LIC getting more great new waterfront parks

Oh, good. Inner-city youths need parks as an outlet for part of their violent tendencies. The rest will be channeled toward http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/12457-3000-poor-families-coming-to-lic

Sure alan, households making $158k per year are filled with violent thugs. Are you bitter because your rent stabilized apartment is old and crappy?

LICC - where are your numbers?

You must like that about your part of the city: it has a spectacular view of WHERE YOU REALLY WANT TO BE.

LICC = Manhattan Envy.

I think there's a few ways to look at it.

For example, Niagara falls. The Falls are in the US, but because of the views it's Canada where everyone want to be.

Plus now it'll have another flat depressing "park" from that hack Thomas Balsley. His stuff all looks like prison yards with sedge.

Like I've said steve, LIC is a great area with a great mix of happy, smart, young people having fun and enjoying their lives. You wouldn't fit in at all.

LICC, I truly cannot believe that you'd refer to LaGuardia Community College to describe LIC. What, as the kids used to say in the 1990s, ever.

I'll have to take a trip over to LIC one of these days...i'll also need to check out the Powerhouse.
LICC, any good restaurants in the area?

Quite a few. Try Tournesol for some great French food, or Shi for good Asian fusion and sushi. There are a bunch of others, depending on the type of food.

I'd buy & live in LIC @$200/$300 square foot, it's not worth more than that, it's noisy, industrial, polluted, boring and it's in Queens! Whatever they are trying to charge you for housing over there is a freakin' joke!
Anyone a bit educated financially speaking knows it. It's still funny to see brokers, developers, and recent owners trying to defend that neighborhood. You guys are screwed!

"You wouldn't fit in at all."

I agree with that.

"LIC is a great area with a great mix of happy, smart, young people having fun and enjoying their lives."

Really? Well my father and lots of my cousins graduated from LIC High, and my grandparents lived there long afterward, and I was there recently through no fault of my own, and it reminded me of Hiroshima circa 1945.

And - WHERE ARE YOUR NUMBERS?

"Really? Well my father and lots of my cousins graduated from LIC High, and my grandparents lived there long afterward, and I was there recently through no fault of my own, and it reminded me of Hiroshima circa 1945."

Steve, were you aboard the Enola Gay? That would make SO much sense!

I've been reading a lot of threads, new to this board. I recently moved to LIC and I think that it's a fantastic place. I was there just 1 year ago and didn't think that I would ever move there but it is incredible how it has changes ... not in terms of the new buildings but the people. LICC's quote:

"Like I've said steve, LIC is a great area with a great mix of happy, smart, young people having fun and enjoying their lives. You wouldn't fit in at all." sums it up.

I have lived in NY my entire life and while I would gladly take a $20 million apartment on 5th avenue with a private jet ... compared to the rest of the "real people's world" in NY (the rest of the city) I must say that LIC has the best community feel and one of the best groups of people that I have seen in the city. As I said, this is really just something that I saw in the beginning of 09 ...

I am sure that there are plenty of differing opinions (there always are) but I personally give my vote to LIC over many part of Manhattan at this point. living in manhattan doesn't mean what it used to. I don't agree with all of LICC's comments but he/she summed it up nicely this time.

"were you aboard the Enola Gay?"

LMAO.

Notice how all I did was post something positive about new waterfront parks, I didn't say anything negative about any other neighborhood, and then notice who the haters are who have to come on and post dumb, incorrect negative comments to try to knock LIC.

steve, thanks for the lesson on your family history from 50 years ago, but no one thinks your warped views of LIC mean anything.

"but no one thinks your warped views of LIC mean anything"

Unless they've been there.

Now - WHERE ARE YOUR NUMBERS?!

I think the park will be a great addition to the new development in the area. People can knock on LIC all they want, but between this, the LIRR stop in LIC/Sunnyside, and the federal stimulus money going into the Queens Plaza area, a lot of the city's economic development is concentrated on just this one area.

LICC, you can find the numbers you're looking for at http://weeklyworldnews.com/

The World's Only Reliable News

My grandmother believed that paper.

No wonder she was relegated to LIC.

You know, there are a higher percentage of people on public assistance in Manhattan than in Queens and Long Island City area.

"there are a higher percentage of people on public assistance in Manhattan than in Queens and Long Island City area"

Did you know that there are more people in Manhattan than in Long Island City?

