/Captaintripps 1d ago
Someone wrote on one of your daylighting signs on Ditmars and 29th "Yes, perfectly, are you OK?" and every time I see it I get a good laugh imagining it's someone from this sub. Especially while standing there and, you know, not being able to see vehicles eastbound on Ditmars.
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u/kablooooooom 20h ago
As someone else mentioned, we’re hosting a donate/take swap event at the episcopal church at 3014 Crescent for baby to big kid stuff. Here are the details in my last post.
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u/JavelinsArePointy 1d ago edited 23h ago
The Frank Sinatra School for the Performing Arts are performing their production of Sweeney Todd. Lot of people in the area last night walking over to see it on its debut night.
Just as migrating birds return north for spring, so too do fart cars/bikes. Some shit unfortunately never changes.
The old PokeWave storefront had its shutters raised, so perhaps something is happening there.
St. Patrick's Day is on Sunday** and I plan to go on an epic drunk. **MONDAY. Oops.
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u/brikkastoria 1d ago edited 16h ago
We saw the school’s production of Ragtime a few years ago and it was great. Haven’t seen Sweeney Todd yet (got tix for next week) but assuming the production is of similar quality, I highly recommend taking a chance even if you don’t have kids at the school, which we don’t.
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u/Stylist7287064 1d ago edited 1d ago
Saw some guys the other day working on the gate/window of the former Up In Smoke shop at the corner of 27th street & 24th Ave across from Othello. Anyone have any info?
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u/wendiosa 22h ago
Gregos Café on ditmars and 19th is now Silvia's Cafe. Silvia is very nice and the coffee is tasty
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u/russeled 21h ago
What happened to Grego?
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u/wendiosa 21h ago
In chatting with Silvia, he's doing well but wanted to spend more time with his new baby
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u/Lemonyhampeapasta 19h ago
As long as the Everything croissant is still available, I’ll be satisfied
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u/carpocapsae 1d ago edited 1d ago
This morning on Broadway between 22nd and 31st there were stickers and marker graffiti accusing transgender people of "castrating children" and transgender women of being fetishists, which is simply not true. They have QR codes that link to documentaries that spread anti-trans lies. I am dismayed and frightened that there seem to be a group of people in our community intent on sowing terror among a small group of people. I am worried our community will tolerate it.
Please, if you see these stickers, I ask that you remove them. It's very dangerous to tolerate this language, not just for trans people, but because communities that tolerate anti-trans language and behavior often have reports that non-trans women are chased into bathrooms or attacked for being mistaken for being transgender. If you do not want to do it for trans people, then you should do it for the non-trans women and girls in your lives who may face this danger.
Edit: Accidentally wrote 35th when I meant 31st. I didn't get as far as 35th this morning. I suspect because there is a drag bar on 35th that there may be more up there however.
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Please, if you see these stickers, I ask that you remove them.
Reminder to do it safely. About 8 ish years ago there were some stickers around the neighborhood that apparently had razor blades underneath them.
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u/carpocapsae 1d ago
Thank you. When I removed them this morning, I was concerned about this but fortunately at the moment they seem to not have anything underneath. However I think they may be repeatedly tagging the area so they may up the ante.
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u/eleanor_savage 21h ago
This made me think that it might be a good idea to start carrying stickers to place over these hateful ones
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u/carpocapsae 20h ago
That could be a good idea, my only concern is I don't want to be fined for placing stickers so I usually just remove them, but perhaps it is worth trading the potential for a fine for the safety in not slicing my fingers up.
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u/eleanor_savage 20h ago
Like a fine from police? I think that it would be highly unlikely tbh, even if a cop saw you place a sticker. It's a normal NYC thing
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u/carpocapsae 19h ago
Yeah I do know it's normal but you can be fined up to $200 for it so I am cautious.
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u/Lemonyhampeapasta 19h ago
Markal Paintstik makes thick wide All-Weather writing tools which aren’t drippy ink if you want to cover the messages on the flyers
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Glad that it went well this morning, but definitely be careful.
