Geography
History
The neighborhood was officially rezoned in 2001 for mixed-use development. It became home to the headquarters of JetBlue in 2012. Hunters Point South, a prime example of mixed-use development, saw the opening of its first phase in 2013.
Origin Of The Name
Main Attractions Of The Neighborhood
1. Casa Enrique (5-48 49th Ave): It’s a Mexican restaurant with one Michelin star.
2. Rockaway Brewing Company (46-01 5th St): It’s a famous microbrewery famous for its beer selection.
3. John Brown BBQ (27-20 40th Ave): Known for its Kansas-City style meats, John Brown is the place in Long Island City for Burnt Ends.
4. Fifth Hammer Brewing (10-28 46th Ave): It’s famous for its selection of beers and an authentic brewery environment.
5. Adda Indian Canteen (31-31 Thomson Ave) and Jora (47-46 11th St): If you are craving ethnic food while in Long Island City, Adda is the Indian place to go, and Jora is the premier Peruvian place.
6. Skyline Tower (3 Ct Square W): With its 778-feet height and 67 stories, this condominium is the tallest building in Long Island City.
7. Queens Plaza Park or Sven (29-37 41st Ave): It’s just a few feet shy of the tallest building (755 feet high) and has incorporated Chase Manhattan Bank Building, a 1927 skyscraper (first in Queens Borough) in the design.
8. Brewster Building (27-01 Queens Plaza North): It’s been part of the neighborhood since 1911 and was once home to the assembly plant for Brewster (cars and later airplanes) and Rolls Royce. It’s now JetBlue’s corporate headquarter.
9. Long Island City Courthouse (2510 Ct Square W): An important historical landmark from the time when it was an independent city.
10. 22-22 Jackson Avenue: It’s a unique blend of functional architecture and artistic design.
11. Gantry Plaza State Park (4-09 47th Rd): It’s a 12-acre riverside state park that gets its name for the gantries that were built there in 1925. The park is full of remnants of Long Island City’s industrial history.
12. MoMA PS1 (22-25 Jackson Ave): It’s a contemporary art museum, one of the largest of its kind in the US. It was built in 1971.
13. Noguchi Museum (9-01 33rd Rd): Opened by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi in 1985, the museum is home to the most extensive collection of his pieces.
14. Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd): It’s the largest outdoor space dedicated to sculptures in NYC. It was established in 1986 and is built upon a former landfill.
15. The Cliffs At LIC (11-11 44th Dr): The beautiful, multi-colored rock climbing gym is an important attraction for fans of the sport.
What Is Long Island City Known For?
Population
Interesting Facts About Long Island City
The Newtown Creek by Long Island City was once considered the busiest waterway of its size in the world.
The Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City is 120-feet wide and possibly the largest neon sign in the world.
