Long Island City catching up with Wednesday afternoon linkage

I’m sorry to see that Little Closets is closing. I think they were doing pretty well but the owners are moving out of state.

There are 3 things here for the Newtown Pentacle photo blog…why? Just post it once.

Is this blog finished? 2 weeks with no updates.

I love this blog, but they should really have someone fill in when they are out on vacation.

im glad they disappeared, i was always checking this blog, makes me realize i dont care if i dont get to a new restaurant in the first week. i guess i was always checking this to see what new store is opening up- it really doesnt matter- i ll find out other ways. so long liqcity!!!

I’m looking forward to liQcity being back in action. Its an informative, fun website, the best in LIC.

Our LIC is not very active

#14 You’re right, there’s no blogging on that site but I think it’s current on news in the neighborhood. No? #15 I’ve got nothing either, can we think of something to argue about LOL!

The flower shop is great! I didn’t know he has coffee now. What kind of food do they have at the new stand at the waterfront?

I’m pretty sure that’s the new Florista on 51st

Question: a few months ago I inquired to this board/blog as to what is quickly going up on 51st avenue between Center Blvd and 5th Street and the reply was that it’s a parking garage for the Powerhouse. Walking by today it looks there are little balconies on every floor and frames for alot of windows. Thus I do no believe it’s a garage but residential. The timing and location is very unusual because it would have been conceived but not initiated in the financial crisis and therfore there would have been no need to have started it as the expenses were not laid out. Furthermore, the knowledge that a large part is going to be blocked by the new housing on the water makes this project very difficult to sell in a crowded market. Anyone know for sure? Thank you.

The new cafe is right near the kiddie playground, next to the tables. It’s a circular spot. They sell coffee and sandwiches…perfect park food.

The building on 51st Avenue next to the Powerhouse is a parking garage and a residential building. The first two floors are a parking garage and there are apartments from the 3rd floor up.

No idea on why they would decide to build now but I imagine they are confident that these units will sell. Sales in the Powerhouse have been relatively strong given the circumstances. Less than 10 left to sell although there are plenty that are being rented out by the owner (1 investor bought a bunch and is renting them)

21/22, I think you may have confused some people. The building is between 5th Street and 2nd Street (not Center Blvd.) on 51st Avenue. It’s amazing how quick it went up.

Subway — gross. They make sandwiches that the worst delis in NYC churn out. Why would anyone bother spending money there when you can get much better food for a similar price just about anywhere else?

The building next to the Power House is a rental and not condos. It might seem like an odd time to build given the economic situation, but construction costs have lowered drastically due to the same. Development is a risky business so only time will tell if it was wise to build in this economic environment. It seems like the rental market is getting stronger in NYC.

On another note, Rocky movie will be playing on the lawn this Thursday at 8:00 PM in Gantry State Park.

Since the blogger is away and can’t squash discussions on it, does anyone have any news on what happened with the anti-drinking crowd on Vernon? Has there been any recent developments there? Are people still being harrased?

There were a group of anti-development people harrasing local resturants because they didn’t like to see or hear people enjoying themselves.

Oh, please, stop with the “anti-development” baloney. There are many good reasons to oppose anything-goes development activity and letting builders do whatever the hell they want with our neighborhood. Don’t try to smear those valid concerns about what this type of development is doing to the lives and character of our neighborhood with a couple of cranks with an ax to grind with Blend.

I said the verbotten word: BLEND.

Doesn’t take much to turn up the heat, at least we have some action on here!!

#38 don’t forget their ax to grind with Lounge 47. They are still at it, once again challenging L47′s renewal with the SLA.

Fortunately they LOST, “once again”.

L47 rocks.

skinny Cantina will probably take more business from Blend when it opens. Without a proper drinking licence they are at the mercy of other establishments.

Is M. Wells open on weekends yet?

Skinny Cantina is a terrible name. Sounds like a tourist Mexican restaurant you’d find at South Street Seaport. I have visions of former sorority girls in twin sets and pearls puking up their pomegranate frozen margaritas in Gantry Park. I’ll withhold judgment until I try it, but I’m skeptical of Mexican restaurants in NYC. They SUCK!

I’m not saying Skinny’s won’t be a hit. I don’t need to be reminded that many people in this city have no taste and follow the pack, so lame Mexican food and frozen drinks for young Midwest Republican a-holes is probably a recipe for success. I hope it’s much more than that.

