A group of pugilists roughed up five off duty cops outside a Queens nightclub on Dec. 16. The officers allegedly got into a brawl in front of the Tropix Bar and Lounge at around 4 am after an officer flashed his badge to a bouncer in an attempt to get into the Queens Boulevard venue, which was closing for the night. A group of men outside the club began shouting at the cops — who had just left a housing police holiday party — and a fight broke out, according to the Daily News. more ›

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes. more ›

And then there were three. The “Couch Potato” publicity stunt going on over at ESPN Zone – the favorite restaurant of Yo La Tengo’s James McNew – took a dramatic turn when one of the four contestants abruptly dropped out of the butt-numbing competition. The quitter was Rutgers student Lindsay Wagenblast, the only female participant, who had “emerged as the favorite” in the contest, which started New Year's Day and involves sitting in a recliner in front of twelve 42-inch high-definition plasma televisions and a couple of 14-foot HD projection TVs broadcasting sports nonstop. more ›

Thanks to a small roster of beers curated by owner Jimmy Carbone, Jimmy’s No. 43 has always been high on our list when we’re looking to slake our thirst. more ›

The initial news of the legendary 2nd Avenue Deli’s reincarnation led us to stockpile Lipitor as visions of pastrami, chopped liver and gribenes danced through our heads. And when we feasted our eyes on the sneak preview of this fresser’s paradise, we could hardly wait to go and devour more of the menu. more ›

Yesterday we heard the "8" which will create the "2008" sign that millions will see in person and on screen during the New Years Eve Rockin' Eve extravaganza...was reduced to take mass transit to Times Square. This number is a true New Yorker! The Daily News has some quotes from its fellow straphangers and handlers:

"It's not every day you ride with an 8," said the 30-year-old from Rego Park, Queens. "It's going to be the first thing I mention when I get to work." more ›

It would seem that the area around Rego Park and Forest Hills that we like to call Rego Parkistan could scarcely support another kosher kebab joint given how ubiquitous these restaurants specializing in Uzbeki cuisine have become. By our reckoning there at least seven of these spots proffering swordlike skewers laden with lamb, chicken and beef along with various Central Asian salads and meat pies. What’s more, with exception of a few that offer such... more ›

Yet another culinary transfer point has been added to the many ethnic eateries radiating outwards from the 74 Street/Broadway subway stop in Jackson Heights: Shangrila Express. Yesterday when Gothamist learned that the city's first and only Tibetan food cart had opened near the renowned Sammy’s Halal we couldn’t wait to try it. We approached the cart next to Sammy’s and ordered some momos only to be told they only serve chicken over rice. Upon... more ›

Police suspect that the daytime murder of a Queens orthodontist may be related to the custody of his daughter. A long and bitter divorce battle had granted temporary custody of five-year-old Michelle to 34-year-old orthodontist Daniel Malakov. The doctor was dropping his daughter off to his ex-wife when someone shot him three times point blank in the chest. more ›

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Yesterday afternoon around 2:45PM, a drunk driver hit three pedestrians in Forest Hills, Queens. The victims included a 3-year-old girl, her 57-year-old grandmother, and her 85-year-old great-grandmother, who were all walking at the intersection of Yellowstone Boulevard and Gerard Place in Forest Hills. more ›

Rego Park and Forest Hills have been home to Uzbeki immigrants for so long that many residents and outsiders now refer to the area by the collective name Rego Parkistan. By our count there are at least a half dozen kosher kebab joints between the Boulevard of Death and 108 Street. All of these spots feature flat swordlike skewers upon which have been impaled meat, fish and the occasional vegetable, as well as such "national dishes" as plov, a heartier take on pilaf. Gothamist recently visited Zhemchuzhina, one of the newer entries in this somewhat crowded field. more ›

Did you ever hear the one about the vineyard in Queens, just minutes away from the Little Neck Parkway Q46 bus stop? Even if you haven’t, it’s true. First reported three years ago, the borough is finally set to prove it has terroir in spades with the imminent production of its namesake wine. The epicenter for this oenophile revolution is the Queens County Farm Museum, described on its website as “New York City's largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland,” and “the only working historical farm in the City.” It’s also one of the oldest farms in the entire state of New York, celebrating its 310th birthday this year. It’s about time for Queens to have its own wine. Gothamist visited the farm yesterday, and got the full story from vintner Gary Mitchell. more ›

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes more ›

Given the dozens of rave reviews lining the walls, Gothamist decided to keep an open mind. It should be noted that a "hamburger" at Five Guys consists of two 3.3-ounce patties. (If for some ungodly reason you wish to eat less well-done beef, you must order a "Little Hamburger.") Our hamburger was topped with bacon, cheese, tomatoes, ketchup and raw onions and sided with a regular order of fries. The Guys present all orders in brown paper bags, whether they're to go or not. Perhaps there was a tray shortage in the D.C. area when they first opened. Tearing open the bag provides a serviceable tray much like butcher paper acts as a plate at any good Texas barbecue joint. more ›

An employee at Rego Park strip club Goldfingers will face either manslaughter or murder charges after a February 25 incident in which the employees made a now fatal attack on a patron. The patron, Bresnik Prebeza, had been brain-dead on life support, but died on Tuesday after his family had the life support ended. more ›

