This story was produced as part of a capstone reporting project at NYU’s Arthur L The horizon of Long Island City has already been transformed you could see right over the neighborhood sitting on the bank of the East River and across to the iconic Manhattan skyline a new skyline has been constructed in front of the old one.  High rise condos and rentals are still rising amongst the dozens that did not exist just a generation ago. They include a luxury tower, The Orchard, which opened in November standing at 823 feet, now the tallest building in the borough. It joins other buildings near Court Square, such as the Corte and The Prime In a city struggling with a persistent affordability and housing shortage crisis, Long Island City is building—a lot. Of the 206,000 new housing units the city saw between 2010 and 2020, 20,000 were in LIC alone, according to the Department of City Planning (DCP) The neighborhood ranked behind only Riverside South for greatest rate of construction in that period and pulled ahead of the famously hip Williamsburg “This plan updates zoning in parts of the neighborhood still limited by outdated and restrictive rules allowing more housing and jobs while creating a more accessible and resilient waterfront,” City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick said in a statement Monday But the recent growth of LIC has led some locals to question the need for more development saying that now is the time to offer other amenities for the community “There was one high rise building here when we moved in and then there [were] like two more built and now it’s everywhere,” said Ellen Day owner and founder of Brick House Ceramic Arts Center on 44th Drive which after operating for decades has been sitting abandoned and dilapidated since going under in the early 2000s.  The proximity to Manhattan which attracted factories also brought a predominantly Latin American and Asian population residents who could commute to work quickly and enjoy significantly lower rents than in the city center with 30 percent of the neighborhood’s population being of Asian descent and 21 percent being Hispanic cohorts of artists who could no longer afford to live in Manhattan also moved in Artist Adele Shtern came to LIC over 40 years ago searching for low rents and places to exhibit her work She moved into a rent controlled building with a starting rate of $175 a month a short walk from the subway to Manhattan and to the East River.  Artists would showcase their work in “any space that was available an empty storefront or a loft building with a lot of violations and a leaky roof,” said Shtern “Maybe it is a romantic artist’s vision,” she mused on how her cohort scraped together a living in the industrial waterfront landscape.  A seismic shift came to the neighborhood in 2001 allowing for density increases near transit.  Other rezoning plans unfurled in the following years to Hunter’s Point, Dutch Kills, and Sunnyside Gardens, all neighborhoods surrounding LIC. Mayor Bill de Blasio also eyed Long Island City for another possible rezoning during his time in office The median income has also surged by 85 percent over the same time period contrasted to the $52,421 average in 2010.  Average rents have ballooned as well. In 2022, a two-bedroom apartment cost an average of $5,300 in LIC as compared to $2,600 in Queens and $3,500 in the city overall, according to DCP.  The goal of the neighborhood’s 2001 rezoning was to capitalize on Long Island City’s “significant potential for office retail and residential development,” officials said at the time But there have been consequences to its rapid growth.  Shtern said rising costs have forced friends and colleagues to move to different neighborhoods or even out of state while businesses serving their field have shut down “artists can’t afford to live here unless they have a silver spoon or they’ve been here for a long time,” she said Queens Community Board 2, which has jurisdiction over neighborhoods stretching from LIC and Hunter’s Point to Sunnyside and Woodside, noted in its 2025 Statement of Community Needs that the city “poorly anticipated the residential boom” in the area and that “the pressure this has placed on every aspect of the community’s needs.” In particular community board members have pointed to a lack of open space and affordable housing.  “The lack of green space is pretty huge in the CB2 district specifically I would say compared to Woodside and Sunnyside It’s a drop in the bucket,” says Community Board Chair Anatole Ashraf.  The presence of green space in urban environments has been linked to improvements in residents’ mental and physical health. One study published in 2016 concluded that “as green space in the neighbourhood increased and views of green space from the home were significant predictors of general health.”  Chairman Ashraf notes that two of the largest parks there the largest public housing development in the country which would benefit from greater investment in their nearby parks.  LIC’s existing parks are core community building spaces for the affluent and non-affluent alike which sits just north of the Queensboro Bridge is frequently used for community cookouts and events in addition to fields that are used by local softball leagues.  landscape and urban design at Pratt University specializes in the intersection of natural ecologies with the urban landscape She has recently spoken about Gantry State Park and Hunter’s Point Park both of which sit on the waterfront in LIC in a class on the subject of green spaces.  “I think those parks are amazing,” she said calling the developed waterfront a space that “balances human and ecological spaces pretty elegantly.”  Gantry in particular has been designed to evoke a sense of the area’s industrial history, including multiple large restored gantries.  “These industrial monuments were once used to load and unload rail car floats and barges; today they are striking reminders of our waterfront’s past,” according to the official website.  And I think that excitement is important for park and open space advocacy,” said Maltby.  There is often a tension between housing and green space that runs into any housing proposal in the city a representative from the Department of Parks and Recreation spoke on this topic at a waterfront workshop related to the rezoning organized by DCP in October it kind of seems like the public is more excited about building or protecting open space than building housing,” Watchler said at the time “So I would anticipate more problems with building new residential buildings than protecting existing public or open space I feel like people kind of have a bias against a new tall building going up near them rather than a park.” With the aim of addressing resident concerns and promoting economic growth DCP  has launched a community engagement process for the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan.  It promises to reshape the context area on a scale rivaling that of the early 2000s though guided by the wants and needs of those who live there The proposal includes zoning changes to help spur the construction of 14,000 new homes which would be subject to the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rules meaning 20 to 30 percent of units in new residential buildings would need to be income-restricted.  Officials have also proposed the development of a continuous public open space along the waterfront connecting Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park along with significant neighborhood investments can set Long Island City on the path towards a more affordable and prosperous future,” City Planning Commissioner Garodnick said in a statement last week as the city kicked off the public review process.  as a point of reference for how the LIC neighborhood plan could play out.  The stated goals for Gowanus included greater affordable housing and green space in the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal a creek that reaches nearly two miles into Brooklyn who has worked with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting open space in the area said they have also had to grapple with questions of density and population change similar to the debate playing out around LIC now.  concerns about loss of character which have been borne out by the process in Gowanus are very much in the forefront of people’s minds,” she said.  founder and executive director of Culture Lab LIC was among those who attended a One LIC public planning workshop last fall.  The non-profit supports local artists and provides free community programming and is located in Long Island City within the area that is set to be rezoned.  Wheeler said he attended the public event to “make sure whatever plan moves forward has a very strong arts and culture element to it.”  vice president of the Long Island City Partnership an organization that champions economic development in LIC said the planning process so far affirmed “some of the things that the community has been asking for DCP says it received more than 5,750 public comments on the plan during the community engagement process 771 about open space and 1,278 about the waterfront.   City Planning shared several quotes from participants who attended those community events attendees were given the opportunity to share their wishes on sticky notes.  One post-it requests simply “Green Space” with a “+1”  and a “+100” added by other contributors to indicate support Several called for additional free parking by the waterfront while one person called for less parking in exchange for greater pedestrian space Many mentioned wanting additional social spaces such as libraries is a strong proponent of the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan and will play a leading role in final negotiations during the public review process.During an update on the plan on April 7 Won said the extensive public engagement around the proposal is “to make sure that we are providing a case study to the city of what it’s like to invest in upfront planning and comprehensive study and engagement of feedback.” “To make sure that anything that comes out of this is really reflective [of the community],” she added “and we have quantitative data to back it up on the decisions that we’re making.” To reach the editor, contact [email protected] Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here Take a short anonymous survey to help us deliver content to empower our community previously serving as youth program manager she covered Astoria and Long Island City for DNAinfo.com and reported for Bronx community papers and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Building on Nearly Two Years of Extensive Community Engagement Plan Would Revitalize Zoning and Require New Developments to Include Permanently Affordable Housing Plan Would Create Over 3.5 Million Square Feet of Commercial and Industrial Space  Fifth Neighborhood Plan to Start Public Review Under Adams Administration OneLIC Highlights New York City’s Continued Commitment to Transformative Housing Projects OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would transform Long Island City with thousands of new homes and jobs creating a more affordable neighborhood for New Yorkers “In order to make New York City the best place to raise a family we need more affordable homes and more good-paying jobs and the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan will help create both,” said Mayor Adams “Whether it’s advancing our neighborhood plans or passing our historic ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ initiative no administration has done more to tackle New York City’s housing crisis than we have over the last three years.” “The Adams administration is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers by creating a record-breaking number of homes in Long Island City,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing “The OneLIC plan will bring an additional 14,700 homes — the most the city has done in a neighborhood plan in over two decades — and 3.5 million square feet of commercial space and a new waterfront esplanade to create a strong Thanks to Councilmember Won for her engagement in the planning process and her commitment to ensure this neighborhood plan’s success.” Long Island City is exactly the kind of place where we should add new homes,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick “This plan updates zoning in parts of the neighborhood still limited by outdated and restrictive rules allowing more housing and jobs while creating a more accessible and resilient waterfront “The OneLIC plan will bring thousands of new homes and neighborhood amenities to a part of the city where new development has been long-envisioned but never materialized,” said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg “Today's milestone comes after many months of engagement with the community and local stakeholders who have helped inform a wide array of investments that will support this new development I look forward to seeing this plan get refined and strengthened through the public review process.” Long Island City is a fast-growing economic and cultural hub with easy access to transit and commercial and industrial job opportunities parts of this neighborhood have welcomed thousands of residents outdated zoning rules have restricted new housing while significant sections of the waterfront have remained inaccessible to the public The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is designed to address these challenges The plan’s boundaries stretch from the East River waterfront to Crescent Street and Queens Plaza North to 47th Avenue with one segment reaching further up to 39th Avenue between 21st Street to 23rd Street OneLIC Neighborhood Plan will update outdated zoning and expand access to the waterfront The start of public review on the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is a significant milestone towards creating a more affordable and equitable Long Island City for working-class families around 46 percent of renters in the neighborhood spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent and current zoning does not require permanently-affordable The OneLIC plan would provide more housing opportunities across the neighborhood and apply Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to Long Island City By requiring new developments in Long Island City to include permanently affordable housing Mandatory Inclusionary Housing is expected to produce roughly 4,000 income-restricted homes enough to house roughly 10,000 New Yorkers the plan will use city-owned sites to create homes for lower-income households; for instance where the city currently houses New York City Department of Transportation operations the Adams administration has committed to building 320 income-restricted homes To protect tenants and preserve existing affordable housing the city will partner with community-based organizations and local elected officials to organize trainings and events around tenants’ issues such as “Know Your Rights” classes and housing resource fairs Homeowners would have access to the Homeowner Help Desk which connects New Yorkers with low- or no-interest home repair loans Despite Long Island City’s extensive waterfront The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would coordinate public and private property owners update the area’s Waterfront Access Plan and use additional zoning tools to create a unified resilient waterfront with improved public access and amenities This improvement would create vibrant public spaces by incentivizing active street-level uses and active recreation spaces creating a consistent public space for the neighborhood and unifying the waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would unify the waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park Supporting More Jobs and Stronger Infrastructure The OneLIC Plan would also grow the local economy by creating over 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space generating approximately 14,400 new jobs across a range of sectors To further support Long Island City residents and workers the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is pursuing a Request for Expressions of Interest for 44-36 Vernon Boulevard looking for concepts to transform this city-owned site which currently houses New York City Department of Education operations into a mix of community-focused uses that could include commercial The administration will continue to coordinate with other city agencies and the Long Island City community to find other opportunities for investment during public review to ensure that the Adams administration is meeting the needs of current and future residents which provides detailed information on the proposal In addition to the close collaboration with Councilmember Won DCP worked closely with many community stakeholders including the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Queensbridge Houses Tenant Associations The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan now begins the roughly seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure which includes reviews by Queens Community Boards 1 and 2 and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards followed by hearings and binding votes at the CPC and then in the New York City Council “After 18 months of extensive public engagement I am energized to enter certification and negotiations for OneLIC I will fight to ensure the final OneLIC Neighborhood Plan delivers resiliency through commitments on deeply affordable housing and more,” said New York City Councilmember Julie Won “Save the date: May 21st — come testify at the community board’s special hearing on the OneLIC project at LaGuardia Community College.” “Hunters Point Parks Conservancy has worked for 26 years to support the waterfront parks in Long Island City We're excited that OneLIC will help expand green spaces along the water and help increase the number of parks in our community as the lack of parks in District 26 means our current spaces are increasingly crowded,” said Jessica Sechrist “We appreciate the work Councilmember Won the New York City Department of City Planning and the consultants have done to ensure the community is heard and our needs are met throughout this process and we look forward to seeing a coherent plan for the future of Long Island City be put into practice.”  “The OneLIC neighborhood plan is a thoughtful and necessary step toward ensuring that Long Island City continues to thrive as the most mixed-use neighborhood in New York City,” said Laura Rothrock “With Long Island City at the geographic center of the city we need zoning that reflects our current reality and supports our continued growth and Councilmember Julie Won for working collaboratively on this process and we especially appreciate the emphasis on public engagement throughout.”  “The Long Island City rezoning is a powerful example of how 485-x can deliver both urgently needed housing and real middle-class career opportunities for union construction workers,” said Gary LaBarbera Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York "With an estimated 14,000 new homes — including permanently affordable housing — and some 10,000 union construction opportunities  this plan represents a bold step toward a stronger We applaud Councilmember Julie Won and the mayor for advancing a neighborhood plan that will produce more housing than any in recent memory and look forward to building a better Long Island City." “This rezoning is a rare opportunity to make Long Island City truly cohesive Thoughtful development includes a responsibility to honor the culture and creativity that made Long Island City what it is and developers must work together to build a neighborhood that doesn’t just grow “Councilmember Julie Won did a great job ensuring the entire community had a voice in this process and now we have a real chance to show how thoughtful planning can strengthen — not displace — a neighborhood Long Island City becomes a model for how growth and equity can coexist.”   "Neighborhood plans that meaningfully add new homes are among the most powerful tools the city has to address the housing shortage — and that's exactly the potential we see in OneLIC," said Annemarie Gray a well-housed minority has dominated the housing conversation and stood in the way of the homes New Yorkers desperately need We’re excited to be part of the public review process launched today to ensure that decision-makers hear from the many New Yorkers who support building a more affordable and inclusive city." The Adams Administration’s Record on Housing  which will create approximately 7,000 homes and 10,000 permanent jobs in the East Bronx.   