Long Island City, Queens
Encyclopedia
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio space of any neighborhood in New York City. The neighborhood is bounded on the north by the Queens neighborhood of Astoria
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
; on the west by the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
; on the east by Hazen Street, 31st Street, and New Calvary Cemetery; and on the south by Newtown Creek
Newtown Creek
Newtown Creek is a estuary that forms part of the border between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, in New York City, New York, United States. It derives its name from New Town , which was the name for the Dutch and British settlement in what is now Elmhurst, Queens...
, which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg at the Bushwick inlet, on the southeast by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek and Long Island City, Queens at the...
. It originally was the seat of government of Newtown Township, and remains the largest neighborhood in Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 1
Queens Community Board 1
The Queens Community Board 1 is a local advisory group in New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Astoria, Old Astoria, Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ditmars, Ravenswood, Steinway, Garden Bay, and Woodside, in the Borough of Queens...
north of the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge
Queensboro Bridge
The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge – because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets – or simply the Queensboro Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909...
and Queens Community Board 2
Queens Community Board 2
The Queens Community Board 2 is a local advisory group in New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Hunters Point, Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside, in the borough of Queens...
south of the Bridge.
History
Long Island City, as its name suggests, was formerly a city, created in 1870 from the merger of the Village of AstoriaAstoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
and the hamlets of Ravenswood
Ravenswood, Queens
Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River in Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 1.-History:...
, Hunters Point
Hunters Point, Queens
Hunters Point is a neighborhood on the south side of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 2.- History :...
, Blissville, Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Queens
Sunnyside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens, in New York state, in the United States. It shares borders with Hunters Point and Long Island City to the west, Astoria to the north, Woodside to the east and Maspeth to the south...
, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay and Middleton in Newtown Township. It was a separate city until 1898.
The last mayor of Long Island City was a notorious Irishman named Patrick Jerome "Battle-Axe" Gleason.
The city surrendered its independence in 1898 to become part of the City of Greater New York
City of Greater New York
The City of Greater New York was a term commonly used originally to refer to the expanded city created on January 1, 1898 by the incorporation into the city of Richmond County, Kings County, Queens County, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx...
. However, Long Island City survives as ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
11101 and ZIP code prefix 111 (with its own main post office) and was formerly a Sectional center facility (SCF)
Sectional center facility (SCF)
A Destination Sectional Center Facility is a Processing and Distribution Center of the United States Postal Service that serves a designated geographical area defined by one or more three-digit ZIP Code prefixes....
. Since 1985, the Greater Astoria Historical Society
Greater Astoria Historical Society
The Greater Astoria Historical Society is a non-profit cultural and historical organization located in Astoria, Queens, New York, dedicated to preserving the past and promoting the future of the neighborhoods that are part of historic Long Island City, including; the Village of Astoria,...
, a non-profit cultural and historical organization, has been preserving the past and promoting the future of the neighborhoods that are part of historic Long Island City.
The Common Council of Long Island City in 1873 adopted the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
as "emblematical of the varied interest represented by Long Island City." It was designed by George H. Williams, of Ravenswood
Ravenswood, Queens
Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River in Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 1.-History:...
. The overall composition was inspired by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Coat of Arms. The shield is rich in historic allusion, including Native-American, Dutch, and English symbols.
Geography
Long Island City is the eastern terminus of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, which is the only non-toll automotive route connecting QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Northwest of the bridge terminus are the Queensbridge Houses
Queensbridge, Queens
Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. The complex is located in Community Board 1...
, development of the New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
and the largest public housing complex in North America. Major thoroughfares include Vernon Boulevard, 21st Street, which is mostly industrial and commercial; Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens connecting communities from Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica...
, which leads westward to the bridge and eastward follows New York State Route 25
New York State Route 25
New York State Route 25 is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends for just over from east midtown Manhattan in New York City to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point on the end of Long Island's North Fork...
through Long Island; and the western-most portion of Northern Boulevard
New York State Route 25A
New York State Route 25A is a state highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running from the Queens Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Queens at its western terminus to...
, which becomes Jackson Avenue (the former name of Northern Boulevard) west of Queens Plaza
Queens Plaza
Queens Plaza may refer to:* QueensPlaza, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia* Queens Plaza, Queens in Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States...
