What’s up?: Long Island City

Neighborhood:  Long Island City, Queens

Population Density:  About 50% more densely-populated than New York as a whole, and about as densely populated as Brooklyn in the aggregate.  LIC encompasses a large land area and thus has a mix of residential and commercial-use structures

Adjacent Neighborhoods: Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside

Public Transit:  G/E/M/7 to Court Square

What’s Here?:  Long Island City’s continually growing skyline, dominated by the MoMA’s affiliate museum PS1 and the massive Citigroup building, reflects the changing face of this Queens hotspot. From the high-rises on Gantry Plaza State Park to wide-open warehouse spaces, LIC attracts both white collar execs drawn to the neighborhood’s easy access to Manhattan and artists wanting to set up shop in an area that boasts one of the highest concentrations of artistic institutions in NYC.

The artistic flavor of LIC includes the award-winning Chocolate Factory Theater, the 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Museum, the SculptureCenter, The Oracle Club, and Silvercup Studios, the largest film and television production facility in NYC  (home to 30 Rock and many others).

LIC’s culinary scene has been hyped up by additions such as Hugue Dufour’s M. Wells Dinnette in PS21 and the Waterfront Crabhouse, housed in a historical landmarked building. Nightlife go-to spots include Alewife Queens for craft beer, the outdoor biergarten at The Garden at Studio Square, and the inventive cocktail bar Dutch Kills.

Flat or Tall?:  Generally smaller- to mid-rise buildings, with some larger apartment buildings in construction or under development.

History:  The official coat of arms for LIC depicts the first settlers – Native Americans, Dutch, and English – that once called the area home. LIC was its own city from 1870 until it became part of the Greater City of New York in 1898. Afterwards, LIC earned the distinction of being the First Ward of the Queens Borough. LIC was a bustling commercial and manufacturing hub as various factories opened up in the area, buildings that have now turned into artists’ lofts and workspaces.

Activities:   Museum hopping, vintage shopping on Vernon Boulevard, strolling the waterfront at Gantry Plaza State Park, lounging with a drink on Water Taxi Beach.

Check it out:  Saturday’s LIC Flea, featuring Queens’ best diverse eats as well as items made by local artists.