In addition to creating more housing opportunities, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant protections and support homeowners. The Partners in Preservation Program was expanded citywide in 2024 through an $11 million investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combat harassment in rent-regulated housing a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $9.85 million funding commitment pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov(212) 788-2958 Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations A Queens judge has cleared the way for a protected bike lane along Review Avenue in Long Island City ruling that the city’s Department of Transportation acted lawfully and dismissing a legal challenge brought by a group of local businesses In a decision entered into court records Friday Justice Kevin Kerrigan denied all claims brought by LeNoble Lumber and several nearby property owners The group argued the project would harm industrial businesses and was illegally approved without an environmental review which said the bike lane was part of a broader safety initiative and exempt from such review His ruling lifts a temporary restraining order that had paused the project since October the businesses claimed the bike lane would block truck access reduce employee parking and ultimately “ruin over 40 businesses some of which have been in existence for over 100 years.” Kerrigan wrote the Department of Transportation had “demonstrate[d] the purpose of the bicycle lane and the research and design that went into the plan,” calling the legal challenge “unavailing.” “We are disappointed in the judge’s ruling and are considering all options,” said Alexander McBride a spokesperson for the city's transportation department said in a statement that the agency was "thankful for the court’s ruling and determining next steps as well as a schedule for implementation." In a 2022 letter to the transportation department Councilmember Julie Won of Queens urged the agency to act swiftly calling traffic conditions “dangerous” and pointing to more than 400 injuries and four deaths in the Blissville neighborhood in a five-year span “It is DOT’s responsibility to ensure zero New Yorkers are killed or seriously injured from traffic violence,” wrote Won “The agency must address the safety of my constituents in Blissville and those traveling through the neighborhood without delay.” The DOT said it was re-evaluating the corridor’s design and Review Avenue was being included in a larger “Blissville Greenway” plan to improve bike and pedestrian connections The agency also said it had observed that “most vehicles not following the street direction are associated with the local businesses on the block.” The city in court filings described the corridor as one of the most dangerous in Queens It said 15 people were killed or seriously injured on the stretch in five years The agency also argued the lane was designed to preserve truck access, reduce speeding and close a gap in the bike network connecting the Kosciuszko, Pulaski and Greenpoint Avenue bridges. This story has been updated with additional information. Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected]. Lawmakers say the brutal attack on a chihuahua named Penny highlights gaps in the law. Temperatures will also be cool for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. Gothamist is a website about New York City news TrendingPoliticsNew YorkACity kickstarts Long Island City rezoning to build 14,700 homes Plan includes long-stalled waterfront sites  Long Island City could soon start building some 14,700 new homes — including in a waterfront area where multiple visions of development have gone to die the city kicks off the process of rezoning a 54-block area of the Queens neighborhood The changes will allow residential development in areas zoned for industrial use while also encouraging more commercial and light industrial development in other parts of the district Residential construction will be allowed in 22 blocks of the rezoning area where the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program will apply The Department of City Planning estimates that after the rezoning is approved through the seven-month land use review process 14,700 apartments will be built over the next decade with 4,300 units set aside as income-restricted under MIH The rezoning could also spur 3.5 million square feet of commercial development and 292,000 square feet of community space The rezoning includes the city-owned sites at 44-36 Vernon Boulevard The city is trying to acquire another site from Con Edison in an effort to create a continuous waterfront between Gantry Plaza State Park and Queensbridge Park Though other parts of the neighborhood have been rezoned and begun development this rezoning area has largely been untouched City Planning head Dan Garodnick said the project would be the most housing generated by a neighborhood rezoning in at least 25 years and possibly since the creation of the city’s 1961 zoning resolution It is the fifth neighborhood rezoning initiated under the Adams administration SIGN UP“The numbers will speak for themselves at the end of the day,” Garodnick said “We think we’re on a very good path to deliver very thoughtful and important opportunities to these neighborhoods.” The Long Island City rezoning benefits from changes under City of Yes for Economic Opportunity which allowed for more commercial density and more flexible building shapes The rezoning area also doesn’t have off-street parking requirements The plan includes an incentive for developers to include school space in their buildings will not count toward the building’s overall density meaning that the building can be larger than permitted Rezonings don’t always go according to plan as the 2001 rezoning of 37 blocks in Long Island City demonstrated Those changes were expected to create a mixed-use business district but developers heavily favored housing and office construction fell short of estimates Link Apartments QPN includes an entrance to the adjacent subway station through New York City’s Zoning for Accessibility program Charlotte, North Carolina-based multifamily developer, manager and investor Grubb Properties has started leasing at Link Apartments QPN designed by New York City-based Handel Architects was inspired by the warehouses that previously lined the Queens riverfront expressed through ironspot brick and a varied fenestration pattern Starting on the ground level with 7,000 square feet of retail the property is arranged in a wide podium that narrows at the 12th floor forming a pair of rooftop amenity spaces at the middle and the top level Link Apartments QPN is the second New York City property, and the first outside of Manhattan, to participate in the city’s Zoning for Accessibility program which partners with private developers to incorporate access to nearby transit within new buildings in exchange for zoning bonuses fully accessible entrance to the adjacent Queensboro Plaza subway station via both a pedestrian bridge and access elevator residents can reach Manhattan within seven minutes Kitchens include stainless steel appliances and under-cabinet lighting while the bathrooms feature porcelain tile floors and tiled wet walls Over 35,000 square feet of amenities at the property include a 24-hour concierge The middle terrace includes an outdoor garden courtyard while the rooftop features an outdoor dining space with skyline views Resident and bike storage is available on site The property also features original commissioned artwork and sculptures from over half a dozen local artists The development is located close to the land parcels previously set aside for Amazon’s HQ2 a project abandoned in 2019 following local opposition The New York City Economic Development Corp intends to release a request for development proposals for this area in the near future Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Bozzuto and Cardinal Group highlighted the strategies that drive value during a recent webinar Subscribe to Multifamily Dive for top news The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines By: 7:30 am on April 8 Long Island City Queens is continuing its transformation with a host of new buildings cropping up on some of the last available parcels YIMBY photographed several examples around the booming residential district of the downtown area most of which are near the elevated Queensboro Plaza station serving the 7 Other sites are located in the neighborhood across the Sunnyside Yard facility Excavation and foundation work are moving along at 42-74 Hunter Street the site of a ten-story residential project on an interior lot by the confluence of Hunter and 27th Streets 27 Hunter LLC is listed as the owner of the project which is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2027 No architect or additional details on the building’s scope are currently available The property was formerly vacant and overgrown The following rendering shows 42-74 Hunter Street clad in a contemporary façade composed of gray paneling surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows Two stacks of balconies lined with glass railings protrude from the front elevation and a setback at the tenth story could likely provide space for a roof terrace The residential entrance is positioned at the southern end of the base and flanked by commercial space with double-height windows Below-grade work is also progressing at 43-05 Crescent Street the site of a nine-story residential building at the intersection of Crescent Street and 43rd Avenue Designed by INOA Architecture for Weitao Shi of Central Realty the 119-foot-tall structure will span 26,913 square feet and yield 39 rental units with an average scope of 684 square feet The development will also include 200 square feet of commercial space and a cellar level The property is alternately addressed as 25-08 43rd Avenue Permits were filed for the project in July 2023 and its anticipated completion date is slated for March 2026 The following photos show crews deep beneath street level preparing for the formation of the foundations Several pilings are present in the center of the site and bundles sit awaiting the start of foundation work The below preliminary rendering of 43-05 Crescent Street from the construction board depicts a sleek modern design featuring a glass curtain wall with rounded corners A sculptural trim meanders up the building at two-story intervals and the structure culminates in a setback volume with a pointed cantilevering corner Demolition is wrapping up at 42-19 24th Street the site of a 40-story residential tower located between Queens Plaza South and 42nd Road the 456-foot-tall structure will span 195,682 square feet and yield 216 rental units with an average scope of 897 square feet The development will also include 1,721 square feet of commercial space Permits for the project were filed last August The following photos show the former low-rise occupant razed to street level and crews in the process of clearing the site of debris YIMBY expects cleanup work to conclude before the end of spring No construction timeline or renderings have been revealed for the new structure Below is the former occupant of the parcel before its demolition renovation and expansion work are progressing on The Packard Motor Building an eight-story commercial building located at 32-02 Queens Boulevard between 32nd Place and Van Dam Street a Manhattan-based real estate investment firm affiliated with Related Companies the structure will span 325,000 square feet Cosmetics company Mana Products sold the property to the developer for $61 million in 2022 in a deal brokered by Cushman & Wakefield Construction is expected to wrap up in February 2026 The following photos show the building almost fully refinished in its new coat of slate gray paint Excavation and foundations are also underway for the expansion of the reinforced concrete superstructure A former one-story volume of the building was demolished to make room for the new construction which will house four new freight elevators The closest subway from the property is the 7 train at the elevated 33rd Street-Rawson Street station The below renderings preview the completed appearance of 32-02 Queens Boulevard’s redevelopment Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Need to connect Sunnyside and LIC on queens blvd with new housing Long Island City looks like downtown