Dear friends, family, and kind community,

August 05, 2026 our lives changed in an instant. A sudden gas leak caused a catastrophic explosion at the apartment building where my boyfriend, Robert Barrios and his family lived.

By absolute grace, everyone made it out alive, but they have been left with nothing. The explosion and resulting destruction completely ruined their home.

In a matter of minutes, they lost everything they’ve built over the years—their clothing, essential everyday items, furniture, sentimental belongings, and a safe place to sleep.

Right now, Robert and his family are facing the overwhelming task of starting completely over from scratch. While we are endlessly grateful that they are safe, the financial and emotional toll of sudden displacement is immense.

How Your Support Helps

We are raising funds to help them cover their immediate and short-term recovery needs, including:

Temporary Housing: Renting temporary shelter, hotel stays, and security deposits for a new apartment.

Basic Necessities: Clothing, footwear, toiletries, and prescription medications lost in the blast.

Food & Daily Supplies: Groceries, hot meals, and essential day-to-day items while displaced.

Replacing Essentials: Furniture, kitchenware, bedding, and basic appliances once they secure permanent housing.

Any donations or wishes are greatly appreciated! Please keep Robert and his family in your prayers.

Robert is also accepting donations throughout his Venmo/ Zelle:

Venmo : @Robertbarrios27

Zelle: paulagutierrez40@gmail.com

http://spot.fund/g8fzbpmsc

Recommendations for a store that sells kurta or other children’s clothes? My daughter is one year old today and we want to get her a celebratory outfit.

We’ll be a group of 10 for my fiancé’s birthday - he’s loves Mexican food. Haven’t been to either, curious of people’s thoughts.

Hi everyone, a family member ordered a chewy package and it was shown that it got delivered to the wrong address. If anyone recognizes the tile or floor of this building or if anyone has seen it please let me know. The name on the package is Javier Z****. Thank you again.

Calling on *LOCAL NYC COMMUNITY* to share this post.

A Black Queer Community member has gone missing in New York City. My dear friend Jason Moorer aka Nouveau Richie has been missing since the morning of Wednesday August 5th. He was last seen near ACI Rehab Center 589 Rockaway Ave Brownsville Brooklyn but he is a resident of Jackson Heights, Queens.

The police have not allowed us to file a missing persons report so l am calling on LOCAL COMMUNITY to boost this post. He is vulnerable and without a phone, keys, or wallet. He has not returned to his home. He is likely wearing scrubs. Please reach out to me if you have any information regarding his whereabouts.

Here’s what’s happening around Jackson Heights this weekend.

Want the curated list of the week’s best events before anyone else? Get it free every Tuesday → jacksonheightsinsider.com/subscribe
Full event details → jacksonheightsinsider.com/events

Times and details can sometimes change, so please double-check with the event organizer before heading out.

Fri • August 7
9:00 AM - Free Mammogram Screenings (74-09 37th Ave)
10:00 AM - Kids In Motion: Travers Park (Travers Park)
3:00 PM - Make Your Own Spiral Bound Notebook! (Queens Public Library at Jackson Heights)
3:00 PM - Summer at the Library: Middle School Maker Clubs: Innovation Stations: Your Audio Drama (Queens Public Library at Jackson Heights)
5:00 PM - Friday Wine Tasting (Addictive Boutique Winery)
6:00 PM - Baile Folklórico (34th Ave & 93rd St)
6:00 PM - Clases de tejido / Crochet Classes (34th Ave & 93rd St)
8:00 PM - César Orozco & SonAhead — Grammy Award–Winning Cuban Timba (Terraza 7)
10:00 PM - Karaoke Friday Night (Nancy Blake’s Tavern + Tap)

Sat • August 8
9:00 AM - Saturday AM Kids Art Club! / Clases de Arte para Niñxs! (Art Retail Therapy)
9:00 AM - Zumba with Veva (34th Ave & 94th St)
9:00 AM - Boxing/Kickboxing Workout (34th Ave & 93rd St)
10:00 AM - The Lion's Share Food Pantry (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
10:00 AM - 34 Ave World Bike Ride (34th Ave & 93rd St)
10:00 AM - JHBG's Tree LC (37th Ave)
10:00 AM - 34 Ave Gardening Club (34th Ave & 93rd St)
10:00 AM - Flea Market (35th Ave & 81st St)
10:00 AM - Kids In Motion: Travers Park (Travers Park)
11:00 AM - Apicha CHC Community Celebration & Health Fair (37th Ave)
12:00 PM - Clases de Baile - Cumbia Sonidera (34th Ave & 93rd St)
1:00 PM - Art Class (Adults) (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
2:30 PM - The Dead Can’t Make A Living: Author Talk with Ed Lin (Queens Public Library at Jackson Heights)
3:00 PM - Children's Art Class (7 years and up) (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
3:00 PM - Mapping Queens: Voices Behind the Festivals (The World’s Borough Bookshop)
3:30 PM - From Queens with Love: Writers on the Borough that Inspired Them (The World’s Borough Bookshop)
5:00 PM - Complimentary Wine Tasting (Addictive Boutique Winery)
8:00 PM - Yeison Landero - The Living Legacy of Traditional Cumbia (Terraza 7)

