As 2025 rolls into 2026, QNS is looking back at some of the top stories from the year.
In June, Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani made citywide headlines with a stunning victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary, but Mamdani’s victory surprisingly did not feature among the most-read stories on QNS for June. Instead, power outages in Southeast Queens and a new bill requiring stores to accept cash payments piqued the interest of QNS readers.
Thousands without power in Southeast Queens; Con Edison urges energy conservation
Con Edison restored electricity to almost 8,000 customers in Southeast Queens amid an intense heat wave straining the city’s power grid on June 23.
The impacted zone stretched from Grand Central Parkway in the north to Jamaica Bay in the south, and from the Nassau County line in the east to Queens Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway in the west. It included neighborhoods such as Bellaire, Bellerose, Cambria Heights, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Springfield Gardens, St. Albans and South Jamaica—home to approximately 166,000 customers.
New York Times names 14 Queens spots among city’s best restaurants of 2025
Fourteen Queens eateries earned spots on The New York Times’ annual list of the 100 Best Restaurants in New York City, which highlights the most compelling and dynamic culinary destinations across the five boroughs.
Returning to the list this year were AbuQir Seafood in Astoria, Birria-Landia in Jackson Heights, Chongqing Lao Zao in Flushing, Temple Canteen in Flushing, Zaab Zaab in Elmhurst, Trinciti Roti Shop and Don Peppe in South Ozone Park, and White Bear in Flushing.
New entries included Dera Restaurant in Jackson Heights, Hellbender in Ridgewood, Levant in Astoria, Old Sport Food in Forest Hills, Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette in Ridgewood and Taiwanese Gourmet in Elmhurst.
Two Queens establishments that appeared on the 2024 list did not return this year: Papa Paplean in Elmhurst and Adda Indian Canteen in Long Island City.
New York passes bill requiring stores to accept cash payments, protecting unbanked and low-income shoppers
The New York State Legislature passed legislation introduced by Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and State Sen. James Sanders prohibiting food stores and retail establishments from declining cash payments.
The legislation, which aims to make sure that cash remains a valid form of payment in New York State, passed both houses of the state legislature at the end of May. Gov. Kathy Hochul since signed the bill into law in November.
Sanders who represents Queens neighborhoods in South Jamaica and Far Rockaway, said the bill reaffirms that access to the marketplace remains a “fundamental right” and not a “luxury reserved for the digitally connected.”
“Cash is still king for many New Yorkers who live paycheck to paycheck or who simply don’t have access to credit or banking services,” Sanders said in a statement. “No one should be denied a sandwich, a bottle of water, or a loaf of bread because they don’t have a debit card. This bill is about fairness and basic dignity.”
Cruz, who represents Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, meanwhile, said cashless stores “shut out” seniors, immigrants and working-class New Yorkers.
Resorts World officially submits bid to expand Queens casino into $5.5B full-scale resort
The race to obtain a downstate gaming license was undoubtedly one of the most persistent stories of 2025, so it is no surprise to see an element of that race featured in the top stories for June.
Resorts World, an existing “racino” in South Ozone Park which recently received a license from the state Gaming Commission, officially submitted its bid to the Commission hours ahead of the June 27 deadline.
The bid outlined plans for a $5.5 billion integrated resort in South Ozone Park, including a 500,000-square-foot gaming floor with more than 6,000 slots and 800 table games; 2,000 hotel rooms; and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue.
Home prices more than doubled in 7 Queens neighborhoods in 10 years: report
A report released in June by real estate research site PropertyShark found that home prices more than doubled in 24 neighborhoods across New York City between 2014 and 2024, with seven of those neighborhoods located in Queens.
The Queens neighborhoods to experience this change included Breezy Point, Hamilton Beach, Long Island City, Brookville, Jamaica, Hollis and Rochdale. Only Brooklyn accounted for more neighborhoods among the list of 24, with eight.
Breezy Point had the second-highest price growth among all New York City neighborhoods over the ten-year period, with a 192% increase, trailing only Two Bridges in Manhattan, which had a 288% jump. The median sales price in Breezy Point went up from $248,000 in 2014 to $725,000 in 2024.