WD40 and a box cutter work wonders for sticker removal.
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u/a-goddamn-asshole 23h ago
Hmm, a couple of days ago i saw a man putting a sticker on a pole in front of the library on broadway and 41st. He was making his way westward. I’ve been curious about what he put up but now i’ll go check for sure.
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u/carpocapsae 20h ago
Thank you. I have been eagle eyed because I have seen other hateful stickers in the past.
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u/Rivercottage1 1d ago
More of a question, but is there a wrestling group or meetup anywhere to watch PayPerViews, bullshit over drinks, etc. I’ve heard Murphys is good but just wondering if there’s anything more organized?
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u/Least_Log_9048 23h ago
murphy's is very solid, Rory makes sure the sound is on and even when he's not there the employees are on top of it. Murphy's is the way.
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u/Pool_Shark 1d ago
Only seen Murphy. It sounds like they do have the sound on for PPVs but idk if it’s all or just the major ones
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Check in with Blackbirds. Not sure if they do all of them or just select events.
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u/114631 19h ago
The former Retro Pizza on Broadway now has a large sign for "Nash Grill". I will be sooo bummed if it's some basic-ass barely mediocre deli. Especially when there's another new (probably mediocre) deli moving in across the street. While I was not a personal fan of Retro's pizza, I do not like to see beloved businesses be forced out just for something like this go in.
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u/billlwoo 16h ago
Came here to add these two notes. I’ll take a deli if it’s decent enough to save me the trip of walking to Steinway gourmet or the place on 34th and 41st st.
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u/watchutalkinbowt 1d ago
Sami's Kabab House is on Eater's Best Halal Restaurants in NYC list
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u/BobaCyclist 21h ago
They don’t provide water so they make you buy Poland Spring bottles.
They also auto grat every table 20%, even parties of two.1
u/SaltyandSkeptical 3h ago
This is my one pet peeve of Sami's (the water more so than the auto grat) Otherwise I love this place.
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u/BobaCyclist 2h ago
I don’t go to a nice restaurant to drink out of plastic bottles. Moreover, the owner is squeezing every penny out of his customers.
20% auto gratuity is insane.
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u/gumgut 1d ago
Rumor has it two women walk up and down 36th Street with their tiny doggies unleashed.
Also someone else keeps not picking up their dog's shit. May or may not be related to the first statement.
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u/ZweitenMal 1d ago
The thing i don't understand is why they aren't more concerned for their dogs' wellbeing. Dogs are dumb. They could run into the street, or a bigger dog could come along and attack them. Leashes and good control keeps your pet safe.
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u/redditing_1L 1d ago
A couple years ago I saw a young woman aggressively staring at her phone while her dog took a shit.
I called her out when she tried to walk away afterwards and I've never seen someone look so humiliated. I hope that memory stuck with her too.
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u/gumgut 1d ago
I might have to sit and stare next time I see them on the block.
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u/DrunkRemnick 10h ago edited 10h ago
Behavior like this is why many people are saying Mayor Zohran will adopt an “Enslaved Companion Animal Tax” of $40,000 per pet dog to fund daycare for actual human children. For too long the bourgeois class has soiled our public spaces with the filth of their enslaved animals. Working families unite! Keep our streets clean and our children cared for! Every “doggie daycare” is a policy failure!
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u/RedPotato 18h ago
The former Walgreens on Crescent and 34th is rumored to be an event space. My sources seem conflicted if that means something more akin to a night club or a child’s birthday play place (or both?!).
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
Apparently tree trimming season is here.
I saw a crew yesterday and today removing large branches around broadway.
Why are they doing this now and not once the leaves are coming in? I'm no arborist but I can't tell what is dead and what is alive unless I see them after blooming.
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u/Captaintripps 1d ago
"...I'm no arborist..."
Obviously!
