NEW YORK—It is the lifeline for the increasing number of Asians who reside in Queens and travel to Manhattan, and for those who leave Manhattan for Queens, especially to Flushing, one of the gathering places in the borough.
But the ride on the 7 train becomes more difficult on the weekends, as a major signal upgrade shuts down a portion of the track from Times Square to Long Island City, including the bridge over the East River.
With the Chinese Lunar New York celebration fast approaching, mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis is calling for the city to respect the Asian community by halting work for the weekend of Feb. 15-17. Catsimatidis is a multi-billionaire who, among other holdings, owns the grocery store chain Gristedes.
“The Asians are very important element to our city and our small businesses are a very important element to our city,” he added. “Nobody cares that there is the Lunar New Year.”
As of 2010, 1.4 million Asians lived in New York, and about 50 percent of those live in Queens, according to statistics on the U.S. Census website.
