Long Island City
I vividly remember coming out to visit a good friend of mine (and one time roommate) who in 2008 moved out to LIC from our Manhattan apartment. It was a big deal back then as there wasn’t much out there… a kind of no man’s land for those who didn’t grow up in Queens.
Now it’s a firmly established NYC neighborhood and quite a cool place to live. You will find a wide mix of 20-something professionals to couples with young families who have realized how perfect it is to raise kids here and still have the NYC experience. It’s an epicenter of New Development as well, so if you’re looking for luxury high rise buildings with all the bells and whistles, LIC is the place.
Where.
Long Island City is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Queens. It is just over the East River from Midtown Manhattan and is bordered by Astoria and the north and Newtown Creek (separating Queens from Brooklyn) to the south.
Attractions.
Long Island City’s main attraction for me is the neighborhood’s vibrant art scene. From MoMA’s PS1 to numerous independent galleries you’ll find plenty of places to gallery hop. Every third Thursday of the month all the galleries open up their doors from 6pm-9pm for an after hours celebration of art and culture, it’s a blast.
Gantry Plaza State Park is fun to visit in warmer months. It has amazing panoramic views of Manhattan and a variety of different areas to hang out and get some sun.
Transit.
The reason Long Island City has become so popular (one of them anyway) is that you are one subway stop to Midtown Manhattan. There are seven train options all within LIC… the 7, G, E, M, and N/R/W trains. LIC also has its own NYC Ferry terminal as well.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park.
Gantry Plaza State Park has been growing and expanding ever since it was opened in 1998. It’s located in old dockyard and manufacturing area and still has old historical features in tact, making for a super cool landscape. You will also find the old (and giant) Pepsi-Cola neon sign there, which is visible from Manhattan as a prominent feature. It was design with different sections so if you want an area to people watch or are looking for a more secluded area for reading, it has everything.
Food & Drink
Long Island City has a great food scene. The largest concentration of restaurants are located on the waterfront on Center Blvd, but there are lots of hidden gems tucked along it’s side streets. There is even a Michelin rated (1 Star) eatery, Casa Enrique, which is amazing if you can get a table. Brooklyn favorite Sweet Chick even opened a Queens outpost here, lil Chick, serving up some of NYC’s best fried chicken… a personal favorite as I’m a sucker for fried chicken.
