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]

LIC Neighborhood Map by NYCEDC, liQcity additions in red.

Check out this map of Long Island City, put out by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. What’s interesting is how they designated the many sub-neighborhoods of LIC. For instance, I was always under the impression that Hunters Point (no apostrophe) was the whole region of LIC located south of the Queensboro Bridge (outlined in red).

Right at the bridge is the hub of Queens Plaza (also called Queensboro Plaza it seems), which slightly overlaps Dutch Kills, which continues on northward bleeding into a very fuzzy boundary with Astoria. Then west of 21St st and still north of the bridge is the Queensbridge Houses, which also is considered Ravenwood until it also merges with Astoria.

In Hunters Point »

Proposed map of Hunters Point South Development (4.4MB)

Yesterday, we took a look at the proposed future of Jackson Ave and Queens Plaza, today we have a peek at the promised promise-land of Hunters Point South. Again, brought to us by the NYC Economic Development Corporation:

“The purpose of the proposed action is the implementation of a large-scale, mixed-use development plan, Hunter’s Point South, that provides a substantial amount of affordable housing on publicly owned land and allows for the residential redevelopment of a privately owned adjacent site, Site B. The development of the Hunter’s Point South site would be an integral part of the City’s plan for the provision of affordable housing over the next 10 years. In addition to housing, the Hunter’s Point South site would also include retail uses, community/cultural facility space, a public school, public parkland and other public and private open spaces, and accessory parking. Redevelopment of the privately owned site would include public waterfront access.”

This map is not really news, nor is the development - but in the coming weeks we’ll be taking a closer look at the major development plans in the works for LIC, and there’s so much info to this one, we could do a whole blog on it. But don’t worry, we won’t.

• Hunters Point South

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]

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]