Real authentic Mexican food. Or at least similar to what you can get in LA and other places out West. If Skinny’s wants to stand out from the pack, hen that’s what they should aim for.

i see they are working on queens plaza at night, looks like they are working on the park. anyone know if they are still going to revamp the roads. it doesn’t make much sense to have a park when you have to practically run across the street to get to it. queens plaza is a traffic nightmare-the traffic pattern is hopefully getting redone

anyone know what is going up on the block east of the soccer field? (i say soccer field because that is what I ever see people use it for).

a lot of the roads in/around Queens Plaza, LIC, Hunter Point all need to be redone. The only decent road is Center Blvd and 48th St. (and maybe Borden Ave by Murano)

Is the E(emily) Spa on Center Blvd the same as the one on 5th and 48th?

Thanks!

Are you talking about the new spa across from the soccer field? Is that open?

Have you guys tried the mani/pedis at NY Look? They’re amazing!!! they spend about 1 and a half hours and charge $25 for both. It’s unbelivebale. I think it’s one of the neighborhood’s best kept secrets. Emily’s is very good on service, very mediocre on their work and soooo over-priced.

Skinny’s Cantina is a great name! #48, just in case you didn’t know, Skin is the name of Shih’s brother…and if you know him it’s perfect! I’ve talked with them quite a bit about their new restaurant and they want nothing but the best. Guaranteed hit.

@#46 M. Wells to start being open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10-4 as of September 11-12.

@#27 Reading your petulant post reminded me of my daughter’s petulant tantrums when she was 4 years-old. LOL!

Cuny has officially dropped out and will not be funding OCA. Oca announced this to the community board (on record) about a month and a half ago.

No new posts in 22 days. I think liqcity was abducted and is being held captive by a neighborhood liquor license agitator.

Anymore feedback on Burger Garage? I heard it was pretty dissapointing.

haven’t been yet, but I like that is has an “auto” theme.

Love the Burger Garage! A bit pricey though and don’t going during the week, I hear an hour wait. Weekends are fine as long as PS1′s ‘crowd’ don’t descent on it all at once.

Queens Crap bitches about yet another development
http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2010/09/brownfield-dorm-site-seems-dormant.html

Testaccio gets reviewed in the Village Voice:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-09-01/dining/testaccio-tackles-the-taste-of-rome?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+most%2Frecent+%28Village+Voice+-+The+most+recent+10+stories%29

The Newtown Pentacle wades into Newton Creek
http://newtownpentacle.com/2010/08/19/not-to-harsh-anyones-buzz-but/

Columbia egghead determine that green roofs are good for LIC:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/02/green-roof-urban-heat-island

Anyone know where the Guinness ghost sign in LIC is? Hey 74-80 maybe you should take over this blog. Well done! Although I couldn’t help catch the Arris lofts article. I hear Echalon is suing as well.

You’re so smart, #83! And not the least bit condecending.

See you at L47 #85

87 – I did not mention Arris at all so I’m having trouble figuring out what you mean. There are several new condos with owner lawsuits and/or ongoing major repairs. And that is a completely sensible thing to point out in the context of discussing over eager but shoddy development.

Your last line is just a subtle repeat of your consistent casting as anti-development anyone who questions how development is taking place. This tact is baloney. There are several aspects of development I support. You want to polarize the issues so that there can be no meaningful discussion. You only want your vision of “build baby build” to succeed. Nobody else counts in your world view.

Has anyone ever gone to the Astoria pool? Is it clean?

91 – you can’t be serious. Oh actually you are just showing your true colors. It’s absolutely everyone’s business when over hyped sales of poorly built and poorly designed buildings are pushed in favor of real investments in real value. It damages everyone. Perhaps you missed the subtlety of our economic collapse.

You keep referring to my supposed anti-development agenda without knowing that I am a direct participant in pushing forward development here. So drop it. If anyone has an agenda it is your mindless refrain to “build baby build”.

93 I knew you’d come up with this Glen Beck styletripe. I’m surprised you failed to mention ACORN. Anyway, leaving that aside, I’ll pose the simplest of points in hopes that even the faint of thought can get it: If I want intelligent thought and safeguards put into say offshore drilling and some form of advance public scrutiny to offset the human tendency toward greed, that does not make me anti-oil or anti-industry. I can drive a car but still have hopes toward passive sources and lowered carbon emissions. The difference between you and me is that I can question at times even my own belief system. Apparently you just think you are always right.