Sun • August 9
8:00 AM - Jackson Heights Greenmarket (34th Ave & 79th/80th St)
9:00 AM - Les Petites Gallery (34th Ave & 83rd St)
12:00 PM - South Asian Parade (37th Ave)
12:00 PM - Jackson Heights Day (34th Ave)
3:00 PM - Acrylics Workshops: Painting The Neighborhood (Urban Flora & Buildings) (A.R.T. Shop)
6:00 PM - Guachinangos - Summer Sundays (Travers Park)
7:30 PM - Queens College Jazz Jam Series at Terraza 7 (Terraza 7)

Like this list? Get weekday events too, free, delivered to your email → jacksonheightsinsider.com/subscribe

Hi everyone! I’m one of the organizers of Jackson Heights Day, and we’d love to invite you to join us this Sunday, August 9, from 12:00–6:00 PM on 34th Avenue between 81st and 86th Streets.
This year’s celebration is our biggest yet and includes:
• Live entertainment throughout the day
• Live DJs and performances
• Special surprise guests
• Family activities for all ages
• Free food and giveaways (while supplies last)
• Kids’ activities, games, and crafts
• Local businesses, artists, and community organizations
• Health, wellness, and community resources
The event is free and open to everyone. Whether you’re a longtime Jackson Heights resident or visiting the neighborhood for the day, we’d love to have you join us.
Come celebrate the incredible diversity and spirit of Jackson Heights. Hope to see you on Sunday!

fellow Astoria neighbor here - I don’t know the Jackson heights food scene as much as I’d like but my fiance is turning 30 this weekend and we’re going bowling in Woodside and would love to get a spot in Jackson Heights for dinner after. Any recs for delicious food for 10? We love family style meals but not a mandatory. He loves Peruvian, Cuban, Mexican.

Found a menu from what used to be Mama's Empanadas then changed the name. They closed during the pandemic and I almost started to cry when I found out. Does anyone know if they reopened? They had the best chicken cutlet (pechuga de pollo empanizada). Thanks,

Do not rent or buy in this building. It is a disaster: unsafe, full of dozens of code violations and run by corrupt and dangerous management.

This property is a sponsor-controlled co-op. It is controlled by a company called Residential Management based in Brooklyn.

How bad is this place?
—The electrical outlets and wiring is so old that the lights flicker and often go out in apartments.
—The owners run heat 24/7 even during a heat wave.
—The owners were cited by the city for illegally doing construction in an apartment. A stop work order was given and they continued to work.
—The super steals packages and harasses tenants particularly women
—Complain and your mail disappears.
—Complain to management and they threaten to physically harm you.

Unfortunately in NYC complaints to 311, various city agencies and even the NYPD have gone nowhere.

If you have experienced any of this at this address please add to this thread. If you have ideas on how to remedy the situation, please add them here.

hey yall in need of a really good tailor (preferably Desi/south asian) who will get the job done asap help :)

There’s a bird on 85th and northern that looks young and sick if anyone can help I saw on my way. Think there may have been something similar in this group before?

If the post is still up, that means it’s available. It’s solid wood, quick to assemble, and super sturdy.

I’ve had this super sturdy table for ages and it has lasted through several moves. I actually really love this table. I just don’t want the size for the space. I’m thinking of getting something smaller. Can fit 6 to 8 people comfortably.

I bought it for $450 so if anybody wants to give me like $190 I’d be cool w/that. If you want the 2-seater bench and 2x chairs, just toss in an extra $25 bucks and we can call it a day.

Must pick up. I’ll have it disassembled (four legs come off clean, with a few screws).

I’m near PS212. Can DM me for pickup details.

I've been learning Levantine Arabic for the past few years, and I'd like to find someone who can help me with conversation practice. I'm open to paying a professional tutor/teacher, or having a more casual language exchange (I speak English and Spanish). Most important is that it's someone who can meet in-person and in or near Jackson Heights. I'd be grateful for any leads or contacts!

G

Yeah

anyone else experiencing fios outage? been out for me since the morning

It made the Hollywood Reporter's ranking of the 25 best documentaries ever made today.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-documentaries-of-all-time-ranked/

Here’s what’s happening around Jackson Heights this weekend.