Toronto ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC The Unapologetic Foods reopens the Indian restaurant in the East Village in a bigger space The duo closed the original Long Island City location and have relocated the restaurant into the East Village at 107 First Avenue Visitors of the larger, revamped Adda will find familiar touches: There’s the same wallpaper of press clippings and Indian pop culture; the chalkboard sign with the handwritten “Adda Indian Canteen”; and Desi music straight from Pandya’s personal playlists While this new restaurant has more than doubled in size the food still has the same core mission: showcasing the regional cuisines of India without dumbing it down Adda’s relocation was a natural progression: The LIC restaurant outgrew the space And New Yorkers’ understanding of Indian food has evolved The team that opened Adda in 2018 isn’t the same team now “What else are we doing to keep taking guests onto that journey that continues the narrative?” Adda in Queens was the beginning of what it meant to be unapologetic about their food: Now it’s the tagline for the restaurant group Chintan wasn’t cooking to please other people [which] is the single biggest powerful statement as a chef,” Mazumdar says of when the restaurant first opened “We genuinely didn’t think anybody would still show up.” And show up the people did After opening several restaurants since — each stocked with dishes that resonate with Mazumdar and Pandya — it’s a given that Adda in East Village would continue in that vein Mazumdar addresses how the kitchen doesn’t use salmon for example a fish more palatable for a wider audience it would be made at home with whatever fish was available “But I think we are past that time,” he says The bheja fry (goat brains) is now served with a side of offal butter along with little thick toasts “Goat brains are not on the menu because it’s a statement; they’re on the menu because that’s part of who we are,” Mazumdar says There’s homey haleem (a stew) served with paratha made with mawa (a South Asian dairy) and the chapli kebab is topped with a fluffy layer of eggs They’re also serving vegetarian versions of meaty dishes: the beef keema roll is mirrored with a soya iteration stuffed in a halved chili pepper Then there’s the equally inventive cocktail menu from Unapologetic Foods' beverage director Mike Reed. Expect beverages with raita and chutneys, as well as nonalcoholic options. The team showcases its beer collaborations with Brooklyn’s Transmitter Brewing “Pushing yourself isn’t about working hard,” Mazumdar says of Unapologetic’s empire-building It’s about carving a new path while sharing their vision with New York Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Ben Turner enjoys biking on the Little Bay Park bike path in Bayside he may be able to extend his ride to Long Island City The city Department of Transportation is in the process of planning a Queens Waterfront Greenway that would create a continuous 16-mile bike and pedestrian path.  “I think it’s a great idea to give more people more options to getting around the city,” Turner said and it’s good for people’s pocketbooks,” he added “It can save you a lot of money commuting by bicycle.” The Queens Waterfront Greenway is one of five new greenways the city plans to develop in Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx. In October 2023, the mayor’s office announced it had secured funding for the city’s Greenway Expansion Initiative.  Forty of the 60 connected miles would include new protected bike lanes. The Harlem River Greenway project in the Bronx is the furthest along in its planning stages, but they haven’t yet broken ground. The others are still being planned.  “We’re early on in the two-year process to plan for a continuous family-friendly route, along and near the Queens waterfront, that will allow residents to comfortably access their parks and other important destinations by foot or by bike,” Carl Sundstrom, the DOT’s chief of cycling and micromobility, said.  There are many existing bike and pedestrian paths, and the plan will close the gaps between them. The plan will connect Long Island City’s Gantry Plaza State Park along the East River to Bayside’s Fort Totten Park on the Long Island Sound.  The reaction from Long Island City residents NY1 spoke with was mixed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, because where are the cars gonna go?” Jimmy Rivera, a Long Island City resident, said.  Jimmy and Maria Rivera have lived in the neighborhood for nearly 60 years, and they feel the city favors cyclists and pedestrians over drivers.  “I get it. They want us off the road and on a bike, but I’m not riding a bike in the snow,” Maria Rivera said.  Fenny Lopez, though, who works at a doggy daycare called Pooches in front of Gantry Plaza State Park, says a new greenway will attract customers.  “I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem for businesses,” Lopez said. “Businesses want people to pass through, because it’s more eyes, more people interested in the area.” The DOT says the Queens Waterfront Greenway is still in the planning process, and there is no scheduled day for breaking ground.  The agency expects to schedule a second round of public workshops later this year to continue gathering community input. Peering at Long Island City from across the East River makes it easy to see why the neighborhood has become synonymous with new development in recent years Modern high-rises dominate the neighborhood’s waterfront an additional 14,000 homes could be allowed in Long Island City through land-use changes that Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is proposing as part of a broader effort to address the local housing crisis City planning officials declined to say exactly when they will begin the monthslong review process But some residents said the push in this western corner of Queens comes as a surprise given the area’s transformation over the past few decades “How are they going to add more apartments here?” said Maria Remache a child care worker who moved into her apartment in 1994 She said she likes her neighborhood’s residential shift, but gestured to an eight-story building rising less than a block from her home and asked where more buildings would go Long Island City added 1,859 new condos and apartments last year, the most of any neighborhood in the five boroughs, according to an annual report from the Department of City Planning Another roughly 4,600 units are nearing completion City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said the neighborhood has plenty of space to accommodate more residential buildings especially just east of the existing towers on the waterfront He said past rezonings permitted high-rises in some areas but excluded housing from large sections of Long Island City with many blocks remaining zoned for low-rise manufacturing and commercial uses “There is a very central area here along the waterfront that has been untouched and we have an opportunity to enable housing great waterfront access and mandatory affordable housing in this process,” he said A pair of semidetached one- and two-family homes on an otherwise industrial stretch of 44th Drive in Long Island City metal beams clanged as a crane at Empire City Iron Works hoisted them into the air single-story warehouses line 46th Avenue — a sharp contrast to the neighborhood's residential towers The city wants to rezone much of a 54-block swath generally bound by the Queensboro Bridge to the north the East River to the west and 23rd Street to the east The southern boundary roughly hews to industrial blocks from 44th Drive to 47th Avenue The proposal would allow high-rise apartment and condo complexes elsewhere along the waterfront and on blocks near Court Square, according to materials presented at a series of public hearings and community board meetings And the city wants to pave the way for new housing along 44th Drive construction businesses and a handful of semi-detached one- and two-family homes The proposed zoning plan for Long Island City The different codes represent different zonings and allowable uses The median sales price for a two-bedroom unit in the neighborhood is more than $1.4 million City rules require developers to price at least a quarter of new units built as a result of a rezoning for people earning less than the area median income. Garodnick said that makes the current proposal a corrective for previous rezonings in Long Island City including a 2001 overhaul that sparked the building boom but did not come with any affordability requirements The plan could result in two-bedroom apartments priced in the $2,500 to $3,500 range which is still higher than most New Yorkers can afford a filmmaker and cochair of the nonprofit Western Queens Community Land Trust “We aren't opposed to development and we understand cities have to grow and change But if you’re going to open the door to make it easier to develop it has to be combined with a huge financial commitment to subsidize [affordable housing.]” In addition to affordable housing, the land trust is calling on the city to let it turn an underused building owned by the city’s Department of Education into a food co-op City Councilmember Julie Won, who represents the area and has major influence over the plan’s future, declined to comment on the Adams administration’s proposal. At a community meeting about the plan last year, Won told Gothamist she wasn’t “in full agreement” with the specifics and wanted “100% affordable housing for public land.” Diego Velazquez stands outside Wildflour Cafe the Long Island City bakery where he works Business owners and employees in Long Island City said they were worried about what could happen to their livelihoods if property owners decide to redevelop their land into more profitable uses though many also said they saw the benefits of new housing but I like my job and I like having the option to work here,” said Giuliano Stanila who works at a catering company based in a one-story warehouse “So I don't want houses where my job is but if there's houses across the street pointed to an irony of her company headquarters: Inside framed building schematics hang from the walls — but they may have to leave to make way for new construction but we are going to have some people that we can work for here,” she said Past rezonings have sometimes hurt small businesses like the auto body shops that once lined Jerome Avenue in the Bronx but were evicted to make way for new apartment buildings according to reporting by City Limits and other outlets said the proposal for Long Island City increases the capacity of the neighborhood’s industrial business zone which spans about two dozen blocks south of the Queensboro Bridge Stanila and Fernandez work just outside the zone ”We are doing a manufacturing ‘upzoning,’” Garodnick said “There are whole areas where we're creating new tools for manufacturing.” 