Jamaica, Queens tries to rebrand with $100K marketing campaign as locals brace for change
The new nickname 'DJQ' — for more than three dozen blocks along Jamaica Avenue — comes ahead of a rezoning that officials believe will pave the way for new residential units, shops and public space.
'Jamaica has always been a commercial hub, and now it's about bringing awareness and opening people's eyes up to the fact that this is a place that you can come and shop and eat and wander around,' said Whitney Barrat, president of Downtown Jamaica Partnership President Whitney Barrat, which is leading the rebranding effort.
'It's just much easier to start from a brand that's identifiable … and get people familiar with all the neighborhood has to offer,' Barrat told The Post.
DJQ — short for Downtown Jamaica, Queens — specifically describes the zone stretching from Sutphin Boulevard to 169th Street.
6 Jamaica, long seen as an outer borough transit hub, is attempting to rebrand itself as a New York City destination.
Stephen Yang
The $100,000 rebrand aims to 'reframe perceptions of Jamaica from pass-through to destination' by advocating for small businesses, boosting public safety and hosting family-friendly programming, according to the group.
6 Downtown Jamaica Partnership BID vice president Jahnavi Aluri (left) and president Whitney Barrat.
Stephen Yang
The city Planning Commission is set to vote next month on a massive Jamaica Area Rezoning Plan to add up to 12,000 new homes – 4,000 of them permanently affordable – and create an estimated 7,000 new jobs in hospitality, technology and light manufacturing.
'Beyond these zoning changes, the plan would include strategic investments to enhance infrastructure, transit access, open space, and more,' city documents read.
At the same time, the city plans to build a one-acre park dubbed Station Plaza outside the Sutphin Boulevard subway station and a $70 million investment in street improvements, both set to begin in 2026.
6 A section of buildings which will be turned into the three block-long Station Plaza.
Stephen Yang
The area has already been undergoing massive changes in recent years, Barrat said, with a 13% population boom between 2010 and 2020 — outpacing the citywide population increase twofold — and a spate of new luxury high-rise apartments began sprouting up since the pandemic.
Among the newest offerings are a barber shop, bakery and ice cream shop, alongside Raising Cane's, Shake Shack and Chipotle — but there's still an unfulfilled demand for late-night eateries and nightlife to inject life into the area beyond the bustling LIRR, AirTrain and subway stations.
'We want people to come here and shop, not just for the transportation hub,' said BID board member Sari Kulka, who hopes the rebrand will attract bookstores, pet stores, co-working spaces, restaurants and breweries in the future.
6 The area has already been undergoing massive changes in recent years, Barrat said, with a 13% population boom between 2010 and 2020.
Stephen Yang
Now, the group is requesting city funding for a handful of public safety 'ambassadors' to be the NYPD's eyes and ears on the corridor and keep tabs on quality-of-life concerns like fighting, drug use and illegal vending.
6 Rufus King Park in Jamaica, Queens.
Stephen Yang
The BID hopes the local-led initiative will help mitigate 'one-size-fits-all' solutions like the city's 2021 busway redesign, which gobbled up parking in the car-centric neighborhood and decimated business for some locals, like Rincon Salvadoreno owner Elena Barcenes.
'I would probably say 75% of my customers are gone now,' Barcenes said, noting longtime customers of her 40-year business disappeared due to the lack of parking and a surge in parking tickets issued.
6 'I would probably say 75% of my customers are gone now,' business owner Elena Barcenes said, attributing the drop to a DOT busway project that gobbled up Jamaica Avenue parking spaces.
Stephen Yang
Barcenes, who supports the rezoning project, hopes to expand her business with catering, as well as nightlife offerings with DJs as more young people move into the area.
The rezoning plan may also propose changes to the design of streets and enforcement of traffic regulations to prioritize cyclists, seniors and people with disabilities, per planning documents, as part of the initiative set to combat the 'big housing shortage' facing the neighborhood.
'It's a positive thing for the community, I think it would be a great option for low-income people,' said Bronx native Fabiola Cyriaque, 23, who has been living in a homeless shelter in Jamaica since March.
