MEMORIAL Day Weekend hath arrived, wow that was quick! In typical M-Day fashion, the weather will be a hodge podge. Meanwhile, after a subway series followed by a detour up north against NYC nemesis the Boston Red Sox, the Mets will be hosting the omnipotent LA Dodgers and mega star Shohei Ohtani. Given that the ‘New’ Mets are only half a game out of first place this late in the season, all the games are sold out with resale prices starting at $75 for the utmost upper deck. Might have to listen to it on the radio by the waterfront. Two beers and it’ll be like you’re sitting behind home plate. Ahh LIC in the summer.
Out at the track, Stevie Ray Cohen takes the lead as Wynn Resorts dropped their bid to build a casino on Related-controlled land in Hudson Yards. Last month Las Vegas Sands and Saks each dropped their casino bids for Nassau Coliseum and Fifth Avenue respectively. There’s a Donovan Richards editorial behind a firewall at the Daily News endorsing the Mets owner’s bid, discussing job creation, affordable housing etc. Conceptually though, this location has always held a lot of appeal, given the underutilized open space and easy access to public transportation. Whether you are for gambling or think it is a blight, locating the casino in Willets Point is good for Queens.
//SLIGHTLY more confounding when it comes to new entertainment venues in Queens, is the USTA’s $800 million renovation of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center just down the road from the casino. The bulk of the changes are centered on an update of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was completed in 1997 and received a retractable roof in 2016. Which when combined with a newly built 14,000 seat Louis Armstrong, also with retractable roof, completed in 2018, and a ‘showcase’ court with 8,000 seats also completed in 2018, makes one’s Head (racket) (top-) spin at the heretofore unknown dizzying growth of tennis in America. But hey, if you want to build it in Queens we’re more than happy to oblige.
//Rainey Park has re-opened – just in time for MemDay, all new playground, basketball court, and bbq grills. Now you can pick up your 10 lb block of meat next door at Costco and fire it right up!
Queens Casino Will Help Many People – Donovan Richards editorial
U.S. Open tennis gets $800 million renovation of Arthur Ashe stadium, Billie Jean King Tennis Center – tennis anyone?
Black Seed Bagels Opens in LIC – one multigrain everything bagel w/ tofu scallion cc and pastrami-spiced salmon on deck
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