19-year-old Baruch College freshman Diego Velazquez said he saw the upside of the city’s plan “This place is nice and there are a lot of opportunities to build housing,” said Velazquez who lives with his parents in East Elmhurst David is a reporter covering housing for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 908-310-3960. A Trump official accused James of fraud concerning her real estate properties. Her allies argue it's political retribution. “ This is NIMBY, very, very clearly NIMBY,” said the CEO of a nonprofit organization helping homeless people. By: 8:00 am on February 23 Updated plans and renderings have been revealed for 42-50 24th Street, an upcoming 44-story residential skyscraper in downtown Long Island City Developed by Chris Jiashu Xu of United Construction & Development the 589-foot-tall structure will stand as the second-tallest condominium tower in the borough only surpassed by the developer’s 67-story 763-foot-tall Skyline Tower a few streets to the south The site is bound by 23rd Street to the west The rudimentary aerial rendering above depicts a large podium taking up the entire city block and topped with a green rooftop The tower then rises along the eastern side of the property with monolithic massing leading up to a flat roof parapet A pair of diagrams below show one shallow setback 100 feet above the eastern elevation The podium will rise 28.5 feet and will be separated from the main tower by a narrow corridor Developed by United Construction & Development The project site is highlighted in yellow in the following image The lack of tall buildings to the west of the plot should allow for panoramic vistas of the Manhattan skyline and Queensboro Bridge Xu purchased the land in the spring of 2024 for $57.5 million from a joint venture between Fisher Brothers and The Hakim Organization The sale was brokered by Doug Middleton and Daniel Kaplan of CBRE 42-50 24th Street site highlighted in yellow Below is an outdated iteration of 42-50 24th Street by Perkins Eastman that was last seen in YIMBY’s coverage from 2018 or construction timeline have been revealed at this time The nearest subways from the property are the 7 and W trains at the Queensboro Plaza station to the northeast the google maps shots are missing several years of skyscraper development in LIC I guess they thought the color would jazz it up Thats just a diagram I assure you it wont be teal Long Island City was once the center of Queens Postwar deindustrialization and the growth of the suburbs turned this formerly vibrant area into a neglected neighborhood but that newly created void eventually spurred Long Island City’s transformation you’ll find theaters and galleries on the vanguard of contemporary art and independent artisans who have carved out niches amid the newly built skyscrapers and apartment towers Here’s our guide to the neighborhood and what to see which showcases some of the world’s finest and most inventive contemporary art inside a former public school Their permanent collection is literally embedded within the building a hole in the ceiling created with a jackhammer so that visitors could see the sky from within the museum which looks like a balloon animal carved out of white stone break up the space with their shape and color nine artists displayed works that played on the theme of invasive species with sculptures that rise out of the earth and grass like twisted trees or hide amid bushes and reeds hosts dozens of multidisciplinary events each year and has a formal residency for artists to hone their craft Art can be found all around Long Island City Near the Queensbridge Houses on 40th Avenue he grew up in Queensbridge — one of a number of famous hip-hop artists who have called the sprawling project houses their home before the company dissolved in the mid-1940s It’s abandoned but protected as a historic landmark distinctive amid the auto chop shops and warehouses lining the road you can browse a massive selection of used furniture covering a century’s worth of styles plus a side room filled to the ceiling with art and home decor an independent seller that’s been a longtime fixture on Manhattan’s Upper West Side The Long Island City location is a short jaunt from the Court Square subway station which offers its usual lineup of craft beers but also more fruit-forward mixed culture beers letting you pair dumplings with double IPAs When you’re done with your dumplings and draft beer and after you’ve soaked in all the art you can handle there’s one last stop to make in Long Island City: the waterfront Once the site of the industry that made this part of Queens vitally important to the growth and economy of New York City this space is now parkland – two separate parks The former is a waterfront promenade near the Long Island City LIRR station starting where Newtown Creek empties into the East River and winding north along the water’s edge Around 50th Avenue, that land becomes Gantry Plaza State Park, a former dockyard named for the two gantries prominently displayed within it. It was here that freight would be offloaded from LIRR rail cars onto ships and vice versa, and where a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant stood until 1999 The sign that once topped that plant still remains now at ground level and part of the Long Island City skyline Today, skyscrapers dot the site where cranes and factories once stood; there, too, you’ll find the Queens Public Library (47-40 Center Blvd) an 82-foot-tall building with a roof terrace and windows that look like missing jigsaw pieces It’s a standout piece of architecture and design work as alluring to the eye as the endless Manhattan skyline across the East River Speaking of which: find yourself a bench along the water and settle down to watch the city There’s no better vantage point in a neighborhood full of stunning sights Multiple subway lines converge in Long Island City Court Square is the last stop on Queens-bound G trains and the first stop in Queens for E and M trains coming from Manhattan The 7 train makes three stops in Long Island City: Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave with the R stopping in Queens Plaza on its way to Forest Hills while the N and W head to Queensboro Plaza on the way to Astoria And the F stops near the border between Long Island City and Astoria at 21 St-Queensbridge There are also two Long Island Rail Road stations in Long Island City passengers can take the LIRR in the direction of Oyster Bay Montauk or Port Jefferson during weekday rush hours The Hunterspoint Avenue station is also served by the Oyster Bay Montauk and Port Jefferson branches and offers connections to the 7 train and the Q67 bus Multiple subway lines and LIRR branches can take you to points throughout Long Island City © 2025 Metropolitan Transportation Authority Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Media Kit Subscribe to MTA Away's Newsletter By: 7:30 am on February 16 The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is planning to issue a Request For Expressions of Interests (RFEI) on behalf of the city for 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, a six-story commercial building in Long Island City The RFEI is an appeal to the public for input on the redevelopment of the 672,000-square-foot structure which currently serves as the central hub for New York City’s Department of Education the city will decide whether to embark on a full or partial transformation of the property into revamped commercial The redevelopment could also include the addition of waterfront access under the OneLIC Long Island City Neighborhood Plan initiative by the Department of City Planning (DCP) The property is located along Anable Basin at the intersection of Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive The RFEI was first announced during a town hall meeting for the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan on January 25 attended by Council Member Julie Won and representatives from the DCP and WXY Studio The Department of Education is currently utilizing the building for storage and warehouse space The facility serves divisions including the Office of Pupil Transportation and the Office of Food and Nutrition Services Below is a diagram from the Department of City Planning showing 44-36 Vernon Boulevard and the surrounding lots along the Long Island City waterfront The redevelopment scheme also includes two adjacent parking lots at 44-59 45th Avenue and 4-99 44th Drive that are currently owned by the Transportation and Small Business Services departments Courtesy of the Department of City Planning The Long Island City Neighborhood plan was first announced in October 2023 and aims to create as many as 16,000 new homes This figure would include at least 4,000 income-restricted affordable homes for New Yorkers with an average of 60 or 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) The plan also calls for the creation of 16,000 new jobs across various sectors as well as the construction of 3 million square feet of commercial space and several new schools and community spaces Other proposed components include an update to the Waterfront Access Plan to form 7 to 9 acres of new public waterfront space protections for existing neighborhood tenants and improvements to street safety across a vast section of the district’s underdeveloped commercial and industrial city blocks Below is a map of the proposed land usage under the initiative with 44-36 Vernon Boulevard resting within the red-colored M1-5A/R8 section situated above the subterranean subway tunnels for the E and M trains 44-36 Vernon Boulevard was once slated to serve as part of Amazon’s “HQ2” proposal which sought to construct a sprawling tech campus in New York City The tech giant withdrew its plan in early 2019 plan following opposition from local elected officials over the required $3 billion in grants and incentives from the city The nearest subways from the site are the E and M trains at the Court Square-23rd Street station which offers a connection to the 7 train at the Court Square station and the office of Council Member Julie Won are expected to deliver more details and information about the RFEI process this spring The process is expected to conclude by late summer 2025 followed by the roughly seven-month ULURP certification process The NYCEDC could then issue a Requests For Proposals (RFP) to find a developer for the project must give importance to land along the coastline: Thanks Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Image via WikiCommons Amazon first revealed plans to build a huge campus along the Queens waterfront in November 2018. The agreement between the city and the company included the creation of a complex on city-owned and private land in LIC the latter of which is owned by the plastics company Plaxall The announcement quickly sparked pushback from local officials and advocate groups after learning that the city offered the corporation—one of the world’s most valuable—roughly $3 billion in grants and incentives. Additionally, at a subsequent City Council hearing, Amazon officials announced that the company would combat efforts by its NYC workforce to unionize The company would have displaced 