92- which buildings do you consider “poorly built” and what is your evidence? You sound like a know-nothing.

The Gantries had problems in the beginning but the developer took care of them. The Badge has problems in some units but as one owner said. “I don’t have problems so I don’t care” The powerhouse had so many contractor heads saying they were the “one in charge” and threats if you talked to anyone else about getting a simple job accomplished that I can’t image a problem free building, Oh and City Lights just had it’s facade/structure redone after 8 years and Casa Viscaya which was built by first timers who left the place with problem in every direction, now Arris and Echelon. By the way I’m just piping in so #96 I’m not the one your arguing with. Just what I’ve heard and from owners, city planning, personal experience and news paper articles.

snore.

Yes, you are right the entire financial collaspe had more to due to leaky windows and bad electrical work. I need to stop watching fox…

And for the record the minute someone tries to hold govt. responsible for their actions they are accused of not being in favor or any rules and of being an anarchist. Why is there always talk of putting in safeguards against private industry and no calls for safeguards against goverement excesses? Look at the finance reform bill and tell me what new rules were put in place for Fannnie and Freddie? Nothing! Not a thing changed. How was it that the two organizations that were most at the center of the storm and took billions from the taxpayers were not worthy of any reform? Because the are owned by the government. So save your self rightous drivel. I’m in favor of reform, I’m just not so willing to leave out segments of the problem sitting in Washington.

Back to LIC, the real issue is not shoddy contruction, poor planning and the other nonsense you are listing. You mention them because you can win an argument based on stopping develpoment. You are like the people who wanted a skyscraper free zone around the ESB so there was no competition or the pin heads who what to stop a mosque blacks away from the WTC.

102 – you are foaming at the mouth. I don’t have a clue anymore what you are talking about. Your accusations are absurd and way off base. And you are still hiding behind uninformed Beck/Limbaugh babble instead of answering a direct question as to why you are so worried about this supposed anti-development conspiracy you’ve cooked up. In your world if anyone dares to even question any small aspect of your “build baby build” mentality they are anti-development. If anyone here is anti anything, you are clearly anti anyone who does not think like you.

Have a nice nap!

107 – that’s not the reason the Citylights facade needed to be redone. It was faulty. Vizcaya’s is one year old by the way and is being redone. There are problems at Eschelon and Arris as well. But it’s not worth arguing about. The broader point is that it’s bad enough that real estate values were overhyped. It’s worse if the actual design and workmanship sucks.

109 – you are attacking me without cause because your “build baby build” mentality is being questioned. .If my facts are wrong about Citylights I can be a grown up and own up to it. I do notice zero acknowledgment on your part of all the windows being replaced at Casa Vizcaya after one year or the Arris suit etc. But you keep trying to commandeer the dialogue from its essence by saying I gloat over this. I do not. The story is simply that an over anxious hyped up boom created not only a glut but also added to the devaluation of property by not delivering a good product. Does that make me happy? No. Would I prefer to see quality design and construction around me in my neighborhood? Yes.

Now your perception that the pace of construction has not slowed here is ludicrous. What world are you living in? Construction here has virtually ground to a halt.

Anyway I think once and for all I will make this blog happy and stop trying to debate with an individual who displays zero capacity to exchange viewpoints. If I say I support development. You say I secretly don’t. Obviously I can’t share ideas with you as you are as sure of yourself as Napolean was at Waterloo.

Are you really saying that a building facade should be redone every 10 years and that is the norm? Peoples lives are trundling happily along at City Lights. I am happy that all folks in City Lights are happy. I’m not attacking City Lights for god sakes. All my point is that it is not normal to have a facade redone after 10 years. 50 years maybe. Our facade was redone after 97 years. The only point #110 is trying to make is that it a shame that some buildings were poorly constructed. You couldn’t get a builder at the height of the boom so the tendency was to crank them out fast. Also every body and their brother went into the developer business, and not everybody new what they were doing. It was bound to have impact on quality.

These are simply personal, observations not attacks.

What a horrible neighborhood this turned into. We can’t wait to leave this nasty rude pretentious place.