Um, there are more people in Queens than in Manhattan. Besides, do you know what percentage means?

stevejhx, joking aside, what pleasure do you get out of bashing a neighborhood? You don't like it? Fine, but others seem quite happy with it. Live and let live, brother.

hahahahahaha

I think it really shows the lack of character of steve and alan to have to insist on posting a bunch of stupid comments to try to bash the neighborhood of others. I would guess they have insecurity complexes so the only way they feel good about themselves is to try to knock others. The way steve talks about his family, maybe he was a big disappointment to them, leading to his insecurity. Just guessing.

"The way steve talks about his family, maybe he was a big disappointment to them, leading to his insecurity."

I don't know. I don't talk to them. They're all criminals.

LICC - we're waiting for you to post all your numbers:

1) An individual apartment that in 2000 sold for a mere 2x or less what it sold for in 2008. (Just one.)

2) The premises on which you base your statement that it's not twice as expensive to own as to rent:

a) Mortgage & terms
b) Common charges, taxes, maintenance
c) Opportunity cost
d) TRANSACTION COST
e) Time frame until breakeven with renting.

Instead of trying to psychoanalyze online just because they reasonably find little to like about LICC, why don't you drop the psychobabble and support your unsupportable statements on the state of Manhattan real estate?

Do you often refer to yourself as "they" steve? Are you hearing voices in your head?

Gosh LICC, now I feel just awful for posting a bunch of stupid comments. Just awful.

"Are you hearing voices in your head?"

No. I'm waiting for you to post your data.

LICC likes the neighborhood and enjoys living there, he is posting info on the development, why does he have to post a spreadsheet to support a subjective opinion. Its his home not his 401k.

Exactly kiz, behold the madness that is stevejhx.

"behold the madness that is stevejhx."

I see, LICC: you side with someone who doesn't know your history!

this is the other thread

first of what will be many short sales in LIC>

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/415703-condo-5-09-48th-avenue-long-island-city

not the first, and not just for LIC ... that has been made pretty clear on this board.
It has also been made pretty clear across NY and across the country.

I thought that this thread was about parks coming to LIC.

My wife and i made our way over to LIC this past Sunday for the first time. Feel free to ignore this post if you hate LIC.

We took the 7 train from Bryant Park (42nd) street and got off at Vernon/Jackson blvd, the total travel time was about 5 minutes. My wife was surprise by how quick the commute was, almost felt like you're still in Manhattan until you made your way out of the subway. The first thing we noticed when we exited Vernon/Jackson blvd. were the police precinct and the many NYPD patrol vehicles parked everywhere. I can imagine this could be VERY comforting if you are commuting late from work. The first thing we did was have brunch at Tournesol (thanks LICC, food was great!). I had the hanger steak with fries....

Shortly after brunch, we strolled around the neighborhood before our Hunter's point/view appointments.
There are a number of restaurants on Vernon blvd...from Brazil coffee, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, American Diner, Fast food & another french restaurant (Cafe Henry, this is where we ended our day and had crepes..will go back again...wifie loved it.). We also noticed a number of local shops including 5, that's right...5 grocery/newsstands in a 2 block radius. I'm not sure why there are so many, maybe it's to serve our NYPD their donuts and coffee cravings. I think eliminating some of these and put up additional shops (starbucks, McDonalds, etc.) would be cool. There's also a pet shop on the corner of 49th and Vernon, this would be great since we own a dog. We went in there to pick up a treat and ended up talking with some of the locals. Most of the people in the area are young (25-35) and very polite. I was a bit surprised by how young the crowd is in the neighborhood. The people in this area reminds me more of Dumbo than Williamsburg. We also strolled through a small park on 49th, and there must have been about 50 kids running around in there. The overall atmosphere is very family like and all those parents seem to know each other. Not sure if this matters, but majority of the community is white and Asian.

Our first appointment was for Hunter's Point condos. The condo was very well build, the finishes were also very nice. Beside the overall space of the units being smaller than advertised, the one major negative about this condo is the location. It's literally right in front of the LIRR train tracks. After Hunter's point condo, we made our way to the much discussed and often talked about..the Powerhouse. The area around the powerhouse looks very underdeveloped and needs a lot of work. If the city does decide to move forward with the plans and turn all that water front properties into parks and new housing, it's going to be incredible. On the outside, the building looks incomplete, especially on the north side. The finishes and quality of the craftsmanship looks pretty darn good. I see Vikings appliances in the model units and a Jenair for stove. They certainly don't look cheap. The floors also looks good and feel solid. One negative is the kitchen and the cabinets, it just feels small and lack space for kitchen ware. We saw a few units which faces the south and the amount of light coming through these units were incredible. These units facing the south currently have unobstructed views of downtown Manhattan (will change with new development). We also ventured into the 3 bedroom model units on the 10th floor, the views in the living room was AWESOME! I've lived in Manhattan most of my life so views are something that is pretty much nonexistent. My wife was awestruck by it...my wife turned around and said..."i can see us starting a family here". I would love to, but sorry hun, can't afford it...maybe if it crashes another 50%. So in all, we walked away very impressed with the Powerhouse. One note, the unit is literally 1 block away from the Gantry Park (water front). This is by far one of the best water front parks in all of NYC. We were told the parks in front of east coast will be open in 2 weeks, this will make the existing park twice as big.

