news Steinway Mansion sold to unknown buyers BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO The landmarked Steinway Mansion is officially off the market. The home that sits on top of a hill at 18-33 41st St. has been sold to two unidentified Astoria buyers who grew up in the neighborhood, according to city Councilman Costa Constantinides. Constantinides said he met with the two local men prior to their purchase of the home and they have no plans of changing it to a night club or dining hall but instead want to open it as community space. “I was really glad they came to speak with the neighborhood first. They really want to work with local officials and the community to make sure it stays part of neighborhood,” Constantinides said. “They really want to work with the neighborhood. They want it to be something that celebrates the great history of Astoria.” The home, which was built in the 1850s, was sold for $2.6 million, according to published reports. It had reportedly been on the market for about two years and in March a private buyer was said to be in contract to purchase the home. The Astoria mansion was built by Benjamin Pike and was later sold to the Steinway family as a summer home around 1870, with the Steinway & Sons piano factory built decades later only a few blocks away. In the 1920s, the home was sold to the Halberian family and has stayed in the family ever since. It was later selected as a New York City Landmark in 1967. 36 MAY 2014 I LIC COURIER I www.queenscourier.com Photo Courtesy Gary Vollo ART BUS ROLLS INTO LIC BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO The wheels on a brand-new free shuttle bus service are taking visitors ‘round and ‘round Long Island City’s art scene on the weekends. Socrates Sculpture Park, The Noguchi Museum, SculptureCenter and MoMA PS1 have partnered up to bring local residents and tourists the LIC Art Bus, which debuted on May 10. This free weekend bus service is dedicated to promoting the neighborhood’s arts and culture scene taking visitors between the four institutions. “Long Island City is already home to a rich cultural corridor, and the LIC Art Bus – free to all – will make it easier for visitors to experience the art offerings the neighborhood is known for,” said John Hatfield, executive director of Socrates Sculpture Park. The bus runs on Saturday and Sunday, on a first-come, first-served basis, for 19 consecutive weekends until Sept. 14. The first shuttle departs from Socrates Sculpture Park at noon and takes riders door-to-door to The Noguchi Museum, SculptureCenter and MoMA PS1, and then makes its return to Socrates. Departure times are scheduled for noon, 12:45, 1:30, 2:30, 3:15, 4 and 5 p.m. “The arts are booming here in western Queens,” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said. “With the addition of the LIC Art Bus, countless New Yorkers will have an easier time getting to some of our borough’s premiere cultural organizations and institutions – all for free.” The LIC Art Bus’s full schedule will be available at each stop and updated at socratessculpturepark. org/bus. Gap Ecology (Three Still Lives with Cherry Pickers and Palms), 2013, by David Brooks, at the Socrates Sculpture Park main gate. Photo courtesy of the park
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