No. 7 train will grace these tracks again this weekend, LIC

We have never used the word ‘woohoo’ in a title, but in this case, it probably doesn’t even do the news justice. It seems that our friends over at the MTA (yes, now they’re our friends) have finished the 7 train repairs three weekends ahead of schedule, and Long Island City’s precious chariot will operate on its regular weekend schedule, starting this coming weekend. That deserves another woohoo »

Phantom 7 train, Queens Plaza, Long Island City

Hot on the heels of the B62 debacle and the G train blues comes more disappointing news for LIC from the MTA: 7 train service is being suspended for 7 consecutive winter weekends, from January 29th through March 29th, 2010. Hunters Pointers can rejoice in the return of the nabe’s favorite MTA shuttle bus from Vernon/Jackson to Queens Plaza. Aah, fun times. And so convenient too! »

Well hallelujah and praise…Obama? Long Island City is going to see some Stimulus action:

“Queens Plaza, with its serpentine traffic patterns and dangerous pedestrian crossings, is receiving the lion’s share – $39.4 million – of the direct federal funding to the borough. The Queens Plaza project, to be completed by spring 2011, includes new landscaping, a bike path, new sidewalks and lighting.”Bikers, pedestrians and motorists are all being accommodated,” said Gayle Baron of the Long Island City Business Improvement District. “There will be an acre-and-a-half park at the plaza, and the medians will be planted.”

The Greenpoint Ave. Bridge, which connects Long Island City and Brooklyn, will get $6 million in upgrades to extend the life of the bridge by 10 years. “Every time there’s a problem on BQE, that bridge becomes an alternate route,” said Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2. “It is money well spent, because that bridge is used by the Fire Department that covers Brooklyn and Queens.”"

• Queens Plaza getting $40M facelift [NY Daily]

• MTA to cause NYC more pain [PolitickerNYC]

• LIC’s Rockrose in a Manhattan building frenzy [Curbed]

• LIC’s small town/village side captured [NY Daily]

• Queensboro Bridge centennial [Queens Gazette]

• National Wholesale Liquidators opening in LIC [Yonkers Tribune]

• Brownfields – LIC’s wild wild south [CityNoise]

• Flux Factory rebuilding their new LIC home. Volunteers? [FluxFactory]

• TV/Film production tax credit disappoints [Crains]

• Review of Chocolate Factory’s dance theater [NY Times]

• Enamored with Tournesol [Queens Courier]

Condo building at Vernon/Jackson continues to rise, Long Island City

In Long Island City real estate news, the buyer incentives being offered by various local condo developments are getting more press. With video. On the flip side, buyers in contract already at some of the local developments are, um, not happy »

Abandoned books on 5th Street lead to some local intrigue, Long Island City

Hallelujah! Long Island City is back on track for the weekends. (pun intended) While the 7-train weekend suspension is now over, there will still be work happening on the tracks so don’t necessarily expect full service, but at least it’s something.

In real estate news »

Cars getting smarter in Long Island City.

Long Island City linkage galore. Highlighted is a very long but extremely thorough analysis of NYC’s current condo glut:

“In recent years, ordinary New Yorkers saw new condo construction transform their neighborhoods. This is especially true in hotspots like Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Long Island City, where large rezonings by the Bloomberg administration have spurred the rise of sleek luxury residential towers seemingly overnight. But as New York City’s economy rapidly worsens, people wonder how many of these new condo apartments will languish vacant. Precise numbers are difficult to come by, but government leaders and housing industry experts agree: The condo market is in serious distress. It is not just the vacant units that are worrisome. In many neighborhoods, half-built projects sit stalled and land cleared for development shows no signs of activity, creating a nuisance for residents who now must live indefinitely with deserted construction sites.”

In other LIC news »

Sheila Lewandowski of the Chocolate Factory Theater, Long Island City, laments the decline of attendance to the weekend 7-train shutdown.

Long Island City’s struggle with the 7-train is still in the news. Very in-depth NYT article chronicling the repeated annual shutdown of the 7 train, and how Queens residents deal with the cold blow »

Hunters Point North Pole, Long Island City

Not that Dubya! This one. Oh yes, more news from the MTA and it’s just as peachy as ever. The beleaguered and unloved Dubya (the W train is really called that) is following the suit of its namesake and leaving us forever. They held a mock funeral downtown for the demise of the Z train. Mourners cried out for the loss of the crosstown M8. But no love for the death of Dubya.

Queens, however, is moving forward (without Dubya), says borough president Helen Marshall »

Hello liQcity readers. If you’ve noticed since the holidays posting has been sparse, it has. It will continue to be so until the end of Jan, picking up steam as some new contributors and partners come on board in Feb. We’ll throw some linkage and vitals out to you as we can, and please stay tuned for a greatly improved liQcity thanks mostly to all of your feedback. LIC is a great community and we are proud and honored to be a part of it.

Speaking of LIC community, a group of LIC business owners and residents are actively campaigning to get the City to help LIC business and general activity continue on the weekends while the 7 train is shut down for the next two months. (Seems they have wisely given up on our very disappointing transportation authority.)

An LIC business owner and resident writes »

7 train, Court Square, Long Island City

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My. Actually, it’s the MTA again… everyone’s favorite local transportation authority.

It’s been a long time since liQcity’s inbox has been slammed with complaints about the same topic (read: never), but the MTA’s proposed shutdown of the 7 train between Times Sq and Queensboro Plaza for the next consecutive 9 weekends seems to have struck more than a few nerves in Hunters Point.

In fact, on Sunday there was an organized protest by local politicians and community members against the MTA calling for increased reparations to our forsaken village »

The Heart Line at Hunters Point Station, Long Island City

MTA announces service reductions »

View from the Gantry condos, Hunters Point, Long Island City

The Long Island City linkage this week is a bit slight in volume, but heavy in content. First up is everyone’s favorite affordable housing development plan, Hunters Point South, which won approval from the City Council’s Planning Commission last week along with Willets Point (another controversial Queens development plan). “The Council has about two months to act, and typically takes much of that time for negotiations with the administration.”

With US lawmakers in the throes of deciding how to solve our pesky little financial crisis, Queens is wondering »

More bad news from the MTA. How surprising. Despite rising subway fairs and tolls, there seems to be very little money for the neglected ‘stepchild’ G-train.

Poor bastardized, outcasted G-train. You really could be the lifeline subway connection between two very important and vital boroughs in NYC. BK and QNS have definitely had their fair share of rivalry, but as more people continue to move out of Manhattan and into our more ‘spacious’ boroughs, and development kicks it up hundred of notches… the stronger the bond gets between the Kings and Queens.

Yes there are buses, but we all know it’s not the same »