Terraza 7 is a bar and music venue located at 40-19 Gleane Street where Jackson Heights and Elmhurst meet. Since June 2002, owner Freddy Castiblanco has made Terraza 7 "a community center; the perfect hub for local art, political expressions and your favorite coffee or mixed drink." It hosts live music five nights a week, and features bands playing a range of sounds, from Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Colombian, and modern Latin jazz, to bolero to salsa to timba and jarocho. It also hosts a number of events presented by the Queens literary community, from the monthly reading series First Tuesdays to launches by the borough's lit mag Newtown Literary.
At the end of 2016, Terraza's lease will be up. The venue that has been host to local and visiting artists, Queens residents, fans of Latin music will have to find a new space. But, like many other neighborhoods in New York City, rents in the Jackson Heights/Elmhurst area are rising fast. Based on Castiblanco's current estimates, the rent for a similar space in Jackson Heights will cost him four times as much as he currently is paying. Terraza 7 needs your help finding a new home! Please sign this petition to demonstrate your support for one of Queens' most distinctive arts venues and let potential landlords know how much the community values Terraza 7.
