Long Island City retail still has a few aces up its sleeve; Sushi ups & downs
View from the Ravel Hotel at the Queensboro Bridge, Long Island City
It’s been a while since we’ve done a business openings post, for obvious reasons, but there’s still life brewing in Long Island City’s retail scene.
Definitely on the Way
liQcity stopped by the impending Dutch Kills Bar last week, which is in the final stages of construction. The proprietors are true perfectionists, and as soon as the stars align and the finishing touches applied, some of New York’s finest cocktails will be unleashed upon Long Island City.
No shortage of watering holes in LIC this summer, as the Ravel Hotel released the news that they’re going to open their 6500 SF rooftop lounge in May:
There’ll be cabanas, frozen drinks, unparalleled views of the Queensboro Bridge, and a menu of “gourmet” fish tacos, mini-burritos, and lamb sliders (which we can’t help but refer to as lamburginis, like North Square does), all under a retractable roof. The Ravel’s owner, Ravi Patel, tells us he’s going for a Miami theme, with live D.J.’s spinning till 1 a.m. Converted trolley cars will pick up partyers from nearby subway stations. As if all this weren’t enough, a smaller roof deck will serve as an outdoor movie theater.
Some local business rumors
The old McReilly’s pub space on Vernon Blvd @ 47th road is busy being transformed into a new pub. The old old Next Level Floral spot at 47-32 Vernon Blvd, has been demoed and rumored to be brewing an Italian restaurant. The rumor that a Dunkin Donuts is coming to the ground floor of Ten63 Jackson has been peppered in liQcity comments and also on Queenswest. And last but not least, the old Briggs & Costa storefront at 47-12 Vernon Blvd is still transitioning into an impending wellness center.
Sushi fusion seeks balance in Long Island City
More is more at Court Square’s Tomato Wasabi , where they have now added ‘Comida Latina’ to the roster, on top of breakfast, pizza, sushi, and Korean. Moving in the opposite direction, less is back to being more at Vernon/Jackson’s Lucky Mojo, which has apparently stopped serving sushi and is just sticking with Tex Mex.
Tomato Wasabi in Court Sq now also serving Comida Latina, Long Island City
“Positive journalism”? What is this, Pravda? Liqcity should just report what’s going on, not engage in happy talk.
I love these posts.
they need to run the bus down Vernon more often and not just M-F, 8-6pm – Ravel might get more people.
Yeah, I like these posts, too.
Another Italian restaurant? Greeaaaaat. Will it be mixed with sushi too?
Wow, that is huge that Lucky Mojos isn’t serving sushi anymore! They had incredible sushi! But it’s true they have to figure out what they want to be? A family restaurant? A popular bar with live music? A sports bar?
Looking forward to checking out Ravel.
And don’t we have enough wellness centers/yoga places already?
This is the summer of Long Island City!!
How is the BBQ at lucky mojos?
Lucky Mojo’s BBQ SUCKS.
I second the comment that Lucky Mojo’s has awful BBQ. I’m from Texas and like to think I know a thing or two about it… and Lucky Mojo’s clearly does not.
I would love to see a doctor’s office opening up around Vernon. I was hoping the new wellness center might include one. As of now there is one doctor in my insurance plan in this area. Her office is open 3 half days per week – all during regular business hours.
Thank you LIQCITY for keeping us updated….
#1 is a broker.
I agree about Lucky Mojos. They should have kept the sushi and dropped the bbq.
Lucky Mojo’s needs to blow up that ridiculous building and start all over again.
Why is there such little imagination left in LIC? Two things I liked though: converted trolley cars & the dutch kills bar. Before the $15 cocktail guy/gal gets a dig in, I am excited for that place! I went to milk and honey once with a friend and never forgot how good the drinks were. Hopefully it’ll be just as good in Queens.
Are they really converted trolley cars or just buses that look like trolleys? Big difference — one is cool, and the other is something you’d ride at a theme park.
LIC needs another Italian restaurant – on Vernon, no less! – like it needs another gargantuan condo high rise. And now the only reason to possibly endure the decor at Lucky Mojo’s is gone. Sigh. And the Ravel roof top bar sounded promising until I got to “…he’s going for a Miami theme”. Really? How utterly douchetastic!
Come on Dutch Kills…give us a reason to live through this summer of ‘09 in the LIC-u-later…
Agreed about Lucky Mojos BBQ sucking. Sorry I’ve tried it numerous times over the years, hoping they’d eventually get it right and they never have.
Makes little sense to lose the awesome sushi and keep the bad BBQ. Must be a cost saving move. They seriously had the best sushi in the tri-state area.
Any timeline for the new pub at McReilly’s?
Any news with the old McReilly’s owners?
i want my $15 soon please, someone throw me a freakin bone here.
As someone who’s watched the LIC housing explosion from the sidelines for a while, I’m curious as to how many of the resident commenters are NYC-bred. Too bad no registration is required.
Anyone wanna give me their guess as to what the percentage of residents is? Not trying to beef or anything – just genuinely curious.
Thanks
I wonder how this new bar at McReilly’s and then the new Italian place at Next Level will get liquor licenses? Blend is still waiting on theirs and G_d only knows how much protesting will be done by those lovely neighbors along that section of Vernon when two new places try to ply their trade and provide the greater community with social options and earn a living.
