Search Results for: Long Island City

Two months after mega-retailer Amazon announced it was walking away from a lease at One Court Square, a Long Island City library branch that occupies space on the ground floor of the 53-story Citigroup building is facing the possibility of eviction according to non-profit publication The City. The lease on the 3,200-square-foot One Court Square branch of the Queens Public Library expires on August 31. The library has paid an annual rent of $1 since the building opened in 1989 as part of a deal with Citigroup, whose lease on the space ends in May of 2020, but a spokesperson for the library has said that the building's owner has “indicated it is seeking market rent for the library space.” Last year, building owner Savanna was reportedly seeking $55 to $65 per square foot for space in the building.
A valuable community service in jeopardy

City Living

Long Island City restaurant owner traveled to Seattle in an attempt to revive Amazon deal

John Brown Smokehouse on 44th Drive in LIC via Flickr

February 28, 2019

Long Island City restaurant owner traveled to Seattle in an attempt to revive Amazon deal

The owner of a Long Island City barbecue restaurant flew to Seattle on Monday in an attempt to revive the city's deal with Amazon. Josh Bowen, who owns neighborhood joint John Brown Smokehouse, met with executives from the company for two hours, according to Qns.com. Earlier this month, Amazon announced it would no longer open a headquarters at the proposed waterfront location in Queens after facing resistance from local politicians and activist groups. During the meeting, the businessman asked if they would reconsider their decision to pull out of the project. Their response? "Never say never," the executives told him, according to Bowen.
More here

Policy

Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

Department of Education facilities via Google Earth

November 26, 2018

Long Island City advocates want to obtain a city-owned building before Amazon takes over

Long Island City advocates are requesting ownership of a city-owned building that sits on land soon to be developed by Amazon for its second headquarters, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. The sprawling, block-long structure at 44-36 Vernon Boulevard currently houses offices related to the city's Department of Education along with over 1,000 staff members. For the past three years, local residents have asked for the building to be turned into a community facility. With all eyes on Long Island City due to Amazon's impending move there, advocates believe this is their last chance for the community to take over the property.
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Policy

Long Island City’s Skyline Tower will be the first billion-dollar condo in Queens

Via Hill West Architects

October 26, 2018

Long Island City’s Skyline Tower will be the first billion-dollar condo in Queens

Skyline Tower at 23-15 44th Drive in Long Island City, Queens, just got approved to begin sales, with a marketing plan that estimates a $1.088 billion sellout price, making the 66-story condominium the first in the borough to break the one billion mark, Bloomberg reports. The milestone isn't the only superlative for the building, formerly known as Court Square City View. The 778-foot tower is on a course to become the borough's tallest building.
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Long Island City’s Jackson Park will feature two pools, full-size basketball court, and a 1.6-acre park

Rendering of Jackson Park courtesy of Tishman Speyer

November 20, 2017

Long Island City’s Jackson Park will feature two pools, full-size basketball court, and a 1.6-acre park

As the Long Island City skyline continues to grow, so does the list of amenities developments are offering residents in the booming Queens neighborhood. New renderings of the massive, three-tower, 1,871-unit rental complex, Jackson Park, reveal extravagant luxuries like two swimming pools, a gaming area, a full-size basketball/volleyball and squash court, and much more, as the New York Post reported. With move-ins expected in January, leasing has officially begun at the Tishman Speyer-complex, with net rents starting at $1,915 per month studios, $2,335 per month one-bedrooms, $3,555 per month for two-bedrooms, $4,745 per month for three-bedrooms and $7,310 per month for four-bedrooms.
Take a peek

January 5, 2016

Long Island City Rental Tower Will Offer Micro Units for ‘Gen Y Professionals’

By Ondel Hylton

Yesterday, 6sqft discussed how Long Island City's Purves Street is a hotbed of construction activity with no less than four residential towers underway along the 500-foot, one-block stretch. On a site situated between Thomson Avenue (where the pioneer condo Arris Lofts rises) and Court Square, Twining Properties has begun excavation work for a 27-story, 168-unit rental tower at 44-14 Purves Street. According to the developer's project page, the rental tower will be known as Watermark Court Square and is to offer "efficient apartment layouts designed for mobile professionals." The handsome albeit unremarkable design by Handel Architects is faced with grey brick and large windows. According to Department of Buildings filings, the ground-up, 302-foot-tall tower will rise along 44th Drive, while a two-story existing building will be rehabilitated along Purves.
More details and renderings

October 8, 2015

Long Island City ‘Micro’ Units Will Have Three Bedrooms

By Dana Schulz

To date, the city's biggest and most news-worthy micro housing complex, My Micro NY, has offered only studios, which makes sense considering a micro apartment is typically defined as encompassing less than 350 square feet. But the term "micro" is getting an expansion (figuratively and literally) in Long Island City, where a new rental complex will offer 57 two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 490 to 735 square feet, according to the Wall Street Journal. The project at 37-10 Crescent Street is being developed by Ranger Properties, whose managing principal Sheldon Stein said, "Our concept is we can offer really high-quality public amenity space, and better value with smaller private spaces, and bring the rental cost down."
More details

