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…

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]

Ruins in LIC - the Schwartz Chemical Factory demolished

I was walking around the Gantry Park and Queenswest this afternoon during the tail end of the snow, and I discovered the ruins of the building next to the Powerhouse on the corner of 50th Ave & 2nd St. It was the Schwartz Chemical Factory. There were tennis courts in the last incarnation of this building, and from word on the street, it seems this site is going to be part of the Powerhouse empire. So far it’s called Powerhouse 2.

There’s been some interesting conversation lately about what’s going on with the real estate and development in the hood. Well it’s been going on for a while, but in the last couple of weeks on liQcity there’s been a lot of negative commentary towards new construction and the ‘yuppification’ of LIC.

Coming across another piece of history being wiped out is definitely a sad moment for me, but after watching it day after day for 4ish years, I’m almost getting used to it. Center Blvd is a whole new world, and it’s not necessarily pretty, but for some reason LIC hasn’t yet lost it’s magic. It’s still surprisingly quiet and peaceful despite all the construction going on.

Aah, but that’s not what it’s really about though, is it? »

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]

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]

Here’s a short clip of a lengthy Stoler Report about the development in Long Island City. Being interviewed are representatives from Cushman & Wakefield, Silvercup Studios, and Brause Realty. The full episode (16 minutes long) is available courtesy of a great new video sharing site aimed at the real estate industry, Wellcomemat. Here’s a 3 minute snippet that addresses the climate of purchasing real estate in Long Island City, and the amenities situation. What was of most interest (personally speaking) is the part towards the end where they address the fact that there is no national brand presence in LIC. Now, I’m not very sad about that, but from their perspective (broker and developer) it’s only a matter of time, and it’s desired of course, to foster the draw of the neighborhood.

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]

BANY Ten57 open on Jackson Ave

Here’s a few updates on the emerging restaurant scene in Hunters Point; the ASIAN INVASION marches on!

What’s open now: BANY Ten57 is open for business and the queenswest.com message board has some community reviews. Word on the street so far is ho hum.

On the Horizon: Thanks to multiple tipsters, liQcity has learned of a new restaurant opening at Rockrose, 4720 Center Blvd, called SHI, slated to open May 2008. Straight from the owners:

“Spearheaded by a pair of brothers who have been providing the United Nations and its community with quality Chinese food for the past 18 years, SHI will mix old-world, Asian tradition with modern stylings, both in food and décor. It will occupy the 4,100-square-foot space in the ground floor of the East Coast 6 building and include a bar, lounge, sushi bar, outdoor seating and VIP area, punctuated by an upscale design and spectacular views of Manhattan. SHI will feature contemporary cuisine that will borrow heavily from traditional recipes, plus the bar will showcase specialty drinks with an Asian flair. We look forward to becoming a part of the LIC community!”

New restaurant Shi opening at Rockrose, Queenswest, Long Island City

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]

liQcity received sneakpeek renderings of the new Rockrose Eastcoast building that everyone is so in love with. There an interesting and funny watermark - in what we can only assume is an attempt to prevent brokers from marketing units in the building. (think?) Looks like it will work.

Officially titled The View at East Coast by Rockrose, the view heavy, corporately designed, 184-unit glass tower hits the market next month, starting at a whopping $1100/sqft.

Coincidentally reported, it seems Rockrose has offered all their current East Coast tenants a $500 rebate on rent, for every buyer they refer to The View. How sweet of them. The broker commissions are tens of thousands of dollars. But hey, who’s counting?

Look away at the future of Queenswest »

The Market at Long Island City, 5th St & 47th Rd, Queenswest, LIC

The Queenswest grocery store that’s been teasing us for over a year now is finally blossoming. Only it’s called The Market at Long Island City instead of the Amish Market - though operated by the same owners. I dunno, something about the Amish Market rolls off the tongue nicely… I feel like we’ll all still be calling it that anyway. Old habits die hard and you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Right?

Also manifesting right next door is the Duane Reade. Need some proof?

Here you go »

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 »

A hawk eyed East Coast tipster sent in a photo of the progress on Avalon Riverview North roofdeck:

“The pool was green for a few days, and just recently turned a nice blue, the roof-deck is Astroturf…so much for a “green” roof-deck. Wonder if they’ll still try to snare a tax rebate for having a roof garden” from the city.”

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Good morning liQcity readers. We’re back to bring you some footage of the toxic dust kicking up on the Queenswest development site. See those tents in the video? Supposedly they facilitate the toxic remediation that Rockrose is required to perform on the site before they can build more residential towers. That particular site used to host a refinery, and like much of LIC, the soil is extremely toxic.

So the question of the morning is: should that dirt be blowing around hither thither? Supposedly it should be tamped down (perhaps with water?) in order to prevent exactly what’s evidenced in the video. Clearly that’s not happening. Obviously to shoot such a video, one has to be within smelling radius, and it’s not flowers and peaches.

There’s a business idea for LIC entreprenuers: respirators and other toxic dust survival gear. Maybe they’ll start carrying them at the ensuing Duane Reade on the compound.

Remediation tent at Queenswest

You didn’t think we’d post that video, write inflammatory content, but do nothing? After contacting Joe Conley, Chairman of Community Board 2, he contacted the DEC and this letter arrived in the liQcity inbox today:

Hi Joe:

I inspected the Site today morning and discussed dust problems with Site contractor and engineering consultants. The dust blowing in the video was emanating from the sand which was used to pre-grade the tent (second) lay down areas. It was a very dry and windy day about 2 weeks ago. Since that time, a sprinkler system has been laid out along the truck route and has been effective. The areas near the East River have been covered with a layer of clean fill cover and are in the process of being rolled. After the area is rolled the material will be stable preventing dusty conditions.

As an additional temporary measure »

New cafe opening on Vernon Blvd

The owners of the Manducati restaurant on Jackson Ave have been working on a cafe and small gourmet market on Vernon near 46th Ave. Peeking into the doorway, the cafe looks ready to pop any day now. Word on the street (literally) is that the gelato is to die for. Good timing.

Peeking into more windows »