Welcome to liQcity. May I take your order please?

liQcity is Long Island City, Queens. Aka LIC. liQcity emerged as an accident – we were hanging on the roof of 5pointz (a LONG time ago – before the million no trespassing signs… or maybe we didn’t notice them?) and instead of saying LI City, by accident Lick City was uttered. Lick City so represents what LIC could be, but probably won’t. The multitude of high-rise developments definitely brings a generic vibe, but there is still an underbelly underdog and that is liQcity. Q for Queens, of course…

I live in this neighborhood and have a special interest in NYC real estate – which is a lucky combo. In the last 4 years since I moved here, LIC (specifically Hunters Point) has changed significantly, but in a sleepy kind of a way. A number of storefronts have opened up on Vernon Blvd, and some much needed eateries. Still no grocery store, though there is that rumor about the Amish Market coming to Queens West. There was a time Fresh Direct wouldn’t deliver to us… even though they’re headquartered on Borden Ave.

Anyway, we’re eating now. Mostly thanks to the growing number of restaurants, but us Hunters Pointers subsist in large part to the one great Korean deli on Vernon at 50th St. I personally trek to the great natural foods store across the Pulaski Br in Greenpoint, called The Garden. At the corner of Manhattan & Kent. Great place. But I’m lucky (?) enough to have a car here…. aah… LIC and the car… now that’s a complicated relationship. I’ll save that for another post because it’s a doozy. And it requires photographic evidence.

Until then… I’ll leave you with a shot of some beautiful work on 5pointz. Now, there’s some underbelly underdog for you.