April 17, 2015

Long Island City’s Hot New Park-Front Project Liv@ Murray Park North Set to Begin Sales

By Ondel Hylton

While Manhattan buyers typically pay a great premium for a park-front address, a single subway stop away in Long Island City, a new condominium aptly named Liv@ Murray Park North will begin sales with homes starting around $400,000. Developed by George Xu and Century Development Group, the six-story, 39-unit building will house a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments designed by Queens' own Raymond Chan Architects. Liv@ Murray Park North is located at 11-35 45th Avenue along the northern frontage of the 2.5 acre Murray Park/Murray Playground. Similar in size to downtown's Gramercy Park, the community jewel is LIC's largest green space not situated along the East River. The park is also across from the neighborhood's sole historic district and is positioned centrally between the area's two booming high-rise nodes–the master-planned Hunter's Point waterfront community and the Court Square-Queens Plaza business district.
More on the project ahead

December 5, 2014

Long Island City Tower Will Be Tallest Residential Skyscraper in NYC Outside of Manhattan

By Ondel Hylton

The tallest residential building in the outer boroughs is underway, and no, it's not going to be in boomtown Brooklyn, but rather along the rapidly evolving corridor of Queens Plaza in Long Island City. 42-12 28th Street will soar 57 stories from an 18,000-square-foot lot and will contain 447 luxury rental units. At its 635-foot projected height, it will be just 20 feet shy of the current outer borough tallest, One Court Square (the "Citi" building). Recently posted images on Goldstein Hill & West's revamped website reveal some new aspects of the project, including its ground-level street frontage and an "extensive" amenity package to include a swimming pool directly linked to an outdoor roof deck.
More details on the record-setting project

June 16, 2014

Long Island City Makes Way for Three New $875M Residential Towers with 1,600 Units

By Diane Pham

Long Island City gets glassier by the day, and now Tishman Speyer is teaming up with Toronto’s H&R REIT to build a three-tower, 1.2 million-square-foot “landmark luxury residential rental development” with 1,600 residential units and 30,000 square feet of retail space. The dynamic duo paid a total of $55.6 million for the piece of land acquired from […]

Real Estate Trends

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

Rendering courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

March 29, 2024

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

New York City is reviving a campaign to honor influential women integral to the city's history with monuments. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the city will resume the She Built NYC initiative, which includes building new statues of Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trías in the Bronx, Elizabeth Jennings Graham in Manhattan, Billie Holiday in Queens, and Katherine Walker on Staten Island. The four projects were announced in 2019 but were delayed due to the pandemic and never reached the first phase of planning.
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Policy

Lottery opens for 131 units at shoreside Staten Island rental, from $1,790/month

Renderings courtesy of BFC Partners

February 26, 2024

Lottery opens for 131 units at shoreside Staten Island rental, from $1,790/month

In a Staten Island neighborhood gearing up for development, this new 100 percent affordable building is leading the way. The Pearl, located at 475 Bay Street in Stapleton, is a 12-story tower with 270 apartments, about half of which are affordable to households earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income. The project is one of the first developments to be built under the recent Bay Street Corridor rezoning. A housing lottery opened last week for 131 apartments; qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the units, priced between $1,790/month for studios and $2,481/month for three bedrooms.
do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

17 spots to go sledding in New York City

Photo of Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge courtesy of NYC Parks/ Daniel Avila

February 13, 2024

17 spots to go sledding in New York City

Sledding has long been a New York City pastime during the long winter months, thanks to the many hills and slopes found in parks across the five boroughs. With the first real snowstorm in two years upon us, it's the perfect chance to escape your apartment and get some fresh air and winter fun. Ahead, find the best places to go sledding in every borough, from scenic Sunset Park in Brooklyn to the natural rolling hills of Manhattan's Inwood Hill Park.
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Events & Things To Do

New York City’s best holiday markets of 2023

The Holiday Shops at Bank of America Winter Village 2022, credit Jacob Wiliamson

November 22, 2023

New York City’s best holiday markets of 2023

The holiday season has hit New York City in full force, and despite the convenience of online buying, the city's streets are bustling with shoppers scurrying to find unique gifts and goodies. Popping up to meet the winter frenzy is a triumphant trove of festive markets offering one-of-a-kind creations–and a chance to mingle, jingle, nibble, and nosh. Read on for our picks of the best holiday markets and pop-up shops, from the familiar holiday hubs at Union Square and Bryant Park to an upstate farm and flea affair in Hudson.
Shop local, this way

NYC launches first-ever Hart Island public walking tours

Image courtesy of David Trawin on Flickr

November 15, 2023

NYC launches first-ever Hart Island public walking tours

Hart Island, the nation's largest public cemetery, will open to the public for the first time this month. The city's Parks Department on Wednesday announced that free walking tours of the Bronx island will be offered twice per month starting November 21. Hart Island, which has served as the final resting place of more than one million people since the Civil War, has long been inaccessible to visitors, with extremely stringent security and once-a-month visitation days. Now, with NYC Parks managing the site, the public can get an up-close look at the island's history, helping undo historical stigmas. The tours will last roughly 2.5 hours, with ferry transportation provided to and from the island.
learn more about the walking tours

A guide to the 2023 New York City Marathon

The 2021 NYC Marathon. Photo by Marc A. Hermann/ MTA on Flickr.