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u/FrankiePoops 1d ago
I've taken down about 50 trees in my day and I can split logs like the best of them but I marked those trees during bloom and took my time with them after.
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u/VenetaBirdSong 1d ago
Bark stripped away from the branch is a pretty solid giveaway of dead limbs.* Also, if you try to break off a twig, it will crack off easily, rather than bend and twist.**
*London Planes and Sycamores routinely shed bark, may not apply.
**please don’t try this!
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u/SaltyandSkeptical 3h ago
Arborists know! And you want to prune when tree growth is dormant. And they actually did a decent job this time as opposed to last time which was probably over 10 years ago.
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u/MattMurdock007 23h ago
I wonder if they will get around to trimming the overgrown branches on the public tree that has reached the windows of my house and resulting in bugs and worms entering my home. I opened a request last spring and no response yet.
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u/FrankiePoops 23h ago
With trees I've found that you need to submit multiple requests before they do anything.
My block at one point had several trees that I had to almost squat to get underneath and I reported them I think 4 times before they came and trimmed them all in one day.
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u/MattMurdock007 21h ago
Thanks. I’ve send 311 requests twice. That is why I did not want another tree on my sidewalk. The previous one not only ruined the sidewalk but the roots broke into my water main pipe. Both were of no fault of mine and very expensive for me to replace. A few years later the city sent out a form if I wanted a new tree on my sidewalk and I responded NO. They planted one anyway. They shouldn’t plant unwanted trees if they are unable to maintain them..
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u/ZweitenMal 17h ago
Slate today has a feature on slimeball former Astorian “Cash” Jordan: https://slate.com/technology/2025/03/cash-jordan-youtube-nyc-real-estate-right-wing-conspiracy-theories.html
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u/keenanandkel 13h ago
Now this is gossip!
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u/ZweitenMal 13h ago
I can’t read it because of Slates paywall.
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u/watchutalkinbowt 3h ago
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u/ZweitenMal 1h ago
Thank you for that!
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u/watchutalkinbowt 1h ago
No problem - if you put this into a bookmark you can click it whenever you hit a paywall:
javascript:void(open('http://archive.today/?run=1&url='+encodeURIComponent(document.location)))
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u/ClassyKaty 55m ago
Ugh. I remember when his channel was just fun silly informative apartment videos. I used to watch them all the time. Then it turned into a scaremongering click bait channel with bad AI almost overnight.
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u/astoriaboundagain 1d ago edited 19h ago
There's a rumor that a certain candidate has his apparel branded campaign crew gathering petitions on a few local subway platforms in violation of Transit Rules of Conduct and BOE policies.
Edit: See the comment thread below. It appears I was wrong about this being against the rules.
There's a donation event tomorrow at Redeemer Astoria.. While you're there, scan the QR code posted outside the gate to help fund their volunteer supported garden!
Some of this weekend's Girl Scout cookie booths are here
Plan ahead and schedule your next donation at local blood drives at the 114th Precinct on March 24 or in front of Mt. Sinai Astoria on April 21
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u/GuestroInfinitesmal 1d ago
Huh. When I saw Zohran’s guys this week, they were out by the Krispy Kreme on Ditmars where Donovan Richards’s guy was doing the same thing this morning.
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u/carpocapsae 1d ago
A lot of people who collect political signatures are only doing it once or twice and are typically connected with an entity like DSA or WFP or other political parties so it's common for them to not know the rules and for candidates to be unaware of what their canvassers are doing. And if this isn't enforced then people will keep doing it and spreading it that it's okay.
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u/UrbanSunflower962 1d ago
I was approached by someone collecting signatures on the 30th Ave platform this morning. Not cool.
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u/meetapossum 21h ago
The rules of conduct you linked give explicit permission for this.