.
Commercial history & notable buildings
Long Island City was once home to many factories and bakeries, some of which are finding new uses. The former Silvercup bakery is now home to Silvercup StudiosSilvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Located in the neighborhood of Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, the studio complex has been operating since 1983 in the former Silvercup Bakery building...
, which produced notable works such as HBO's Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
. The Silvercup sign is visible from the IRT Flushing Line
IRT Flushing Line
The Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
trains going into and out of Queensboro Plaza. The former Sunshine Bakery is now one of the buildings which houses LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College is a two-year community college located in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City in the New York City borough of Queens, and is a component of the City University of New York. LaGuardia is named after former Congressman and New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia...
. Other buildings in the campus originally served as the location of the Ford Instrument Company, which was at one time a major producer of precision machines and devices. Artist Isamu Noguchi
Isamu Noguchi
was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces,...
converted a photo-engraving plant into a workshop; the site is now the museum
Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum, chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, was designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi in 1985 to preserve and display his sculptures, architectural models, stage designs, drawings, and furniture designs. It is a two story museum...
, a collection dedicated to his work.
Swingline
Swingline is a division of ACCO Brands that specializes in manufacturing staplers and hole punches. The company was formerly located in Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States, but is now headquartered with its parent company ACCO in Lincolnshire, Illinois.- History :Swingline was founded...
Staplers plant was the temporary headquarters of the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
. Other former factories in Long Island City include Fisher Electronics
Fisher Electronics
Fisher Electronics is a US based subsidiary company of Japanese electronics conglomerate Sanyo specialising in the field of hi-fi electronics.-History:...
and Chiclets
Chiclets
Chiclets is a brand of candy coated chewing gum made by Cadbury Adams. The colors of chiclets are: yellow, green, orange, red, white, and pink. The product's name is derived from Nahuatl word tziktli, in English chicle, the substance from which chewing gum was traditionally made...
Gum. Long Island City's turn-of-the-century district of residential towers, called Queens West, is located along the East River, just north of the main LIRR Long Island City Station. Redevelopment in Queens West reflects the intent to have the area as a major residential area in New York City, with its high-rise residences very close to public transportation, making it convenient for commuters to travel to Manhattan by ferry or subway. The first tower, the 42-floor Citylights, opened in 1998 with an elementary school at the base. Others have been completed since then and more are being planned or under construction.
Today, the most prominent structure, other than Queensboro Bridge, is the community's green skyscraper, the 658 feet (200.6 m) Citicorp Building built in 1989 on Courthouse Square
Long Island City Courthouse Complex
The Long Island City Courthouse is located at 25-10 Court Square in Long Island City, Queens, in New York City. It formerly housed Criminal Court, County Court, the District Attorney staff, and the county sheriff's office. Today the Courthouse is another home to the Civil Term of Supreme Court,...
. It is the tallest building on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and in any of the New York City boroughs outside Manhattan. Socioeconomic diversity is very visible in Long Island City; the Queensbridge Houses
Queensbridge, Queens
Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. The complex is located in Community Board 1...
are composed of over three thousand units, making it the largest public housing complex in North America.
The arts and culture
Long Island City is home to a large and dynamic artistic community.- Long Island City is the home of 5 Pointz5 Pointz5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin or the 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc. is an outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island City, New York, considered to be the world’s premiere “graffiti Mecca,” where aerosol artists from around the globe paint colorful pieces on the walls of a factory...
, a building housing artists' studios, which has been legally painted on by a number of graffitiGraffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists and is visible near the Court House Square station on the 77 (New York City Subway service)The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full length of the IRT Flushing Line...
train. - The Fisher Landau Center for ArtFisher Landau CenterThe Fisher Landau Center for Art is a private foundation located in Long Island City, Queens, in New York City, United States. It offers regular exhibitions of contemporary art, open to the public from 12 to 5pm, Thursdays through Mondays....
is a private foundation that offers regular exhibitions of contemporary art. - Across the street from Socrates Sculpture Park is the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and MuseumNoguchi MuseumThe Noguchi Museum, chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, was designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi in 1985 to preserve and display his sculptures, architectural models, stage designs, drawings, and furniture designs. It is a two story museum...
