28 The Courier sun • OCTOBER 2, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Teddy Mountain of Astoria opens its doors BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 An Astoria husband and wife team has brought something cuddly to the borough. Morris Davis and Karen Bennett-Davis opened the doors of Teddy Mountain of Astoria, located at 29-21 21st Ave., on Sept. 27, welcoming the community to what they called a “wonderland” for all ages. Only the second of its kind in New York City, Teddy Mountain offers customers the ability to stuff, dress and accessorize their choice of animals, which range from teddy bears to penguins, dogs, elephants and much more. Stuffed animals are available in 16-inch and 8-inch options. “We love the area. That’s why we decided to put the store in Astoria,” said Davis, who has lived in Astoria with his family for three years. “Since we’ve been here all we’ve seen are restaurants and bars and really nothing for kids. So we said, let’s do it. We’re about supporting the community.” Davis also said the store is not only for girls; there are options for boys as well, and customers can take home their toys in a Teddy Mountain box or backpack. The shop also has a “Dolly World” section, a name chosen by Bennett-Davis, which offers girls the chance to pick one of three dolls to take home. There are also matching outfits for both the girls and dolls. The doll line is expected to expand, Davis said. Along with the dolls and stuffed toys, Teddy Mountain of Astoria will also begin offering programs, events and birthday parties starting in two weeks in their event space. “Different from our competitors, the parents get to relax,” Davis said. “Once they walk in our doors we take over. The parents can sit on our rocking chairs and let us handle it and we take care of the kids until they finish building the bears.” The shop will host puppet shows and “Mommy and me” classes on the weekdays, and birthday party packages are available for the weekends. One big event, created after the couple found it difficult to find a babysitter for their 6-yearold and 2-year-old sons, is Friday night Date Night. From 6 to 8 p.m. parents will be able to drop off their children at the shop, where children enjoy Disney movies, food and interactive games safely while their parents go out. The Astoria couple also hopes that children can take home the experience of interacting with other children as they build the toys or attend events at the shop. “We feel as though the kids in Manhattan have everything at their doorsteps, while the kids in THE COURIER/Photo by Angy Altamirano Queens don’t,” Davis said. “This is something we thought we could bring to the kids here in Queens.” The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/teddymountainofastoria. Teddy Mountain of Astoria opened on Sept. 27 at 29-21 21st Ave. Astoria Cove gets green light from City Planning Commission BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected]/@liamlaguerre Despite opposition from residents, the community board and Borough President Melinda Katz, the Astoria Cove development won over the City Planning Commission. The 2.2-million-square-foot project along the Astoria waterfront cleared a major hurdle Monday as the commission voted to approve its land-use application despite the push back from community members with a majority vote of 10 yes, two abstentions and one partial no. “We are pleased by the outcome. And we are looking forward to working with Councilman Constantinides and the City Council and going forward with the process,” said Howard Weiss of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, which represents 2030 Astoria Developers, the team behind the project. “This project heralds a new era in affordable housing. It’s a great step forward in terms of the mayor’s 10-year housing plan.” The partial no-vote centered on claims of insufficiency of affordable housing in the application. Community Board 2, Katz and others that opposed the project also called for more affordable housing to be included in the buildings, while developers are proposing 345 units or 20 percent of the 1,723 dwellings. Members of the building services union 32BJ were displeased by the result and pledged to fight at the City Council level for more affordable housing and unionized jobs. “Alma Realty should not be granted permission to develop Astoria Cove until they commit to responsible development,” said Lenore Friedlaender, executive director of Build Up NYC, a coalition of organizations that includes 32BJ. “We will continue to fight for the good jobs and affordable housing working families in Astoria need to grow and strengthen the middle class, and we look forward to engaging the entire City Council to make sure this gets done right.” Astoria Cove will consist of five buildings, three on the waterfront ranging from 26 to 32 stories and two on the upland portion of the site, including a six-story residential building. The project, which is expected to take more than 10 years to complete in four different phases, will also include about 84,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space. Recently 2030 Astoria Developers purchased the remaining land needed for the project for more than $43 million. The City Council has 50 days to vote on the application, and affordable housing will be one of the main subjects reviewed. “While the new housing stock is sorely needed, the development must work for all Astorians,” Constantinides said. “When the project comes before the City Council, we will work with the developer and focus on providing ample affordable housing, dramatically increasing public transportation capacity on and off of the peninsula, and keeping the development within the fabric of the community.”
SC10022014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above