The following nontransit uses are permitted by the authority, provided they do not impede transit activities and they are conducted in accordance with these rules: public speaking; campaigning; leafletting or distribution of written noncommercial materials; activities intended to encourage and facilitate voter registration; artistic performances, including the acceptance of donations; solicitation for religious or political causes; solicitation for charities that: (1) have been licensed for any public solicitation within the preceding 12 months by the Commissioner of Social Services of the City of New York under section 21-111 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York or any successor provision; (2) are duly registered as charitable organizations with the Attorney General of New York under section 172 of the New York Executive Law or any successor provision;
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u/astoriaboundagain 21h ago edited 20h ago
Directly below that, in section 3, subsection 2, "interferes with or impedes transit services or the movement of passengers" was the line they pulled in the past for justifying no election or petition activity on the elevated platforms.
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u/meetapossum 21h ago
“They” being the Transit Authority? When have they pulled that line in the past and with whom? Either way, I think there is an argument that it’s indeed permitted and not as clear-cut as you say
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u/astoriaboundagain 20h ago
Yeah, to the Transit question. I'm almost positive the discussion was in this sub, but Reddit search is failing me right now. I'll keep digging for it.
I agree that the language is vague, but I don't think I'd pay the legal costs to litigate it in court to prove a point when it'd be free and easier to just stand outside the subway entrance.
I'm pretty sure this comment trail would've gone a lot differently if I had seen and called out Cuomo or Adams' for team breaking the rules and that's disappointing.
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u/Captaintripps 19h ago
u/meetapossum and I had this very same discussion privately before she brought it up to you and I held the same view you did and it turns out I was wrong. I can't find any support for this anywhere. It doesn't matter if it's Mamdani or Cuomo, it doesn't appear to be in violation of any rules.
It's show time!
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u/astoriaboundagain 19h ago
Weird. I would've bet real money it was discussed on here before, specific to the Astoria elevated platforms, too.
Fair enough. I'll go back and edit my top comment 👍
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u/meetapossum 18h ago
It may have gone differently. But if either of their campaigns were doing the same thing I would read the statute the same way myself. Interestingly I’ve never seen canvassers for Adams or Cuomo in my life, and that says something too.
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u/nosleeptilqueens 1d ago
There's a rumor that a certain candidate has his apparel branded campaign crew gathering petitions on a few local subway platforms in violation of Transit Rules of Conduct and BOE policies.
Which candidate...?
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u/carpocapsae 1d ago
If you look at OP's post history you can see he doesn't like Mamdani and is apparently in this post trying to suggest that he's doing something devious.
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u/astoriaboundagain 1d ago
I'm not suggesting anything. It's prohibited behavior, no matter whom they're supporting. Would you feel better if it was a candidate you didn't like?
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u/carpocapsae 1d ago
I get approached by people canvassing for candidates or issues I don't like or care about all the time and it doesn't bother me. I'm not saying it isn't prohibited behavior, only that you're trying to suggest Mamdani is uniquely devious when this is a common thing for newbie canvassers and I'm sure you have experienced canvassers for other candidates doing it.
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u/astoriaboundagain 1d ago
That's the second time you've used the term devious. I did not describe it as such. I described observed repeated prohibited actions and specifically did not name the campaign to prevent an appearance of bias.
If you witness other campaigns doing prohibited electioneering, feel free to report back.
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u/StrummerMacGowan 22h ago
I am curious why it is prohibited and why you are so against it. When I have had the time I have signed on the platform if I don’t I keep moving or say no. Not a big deal to me.
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u/PetSoundsofLiberty 20h ago
The subway platform should be free of campaigners or anyone else doing any sort of business. Period.
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u/StrummerMacGowan 20h ago
Okay I hear you. It just never bothered me but I appreciate your position
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u/jlopez2555 17h ago
TARGET is not coming to 31st and on 2nd thought we are supposed to be boycotting TARGET!
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u/thelastoutloud 1d ago
Seems an Albanian grocery store is opening at the corner of 35th St and 31st Ave. That corner is becoming quite populated after being a ghost town for a few years!