'I'm excited.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Bodegas are the new ‘It' restaurants as dining out costs spiral: ‘It's not just mozzarella sticks anymore'
NYC's corner markets are cornering the market — on haute cuisine. As the cost of dining out in the Big Apple spirals higher, eating well without breaking the bank could be as simple as visiting your nearest bodega. The city's humble bazaars are increasingly perceived as epicurean pioneers — with gourmands and social media influencers clamoring for a bite. The craze comes as the price of eating out in the five boroughs has been said to soar by nearly 30%, according to a 2024 City Comptroller's Office report — with even a sad Midtown desk lunch of salad or fast food often costing a minimum of $15 nowadays. 16 A worker prepares a shrimp and octopus cocktail at La Esquina Del Camarón Mexicano, a Mexican seafood depot at the back of an Indian bodega in Jackson Heights, Queens. Tamara Beckwith/ By contrast, determined diners willing to look past the toilet paper rolls and bricks of Cafe Bustelo can fill their belly at a wave of unlikely grocery gastro-hubs for a fraction of the price — without degrading their palate. 'I go to my bodega every day, and the halal food is better than the food truck next door and cheaper — and they can do it all,' Karissa Dumbacher, an NYC foodfluencer with over 5 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, told The Post. 'I mean, it's not just mozzarella sticks anymore.' Here's the dish on six tasty, cutting-edge supping spots. Java, no jive 16 IndoJava Chef Anastasia Dewi Tjahjadi and owner Elvi Goliat display a bowl of lontong mie. Tamara Beckwith/ There's no menu at IndoJava, a bite-sized bodega in Elmhurst, Queens — but behind the selection of sambals and other Indonesian staples, intrepid diners will find one of the toughest tables in town. Javanese chef Anastasia Dewi Tjahjadi, one of two haute-hash slingers (Thursdays, a chef from Jakarta takes over the stove), recently served just one dish: lontong mie ($15), a fragrant specialty from her hometown of Surabaya. The piquant combo of noodles, bean curd, bean cake wedges, compressed rice cakes, garlic crackers, prawns and clam skewers packed a punch — in a brawny broth infused with pungent shrimp paste and served with weapons-grade chili peppers. 16 Diners can eat at a squat yellow table at the back of the bodega. Tamara Beckwith/ And don't bother asking the chef to turn the heat down. 'I don't want the people to come here and be, like, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I don't like spicy' — because my food … is spicy,' the griddle gourmet proudly told The Post. 'I can't make it not spicy.' Opened back in 2008, IndoJava has become a bona fide sensation. In a viral video, influencer Dumbacher labeled the offerings the closest thing to 'actual authentic Indonesian food in New York City.' IndoJava's food pop-ups are available on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. while supplies last; daily specials are announced on Instagram. 'We do very traditional, very authentic,' owner Elvi Goliat told The Post. 'We need to make something interesting so they will come every week.' IndoJava, 8512 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst Mart of the deal 16 A variety of Guatemalan specialties are displayed at the Karen Deli. Stefano Giovannini for In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the tiny Karen Deli has an ace up its sleeve — a speakeasy-like Guatemalan canteen located incongruously at the back, near a Central American mural. The crown jewel drawing in-the-know types is the Pepian De Pollo ($13), a rich, spice-inflected stew studded with pumpkin seeds, best paired with a chuchito ($3), a miniature Guatemalan tamale, and washed down with a regional soda from the cooler. This hearty combo costs a fraction of what you'd pay for one entrée at a sit-down spot in nearby trendy neighborhoods. 16 It is one of many bodegas serving unique dishes. Stefano Giovannini for According to legendary NYC restaurant critic Robert Sietsema, unexpected finds like these show how bodegas are evolving. 'For decades, [the bodega] was a province of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans and African-Americans, hence the term bodega, which is just Spanish for store,' the Village Voice alum told The Post. 'This is indicative of other groups taking over the bodegas, having a much broader selection,' he said. Karen Deli, 6116 5th Ave., Brooklyn Prawn stars 16 A cocktail of shrimp and octopus at La Esquina Del Camaron. Tamara Beckwith/ Jackson Heights, Queens, has always been the Big Apple's multicultural bouillabaisse. Head to Roosevelt Avenue — where diners will find an Indian mini mart in the front and a Mexican seafood restaurant in the back. Dubbed La Esquina Del Camaron Mexicano, the tiny, cash-only sit-down serves shrimp and octopus cocktails with cilantro, avocado and a 'secret' cocktail sauce ($15 for a small portion). 