, founded in 1985 by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu NoguchiIsamu Noguchiwas a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces,...
in 1985. After undergoing a two and a half year renovation, the museum opened in 2004 with newer and advanced facilities. - MoMA PS1, an affiliate of the Museum of Modern Art, is the oldest and second-largest non-profit arts center in the United States solely devoted to contemporary art. It is named after the former public school in which it is housed.
- SculptureCenterSculptureCenterSculptureCenter is a contemporary art museum that is located in Long Island City in the borough of Queens in New York City.-Mission:Founded by artists in 1928, SculptureCenter is a not-for-profit arts institution dedicated to experimental and innovative developments in contemporary sculpture...
is New York City's only non-profit exhibition space dedicated to contemporary and innovative sculpture. SculptureCenter re-located from Manhattan's Upper East Side to a former trolley repair shop in Long Island City, Queens renovated by artist/designer Maya Lin in 2002. Founded by artists in 1928, SculptureCenter has undergone much evolution and growth, and continues to expand and challenge the definition of sculpture. SculptureCenter commissions new work and presents exhibits by emerging and established, national and international artists. The museum also hosts a diverse range of public programs including lectures, dialogues, and performances. - Socrates Sculpture ParkSocrates Sculpture ParkSocrates Sculpture Park is an outdoor exhibition space for sculpture. It is located one block from the Noguchi Museum at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard in the neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens, New York City...
is an outdoor sculpture park located one block from the Noguchi Museum at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard.
Recreation
- City Ice Pavilion, with 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) of skating surface, opened in Long Island City in late 2008. The skating rink is on the roof of a two-story storage facility.
- Water Taxi BeachWater Taxi BeachWater Taxi Beach was an artificial temporary beach operated from 2005 to 2010 on a wharf on the East River in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. It was operated by the New York Water Taxi Company and was open to the public for free during the...
-** NOW CLOSED **-, NYC's first non-swimming urban beachUrban beachAn urban beach, or urbeach,is defined as a space that includes an intellectually, artistically, or culturally sophisticated water feature that is also an aquatic play area, and is located within a culturally or artistically significant area of a city...
, is located on the East River in LIC. New York City plans to build 5,000 moderate income apartments in this area, a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) development called Hunter's Point SouthHunter's Point SouthHunter's Point South-is a proposed mixed-use development situated on approximately in Long Island City, Queens.-Plan:The plan calls for a 10 year build out of 5,000 dwelling middle-income units, 1,100 seat intermediate/high school, waterfront park of , for commercial development, of community...
.
Economy
Eagle ElectricEagle Electric
Eagle Electric Manufacturing Company, founded 1920, was a maker of electrical devices, switches and circuit units based in Long Island City, New York, in the borough of Queens. The company was founded by Louis Ludwig and his younger brother Philip Ludwig both of whose children ran the company after...
, now known as Cooper Wiring Devices, was one of the last major factories in the area. They have moved production to the People's Republic of China
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
, and Plant #1, which was the largest of their factories and housed their corporate offices, is being converted to residential luxury lofts.
Long Island City is currently home to the largest fortune cookie
Fortune cookie
A fortune cookie is a crisp cookie usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil with a "fortune" wrapped inside. A "fortune" is a piece of paper with words of faux wisdom or a vague prophecy...
factory in the United States, owned by Wonton Foods and producing four million fortune cookies a day. Lucky number
Lucky number
In number theory, a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a "sieve" similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes.Begin with a list of integers starting with 1:...
s included on fortunes in the company's cookies led to 110 people across the United States winning $100,000 each in a May 2005 drawing for Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
.
Online grocery company FreshDirect
FreshDirect
right|thumb|Fresh Direct logo FreshDirect is an online grocer that delivers to residences and offices in the New York City metropolitan area. FreshDirect also offers next-day delivery to most of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Westchester County, ...
, serves the Greater New York area via deliveries from a warehouse and administrative offices on Borden Avenue in LIC. A customer can also order online and come to the warehouse for pickup.