Yesterday, authorities arrested a 26 year old man for causing 18 rubbish fires in Queens. Kareem Walters was spotted in a crowd of people watching a Rego Park fire around 1:20AM yesterday. The Daily News reports that Captain John Abbruzzese "recognized him from other blazes in nearby Maspeth," so fire marshals questioned Walters. Walters then admitted to the arson, saying he enjoyed watching cars and buildings on fire and how the fire department responded to the blazes. He told reporters he set the fires, "Just for fun." more ›

Yesterday, mourners gathered at a funeral for Ari Kraft, a 13 year old Rego Park boy killed by an LIRR train Friday night. Kraft had been tagging signal boxes before crossing the tracks near the Forest Hills station - to rush home for Sabbath dinner - when a train bound for Huntington hit him. Newsday reports that during the funeral, "details of Kraft's death were not discussed...There was no discussion of graffiti art, which Kraft's friends have said he excelled in. Instead, he was remembered as a computer whiz whose life was cut short." more ›

A young Queens boy was hit and killed by an oncoming LIRR train near the Forest Hills station yesterday afternoon. Ari Kraft and his friends had been tagging signal boxes when a train headed to Huntington hit him. The police say they had been taking pictures of their work before they crossed the tracks to leave. According to the Daily News, Kraft managed to beat one train on a third track and he thought he was in the clear, but "that train had blocked Ari's view of the eastbound train on the last track." more ›

- And 26 year old Manuel Castillo was killed at Hylan and Cooper in Staten Island. Police are still looking for the gold SUV with tinted windows.These deaths are so sad. And why does driving with a suspended license mean people can still drive? Sigh.
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- Look for Grub Street, the just launched New York Magazine food blog, to have an interview with newly anointed NYT Dining editor Pete Wells on Wednesday. more ›

Most of the city got to enjoy yesterday's cooler weather - except for Queens residents and business owners. For the second day in a row, homes and businesses had little or no power and subway service was limited, with many commutes that would take 30 minutes tops taking 90 minutes. The MTA blamed Con Ed, saying, "Because of the low-voltage problem, not enough power is available to power subway signals in the area." And Con Ed blamed Queens residents, essentially telling one of our readers when she asked what the ETA for power would be, "maybe if our neighbors actually listened to them, the load would go down and then we'd have power." more ›

While Wal-Mart decided not to build a store in Rego Park last year, the NY Sun says the behemoth retailer working on surround then attack approach by opening up stores in just outside the city limits Last month a store in Kearny, NJ opened, and next up is one in White Plains that will be an "urban model." As in an urban model with "design elements that could be incorporated into a New York City store." Huh, does that include uncensored DVDs and controversial music or books? Here's what the store will be like:

The 179,731-square-foot Wal-Mart is split onto two levels, underneath a six-floor parking garage where customers can park for free if they spend more than $5. Special escalators will transport shopping carts between floors. more ›

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As the West Village is happy that the City Planning Commission wants to prevent high-rises from being built (well, the measure needs the City Counci's okay),and Gothamist can only suspect it's part pre-emptive strike against huge outdoor advertisements. For example, the Queens Tower Condos in Rego Park are the target of many complaints for putting up a huge lingerie ad outside one of the buildings. The Department of Buildings has issued violations to the condo's president, as the ad "went up without a permit and in a zoning district where they are prohibited." The Buildings Department says they are just "too big and too high." The ads, for Elle MacPherson's lingerie line, were supposed to be taken down in October anyway, says the ad's marketing director, who added, "You usually don't see posters like that in Queens. You see them in Times Square, so we thought it would be a perfect place to stand out and get a little exposure." That's so weird - we went to Queens to get away from Times Square. But then again, Queens was the only place in NYC with a Red Lobster for a while. Gothamist can only assume that Buildings Department fasttracked these violations in fear that drivers on the LIE would get into accidents. more ›

Wal-Mart has decided not to continue plans to be in a Queens shopping mall after a lot of community and political opposition. According to the NY Times, Wal-Mart and Vornado Realty Trust, developers of the Rego Park project that would include other retail space and apartment towers, thought that Wal-Mart's continued presence would jeopardize the entire plan. What Gothamist found interesting is that apparently Vornado was hoping to keep it quiet that Wal-Mart was part of the proposal, in order to keep opposition to a minimum; it just seems so insulting and sneaky to try to hide that the country's biggest retailer might be moving into the neighborhood. Sure, Wal-Mart has low prices and people in the community could benefit from that, but Wal-Mart is a non-union shop and has treated employees badly - no matter what their ads want people to think. Now, if it were a Target, we imagine people would be close to dancing in the street. This comes after BJ's Wholesale Club decided not to build in the Bronx, though they may try again later. more ›

The Daily News shows some residences bigger than a studio that are comptetively priced, such as a two bedroom co-op on Jane Street and a four bedroom house in Rego Park, Queens. The owner of the Queen house says, "It's a nice neighborhood, very quiet. It's just the opposite of Manhattan." Touche. more ›

To celebrate support tax-free week, Mayor Bloomberg went to the Rego Park, Queens Sears and bought a denim jacket with a faux fur collar. Hot. Oh, wait, it's for one of his daughters; who knows what Gothamist would have done to see Bloomby in a denim jacket with a faux fur collar? Anyway, the New York Times reports that the jacket was $29.99, marked down from $40, and then the Mayor tried to apply for a Sears card to take advantage of a further discount, but he wasn't approved immediately. In his press release about this year's tax-free week, the Mayor says: more ›