16 Indian bodega La Esquina Del Camaron features a bustling Mexican seafood restaurant. Tamara Beckwith/ 16 Diners can check out a mini mart in the front — and the seafood paradise in the back Tamara Beckwith 16 The Jackson Heights go-to also offers Coctel de Camarones y Pulpo, and fish and tacos. Tamara Beckwith/ It's perhaps one of the few places in town you'd want to tuck into a plate of shellfish while pondering a wall of e-cigarettes and playing your scratch-off tickets. La Esquina Del Camaron Mexicano, 8002 Roosevelt Ave. The hero we deserve 16 The hand-scrawled hero menu frames a kitchen worker at Sunny & Annie's Deli. Tamara Beckwith/ Sunny & Annie's Deli in Manhattan's East Village is much more than a bacon-egg-and-cheese broker, offering a 24-hour smorgasbord of inventive, submarine-sized, Asian-inflected heroes, which the Korean owners list on handscrawled notecards. Wacky fare includes the Obama (grilled chicken and eggplant), the Bernie Sanders (teriyaki chicken and shiitake mushrooms), and other sandwiches whose ingredients appear to be charmingly unrelated to their celeb namesake. Check out the Pho #1 ($10.99 cash, $11.97 using a card), which, like its eponymous soup, features beef, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, sriracha and a slathering of hoisin. The dining depot is a standby for food critic Sietsema, who described the noshes as 'just plain weird in a good sort of way.' 16 A pho-inspired sandwich from Sunny & Annie's Deli. Tamara Beckwith/ 'There's no place that makes sandwiches that uses the odd combination of semi-healthy ingredients with good bread,' the pro told The Post. 'And people that go in there for the first time, they're dumbstruck by the menu.' Sunny & Annie's Deli, 94 Avenue B Way to plant 16 The Clinton Fruit Market on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan is one of 50 bodegas where customers can find Plantega. Tamara Beckwith/ Bodegas haven't historically been bastions of vegetarian-friendly fare, Plantega is changing that — offering a '100% plant-based menu' that 'reimagines New York's iconic deli sandwiches,' ranging from the steak, egg and cheese burrito to the chopped cheese (both $12). 'In a way, bodegas are the city's original test kitchens,' Plantega Founder and CEO Nil Zacharias told The Post. The concept, launched in 2022, is available at 50 bodegas. It reflects the corner store's legacy for innovation, where a 'Dominican-owned grill meets halal ingredients, or a classic bacon, egg, and cheese gets a twist that reflects the neighborhood,' he said. 'Too often, 'better food' is framed as something exclusive,' he told The Post of grub which is often 'packaged for a certain demographic.' 16 A vegan chopped cheese, courtesy of Plantega. Tamara Beckwith/ 'Instead of asking people to change their habits, we chose to meet them where they already eat,' he added. 'That meant starting with the bodega, one of the most trusted, culturally rooted spaces in New York City.' Plantega features a Chopped Cheese with Beyond Meat, Stockheld cultured cheddar and Fabalish vegan mayo — a combo that's tasty and healthier than oft-dubious deli protein. 'The food is hot, satisfying and made to order, just without the meat sweats or the 3 p.m. crash that makes you question your life choices,' Zacharias quipped. Plantega, various locations Ock-ed and loaded 16 'For years, I [saw] people get the same sandwiches and order all of these things on the side,' said Rahim Mohamed, owner of Red Hook Food Corp. Stephen Yang Probably the only bodega in remote Red Hook, Brooklyn, to have lured celebs like Ed Sheeran and Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Rahim Mohamed's Red Hook Food Corp has become a viral sensation. Better known online as General Ock — derived from Americanized Arabic slang for 'akhi,' meaning 'brother' — the savvy seller has created a cutting-edge meal mecca, amassing over 5.5 million TikTok followers by sharing videos of him whipping up some of NYC's wildest vittles. 16 A sandwich hits the griddle before heading to a hungry customer. Stephen Yang 16 A stuffed sandwich at Red Hook Food Corp. Stephen Yang And no ingredient is too outlandish. Here, chopped cheese sandwiches are piled high with Pop-Tarts, mozzarella sticks, cotton candy, Rice Krispies Treats and more — in a method dubbed the Ocky Way. 'For years, I [saw] people get the same sandwiches and order all of these things on the side. I thought, 'Why can't I mix it all together?'' he told The Post in 2021. Red Hook Food Corp, 603 Clinton St., Brooklyn
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Loehmann's department store gets new life after closing doors 11 years ago