The best developed area is by Avalon, Citylights, Toll Brothers (5SL) and the 2 East Coast buildings which are all water front buildings. I was surprised there are shops (Wine, Supermarket, Duane Reade (must be the biggest in the city), and an Asian fusion restaurant) in this area. Sorry, we just didn't have time to head over to the View, 5SL and the Foundry..maybe later on this summer if prices are lower.

In all, my wife and i walked away impressed with the area. It's less developed than Dumbo and Williamsburg but by far it has the most potential.

Sure thing InFamous. Feel free to ask for any other recommendations anytime.

InFamous
3 days ago
ignore this person
report abuse Isn't Williamsburg considered one of the fringe neighbors by the Manhattan Streeteasy mongers (W67thstreet, Aboutready, NYCxxx, steveJnx, etc. etc.)? Stick with Manhattan my friend or prepared to get stoned.

Was your journey preparing you for 'getting stoned'?

I live at the View in LIC. Renting a condo unit. Have lived in Manhattan since 1982 when I moved to the West Village right out of college and my parent's suburban house. Have bought and sold a total of 2 condos and 1 coop in the West Village and Chelsea. Have rented in Tribeca and Hell's Kitchen. All are great 'hoods. Was looking to move to W'burg/Greenpoint as they remind of the West Village in the early 80's: young, hip, great cheap restaurants etc...Ended up in LIC as the apt was exactly what we were looking for. I have to say the View is well done. Not many people living there at the moment though. On the plus side for LIC the restaurants are all nearly uniformly good but we need more of them. the grocery store is a clone of Whole Foods. On the negative side it feels like a warehouse for disgruntled or priced out Manhattanites. Count me as the prior. Manhattan has gotten a bit boring and I have never seen people so angry and stressed. Much has to do with the economy and the beating down of RE prices. I probably would be grouchy if my 1.5 million cookie cutter 1 bedroom just suffered a 30% haircut and promised to go lower. Don't forgot the 401K which is a shadow of itself.
I will buy in W'burg as I feel a strong affinity with that nabe. I have eaten so many great meals there, had great runs along the waterfront(I have a 5 and 8 mile loop from LIC crossing the Pulaski bridge) and there are those tennis courts. The vibe in W'burg is where I think this nation is moving under this president: post-partisan and harmonious. The acrimony across the East River will have to change eventually.

"I have a 5 and 8 mile loop from LIC crossing the Pulaski bridge"

Please share! I've come up with decent loops, but could use a few more.

cfranch, interesting points about disgrunteledness, but I think it was already happening (or maybe just starting) during the run up, as a new wave of materialism seemed to set in. How else could people stay in Manhattan without making a lot (by national standards, anyway) of money or being house poor? Sure, a lot of young kids who would previously have been too afraid of many of the neighborhoods came to indulge on mommy and daddy's dime, but everyone else seemed to be hustling harder than ever.

On the other note, as a cyclist and half-assed urban explorer, I love most bridges, and the Williamsburg to Pulaski is a fun route. You can take it to the Queensboro instead of looping back if you don't mind having no off-street path south in Manhattan for a mile.

"Like I've said steve, LIC is a great area with a great mix of happy, smart, young people having fun and enjoying their lives."

So is much of Boston... but I wouldn't pay $700 psf for that either.

and so is Madison, WI. And so is much of Jersey City. And so is...

You do realize that LIC is in New York City. 5 minutes from midtown Manhattan. Boston is a couple hundred miles away. But otherwise that was a great comment.

...and Jersey city in not in NYC nor is it accessible by subway or easy to get to by cab from most places that you would want to go out to. An LIC comparison to JC is an ignorant comparison. They are very different markets. Jersey City could be compared to hoboken or west NY.

At least draw comparable comparisons: LIC to Williamsburg/Astoria/Dumbo/FiDi/upper east (upper 80s/90's east of second ave) would at least be reasonable.

I won't even comment on that sarcastic WI/Boston remarks.

