Long Island City Community Garden, 49th Ave, LIC

More buzzing about Hunters Point South going on. In a latest series of meetings, participants continued the debate around the ‘affordability’ of housing that will be allegedly created by the project. Some also voiced concern about traffic implications, lack of safety amenities included in the planning, such as fire stations and hospitals, and seemingly general myopia regarding basic infrastructure.

In other LIC news »

• Can middle class afford Hunters Point South [Queens Gazette]

• Bright Future for New York’s waterways [NY Sun]

• Displacement at Greenbelt, Williamsburg [Brooklyn Rail]

• Finnish art headed for LIC. To PS1 of course.

• New Act would expand study of Newtown Creek [Z wire]

Hunters Point South, photo by Nathan Kensinger

Hunters Point South is on the table today:

“The city intends to certify the Willets Point and Hunters Point South plans into the land-use process [today], setting the stage for a seven-month battle as the projects are scrutinized by the communities, the City Planning Commission and the City Council.” -Crains

In other news, the Queensbridge Houses are going to start using energy efficient fluorescent bulbs from now on. It’s kind of funny that this is news, but it’s featured in two distinct articles, so we thought we’d follow suit as well. You can sleep in peace now. Seriously though, what is interesting about the Queensbridge Houses in general, is that it’s the largest public city housing development in NYC and the country. That’s a whole lotta light bulbs.

• Hunters Point South Rezoning Decided Today [Crains]

• Queensbridge gets new lightbulbs [Newsday]

• Queensbridge gets new lightbulbs (2) [Metro]

• Water Taxi Beach highlighted [Gridskipper]

• Sister Powerhouse Conversion in RI [Providence Journal]

• G-train hearings bypass Queens [Queens Tribune]

The planned Silvercup Studios $1B development project, Queensboro Br, LIC

Interesting article this morning about stalled development projects. The reasons vary - seems hard to just blame everything on the credit crunch, but it’s definitely more of a trend now compared to a few years ago. Here’s the news about LIC:

…it has also been confirmed that the practice’s 185,000m2 Silvercup Studio complex on the Long Island City Waterfront is on hold. The $1 billion (£500 million) mixed-use development, which won approval in mid-2006, has stalled due to issues over protracted land sales and the delayed removal of power plants from the site.”

Meanwhile CUNY’s going forward with the dorm:

“The development at 5-11 47th Ave. would have 400 total residential units, half of which would be for public rent and the other half will be divided between 188 graduate units and 12 faculty housing units at street level. It would also include a 6,000-square-foot office for the QCA and an open courtyard for art displays.

CB 2 Chairman Joe Conley said the board approved the plan with some stipulations. CUNY, for example, has agreed to never sell the property, he said. Conley said the board also asked for 20 percent of the non-student residential units to be offered as affordable housing, though he was not sure if the developer would agree.”

• Silvercup Studios development project on hold [Daily News]

• CB 2 OKs divisive plan to build 13-story tower [Times Ledger]

• ConEd has a $100 for western Queens blackout victims [Daily News]

• Flux Factory in Flux [Artnet]

• Crime Report for 114th Precinct - LIC [Times Ledger]

Filming of Gossip Girl on Vernon Blvd, Long Island City

Is your legally parked car missing? Notice the film shoots in the hood? If you haven’t read the pink signs: it’s Gossip Girl. And they’re also looking to shoot scenes inside a LIC townhouse apartment. I received notice on my door this weekend. How cute.

The destruction of What Should Have Been Landmarked continues with the leveling of the Star Building. And here’s what’s to come in its place.

The NY Post article about inland LIC is a must read. It’s a decent chronicle of what’s going on around the Queensboro Bridge, though funny at times. It’s interesting who is considered (and considers themselves) pioneers of a neighborhood.

• Star building bites the dust [Queenscrap]

• LONG SHOT - Long Island City sprawls beyond the waterfront [NY Post]

• Sex in Long Island City

Brick loft building at Vernon & 44th Dr, the new home of Next Level Floral, LIC

Someone commented on this photo in Flickr that is the direction they’d like to see LIC development move in. I agree. It’s a gorgeous building, and I’m told it’s full of lovely lofts.