The iconic Loehmann's brand will briefly reemerge after going belly-up more than a decade ago — giving shoppers a chance to scoop up some designer duds at bargain basement prices, The Post has learned. A pop-up version of the century-old department store, which went bankrupt in 2013, will open Aug. 21 on Long Island, its new owner said. Rival discounter Century 21 quietly acquired the brand in 2020, as The Post reported, and is relaunching it in a series of pop-up stores, starting at the Tanger Outlets at Deer Park. Advertisement 3 Loehmann's closed its doors seemingly for forever in 2014. Penske Media via Getty Images The initial two-week warehouse sale will also include Loehmann's famous 'Back Room,' which in its heyday featured deeply marked-down luxury brands from Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs among others. 'The hope is that 11 years later that there is some nostalgia for the brand and people fondly look back,' Larry Mentzer, Century 21's chief operating officer, said in an exclusive interview with The Post. Mentzer declined to divulge which brands will be available in the Back Room, as most designers don't want to be associated with discounting. Advertisement There will be a mix of 'well-known European designer labels, household names and emerging brands,' he said. Another pop-up is planned for Florida this year and one is coming to the Big Apple next year, Mentzer said. 'We think there is real value in the brand going forward,' Mentzer said, adding, 'off-price is the hottest sector in retail right now.' Advertisement 3 At its peak, Loehmann's operated some 100 stores in the 1990s. Astrid Stawiarz/NY Post The Gindi family, which owns Century 21, scooped up the Loehmann's brand for about $300,000 after the chain was liquidated following its third bankruptcy filing, sources told The Post. The New York-based company, which itself filed for bankruptcy in 2020 before reemering in 2022, is one of the last discount department stores that focuses on designer labels. It has oulasted Filine's Basement, Daffy's and Syms, which all shuttered more than a decade ago, squeezed out by larger, better funded competitors like TJ Maxx and Ross Stores. Advertisement 3 Century 21 acquired Loehmann's in 2000 for about $300,000, according to a source. Robert Miller At its peak, Loehmann's operated about 100 stores across the country in the 1990s, while Century 21 had 13 stores mostly in the New York metro area. Now, it operates just one at its flagship location in lower Manhattan.
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Steal or slip-up? K18's luxury AirWash is 50% off
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. We can't believe this deal either. In fact, we checked multiple times just to make sure Amazon hadn't made some sort of pricing blunder — and unless Jeff Bezos has had a sudden philanthropic pivot into beauty, this one's a true shocker. The K18 AirWash Dry Shampoo, a sleek, non-aerosol miracle mist that hair stylists adore, is currently 50% off – yes, half off – bringing the price down from its typical $45 to just $22.50. For a brand that's usually reserved for salon visits and serious haircare insiders, this is the kind of deal that makes your thumb slip and hit 'Add to Cart' before your brain even catches up. This isn't your average chalky, drugstore dry shampoo. No stale white residue. No dusty scalp film. The K18 AirWash uses biotech-driven science (we're talking molecular repair-level science) to balance your scalp's microbiome and control oil production without suffocating your strands. Advertisement It's like skincare for your hair — and unlike most dry shampoos, this one won't just cover the mess; it helps reset your scalp, all while delivering that freshly-washed bounce you thought only came from a professional blowout. Even better? It's a non-aerosol formula, meaning it's TSA-friendly, eco-conscious, and won't randomly detonate in your gym bag like a rogue hairspray. We're talking luxury meets biotech in a sleek little bottle — and at just $22.50, it feels less like a discount and more like a pricing glitch. Did someone at Amazon fall asleep on the '50% off' button? We're not asking questions… we're just checking out immediately. Honestly, all you need to know is: Deals on prestige haircare like this don't happen, and when they do, they definitely don't last. Looking for a headline-worthy haul? Keep shopping Post Wanted. For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America's go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We're not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren't already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we're known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