1,000 public school staffers from the Department of Education building, which houses three divisions: the Office of Pupil Transportation, the Division of School Facilities, and the Office of Food and Nutrition Services, according to Crain’s community groups have rallied to repurpose the building into an “incubator” for local businesses and artists Now, as the city continues with its efforts to rezone a large swath of the Queens waterfront neighborhood the DOE building is being looked at as a potential site for redevelopment The city is also looking at two adjacent city-owned parking lots at 44-59 45th Avenue and 4-99 44th Drive currently under the ownership of the Transportation and Small Business Services departments Responses to the RFEI are due by late summer 2025 and will give the city a better sense of what projects are realistic for the site It could also lead to a request for proposals (RFP) for the EDC to find a development team for the project The RFEI would solicit ideas for adaptively reusing the building, asking respondents to come up with plans to redevelop all or a portion of the building for adaptive reuse. According to the city, the building needs extensive repair and upgrades which “could cost several hundred million dollars which is expected to be similar to the costs of constructing a new building on the site.” developer TF Cornerstone had won a city RFP to build a 1.5 million-square-foot and the developer has since relinquished control of the lots as part of the new rezoning process Unveiled in October 2023, the LIC Neighborhood Plan calls for a rezoning to build 14,000 new homes and up to nine acres of waterfront open space across the area The plan would allow for high-density mixed residential and light industrial uses along the waterfront south of Anable Basin (where the DOE building is located) and enable high-density housing around Court Square the proposed zoning changes would allow for the development of high- and medium-density mixed-use residential the proposal would permit medium-density residential and in a section of the LIC Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) and community facility uses could be constructed The plan includes incorporating Mandatory Inclusionary Housing across the zoning area and mandating income-restricted affordable housing as part of every new development This component could create 4,000 affordable homes at an average of 60 or 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) three times as many built in the last 10 years in LIC for individuals earning less than 120 percent of the AMI The plan has already been reviewed by the public and adjusted over three rounds of “focus area meetings” and two past town halls mediated by Council Member Julie Won By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a877de06d4ac7d61cb0399780d261c9f" );document.getElementById("d57a537edf").setAttribute( "id" By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can unsubscribe at any time By: 8:00 am on January 21 An updated rendering has been revealed for 24-19 Jackson Avenue, a planned 55-story residential skyscraper in the Court Square section of Long Island City Designed by FXCollaborative and developed by Tavros Capital and Charney Companies in partnership with Incoco Capital the proposed 676-foot-tall structure is slated to yield 600 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space The 18,000-square-foot property is bound by 45th Avenue to the north The exterior aerial rendering above depicts the southwestern elevation of the skyscraper beginning with a multistory podium covering the full parcel and topped with a landscaped terrace The main tower rises uniformly with only a pair of shallow setbacks on the southeastern face leading to a flat parapet and a tall bulkhead The façade is composed of a black metal grid framing reflective floor-to-ceiling glass with a dense grouping of horizontal mullions that gradually gives way to more expansive vertical spans of glass as the building rises The bulkhead is shown enclosed in an illuminated light gray envelope creating a similar aesthetic to the crown of Hill West Architects’ nearby Skyline Tower Below are earlier renderings for 24-19 Jackson Avenue that preview the skyscraper from various angles showcasing the tower’s curved western corner none of the renderings have revealed the look of the northwestern profile The developers acquired the property from Japanese hotel operator Toyoko Inn for $68.3 million in 2022. The former owner had planned on building a 50-story hotel with 1,200 rooms. The site has sat idle and overgrown for the past several years, as seen in our last Turkey Week update in late November Chelsea Piers Fitness signed a lease to occupy 72,000 square feet in the building’s podium in a deal brokered by JLL The facility is slated to feature an outdoor swimming pool 24-11 Jackson Avenue was originally scheduled to begin construction in late 2023 and conclude in 2026 I hope it is triangular like the Boston building but why these complicated addresses in Long Island City?!? …how is anyone supposed to find these buildings Queens has been on the Philadelphia address system like Do you really not understand the Queens address system Queens has the most convenient house numbering in the city The first digits are the cross street of the block the second is the house number on that block and the last is the street on which the block fronts I wish Manhattan had a similar system instead of the chaotic housing numbering which varies by avenue and is never self-evident I always like the apartment building on E east of the Neue Galerie that calls itself “1045 Fifth Ave.” which has absolutely no frontage there Thank you David – I appreciate the explanation and will try to do better in the future in understanding the addresses you showed intelligence and mutual respect and I am grateful but you sounded quite the opposite on Yimby’s construction update on 23-15 44th Road last month I know because I copied and pasted a lengthy explanation of the numbered address and street system for you but it doesn’t seem like you cared to read that. William M.—thank you—I _did_ read your wonderful explanation of the ‘Queens system’ (twice!) and (never having been to Queens) learned a lot—permanently I can visualize exactly where it’s located What a crock of sht Stanley – “will try to do better in the future in understanding…” You wouldn’t be saying the same thing again if you read the answers people gave you before And b.itch please.“Grateful?” That fake a$$ innocent tone ain’t not fooling nobody here I’ve seen you around here before and you’re either crazy or just wanting attention Stanley why the f*ck do you keep making the same f*cking comment about this on other Long Island city projects that Yimby covers You could be a smart guy and keep your mouth shut but instead you just love showing the world how much of a retard you are https://streeteasy.com/blog/queens-addresses-hyphenated-confusing-street-names/amp/ Hope that answers your questions and eases your confusion once and for all Try taking a run or jog around LIC to familiarize yourself with the street patterns and numbers Seriously dude I’ve seen you repeat the same question and complaint multiple times on Yimby Why are you waiting for someone else to answer for you when there’s Google This is a very nice change to LIC’s current inventory of sky blue The site looks so sad with the abandoned machinery and old sidewalk fencing The great news is the continuing development of large and modern residential in LIC It speaks volumes about the long term health of the City and it’s living rebuttal to the Chicken Littles It makes much more sense as an apartment building than a huge hotel This building is next to the elevated Court Square station of the #7 train and across the street from the venerable Court Square Diner (1946) The distance between beautiful towers is not too close and the location is probably as popular as the building on waterfront: Thanks to Michael Young The second rendering makes it look so prominent when you walk north on Jackson Avenue Man I can’t wait for this to be under construction and watch the progress I live in The Prime above the Trader Joe’s across 23rd Street and this lot looks so sad to see from my window Looking forward to see this project actually start one day I’ll actually be able to afford living there This building will really tie the room together Corcoran and the Corcoran logos are trademarks of Corcoran Group LLC The Corcoran® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated The Corcoran System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act City Limits rounds up the latest news on housing Catch up on what you might have missed here Welcome to “What Happened in NYC Housing This Week?” where we compile the latest local news about housing, land use and homelessness. Know of a story we should include in next week’s roundup? Email us By: 7:00 am on April 18 The affordable housing lottery has launched for Eagle Loft Collection Phase 2, a 19-story residential building at 43-14 Queens Street in Long Island City Designed by SLCE Architects and developed by Rockrose Development Available on NYC Housing Connect are 91 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI) ranging in eligible income from $94,286 to $181,740 Eagle Loft Collection Phase 2 in Long Island City Residents will have access to a wide range of amenities including a gym Units are equipped with washers and dryers there are 75 studios with a monthly rent of $2,750 for incomes ranging from $94,286 to $161,590 and 16 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,475 for incomes ranging from $119,143 to $181,740 Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than June 13 I truly wish it was affordable but that’s for the rich and famous!!! “Rich and famous” is a dramatic overstatement Certain apts should be those who know and act rich and famous Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/www.newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC By: 8:00 am on December 22 Kicking off the top ten on our annual countdown of the tallest buildings under construction in New York is Lumen LIC, a 754-foot-tall residential skyscraper at 23-15 44th Road in Long Island City Designed by Hill West Architects and developed by FSA Capital the 66-story structure will span 855,400 square feet and yield 938 rental units with an average scope of 910 square feet as well as lower-level office space and 17,400 square feet of ground-floor retail The residential inventory is planned to include 282 affordable housing units The property is alternately addressed as 43-30 24th Street and located along 44th Road between 23rd and 24th Streets The tower crane was dismantled and the reflective glass curtain wall and metal cladding have finished enclosing the skyscraper to its bulkhead since our last update in July when exterior work was closing in on the final levels The only major section of the envelope awaiting completion is the gap at the southern end of the eastern elevation where the construction