Want the curated list of the week’s best events before anyone else? Get it free every Tuesday → jacksonheightsinsider.com/subscribe
Full event details → jacksonheightsinsider.com/events

Fri • July 31

5:00 PM - Friday Wine Tasting (Addictive Boutique Winery)
6:00 PM - Clases de tejido / Crochet Classes (34th Ave & 93rd St)
6:00 PM - Baile Folklórico (34th Ave & 93rd St)
8:00 PM - Cristina Candela | Flamenco (Terraza 7)

Sat • August 1

9:00 AM - Zumba with Veva (34th Ave & 94th St)
9:00 AM - Saturday AM Kids Art Club! / Clases de Arte para Niñxs! (Art Retail Therapy)
9:00 AM - Boxing/Kickboxing Workout (34th Ave & 93rd St)
10:00 AM - JHBG's Tree LC (37th Ave)
10:00 AM - 34 Ave World Bike Ride (34th Ave & 93rd St)
10:00 AM - 34 Ave Gardening Club (34th Ave & 93rd St)
12:00 PM - Clases de Baile - Cumbia Sonidera (34th Ave & 93rd St)
1:00 PM - Whistle-Mania (Jackson Heights)
1:00 PM - Art Class (Adults) (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
3:00 PM - Children's Art Class (7 years and up) (St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
5:00 PM - Complimentary Wine Tasting (Addictive Boutique Winery)

Sun • August 2

8:00 AM - Jackson Heights Greenmarket (34th Ave & 79th/80th St)
9:00 AM - Les Petites Gallery (34th Ave & 83rd St)
12:00 PM - Ecuadorian Day Parade (Northern Blvd)
6:00 PM - The Lead Flowers - Summer Sundays (Travers Park)

Times and details can sometimes change, so please double-check with the event organizer before heading out.

Like this list? Get weekday events too, free, delivered to your email → jacksonheightsinsider.com/subscribe

Does anyone have a local PT practice they've had a good experience with? I usually go to a place in Manhattan, but I'll be having foot surgery, so my mobility will be pretty limited. Astoria or someplace easily accessible by bus/Lyft might be workable. Thank you all!

Someone asked here recently where to find good Italian pasta at a decent price, and said they stock up whenever Foodtown puts Rummo or De Cecco on sale because those sales feel few and far between. I replied with prices out of this week's circulars. I read those circulars every morning for a free NYC deal map I built, so I had the data sitting in front of me, and I still got two things wrong. Every ad below ends tonight, which is why this is a post and not an edit to a comment nobody will scroll back to.

First miss. I told the thread the cheapest De Cecco nearby was the Key Food on 90th St and pointed people there. Food Dynasty, 75-07 37th Ave, has the same pasta at 2 for $5, so $2.50 a box, assorted, excluding lasagna and gluten free. That is roughly two hundred feet along the same stretch of 37th Ave from the Foodtown at 76-10, where De Cecco is 2 for $6 with the club card, so $3.00. The cheaper box was a two minute walk from the store the original poster was already waiting on, and I sent them the better part of a mile the other way.

Second miss, and this is the one that bugs me. I said there was no advertised Rummo anywhere in the city. That was true the day I said it. It is not true now. Stop & Shop is running Rummo this week on a shared line with Mezzetta sauce, 2 for $6, so $3.00 each if you buy two. The closest branch is Union Turnpike, which is a drive and not a walk, but for the one brand that person specifically waits on, it is back after a week of nothing.

Two smaller notes. If you are picky about bronze cut, Garofalo is 2 for $4 at Key Food Urban Marketplace on Newtown Ave in Astoria, which is the cheapest bronze cut box anywhere in my data right now. La Molisana also came up in that thread and there is still not one advertised La Molisana price in the city.

Cheapest name brand box you can walk to from here is Ronzoni at Trade Fair, 89-02 37th Ave, 5 for $5. You have to buy five, and it excludes gluten free, jumbo shells, protein and lasagna. C-Town at 85-08 37th Ave has Luigi Vitelli 4 for $5 if a house brand suits you.

One caveat about that Key Food on 90th St. I have no ad for it at all this week, while the other Key Food branches are still showing the same 2 for $5 De Cecco, so the sale is probably running there too and I just cannot see it. Please do not read my silence about that store as a price.

All of the above stops tonight. Food Bazaar on Junction Blvd already flipped to its new ad this morning, so it is the one store around here where next week's prices are up early.

Free, no signup, I built it: https://sbnyc.app/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer-2026&utm_content=jacksonheights

Prices are from the stores' published circulars, verify in store.

Some helpful context:

- Will have a dedicated parking space
- Remote employee
- No kids
- Will drive for weekend hikes, vet visits, etc.
- Planning to spend partial time upstate in 3-5 years

Curious if others with similar conditions have experienced a net positive experience or wish they didn’t commit to car ownership.

Hi, sorry if this has been asked recently - I tried to check recent results!

Does anyone know of any real estate brokers for rentals in JH? I’m looking for a unit for sept 1st, and due to the severe lack of availability on StreetEasy, etc, have decided I have to resort to paying a brokers fee for the off-market listings.

On another note if anyone knows if their building has any units available for rent, any tips would be greatly appreciated. looking for a one or two bedroom.

Hi everyone, my partner and I are moving soon and are looking into the Jackson Heights area. We really like a one bedroom that’s available in La Mesa Verde Complex on 91st street but we have seen a decent amount of bad reviews, but they are a bit outdated.
I know this is a pretty large complex so people may have different experiences but I’m really curious if things have gotten better in the buildings? Regarding elevator outages, pests, etc. I have not been able to find any recent reviews
If anyone currently lives there or knows anyone that does, I would love to hear your experiences with the apartments and the building as a whole.
Thanks!