The city has been the home since 1999 to the Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers is the oldest men's clothier chain in the United States. Founded in 1818 as a family business, the privately owned company is now owned by Retail Brand Alliance, also features clothing for women, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.-History:On April 7,...
tie manufacturing factory, which employs 122 people and produces more than 1.5 million ties per year.
Long Island City is the new home of independent film studio, Troma.
To accommodate new families, Long Island City Kids Enrichment Center opened its doors in December 2008.
On March 22, 2010, JetBlue Airways announced it was moving its headquarters from Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
to Long Island City, also incorporating the jobs from its Darien, Connecticut
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
, office. The airline, which operates its largest hub at JFK Airport also operates from LaGuardia Airport, and will make The Brewster Building in Queens Plaza
Queens Plaza
Queens Plaza may refer to:* QueensPlaza, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia* Queens Plaza, Queens in Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States...
its home. The airline plans to move around mid-2012.
Transportation
Long Island City is served by the elevated BMT Astoria LineBMT Astoria Line
The Astoria Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT division of the New York City Subway, serving the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. It runs from Ditmars Boulevard to 39th Avenue along 31st Street. It then serves Queensboro Plaza along 27th Street. It was built as part of the Dual Contracts and...
( trains) and IRT Flushing Line
IRT Flushing Line
The Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
( trains) of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. It is also served by the underground IND 63rd Street Line
IND 63rd Street Line
The IND 63rd Street Line is a rapid transit line of the IND division of the New York City Subway system. It runs from the IND Sixth Avenue Line at 57th Street east under 63rd Street and the East River through the 63rd Street Tunnel to the IND Queens Boulevard Line in Queens...
( train), IND Queens Boulevard Line
IND Queens Boulevard Line
The Queens Boulevard Line is a fully underground line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line provides crosstown service across Manhattan under 53rd Street and east through Queens to Jamaica...
( trains) and IND Crosstown Line
IND Crosstown Line
-External links:*...
( train). The Long Island City
Long Island City (LIRR station)
Long Island City is a rail terminal of the Long Island Rail Road in Long Island City, Queens. Within the City Terminal Zone and located at Borden Avenue and 2nd Street, it is the westernmost LIRR station in Queens and the end of both the Main Line and the Montauk Branch...
and Hunterspoint Avenue
Hunterspoint Avenue (LIRR station)
Hunterspoint Avenue is a Long Island Rail Road train station within the City Terminal Zone on the Main Line. It is at Hunters Point Avenue and Skillman Avenue in Long Island City, Queens...
stations of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
are here, and a commuter ferry service operated by NY Waterway
NY Waterway
NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley...
at the East River Wharf. Cars enter by way of the Queensboro Bridge
Queensboro Bridge
The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge – because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets – or simply the Queensboro Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909...
, the Queens Midtown Tunnel
Queens Midtown Tunnel
The Queens–Midtown Tunnel is a highway tunnel and toll road in New York City. It crosses under the East River and connects the Borough of Queens on Long Island with the Borough of Manhattan The Queens–Midtown Tunnel (sometimes simply known as the Midtown Tunnel) is a highway tunnel and toll road...
and the Pulaski Bridge
Pulaski Bridge
The Pulaski Bridge in New York City connects Long Island City in Queens to Greenpoint in Brooklyn over Newtown Creek. It was named after Polish military commander and American Revolutionary War fighter Kazimierz Pułaski because of the large Polish-American population in Greenpoint...
. The Roosevelt Island Bridge
Roosevelt Island Bridge
The Roosevelt Island Bridge is a lift bridge that connects Roosevelt Island to Astoria in Queens, crossing the East Channel of the East River. It is the sole route to the island for vehicular and foot traffic ....
also connects Long Island City to Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
. Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens connecting communities from Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica...
, Northern Boulevard (New York 25A)
New York State Route 25A
New York State Route 25A is a state highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running from the Queens Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Queens at its western terminus to...
and the Long Island Expressway
Interstate 495 (New York)
Interstate 495 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route extends for from the western portal of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Manhattan to County Route 58 in Riverhead, Suffolk County...
all pass through the area.
Education
Long Island City is served by the New York City Department of EducationNew York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
.