hoist remains anchored Below are additional images of Lumen from earlier this summer, when construction topped out around the time of our last update in early July Apartments at Lumen LIC are expected to begin on level four with up to 16 units per floor Amenities will include a 75-foot-long temperature-controlled indoor swimming pool and a fitness center with private yoga and Pilates classes Concierge services include move-in assistance Other amenities include a children’s playroom a third-floor common space with a business center a secondary residential lounge with a demonstration kitchen and a landscaped outdoor terrace on the fifth floor Lumen LIC at 23-15 44th Road in Long Island City The developer purchased the 79,250-square-foot full-block parcel from Stawski Partners for $200 million in March 2022 and later secured a $364 million construction loan from Wells Fargo to complete the project The nearest subways from the property are the G and 7 trains at the Court Square station and the E and F trains at the Court Square-23rd Street station Lumen LIC’s anticipated completion date is slated for early 2025 Applications for the affordable housing units must be postmarked or submitted online no later than December 30 JLL is handling marketing and leasing for the office component I remember when everybody made fun of the “asparagus,” then the tallest building in Queens Now it’s surrounded by all these ugly glass boxes the poor little building with its rental signs has lost its million-dollar view—the history of NYC This building makes quite an impact on the skyline “Numen Lumen” ( my college motto ) These dumb address in Long Island City are all I need to see refusing to live in a building because you’re too lazy to learn about a part of nyc history Why are you still going off about this and making the same comment from the last building update in July What’s more dumb is how you’re STILL complaining about a grid system laid out a very long time ago and STILL choosing not to learn about it because “it’s too hard to learn.” Bllsh*t Such an unreasonable excuse for any grown adult dude… I copied and pasted this text from a commenter from Yimby’s last building update Queens started as a series of small communities that grew together as a county Eventually this area became one of the boroughs of the City of New York and remains as a county of New York State Many of these small communities had their own street names for a thoroughfare that actually would traverse several urban areas Thus a street could change its name every few blocks Most of these early street names were alphabetical in nature Because of the problems with this system in a rapidly growing area a massive renaming and renumbering project occurred within the borough of Queens in the 1910s and 1920s replacing the old alphabetical street names with a grid of numerical streets and avenues One still sees some of these old names even though they no longer are official (for example This essay discusses the logic of this grid system we will use the word “street” with a small s to denote any roadway With a capital S it denotes those roadways whose names end in “Street” Approximately 80% of the entire borough of Queens has an underlying grid used to identify and locate an area of interest Streets typically run north-south beginning at the western border of the borough Avenues run east-west beginning at the northern border the theoretical intersection of 1st Street and 1st Avenue is at the extreme northwestern part of Queens The Streets are laid out in an approximately linear fashion They begin at 1st Street and increase numerically towards the eastern border When the blocks are small or are added after the initial layout and assignment This is why only some numbers have the additional designation of Place or Lane if two streets were to be added between 21st Street and 22nd Street the Avenues go to the southern border and go as high as 167th Avenue When the blocks are small or are added after the initial layout and assignment This is why only some numbers have the additional designations of Road if three streets were to be added between 21st Avenue and 22nd Avenue Boulevards are usually major thoroughfares traversing many Streets and Avenues They don’t follow specific rules of direction and may even make right angle turns This can cause some people to live at the corner of Francis Lewis Boulevard and Francis Lewis Boulevard Addresses are assigned on Boulevards based on the major direction All addresses are written with three fields The first field is a numeric field indicating the lower-numbered cross street This is followed by a hyphen and then a numeric field indicating the house number The third field is the street name and is usually (but not always) numeric Sometimes the hyphen is dropped when the cross-street field is just two digits but this is usually done only by businesses In all cases the hyphen is assumed to be in the address and is the format preferred by the US Postal Service Cross Street Field: This field denotes the lower-numbered cross street the cross street must be an Avenue so the highest value for this field would be 167 the cross street must be a Street so the highest value for this field would be 271 House Number Field: This field is assigned to locate a building on a block Each time a Street or an Avenue is crossed If a block has twenty houses (ten on each side) close together then addresses on one side of a block might begin 231-01 Across the street houses would be numbered 231-02 On the next block (crossing over 232nd Street) the houses might begin with 232-01 across from 232-02 If there was an intervening street before 232nd Street such as 231st Place the first two corner houses on the next block would be 231-21 and 231-23 with 231-22 and 231-24 across the street The house number would continue to increase until you crossed 232nd Street at which point the next two corner houses would be 232-01 and 232-02 Usually the odd numbers are on the west side of Streets and the north side of Avenues The numbers increase as you go southward along a Street and eastward along an Avenue This occurs less than five percent of the time Street Name Field: This field can be either a number or a name Except for the named Boulevards which are usually the major arteries you cannot tell exactly where an address is located on a street with a name An address such as 257-05 Kraft Avenue would be in eastern Queens due to the 257 obviously being a Street (both because it is crossing an Avenue and because it is bigger than 167) If this address was around the corner from 147-25 258th Street then we would know from the 147 that both were in the extreme southeastern corner of the county Buildings located adjacent to Parkways and Expressways follow the same rules 21-23 15th Avenue The house is on 15th Avenue between 21st Street and 22nd Street in North West Queens and its number is 23 15-23 156th Street The house is on 156th Street between 15th and 16th Avenue in North Central Queens and its number is also 23 15-25 156th Street The next house south of example b Note the house number gets higher in the same direction as the street numbers get higher 16-23 156th Street Located a block south of example b 156-23 15th Avenue Located around the corner from example b 156-23 15th Road Located a block south of example e and f are all within one block of each other 15-23 156th Avenue Located miles away from example b in South West Queens 255-25 13th Street This is a mistake – Avenues don’t go up to 255th Av; possibly try 13th Avenue 164-08 Jamaica Avenue This is house number 08 on Jamaica Avenue located where it crosses 164th Street We know this because Jamaica Avenue wouldn’t cross another Avenue (164th) therefore it crosses 164th Street These guidelines are accurate 95 percent of the time Such a stupid statement Stanley and can’t get more ignorant than that Have fun losing out on a chance for an affordable housing unit because you don’t want to educate yourself 🤦‍♂️ Imagine to qualify for housing at Lumen LIC you must pass a test on how to read addresses in Long Island city lolz How old are you Stanley that you have a hard time reading words You really did repeat the same comment in yesterday’s article The other problem in Queens was that it was largely rural until the building of the 59th St often had their own street grids which were not at the same angle The incorporation of Queens into New York City in 1898 led to the numbering of streets/roads to reduce confusion I wish Manhattan had a similar system to Queens so one would automatically know the cross street The building has a pretty plain uninspired design…..but the western sunset view will be absolutely gorgeous the light can turn into a beautiful torch: Thanks Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon The best of New York straight to your inbox We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy New York without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. New York It’s been a while since a new culinary market opened in New York—but this one was worth the wait. As first reported by LIC Post is set to open this May inside Star Tower at 27-17 42nd Road the food hall will feature 10 vendors specializing in a variety of Asian cuisines Three brand-new restaurants will make their debut in the space: The hall will also house several expansions known for its guokui—a crispy flatbread stuffed with beef egg yolk and more—and Hunan Noodle’s second location specializing in dry hot pots and railway bentos inspired by Taiwanese train meals opening its third Queens location and adding another rice noodle soup hotspot to the borough Rounding out the lineup are Onigiri Planet bubble tea spot Cozy Tea Loft and Duomi Rice Yogurt House While many similar markets have shuttered across New York in recent years the opening of LIC Food Hall feels like a continuation of a growing trend—one that specifically celebrates Asian cuisine In January, for example, Japanese brand Muji launched its first-ever gastronomic venture inside Chelsea Market debuting its first North American coffee shop in midtown Manhattan New Yorkers are still into food halls of a very specific kind Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us Contacts:Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471 Long Island City Neighborhood Plan Advances Toward Public Review Draft Zoning Proposal Could Enable as Many as 14,000 New Homes Proposed Rezoning Would Create Commercial Space Advance Strategies for Housing Preservation NEW YORK – New York Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today released the draft zoning framework, a detailed zoning map, and draft strategies to advance the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan toward environmental and public review first unveiled at a neighborhood town hall on Monday evening would facilitate the creation of around 14,000 new homes including at least 4,000 income-restricted affordable homes allow for more than three million square feet of new commercial space and improve waterfront access and the public realm DCP also presented draft strategies to guide the neighborhood plan as it progresses including: preserving affordable housing and generating new housing; investing in parks and delivering new open space; enhancing connectivity and pedestrian safety; improving resilience; supporting businesses and the creative community; investing in neighborhood services; and supporting local partners.  “This is an opportunity to take a comprehensive look at LIC’s strengths and needs resilient neighborhood,” said DCP Director Dan Garodnick including mandating affordable housing for the first time in this neighborhood and excellent open spaces and waterfront access.”   “Since the beginning of the OneLIC Neighborhood Planning Process I have ensured that we are centering our community’s voices so that we develop a neighborhood plan that meets our long-term needs and puts people over profit Throughout 11 meetings with over 1,300 attendees our community’s priorities are clear: we must commit to building 100 percent affordable housing on public land and plan for resiliency for our current and future residents,” said Council Member Julie Won “Our current developer-driven land use process has led to tremendous growth in our neighborhoods but at the cost of increased displacement I will continue to ensure that our community’s priorities especially those from our neighbors who have been historically excluded from previous planning efforts are reflected in the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan.”  has gathered public feedback and been refined over three rounds of “focus area meetings” and two previous town halls and facilitator WXY Studio helped to develop shared goals and community recommendations based on the community’s input The zoning proposal and draft strategies shared at Monday’s town hall attended by more than 200 community members set the stage for the plan to begin environmental review DCP will release a draft scope of work and hold a scoping meeting for the community to weigh in on environmental review for the plan The proposed land use would update the Waterfront Access Plan to guide development and ensure public open space and connections to inland areas to the east The proposal would enable high-density mixed residential and would enable high-density housing near Court Square the proposed land use would enable high- and medium-density mixed-use residential Along 44th Drive and in the southern portion of the study area the proposal would enable medium-density residential And in the portion of the Long Island City Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) the proposal would enable high- and medium- density manufacturing and community facility uses to support business success and growth.   The plan would map Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) across the study area requiring income-restricted affordable housing as a part of new development in the neighborhood for the first time it could create 4,000 income-restricted affordable homes at an average of 60% or 80% of the area median income (AMI) – three times as many as have been created in the last decade in Long Island City for New Yorkers earning under 120% AMI.  Paired with continuing city investment in affordable housing and a new tax incentive for mixed-income development the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan would ensure the neighborhood offers housing opportunity to New Yorkers at all income levels.  The proposed zoning districts unveiled at Monday’s Long Island City Neighborhood Plan town hall This proposal will be further refined and DCP will develop additional policies to achieve the goals of the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan as it progresses Following the scoping meeting and completion of environmental review the plan will enter the formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) a roughly seven-month process with review by the community board That process is anticipated to be completed by late 2025.  “Thank you to the Department of City Planning and Council Member Julie Won for their dedication and hard work on the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan This initiative reflects our community’s unique mixed-use heritage and commitment to responsible sustainable growth,” said Laura Rothrock “We are eager to collaborate further to refine and implement strategies that enhance housing ensuring they meet the diverse needs of Long Island City and foster a prosperous future for our neighborhood.”  “Long Island City is one of the fastest growing communities in the country and now we have an opportunity to address this growth in a high quality sustainable and accessible way,” said Rob Basch “Over the last decade we have had too many stops and starts on potential plans that have led to piecemeal development It is time to finally get something done that will take advantage of all the opportunities LIC offers and benefit all community members.”  “Building new homes near transit and job centers is essential to addressing the housing shortage and fostering a more equitable sustainable city,” said Annemarie Gray “Open New York members have participated in the public engagement process of the Long Island City neighborhood plan from the start and we look forward to being part of the next phase of the process now that the draft plan is public.”  “Long Island City has long been in need of a comprehensive rezoning plan that creates much needed affordable housing opportunities for local businesses to grow the Department of City Planning and Council Member Julie Won have been committed to engaging local stakeholders and gathering feedback to ensure community priorities were at the center of any rezoning plan with a proposal that includes 14,000 new homes and millions of square feet of new commercial space the Building Congress is proud to support the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan This rezoning proposal is a perfect example of how our city can advance crucial development goals while improving quality of life for the community On behalf of our members who will build these new structures I look forward to getting the Long Island City Neighborhood Plan across the finish line,” said Carlo A “LIC has needed a new comprehensive plan for some time based on failed mixed results from prior zonings more than twenty years ago While specific infrastructure investments and details are emerging the leadership of Councilwoman Won to engage disparate varied parts of the community and work with the City has been very meaningful and we hope will bring overdue holistic public improvements and funding to the fastest growing neighborhood in America,” said Frank Wu In addition to these neighborhood plans, the Adams administration is taking significant action to combat the city’s housing and affordability crisis. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity the most pro-housing set of zoning changes ever proposed in New York City is currently undergoing public review and is anticipated to come for a vote by the City Council before the end of the year The administration also recently implemented two critical tools to incentivize mixed-income rental development and office conversions less than two months after securing them in the state budget It is also cutting red tape to speed up the delivery of much-needed housing with the Green Fast Track which streamlines environmental review for climate-friendly housing and other initiatives of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce.   Department of City PlanningThe Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy DCP promotes housing production and affordability fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis technical assistance and data relating to housing NYC is a trademark and service mark of the City of New York Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.  By: 7:00 am on February 8 The affordable housing lottery has launched for The Fifty LIC, an 11-story mixed-use building at 39-26 30th Street in Long Island City Designed by Jon Yung of My Architect and developed by 39-26 Property LLC as the Brazilian Missionary Church Available on NYC Housing Connect are 16 units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) ranging in eligible income from $65,349 to $111,840 Residences come equipped with washers and dryers The Fifty LIC at 39-26 30th Street in Long Island City there are 16 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,843 for incomes ranging from $66,926 to $111,840 Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 27 I like all rental properties but they accept rental assistance programs Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC, YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC, 2025 Molly Fitzpatrick Bakery/Cafe West Village This Astoria bakery makes gooey cookies in inventive flavors and they’re thick enough to be enjoyed over more than one sitting Molly is a writer and reporter from New Jersey who now lives in Queens She is clinically incapable of shutting up about either place By: 8:00 am on November 30 Wrapping up our Turkey Week rundown of prominent stalled and on-hold projects is 24-11 Jackson Avenue, a planned 55-story residential skyscraper in the Court Square section of Long Island City the 676-foot-tall structure is slated to yield 600 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space The property is bound by 45th Avenue to the north Recent photographs show the 18,000-square-foot plot overgrown with weeds and other vegetation around scattered construction equipment Two low-rise holdouts remain on the northern corners of the triangular block which the developers acquired as part of the assemblage Renderings depict 24-11 Jackson Avenue rising from a multi-story podium covering the full footprint of the parcel This lower section is shown topped with landscaped terraces with trees and features two murals on its eastern face where the building abuts one of the commercial holdouts The tower then ascends in an L-shaped massing with stepped rectilinear edges on the ends of each wing and a rounded corner on the western elevation The exterior is composed of black metal paneling surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows and the skyscraper culminates in a gray mechanical bulkhead Below is an earlier iteration of the building’s design from May 2021 No news has emerged about the project since the summer of 2023 when Chelsea Piers Fitness signed a lease to occupy 72,000 square feet in the podium in a deal brokered by JLL The facility was planned to feature an outdoor swimming pool The developers acquired the property from Japanese hotel operator Toyoko Inn for $68.3 million in 2022 The former owner had planned on building a 50-story hotel with 1,200 rooms This might be part of a scene in a cowboy movie the black metal panels and murals are a striking contrast Such a sad sight for a prime site in the middle of LIC The Hotel Pennsylvania demolition was completed in July of last year and nothing has happened since then The overgrown weeds is giving I Am Legend vibes haha