
Amish Market’s foodcellar manifesting signage. Queens West, LIC.
Ok well it’s still being brought to us by the Amish Market, but the first actual grocery store to manifest in Queens West (and Vernon/Jackson) is named foodcellar. We’ll have to make the mental shift now. It’s a big one, but we can do it.
From the inbox:
ASTORIA MUSIC NOW!
*The First Annual FREE Music & Arts Festival of its Kind. *
For one day, on July 26th, people will be treated to some of the finest local music our area has to offer. This event will highlight and benefit the arts in one of the most culturally diverse communities in NYC. Come enjoy nine hours of local music and arts absolutely FREE!
Hula Hoops, Magic, Comedy, Face Paint, and Much More!!!
WHERE: Astoria Park - The Great Lawn - Ditmars & 19th St. Astoria, NY 11106
WHEN: Saturday, 7.26.08 - 12-9pm

Hunters Point Wines, Vernon, LIC
It’s a rainy Thursday night in LIC… what to do?
Well…if you want to get your drink on, and for free, you can go to one of the two wine tastings going on at a couple of LIC’s most prized wine shops, Hunters Point Wines (6-8pm) and Court Square Wine (4:30-7p). For those who complain about lack of amenities in LIC, we certainly have an abundance of alcohol distributors.

Deitch Studios, Hunters Point waterfront, Long Island City
LIC continues to manifest in commercial media, this time serving as the backdrop for a Rhapsody MP3 player commercial. Not to mention Ugly Betty, which is getting a lot of attention since Miz Lohan has been gracing us with her uh, presence. Though LIC, as we all know, has made many cameo appearances on screen including Munich, The Darjeeling Limited, Third Watch, Gossip Girl, and Grand Theft Auto.

Hunters Point South pre-posthumous, Long Island City, 2008
It’s busy season these days for both developers & activists, especially in LIC. While the battle over the OCA/CUNY development plan continues, another controversial project a little further downstream, hits the boardroom again…Hunters Point South. Promise Land or Promissory Note Land? »

Socrates Sculpture Park Outdoor Cinema 2008, Long Island City
Every Wednesday night through the summer, Socrates Sculpture Park presents an outdoor international film festival, featuring a film from a different country each night, along with food and occasionally a related live performance.

Calpulli Danza Mexicana
The ‘Live at the Gantries’ summer performance series brought to us by the QCA continues tonight at Gantry Park with Calpulli Mexican Dance ยป

Queens West Sportsfield, 5th St between 47th Ave & 46th Rd, LIC
Time to play ball. The Queens West Sportsfield has officially opened it’s astroturf to the public. All you need is a permit and some turf shoes. But leave your pets and propane tanks at home »

Dark skies over Court Square? April 2008, Long Island City
Interesting article this morning about the downsides of working in Court Square which included: lack of basic stores like pharmacies, grocery, dry cleaning etc, for errands during the day; the challenging commute from Jersey; the industrial ‘ghetto’-like vibe; few options for lunch. Upsides were: commuting from Brooklyn via the G train, quiet & low-key. Some felt that LIC offers a nice relief from congestion, others felt that Queens is beneath them. On this blog, we’ve heard a lot from the LIC resident point of view, but not so much from the working population.

Hunters Point waterfront, Long Island City
liQcity went kayaking with the LIC Boathouse last night, and if anyone in LIC is looking for nature, you might as well be looking for your nose. It’s right there.
CUNY CUNY CUNY. Need we say more?

CUNY dorm proposal, LIC
Yes. A couple of weeks ago, the CUNY dorm proposal went before the BSA, as it’s final hurdle. We can smell blood in this thread already, but here’s an attempt to sort out the complicated situation »

Kayaking with LIC Boathouse
Have you ever noticed that LIC is on the water? Taking full advantage of our waterfront location is the LIC Boathouse, a sponsored community group that gets you out onto the East River kayaking until your heart’s content. Unless, you happen to be slightly unsavvy and ignore the instructions of your gracious guides. Anyway, don’t let that get in the way of experiencing a gem that very few NYC neighborhoods possess.

Clarion Hotel, just built in Dutch Kills, Long Island City
There’s some chatter today in Crains about the rampant development of hotels in the city, especially in light manufacturing districts that are still waiting for rezoning: our beloved LIC of course (Dutch Kills in particular, though Court Square is certainly seeing some activity), and Gowanus, a neighborhood in Brooklyn similar to LIC in that its transitioning from industrial to more residential. Its also on the water, and has extreme toxicity issues to overcome, but that’s best left to a separate post.

10 Court Square announces its arrival, Long Island City
A few weeks ago, the Post reported on the Skidmore Owings & Merrill-designed commerical tower for Rockrose, that’s going up next to the Citicorp Tower in Court Square. The building, surprisingly entitled 10 Court Square looks like it takes up almost an entire city block, having bought out most of the building owners since 1988. It’s delivering a whopping 800,000 SF to the face of Jackson Ave, conveniently located at the site of the Jackson Ave beautification project.

Ivy covered building on Vernon Blvd, Long Island City
It’s been a while since we’ve hooked up some LIC linkage… this morning we have a little petroleum smell with your coffee. Aah, but that’s old news. What’s new news is the pile driving that started somewhere around Vernon/Jackson yesterday morning. We’ve been getting reports that Arris Lofters are losing lots of sleep thanks to Rockrose’s pile driving on the infamous site of the Building That Should Have Been Landmarked. Well, there are lots of those sites in LIC, and Queens in general. But we digress.

