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Is it just me or does Long Island City look pretty damn nice? Atleast from afar? haha. What I mean by that is the other day as I was driving along FDR drive I looked across the water and from what i could tell, many of the high rise apartments and other buildings over there look relatively new?
Is it safe to assume that the general area is pretty nice, safe, etc? Is there anything we should know about that area? Pros and cons of living there? I've never been there so I can only put together what I see from a distance and from the feedback I get from others on this forum.
Would love to have input from people who are very familiar with the area or who live there, or have lived there in the past. Want to know your thoughts on the environment, the people, the general cost of living/renting a decent apartment versus other comparable neighborhoods throughout NYC and the 5 boroughs.
Long Island City was an industrial area that was abandoned except for some social services and city offices (because they got cheap rent because there was nothing there. All those nice buildings you see driving along are surrounded with basically nothing much. Take the LIRR or the 59th St. bridge for a closer look. The area hasn't even had time to gentrify because they just started building "luxury" buildings in the big middle of nothing. The parts that were inhabited and somewhat normal before the building boom are not an easy commute by a long shot. So my opinion is that it's part slum, part science fiction experiment, and part cut off. I had a job interview there and had to walk half an hour to a bus stop. I wouldn't live there unless it was my only option.
google search gantry plaza park, and let google maps/earth show you around. the # 7 train , first stop in queens, all those high rises are a few blocks away. Way over rated for those prices. Many take the ferry to go to 33 rd street or wall st. the location is great for the fireworks, or to just hang out for the day. some of these 2 bedroom units are going for $1M.
I go to LIC quite a bit to go to Gantry Park, which is a really nice and well-landscaped waterfront area with pleasant walking paths, an area called LIC Landing at Coffeed where you can buy snacks and drinks and hang out by the water, etc.
Since I'm there quite a bit, I keep an eye on how things look and at the current development, which seems to be happening everywhere. I am guessing there may be as many as 25 high rises currently under construction.
The retail area that seems most developed is Vernon Blvd. If you use google maps streetview starting from the Vernon Blvd stop on the 7 train and walking north, you will get a sense of the restaurant scene. There's also a large somewhat overpriced grocery store not far from there called Foodcellar. They have two locations. One of them is next to a large and new Rite Aid.
The pros of LIC are that it's close to Gantry Park for walks and relaxation, close to public transportation (7 and E/M, also the Queensboro Plaza stop on the N is close by) the ferry terminal and a new ferry terminal planned nearby, and has upscale amenities that are more Manhattan-like than Queens-like. There are rock climbing gyms, French bakeries, Michelin rated restaurants, plenty of wine bars, a microbrewery, etc. The commute to Manhattan is fast since it's only one stop away.
The downsides are that despite all those amenities, it still has a ways to go in terms of the volume. It's surprising to me that with all those highrises, there still seems to be a bit of a lack of places to go and things to do/see. Also since most of the real estate is new and luxury, the prices are on the high side. You get great building amenities like gyms, dry cleaning, etc. and the benefits of having a brand new building, but you pay the price for that. You can look on streeteasy to see prices.
That's my take on it. If you want a Manhattan-esque lifestyle in a brand new highrise with luxury amenities but don't want to pay Manhattan prices, it could be the place for you. If you want a more neighborhoody-vibe, a greater variety of neighborhood amenities and don't mind living in an older unit, then perhaps try Astoria.
I'd rather live on the water front in LIC than in Manhattan. Less congested, no homeless crisis like in Manhattan, and you get a better view. Plus its only 1 trainstop from Manhattan.
I don't think the neighborhood has many amenities being that it used to be an industrial area.
I would tend to agree. It's being built up at such a massive pace (with high-rises), but I think the housing laps the restaurants, bars, etc. There are some options, but considering how many ppl are moving into these buildings, I think it's disproportional.
The area around Court Square seems pretty nice. But there's still a lot of LIC that's post-industrial wasteland, with "luxury" high-rises dropped in random places. But if you choose correctly, it can be a nice place to live.
I've lived in LIC for 5 years just north of Queens Plaza in the Dutch Kills neighborhood. I think it's one of the best locations in the outer boroughs when it comes to subway access. I'm a one minute walk from the E/M/R and less than a 5 minute walk from the 7/N/W.
I can definitely attest to the lack of amenities in the neighborhood. The nearest drug store for us is in Astoria, an 18 minute walk from where I live. I do most of my grocery shopping at the Key Food on 36th Ave, also in Astoria (or at least on its border).
The area of LIC that is encompassed by Vernon Blvd to the east and Gantry Park to the west is definitely an oasis. My wife and I would like to move to that area but with studios in new luxury buildings starting at ~$2,500, it doesn't make sense when we can pay less than that for a 2 BR in our semi-luxury building right now. Luckily we are still zoned for the highly rated PS/IS 78 so if we do stay put for another few years, our son will receive a great public education.
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