If I was a low 6-figure earner (I am) and I was considering an LIC purchase (I'm not), the possibility of snagging one of maybe 1500 subsidized units would give me serious pause. We're not talking about 50 units in an 80/20 building.

If you work downtown, the PATH train will make much of Hoboken or JC a better commute than LIC. I'm sure many buyers looking at close-to-but-not-in-Manhattan consider all three. Enough so that StreetEasy created a North Jersey section.

and if I work in midtown then I can also consider lower westchester a better commute to midtown than JC. I work on pine and it takes me 30 minutes door-to-door from LIC ... but I could also be in nidtown in 10 minutes, uptown in 20 union square in 15 ...

What's great about LIC is it's accessibility to NYC in general. I can afford to add a few minutes to my commute in the morning but it's about my life in the city ... if i want to pop over to the east village for dinner, or stop in at the met to view an exhibit at the last minute. the 7 is one of only two across town lines in the city ... it cuts right though the center of manhattan and connects you to every subway line. It['s about life, not just about my work commute.

Whether people want to believe it or not, people are establishing themselves in other parts of the city ... they have been for some time now and most of us enjoy it. In fact, most of the people that I have met in LIC say that they would never move back ... granted they didn't live on 67th and 5th but they would take it over midtown, UES FiDi etc. Living in Manhattan is slowly meaning less and less and people will just have to get over that.

plus, if I was a low 6 figure earner (I am) and I was interested in living anywhere in the city (I am not) -- plus, open that to fmailies that are low 6 figure earners -- then you would be looking at a lot of people that would be lined up to have access to a two bedroom apartment that would go for $3,000+ on the open market but can be had for $1,500 per month, then you would probably find a very large percentage of NYERs that would be lined up for an apartment ... for some reason I don't think that the turnover would be very high ... and for some reason I don't think that it would be a very viable option for most and therefore would probably mean that there is not going to be a very high inventory (if any at any given time) to offset people that are looking/willing/'able to buy market rate apartments.

Plus, many of the households in LIC earn well over the maximum ... I am in a $200K+ household and I would not consider myself a "high earner" in LIC. That would restrict myself and many of the other families in LIC from getting a below market rate apartment ... and it would restrict many others as well.

I would say that the average condo in LIC is around $700,000 for a 2 bedroom + apartment. you would need to make more that $158,000 to carry that mortgage + maintenance alone.

"...and Jersey city in not in NYC"

And LIC is not in Manhattan, which is a more important distinction. In that light, LIC is much closer to JC than Manhattan.

> nor is it accessible by subway

So, a train with a different name.

"An LIC comparison to JC is an ignorant comparison. They are very different markets. Jersey City could be compared to hoboken or west NY. "

Did I touch off a nerve?

"At least draw comparable comparisons: LIC to Williamsburg/Astoria/Dumbo/FiDi/upper east (upper 80s/90's east of second ave) would at least be reasonable."

LIC to upper east side? really now.
Now we're just getting funny.

- If you work downtown, the PATH train will make much of Hoboken or JC a better commute than LIC.

Not always. If you work at World Financial Center it is, but if you work at 55 Wall it is practically just as easy from LIC. Plus,

- So, a train with a different name

Not quite. The subway is less expensive and the 7 to Grand Central or the E or V to 53rd and Lex are quicker and more frequent rides than the PATH.

I'm still amazed at how worked up bitter renters get about the growing popularity of LIC.

> I'm still amazed at how worked up bitter renters get about the growing popularity of LIC.

Not sure what fantasy land LICC lives in, but why would renters be bitter now? We've LOVING this market....

If you rent, you're doing fantastic. if you really, really want to buy, the market is down 20-30%, and there are specific deals (particularly in places like LIC) that are even more so.

How could anyone be more bitter than those who bought in the last few years?

bitter renter = insult of last resort for frightened brokers and RE investors

RENY2011 said that there was no commuter rail from JC. He was wrong and I pointed it out. I wasn't remotely worked up about it. BTW, the PATH ends at 33rd St., so it's also good for much of midtown.

I did not say that there was no commuter rail. Maybe I was not explicit in that the path train is a commuter train and not part of the city's transportation system. The point that I made was that the 7 is one of the best connected subway lines in the city and that I can get anywhere as quickly as I like.

UES is my opinion (I know many other people that share it) ... I would rather live in LIC than on the crappy fringe parts of the UES. I'm not talking old UES ... I am referencing what everyone calls the UES 87th and 1st or york ... yes, I would take LIC over that any day. a cab ride home from the places I would hang out is less expensive .... I can get there more quickly and for less money and I prefer the area. It's not a bunch of NJ transplants shopping at Banana Republic and drinking dunkin donuts.