November 3, 2023

A guide to the 2023 New York City Marathon

The largest marathon in the world returns to New York City this Sunday. On November 5, 50,000 runners will participate in the annual TCS New York City Marathon, a race that travels 26.2 miles and runs through every borough, starting on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Ahead, learn everything you need to know about this year's event, from the route and start times to the best viewing spots for spectators and scheduled road closures.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Events & Things To Do

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Image courtesy of the Coney Island History Project

October 26, 2023

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Celebrate Coney Island's 200th anniversary by honoring the neighborhood's oldest surviving artifact this weekend. The Coney Island History Project, located at 3059 West 12th Street next to the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, is displaying the 200-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign from 1823. The artifact will be on view on Saturday, October 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
MORE ON CONEY ISLAND's 200-YEAR HISTORY HERE

First section of landfill-turned-park project opens at Staten Island’s Freshkills Park

Photo Credit: Benny Polatseck | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 16, 2023

First section of landfill-turned-park project opens at Staten Island’s Freshkills Park

On the site of what once was the world's biggest landfill, New York City's second-largest park is growing. On Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the opening of the first public section of the new Freshkills Park on Staten Island. The 21-acre North Park area features new walking and cycling paths, an overlook deck, a bird-viewing tower, and connections to the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge.
learn more about freshkills park

10 places to find mooncakes in New York City

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels

September 28, 2023

10 places to find mooncakes in New York City

By Dana Schulz

This year, the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday, September 29. Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, the Asian holiday celebrates what is considered the brightest and fullest moon of the year, as well as the fall harvest. In China, where perhaps the holiday is most popular, it's similar to Thanksgiving, with families gathering for a meal, accompanied by lantern lighting. Symbolizing the harvest moon, the round-shaped mooncakes are another important component of the holiday. The pastries are traditionally filled with red bean or lotus seed paste and wrapped around a salted duck egg. They're then pressed into a mold to emboss the top of the pastry in detailed designs, which all have different meanings. Ahead, find a few of the best places in New York City to find all varieties of mooncakes, along with a few options for ordering online.
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Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

September 28, 2023

$3.75M Prospect Heights townhouse has laid-back charm, three big apartments, and extra-long backyard

The feature that will undoubtedly impress visitors the most about this four-story brownstone at 307 Park Place in pretty Prospect Heights is its seemingly endless backyard. It's one of a fortunate handful of homes in the neighborhood to be blessed with a 131-foot lot. Within, the three-family 1910 townhouse may come up short on original architectural details, but there's still plenty of warmth and charm within its brick-accented walls. Asking $3,750,000, the property offers flexibility in the form of three large apartments that can be combined–or left as-is to maximize rental income.
tour every level

Distinctive Homes

Plan to revitalize Staten Island’s North Shore includes 2,400 homes and waterfront esplanade

Conceptual rendering of the future St. George Esplanade. Credit: FXCollaborative.

September 14, 2023

Plan to revitalize Staten Island’s North Shore includes 2,400 homes and waterfront esplanade

After several failed projects, Staten Island's North Shore could finally see a long-promised revitalization. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced a $400 million investment and released a new roadmap to redevelop a stretch of the borough's waterfront with 20 acres of continuous open space, 2,400 units of housing, and new commercial space. Construction will resume this fall on a two-mile waterfront esplanade that will be "on par with Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson River Park," according to Adams.
More on the north shore plan, herE

City Planning approves zoning changes to make it easier for NYC to go green

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

September 12, 2023

City Planning approves zoning changes to make it easier for NYC to go green

New York City is taking steps to accelerate climate-friendly projects. The City Planning Commission on Monday voted to approve the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality, a set of 17 citywide zoning changes that will help the five boroughs reach carbon neutrality goals by removing barriers to greener energy, transportation, buildings, and water and waste systems. The changes will help NYC reach its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ZONING CHANGES

Policy

August 29, 2023

25 best rooftop bars in New York City

By 6sqft

The city’s rooftop bars and restaurants provide some of the best views of iconic landmarks, all while enjoying delicious food and drinks with the skyline as a backdrop. Ahead, find a rooftop watering hole that checks all of the boxes, whether you're looking for a swanky terrace to impress out-of-towners or a more relaxed seaside bar with views of the Atlantic.
Full list ahead

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

August 25, 2023

Tap-to-pay OMNY system finally comes to the Roosevelt Island Tram