After visiting the Condo Festival this weekend, which there are sure to be more of this blossoming spring, I’ve gained an even deeper appreciation for the existing buildings. And it was kind of ironic that the showcase was held in the Puck building, which is the antithesis to the current wave of generic, glassy architecture. New development is not inherently bad, but it would be nice if they could get a little creative, and preserve as much of the rich building history as possible. Instead of just plowing them down.

• Mob boss safely walks the streets of LIC now [BBC]

• Nurses will now pay home visits to first time moms in LIC [Daily News]

• Bricklayers recruiting apprentices in LIC

• Review of the Feminist Exhibit ‘WACK!’ at PS1 MoMa [NY Mag]

New is Beautiful in Long Island City. (?)

So Citi’s (are they not called Citicorp or Citibank anymore?) Two Court Square clocks in as LIC’s first official green building. There were other contenders, but TCS seems to have nailed the title. Interesting - they’re using 100% wind energy to power the building.

And the CUNY dorm site that can’t stay out of the news. That’s back in the mix - two articles reporting on a meeting held between the architects and some local artists. Is there any way to find out about these meetings before they happen?

Incidentally, the CUNY dorm proposal is on the table for the Community Board meeting on April 3rd. Here’s the deets.

• Two Court Square by Citi is a green building! [Power Online]

• Second phase of Noguchi restoration has begun [Zwire]

• CUNY Dorm Architects meet with local artists [Zwire]

• CUNY’s LIC dorm gets tentative praise [Times Ledger]

• The 11101 page on Everyblock [nyc.everyblock]

Looking at Queenswest through Hunters Point South, LIC

“Across from the United Nations in Long Island City, Queens, lies one of the last empty pieces of land on the East River. This 24 acre lot boasts dramatic views of the Empire State building from 30-foot-high cliffs, rolling hills covered in wild trees, and more access to the river’s edge than any other site in Queens. Currently it is an idyllic, private barbeque spot, with homemade swings and benches looking out across the water at Manhattan’s midtown rush.” -Nathan Kesinger

The rain’s coming folks.

• Some great photography of Hunters Point South, LIC [Nathan Kesinger Photography]

• Made in Queens - Japanese artist Murakami nests in Long Island City [NY Sun]

• Art & Porn in Long Island City - PS1 MoMa [Art Cal]

• Nigel Rollins exhibit open at Art-o-mat, Vernon Blvd [liQcity]

The smallest house in Long Island City - Courthouse Sq, Hunters Point

Good Monday morning liQcity readers. Some interesting tidbits in recent LIC news…did you know the Noguchi Museum is sinking? Well, apparently so. In other topographical news, the Newtown Creek, site of the potentially (ahem) largest oil spill in the world, is finally getting some money thrown at it for cleanup. We haven’t even touched the topic of toxicity in Long Island City, and you can bet that’s coming.

• Sinking Noguchi Museum gets $8M [Daily News]

• State Targets Brooklyn’s Ultra-Polluted Newtown Creek With $625G Grant [Brooklyn Eagle]

• Signs of Spring: Putting the ‘Beach’ into Water Taxi Beach [Eater]

• The end nears for Kosciuszko Bridge [Daily News]

• Artisan bakery mixes tradition with social activism [AM NY]

• CurbedWire: Fifth Street Lofts Price Madness [Curbed]

10-50 Jackson Ave getting shiny, Long Island City

So LIC’s approved for the Residential Parking Plan. One can only assume that this along with other key decisions about the logistical infrastructure of LIC lay in the hands of the Community Board.

Speaking of the somewhat elusive CB2, the CUNY building appeal will be addressed at the board meeting on Thursday, April 3rd at 7pm. An older post offers some information about the board.

While the Queenswest Library clean up continues, the Queens Library system is renovating its branch in LIC as well. So we’re getting a double dose of information, brainiacs be alerted.

An interesting statistic: ” In Long Island City, average apartment sales prices increased 44 percent compared to the same period last year [Jan 07-08]; Woodside saw a 32 percent rise and Elmhurst prices went up 15 percent.” -Queens Chronicle

• Long Island City approved for Residential Permit Parking plan [Times Ledger]

• Cleanup continues at Queenswest library site [Queens Chronicle]

• Queens Library in LIC system funded $400K for renovations [Queens Courier]

• Irish Center going strong in LIC [Queens Courier]

• Community service from Fresh Direct? [Earth Times]

• New York City Food Film festival at Water Taxi Beach this summer [NY Sun]

Artwork on 5Pointz Studios, Hunters Point, LIC

Ok it’s time for the weekend. Looks like a bit of snow coming our way. If you missed Bjork’s screening of Wanderlust, you’ve got another shot tonight. It starts at 7pm, but get there early!