Yep, I’ve been calling Dutch Kills every Thurs/Fri to see if they’re open. Thanks for keeping an eye on it
Also thrilled about Ravel!!! Rooftop bars are the best in the summertime.
I’m not sure the property owner who kicked out McReilly’s is going to get a liquor license. That did not create much goodwill in the community, for sure.
Manducattis Rustica also does not have a liquor license yet. I know she is trying to get it though, people are still bringing bottles of wine. What’s up with that? If she can’t get it, who has lived in the neighborhood her whole life, how can two new restaurants get them? It will be interesting to see if they do…
And through it all, that awful Water Taxi Beach is able to intoxicate legions of frat boy savages and their slapper girlfriends to terrorize the neighborhood every weekend.
WTB opens memorial day. yuck. it really is a blight on hunters point. how in hell do they get to keep their liquor license? can you complain against them somewhere?
#14 there are a bunch of places I would blow up around here. lucky mojo… hmm I don’t hate their bbq as much as everyone else does, but I do like their sushi so that’s sad. I would also blow up the new thai/sushi crap on vernon across from bella via (who i love). we don’t need another italian place, there are so many i can’t even believe someone would think to do another. I would also blow up both the real estate offices on vernon and replace them with a hardware store and a butcher. foodcellar meat sucks, i am tired of going downstairs and seeing brown rotting meat in the case. and real estate is going to the dogs too. is it too much to ask for a shoe store? my kid needs a new pair almost every two weeks it seems like and there is nowhere to buy hardly anything around here. if i didn’t keep my car i’d be screwed.
oh and one last gripe – JUST THINGS? what the hell is going on there? the place is so weird and hardly ever open.
Why would you want anything to be “Miami themed”
Yuck.
I think plenty of guys with brightly colored T shirts and white linen jackets with the sleeves rolled up would enjoy the Miami themed bar.
#21 I am NYC born and raised.
#30 Exactly! I couldn’t agree more.
Just Things is a great store, especially for authentic vintage.
In reference to the post by #24, the property owner does not procure the liquor license. The establishment owner does. The exception is, if they are one and the same. The license is only issued to the owner, in the name of the corporation, at the address/location of the establishment.
Charlie.
Where can I get my shoes fixed? And though I’ve stopped at the tailor in the barbershop 20 times, no one is ever there.
Shoe repair? Sorry, can’t help you. I can tell you a dozen places to get sushi and a brick oven pizza though.
someone please post here when rents are down to $1500 for a 2 bedroom.
k, thx!
Vernon Blvd makes no sense at all. Another Italian? Really? More brick-oven pizza? Do people not do research before they open restaurants these days? Especially in a recession/depression?
.
Shoe Repair is in the Citicorp Building, lower level.
“Really? How utterly douchetastic!” -Seriously. Almost everywhere that opens in this neighborhood. What is the deal with Queens? I also clicked on that Astoria Artists link above only to find a horribly-designed website.
I tried, but I think Brooklyn is the way to go… this area isn’t getting any cooler. Seems to be run by people with Midtown/Upper West-East tastes.
Is the shoe repair open on weekends?
Yeah, forget the additional italian and put in a shoe repair. And a UPS/package store. That would be good.
Brooklyn stopped being cool decades ago. Only real NY’ers would know this.
All you Midwest people keep going there. Queens is the new ‘Brooklyn.’ It’s the place native NY’ers go to raise their kids.
Actually #42, the trend was Manhattan boy and girl meet, get married, get pregnant, move to Brooklyn. In upper echelon – move to Westchester. There was never any mention of Queens.
Shoe repair place is only open on weekdays.
So liqcity, what the hell is the deal with your not censoring No. 39’s comment? Evidently, it’s perfectly acceptable to toss that insult around, as no one else seems to mind.
Fuggedabahdit
Perhaps the solution is to install a ‘flag this comment’ button. Sometimes they get missed. Emailing us if you see offensive commentary in the meantime, would be great. Thank you.
Thank you, liqcity for finally spotting it — or at least I hope you did. It really is amazing to me how people think it’s perfectly acceptable, fun even (see 46 also), to insult Italian-Americans — folks who are your neighbors, friends, coworkers, and local businesses. Here’s the test: if you can’t or won’t say the comment right to their faces, then you certainly shouldn’t post them on a neighborhood blog.
Think about this #22, there are laws in New York State that people in the restaurant business should be aware of and that is the 500 feet rule. Think about what this neighborhood would be like to live in and raise children in if all there was on a four block stretch was bar after bar. As far as restaurants go, there are so many different types of restaurants to open if you are crazy enough to open in todays economy. No one is trying to stop someone from making a living. The point of the matter is that people do LIVE here. On Vernon Blvd and on the immediate side streets off of Vernon. They are the ones who have to deal with the noise, garbage on the streets and then ultimately looking at emtpy store fronts. You tell me why would anyone open an Italian restaurant on Vernon Blvd? What sense that does make. And why would a landlord rent a space to someone who wanted to do that. Talk about preventing someone of making a living. Places like Cassino’s, Bella Via, Manetta’s, they have been here for years and also support our neighborhood by donating to the schools, artists, community events, etc. So who is to fault here. Let the NYS liquor license people do their job and enforce their laws. We have enough restaurants now.
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I like all these news bits. Let’s keep sticking to positive journalism.