LIC/Astoria Journal

District 34 State Assembly nominee Brian Romero speaks at an anti-ICE rally in Corona Monday, next to State Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz (right) and Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas. Elected officials and local activists are sounding the alarm as ICE arrests spike in the World’s Borough.

Once named the “best new restaurant in the country” by USA Today, Tootles & French was far more than just good vibes and tasty food. NICOLAS STERGIOU Producer, Social Media Manager, Labor Organizer, and Unofficial “Astoria Street Spectator.” nicolas.stergiou@gmail.com When a neighborhood restaurant closes, Astoria’s online comment sections tend to become either amateur crime scenes or belated food-review columns.

by John Sanchez __ One of the best parts of covering Sunnyside is welcoming new businesses to the neighborhood and getting to know the people behind them. This week, the Sunnyside/LIC Journal team stopped by the new Cap’t Loui Seafood in Sunnyside, Queens to meet the staff, learn more about the restaurant, and, of course, see if the seafood lived up to the buzz.

Sunnyside residents looking for a little rest, relaxation and pampering this summer have plenty of opportunities to treat themselves during the 2026 Sunnyside Self-Care Fest. Organized by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, the annual celebration highlights local beauty, wellness and personal-care businesses while encouraging residents to shop locally.

The Astoria Monday Club poses with Astoria’s favorite waterfowl, the Gotham Goose. Shore Boulevard, a.k.a “The Strip,” still brings people together. NICOLAS STERGIOU Producer, Social Media Manager, labor Organizer, and Unofficial “Astoria Street Spectator.” nicolas.stergiou@gmail.com I don’t usually make plans on Mondays. For years, Monday was my recovery day.

Alan Arichavala (left) and Jacob Blackwell’s Door, which is on display at the Advance Masonic Temple until August 30. (Photo: Cole Sinanian). BY COLE SINANIAN cole@queensledger.com ASTORIA — Hulking, eight feet tall, covered in chipping black paint. Up top, two fogged-up glass peep holes, forged from melted down wine and rum bottles. Towards the bottom, an upward pointing arrow carved deep into the pinewood, a symbol once used by the British Army to identify traitors to the Crown.

The German-American Bund marches in Manhattan in October 1939. (Photo: Library of Congress) BY ALAN ARICHAVALA news@queensledger.com The United States in the 1930s was defined by the devastating effects of the Great Depression: widespread unemployment, job scarcity, homelessness, economic inequality, and growing political polarization.

By Dan Rose, Most people file a will under “someday.” Then a neighbor passes, the estate crawls through court for the better part of two years, and the family learns that good intentions carry no weight in Surrogate’s Court. A will is one of the rare documents that only works if it is done exactly right, and New York happens to be one of the strictest states in the country about how it must be signed. A small slip can quietly undo an otherwise thoughtful plan.

Chef Hooni Kim at his restaurant, Meju, in LIC. Photo by Cole Sinanian. Hooni Kim may be the first Queens chef to win a James Beard Award. At his LIC restaurant, the fermentation master explains why New Yorkers should eat more fermented foods. BY COLE SINANIAN cole@queensledger.com To Chef Hooni Kim, Long Island City is really two towns. There’s the loud, crowded Court Square, full of dense skyscrapers and rental apartments, a younger-skewing population and a bar scene to match.

Community leaders, elected officials, business owners and residents gathered at Sunnyside Community Services on June 25 as Sunnyside Shines celebrated its 18th Annual Meeting, highlighting another year of neighborhood revitalization while recognizing longtime public servants and outlining initiatives aimed at supporting local businesses.