Long Island City is zoned to:
- P.S. 17 Henry David Thoreau School
- P.S. 70
- P.S. 76 William Hallet School
- P.S. 78
- P.S. 85 Judge Charles Vallone
- P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell School
- P.S. 150
- P.S. 166 Henry Gradstein School
- P.S. 171 Peter G. Van Alst School
- P.S. 199 Maurice A. Fitzgerald School
- I.S. 10 H. Greeley School
- I.S. 141 The Steinway School
- I.S. 204 Oliver W. Holmes
- I.S. 126 Albert Shanker School For Visual And Performing Arts
A 7-12 school called Baccalaureate School for Global Education
Baccalaureate School for Global Education
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education is a New York City Public School located in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. BSGE was established in 2002. It serves a student body of approximately 430 students between the 7th and 12th grades...
is in LIC.
Long Island City is also the location of the Queens Paideia School
Queens Paideia School
The Queens Paideia School is a progressive, independent school in Long Island City, Queens. Established in 2009, the school serves students in kindergarten through 8th grade...
, an independent progressive school that offers personalized learning and group activities for its mixed-age student body, K-8.
Long Island City is home to numerous high schools, a number of which offer specializations, as indicated below. These specialized schools are not to be confused with SHSAT-based high schools. Rather, these schools offer programs that are included at SHSAT schools.
- Academy of American StudiesAcademy of American StudiesThe Academy of American Studies is a selective public high school in Long Island City, Queens, New York, which was founded in 1996 by the With roughly 620 students according to , this...
(a history high school) - Academy Careers of Television and Film (ACTvF)
- Academy of Finance and Enterprise
- Aviation Career and Technical High SchoolAviation High School (Long Island City, New York)Aviation High School, official name Aviation Career & Technical Education High School, is public high school #Q610 owned and operated by the New York City Department of Education...
- Bard High School Early CollegeBard High School Early CollegeBard High School Early College , is an alternative public secondary school in New York City that allows highly motivated and scholastically strong students to begin their college studies two years early. Upon entering, these students embark on a writing intensive journey and engage in far more...
II - Frank Sinatra School of the ArtsFrank Sinatra School of the ArtsThe Frank Sinatra School of the Arts is an arts high school in Astoria, Queens as part of the New York City Department of Education. The school, founded by Tony Bennett, is a major arts high school in New York City offering High School Diplomas in six arts majors including fine art, dance, vocal...
- High School of Applied Communication
- Information Technology High SchoolInformation Technology High SchoolInformation Technology High School is a public secondary school located in Queens, New York.The school is part of the New York City Department of Education school system.- The school :...
- International High School At Laguardia
- Long Island City High SchoolLong Island City High SchoolLong Island City High School, commonly abbreviated L.I.C. or LICHS, is a public high school in New York City, located in Long Island City in the borough of Queens. The present building was built in 1995...
- Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College
- Newcomers High School - Academy for New AmericansNewcomers High School - Academy for New AmericansNewcomers High School opened in 1995 with Lourdes Burrows as its principal. This school specializes in introducing new immigrants to American culture as well as teaching English. The school is located in Long Island City, Queens, near the Queens Plaza and Queensborough Plaza subway...
- Queens Vocational and Technical High SchoolQueens Vocational and Technical High SchoolQueens Vocational and Technical High School is a public secondary school located in Long Island City, NY. The school has an enrollment of 1,281 students and serves grades 9-12. A new wing, completed in 2005, added a cafeteria, library, gymnasium, and additional classrooms...
- Robert F. Wagner Jr. Institute For Arts & Technology
- William Cullen Bryant High SchoolWilliam Cullen Bryant High SchoolWilliam Cullen Bryant High School, or William C. Bryant High School, and Bryant High School for short, is a secondary school located in Queens, New York City, New York, United States serving grades 9 through 12.-Name:...
Numerous institutions of higher education have (or have had) a presence in Long Island City.
- Briarcliff CollegeBriarcliff CollegeBriarcliff College was a women's college located in the village of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, New York, near White Plains.Founded in the 1904, Briarcliff was a junior college until 1965, during the presidency of Charles E. Atkins, when it began awarding four-year Bachelor's degrees...
, has a campus on Thomson Avenue - Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Depression Project is located at 3718 34th Street - DeVry UniversityDeVry UniversityDeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry Inc , a proprietary, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Apollo College, Western...
