‘Who’s Open?’ Map of Queens connects residents with active businesses

A fast-growing map of Queens detailing business hours with regular updates started in Sunnyside and Western Queens, but now spans neighborhoods across the borough. Photo via hi-lo/flikr

By Rachel Vick

It’s a tough time to own a small business in Queens, but an ambitious interactive map project is making it a little easier for local firms and restaurants to connect with residents during the coronavirus shutdown.

The “Who’s Open??” map is the work of Woodside resident Alan Baglia, who collaborated with the organizations Sunnyside Shines, Astoria Together and Sunnyside Gardens Park to launch the project. So far, the map provides real-time updates from more than 800 businesses and services. 

Baglia said he came up with the idea while wandering Woodside and making mental note of the open businesses. He connected with Sunnyside Business Improvement District Executive Director Jaime-Faye Bean to reach out to local companies and begin plotting the map.

“It came out of ingenuity and a little bit of ‘What can I do?’ as a coping mechanism in this crisis,” Baglia said. “I can’t process pandemics but I can be consumed with this project.”

“Not everybody has the physical capability to help with things like food delivery but spreading the word is something anyone can do,” he added. 

Map users can search keywords to find out whether a variety of businesses,  from laundromats to liquor stores, are open. The listings began with Sunnyside, Astoria, Long Island City and Woodside but have since spread to various parts of the borough. 

Baglia said the effort has helped him cope with the impact of the coronavirus while linking shops with customers.  

“I love to see the vibrancy of my community and seeing the storefronts shuttered is so demoralizing, so it was natural to say, okay let's see who’s open,” he said.

The map also includes all of the schools offering free meals through the Department of Education.

Baglia crowdsources information to keep the map up-to-date and add spots in neighborhoods across Queens. 

Baglia said he received nearly 30 tips about open businesses on Wednesday, the day before he spoke with the Eagle.

Listings include links to businesses’ websites, so patrons can order from restaurants directly instead of using third party delivery, and to GoFundMe pages supporting those that were unable to stay open.

“There's a borough-wide effort involved, because we’re the epicenter and there’s so much trauma,” Baglia said. “These are the little things people can do to keep their eye on local businesses.”