Located between the East River and 30th Street, from East to West, and Queens Plaza South and 54th Avenue (or the waterfront of Newtown Creek) from North to South, Long Island City is a neighborhood that is constantly being built up. Twelve years ago it was entirely industrial and now it’s becoming one of the hippest places to live in Queens.
Accessibility: Long Island City, better known as LIC, is somewhat limited when it comes to transportation options. The 7 train is the primary line that services this area but you also have one or two stops of the E, M, N, Q, R, and G trains on the northern side of the neighborhood. The closer to the water you are, you’ll find yourself walking or taking the Q103 bus.
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Lifestyle: LIC is quiet during the week and fun on the weekends. It’s trendy without being pretentious. Its development isn’t 100% complete either which means you get the best of both worlds. You get serene walks by the water at Gantry Plaza State Park without the crowds of Manhattan when you want quiet time. When you’re looking for a more social scene head to LIC Flea where crowds will gather for the delicious offerings.
Restaurants and Bars: It seems like every day a new bar or restaurant is opening up in LIC. You will find lots of little treasure troves here. You may have to walk past a few factories and seemingly dead end streets to get to them but at the end you’ll be so pleasantly surprised. For delicious brunch head to LIC Market on 44th Drive. It is small with limited counter top seating but it will be worth the wait. Manetta’s is the place to go for great Italian. Located on the corner of 11th Street and Jackson Avenue, this diamond in the rough will never leave you hungry. Penthouse 808 is a must for cocktails. You will also get one of the best views in the city here, so aim to arrive just before sundown.
Cost of living: LIC has a wide variety of price points when it comes to homes. You could rent for a median cost of $2,400 a month in the luxury buildings, or closer to $1,875 when you move away from the waterfront. Or you could purchase for $1.1 million and $600 thousand for luxury apartments and smaller walk-up units respectively. Either way you’re getting a lot for your money here. The views and parks alone are worth the trip out to the western edge of Queens.