- New York Metro (also known as DeVry College of New York), maintained headquarters at 3020 Thomson Avenue until March 2011, at which time New York Metro's main campus relocated to 180 Madison Avenue in Manhattan and DCNY relocated its Queens presence to 99-21 Queens Boulevard in Rego Park - LaGuardia Community CollegeLaGuardia Community CollegeLaGuardia Community College is a two-year community college located in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City in the New York City borough of Queens, and is a component of the City University of New York. LaGuardia is named after former Congressman and New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia...
, at 3110 Thomson Avenue
- Middle College National Consortium is located at 2728 Thomson Avenue, #331
- Touro CollegeTouro CollegeTouro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
, at 2511 49th Ave
Notable past and present residents
- Musicians John PetrucciJohn PetrucciJohn Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
and John MyungJohn MyungJohn Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
(founding members of Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
) are both residents of LIC. - Seven Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
players were born in Long Island City: Gus SandbergGus SandbergGustave E. Sandberg was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds.-External links:...
(1895), Billy ZitzmannBilly ZitzmannBilly Zitzmann was a professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. William Arthur Zitzmann is his full name. He batted right-handed and also threw right-handed. He was 175 lbs . He was born on November 19, 1895 in Long Island City, New York...
(1895), Joe BenesJoe BenesJoseph Anthony "Bananas" Benes was an infielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1931.-External links:...
(1901), Tony CuccinelloTony CuccinelloAnthony Francis 'Tony' Cuccinello was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Bees/Braves , New York Giants and Chicago White Sox . Cuccinelo batted and threw right-handed...
(1907), Ed BolandEd Boland (baseball)Edward John Boland was a Major League Baseball right fielder who played for three seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1934 to 1935. After a hiatus from the majors, he returned and played for the Washington Senators in 19 games during the 1944 Washington Senators season.-External...
(1908), Al CuccinelloAl CuccinelloAlfred Edward Cuccinello was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the New York Giants during the 1935 season. Listed at 5' 10", 165 lb., Cuccinello batted and threw right-handed...
(1914), and Billy LoesBilly LoesWilliam Loes was an American right-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers , Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants...
(1929). - Two Major League Baseball players have died in Long Island City: John HatfieldJohn Hatfield (baseball)John Van Buskirk Hatfield was an American professional baseball player in the 1860s and 1870s. He was a batting star and versatile fielder for the Mutual Base Ball Club both before and after spending the 1868 season as left fielder for Harry Wright's Cincinnati Red Stockings...
(1909) and Dike VarneyDike VarneyLawrence Delano "Dike" Varney was a Major League Baseball pitcher during part of the season. The left-hander was born in Dover, New Hampshire....
(1950). - The NBA's Ron ArtestRon ArtestMetta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
and filmmaker Julie DashJulie DashJulie Dash is a United States filmmaker. She directed Daughters of the Dust, which in 1991 became the first full-length film with general theatrical release in the United States by an African American woman...
both grew up in the Queensbridge Houses, as did rappers NasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, MC ShanMC ShanMC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
, Mobb DeepMobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
, Roxanne ShanteRoxanne ShantéRoxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....
, and hip-hop producer Marley Marl. - Musician and writer on The Howard Stern Show, Richard ChristyRichard ChristyThomas Richard Christy is an American musician and radio personality who currently works on The Howard Stern Show. Christy began to work on the show after winning the "Get John's Job" contest on July 1, 2004. He is known for his prank calls, song parodies, personality, and stunts performed on the...
, is a resident of Long Island City. - Musician and director of the annual NYC Musical Saw Festival, Natalia ParuzNatalia ParuzNatalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a New York City-based musical saw and novelty instruments player and busker. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in Israel...
, is a resident of Long Island City. - Actor/Comedian Steve HofstetterSteve HofstetterSteve Hofstetter is an author, columnist and comedian, who started with material particularly pertaining to college life, and has since become a social commentator...
is a resident of LIC. - Roy GussowRoy GussowRoy Gussow was an American abstract sculptor known for his public pieces often crafted from polished stainless steel...