• Bjork’s ‘Wanderlust’ premiered in LIC’s Deitch Studios last night [Gothamist]

• Queenswest library set for 2009 [Times Ledger]

• Is Long Island City the next big thing? [Gridskipper]

• City View Raquet Club is now open in LIC [City View website]

• Music Events in LIC this weekend [LICpop]

Looking South from Hunters Point, Long Island City

Nice chunk of LIC news today. Looks like those parking workshops actually listened to the people that showed up. In conjunction with the famous Congestion Charge Plan, the DOT (Dept of Transportation) is proposing a Residential Parking Permit plan for a few specific neighborhoods that could be adversely effected by parkers trying to avoid the charge. LIC is one of them of course. Though, if anyone has tried to park in Hunters Point between the hours of 6am and about 4/5pm, you know it’s impossible anyway, so those new drivers coming to park here are SOL. It will be nice though to have residential parking. All hoods in the RPP plan will be treated on a case-by-case basis involving determination by community boards etc.

It seems the allocation for the new library suddenly jumped from $20M: “…$40 million for the build-out of a new Library Services Center in Long Island City in Queens.”

Water Taxi Beach is feeling the heat before the summer begins. Urban retreat or community nuisance? Seems the board meeting controversy had more to do with the Waterfront Crabhouse upset about WTBeachers rowdily trying to use their bathrooms, but for those of us who live in the pathway from WTB to the subway… I’d say there’s definitely a community issue. Some solutions offered by WTB were to shorten hours on Sunday night and provide additional portable bathroom facilities.

• Residential parking permits for Long Island City? [Streetsblog]

• NY Public Library $1B plan includes Long Island City [Library Journal]

• Water Taxi Beach draws ire at local community board meeting [Queens Gazette]

• LICBDC gets update on Queenswest project [Queens Gazette]

• Review of Lucky Mojo’s [Daily News]

• Behind the scenes of Bjork’s ‘Wonderland’ screening [NY Sun]

• Third-generation magician’s factory makes wonders before your eyes [Daily News]

The Echelon & Manhattan Skyline from Hunters Point, LIC

What? No Starbucks? According to the Racked article, there’s no reason cited for the deal dying, except speculation that Starbucks is limiting their ‘outer borough’ presence. Poor Queenswest. The little engine that couldn’t. Well, hopefully the Amish Market will come through someday. And the Duane Reade. In the meantime, QW’ers will just have to truck it all the way to Vernon for some local coffee, which is not half bad. In fact, some of it is darned good. We don’t even need or want a Starbucks - well not all of us. I know some were waiting for the chain, cigarettes and jitters in hand.

• CRIPPLING: Long Island City Denied S’bux [Racked]

• Powerhouses to the people [NY Times]

The changing landscape of Hunters Point, Long Island City

Well the end to a slow week brings not very much news about LIC, but a couple of commuting notes, and a report on pricechopping at the new development on 46th Rd known as Casa Vizcaya. What does that mean? Who knows. Every weekend I still see tons of brokers with their trench coats and clipboards…

It was nice to see some community chatter about development in the hood. WHAT DO WE WANT?! An Indie Theatre. A pool. A community center. WHEN DO WE WANT IT?! Uh, whenever…before 2020 would be nice.

• Water Taxi increasing ferry service this season [Water Taxi Blog]

• Pricechopper mucho cuts at Casa Vizcaya [Curbed]

• 50% increased service on the G-train [SaveTheG]

• Green Shores Invites Queens Parks Users To Speak Up [Asian Journal]

• Music Events this weekend in LIC [LICpop]

Streetart on Recycle-a-bicycle building on 46th Ave & 5th St, LIC

There’s a power plant for sale in a small, lesser known sub-neighborhood of Long Island City called Ravenswood. Queenswest marches on as Rockrose gets ready to clean up the Pepsi Plant site on the LIC waterfront. Curbed went on an LIC posting blitz today - we brought you a couple highlights.