, abstractAbstract artAbstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
sculptor - National Hot Rod Association drag racer Tony Bartone is a resident of Long Island City.
- Ice hockey forward Zenon KonopkaZenon KonopkaZenon Konopka is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Konopka is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
is a resident of Long Island City during the hockey season.
In popular culture
Long Island City serves as the inspiration, backdrop, and production site for numerous forms of media.Onscreen
Numerous films and televisions shows have been produced at Silvercup StudiosSilvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Located in the neighborhood of Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, the studio complex has been operating since 1983 in the former Silvercup Bakery building...
, the largest film and television production facility in New York City.
In film
- Gantry ParkGantry Plaza State ParkGantry Plaza State Park is a state park on the East River in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens.The park first opened in May 1998 and was expanded in July 2009...
in Hunter's Point was used as background for the final scenes of Steven Spielberg's film MunichMunich (film)Munich is a 2005 historical fiction film about the Israeli government's secret retaliation attacks after the massacre of Israeli athletes by the Black September terrorist group during the 1972 Summer Olympics. The film stars Eric Bana and was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg...
and The InterpreterThe InterpreterThe Interpreter is a 2005 political thriller film starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, and Catherine Keener. It was the final film to be directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:...
(starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman). An opening scene in Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
(2004) was also filmed in Gantry Park. - Julie PowellJulie PowellJulie Powell is an American author best known for her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.- Biography :...
of the Julie/Julia Project lived in Long Island City. Her character as played by Amy AdamsAmy AdamsAmy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
in Julie & JuliaJulie & JuliaJulie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina...
is shown taking the 7 train from the 45th Rd/Court Square station in an opening scene. The Queensboro BridgeQueensboro BridgeThe Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge – because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets – or simply the Queensboro Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909...
is seen in the background during a rooftop dinner scene. - Long Island City was featured more prominently in the 1997 film, Sunday, with David SuchetDavid SuchetDavid Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
and Lisa HarrowLisa HarrowLisa Harrow is an actress, noted for her roles in British theatre, films and television.- Early life :Harrow was born in Auckland and attended Auckland University...
, which was filmed on location.
In television
- Scenes featuring Dan's Coffee Shop on the television series Gossip GirlGossip Girl (TV series)Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
were filmed at Communitea, located at 47-02 Vernon Blvd. - The Long Island City Firehouse for FDNY Engine 258/Ladder 115 located at 10-40 47th Avenue, Long Island City, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, NY was used for exterior shots for the television show Third WatchThird WatchThird Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
. The Badge Building, a luxury condominium building across the street, was used on the show for exterior shots of NYPD Precinct 55. - The first season of What Not to WearWhat Not to Wear (US version)What Not to Wear is an American makeover reality television show based on a British show of the same name. The program currently airs on TLC in the United States and Canada, and foreign versions in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina...
was filmed in Long Island City.
In videogames
- The videogame Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, which takes place in a fictionalized version of New York City called "Liberty City", features a neighborhood called "East Island City" that resembles Long Island City in architecture and ambiance. Many signs and awnings from local Long Island City businesses are used as graphical elements for stores in the East Island City area. The Silvercup sign (changed to "Silverback"), Citicorp Building, the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, and the gantry cranes in Gantry Plaza State Park, among other Long Island City landmarks, also appear in some form in the East Island City environment. Gantry Park was referred to as "The Black Towers" or simply Hobart, which used to have a factory at the end of 49th avenue.
External links
- liQcity: A Blog about Life and Real Estate in LIC
- Long Island City BID
- LICNotes
- News about LIC
- Ins&Outs Magazine
- Pictures of Astoria & LIC
- Greater Astoria Historical Society
- LIC community page on facebook
- Long Island City Business Development Corporation
- LIC Community Boathouse
- LIC Cultural Alliance
- The Noguchi Museum
- P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
- SculptureCenter
- Forgotten NY: Long Island City
- 1911 Britannica article
- 108th Precinct and 114th Precinct of the NYC PoliceNew York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, including weekly crime statistics - Queensbridge Houses, NYCHA project
- New York Photography - Long Island City Photographs of Long Island City
- Long Island City Kids Enrichment Center
- The Sleeping Giant Long Island City in Transition