• Power Plant for Sale in LIC. What’s the impact to RAVENSWOOD? [Daily News]

• LIC Pepsi plant site to get final cleanup [Times Ledger]

• Long Island City Industrial Trades for $2M [CoStar]

• Feeling LIC’s Heat, Part II: Panorama Edition [Curbed]

• Feeling LIC’s Heat, Part III: PriceUpper Madness! [Curbed]

• Music Events in Long Island City tonight [LICpop]

It’s still V-day in Hunters Point.

Welcome back from President’s Day. At least this year it feels very well deserved.

• NYC Ferry Commuting Funded by the City?

• Um… a Senator got towed during a congestion plan meeting. [Streetsblog]

• Some good NYC real estate articles this morning. [A Fine Blog]

Be his Valentine. On sale at Cherished Objects @ 41-24 29th St, LIC.

Buildings going bye-bye. Some Chocolate in the house! And Arris… aah Arris - what else can really be said? Haven’t we all said enough? Guess not.

• Comfort Inn LIC sold for $20.5M [CoStar]

• Standard Motor Products sells headquarter building for $40.6M [Daily News]

• Chocolate Spoon Coffee House opens in Astoria [Queens Gazette]

• Day of Service in LIC [Queens Chronicle]

• Arris Lofts renter wants to clear up a few things [Curbed]

A common sight in LIC these days.

Top o’ the very cold morning to you, liQcity readers. Dutch Kills hoteliers might have to jump through some more hoops; the fire sale is over. The mammoth Silvercup development is being held up due to toxicity in the soil. Yawn.

• LIC Hotel developers face a more difficult approval process [NY Sun]

• Silvercup Studios development plans halted due to…dirt problems? [NY Magazine]

• Painter’s show opens at The Space [Times Ledger]

• Get NYC Moving Transportation Alternatives volunteer opportunity in LIC [Streetsblog]

Teapot painting by Jon Fletcher on display at the Art-o-Mat.

It’s the weekend. Hurray!

• Discovery of toxic Swingline factory site in Long Island City leads to further examination of other potentially hazardous areas [Times Ledger]

• Briarcliff College opening a Long Island City branch [Queens Tribune]

• Urban agriculture comes to P.S. 1 [NY Times]

• Standard Motor Products Corporate Headquarters sold [Queens Tribune]

• Toll Brothers look to avoid drama in LIC [Curbed]

• Music events in LIC this weekend [licpop]

A piece that no longer exists at 5pointz studios - photo by Barrybar

Queenswest has a $20M library in the works? The price tag seems a bit steep.

• Queens West May Soon Be Hitting the Books [Curbed]

• Residential parking permits in LIC? Well that’s one option. [Queens Chronicle]

• If you’re moving in to the Rockrose buildings, bring your goggles. [Queens Courier]

• Music events in LIC this weekend [licpop]

Grand Theft Auto piece, Hunters Point @ 49th Ave

Did anyone go to the congestion plan meeting yesterday? If you did, hit us up with the scoop.

• Socrates Sculpture Garden - Site Goes from Trash to Treasure

• Forever Cheese Supports Renewable Energy and Reforestation through Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Program

• Allan Kaprow at Deitch Studios in LIC

5pointz Studios

Hallelujah. It’s the weekend. The Idiotarod race starts tomorrow at noon.

• Checking in on the progress at East Coast 3 & CB2 in Queenswest [Curbed]

• The annual Idiotarod shopping cart race - one starting point is Water Taxi Beach [Gothamist]

• Queenswest plans drop affordable housing [Queens Crap]

• Free Wifi Guide to LIC [Queenswest]

Looks like your standard aerial shot of Queenswest, huh? Well it’s not. This is an excellently noted photo, labeling all of the new developments in view.

What’s interesting is the annotation of what I’ve been calling East Coast 3 as Rockrose Condos. That’s news to me, but hey…

LICsundial.net has created a blog/website about how the the Citicorp building in LIC doubles as a sundial. It’s so obvious that it probably didn’t occur to you (or me), but it did to them. Either they have way too much time on their hands, or it’s genius at work. I say it’s both, but I spend my time running around LIC talking to construction workers, so…