I'm not sure about you NYC10022, but I grew up in this city and I don't have this need to live hanging over FDR just to claim that I live in Manhattan. I love this city and what it has to offer ... I have no issue with exploring and living in other neighborhoods. I've lived on the UES and I found myself coming back only to sleep. I enjoy living in LIC and that is something that I can only say after living there.

What would be shocking is if an onslaught of people that live in LIC were commenting on this thread that actually live in LIC saying that they can't wait for their lease to break so that they can get out...instead we have people that have no idea what they are talking about from NJ claiming that they are experts on the area.

Anjoy your dunkin donuts, lunch at the 1 of 500 pret a manger's and shoe shopping at aerosoles ... meanwhile, I will enjoy the life that I enjoy.

> bitter renter = insult of last resort for frightened brokers and RE investors

You hit the nail on the head....

"You do realize that LIC is in New York City."
Maybe, perhaps, whatever -- but nobody cares about New York City (which is a tourist term anyway; the city is named New York, unlike Atlantic City, Salt Lake City, Sioux City, and Oklahoma City).

What they know is the center of the universe is New York COUNTY.

New York, New York, New York -- so nice they named it thrice.

I should change my name to alanhartalanhartalanhart.

I find it very funny that someone who is stuck living on the UES has the gall to make fun of any neighborhood.

You get to make fun of any neighborhood with a lower PSF or with a larger percentage decline. That's the rule. I said so.

Second, btw, underwater bubble buyers are stuck. Renters, on the other hand, have even more choice and freedom in this market. You can disagree with the choices, but "stuck" is an incorrect assessment.

If you have been renting for the last 7, 8, 9, 10 years you are in a worse position than those who have owned. And this big real estate market crash you have been wishing for to make yourself feel better about being a renter all this time hasn't come to bear like you've hoped, so you are lashing out at others. Sad.

New York City - Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Same mayor, same city agencies, same city. The comparison to Boston was idiotic, so it figures alanhart is trying to defend it.

LIC is in Queens.

"You get to make fun of any neighborhood with a lower PSF or with a larger percentage decline. That's the rule. I said so."

That's great, than I can make fun of the UES all I want based on your rule.

"You can disagree with the choices, but "stuck" is an incorrect assessment."

Oh yes, the UES renters brigade somehow has credibility regarding a place he hasn't even visited. If there are so many choices, why are you stuck renting in the UES?

nyc10022
about 6 hours ago
If you rent, you're doing fantastic. if you really, really want to buy, the market is down 20-30%, and there are specific deals (particularly in places like LIC) that are even more so.
How could anyone be more bitter than those who bought in the last few years?

Very very good question nyc10022, very good question. We know you didn't buy. But you are the most bitter person around. How do we explain that?

RENY2011
about 4 hours ago
ignore this person
report abuse
I did not say that there was no commuter rail. Maybe I was not explicit in that the path train is a commuter train and not part of the city's transportation system. The point that I made was that the 7 is one of the best connected subway lines in the city and that I can get anywhere as quickly as I like.

No, the point you were trying to make is that LIC can't be compared to JC because JC's transportation options are inferior, but the truth is that for some locations in Manhattan the PATH is much better than the 7 train. Listen, I don't want to live in either neighborhood, and I'm sure there are people in both who wouldn't want to live in mine. I just thought that your neighborhood comparisons were disingenuous. There are many people who, for whatever reason, choose to be near Manhattan w/o being in it. The outer boroughs and Jersey via PATH are all within the range of options.

I do not disagree that you have an opinion.
I do too.

I am just trying to paint a picture; in your opinion, JC being compared to LIC is the same ... to me it is not. On the other hand, I would compare LIC to the upper east side and say that I would prefer to live in LIC. But that is just my opinion

I look at LIC as a neighborhood, not as a place "close to manhattan w/o being in it". I would rather live in LIC than any number of places in manahttan which is why I laugh at "being close to manahattan". If living in manhattan were that important to me, then believe me, I would. Again, if I could live on 67th and 5th I would ... not because it is in manhattan, but because it is 67th and 5th. Once people live in manhattan just to say that they live in manhattan then that, in my opinion, is worse than not living in manhattan.

You clearly did not grow up in NY. Most people that grow up in the suburbs or some other sparrow fart village only dream of living in manhattan because it is what they see in the movies ... and they can report back to all of their little friends in the burbs that they live in "the city" ... that's why manhattan is now filled with bland chain stores and spots bars disguised as restaurants. walking the streets of the upper east make me sick ... I feel like I could be walking in any other city in this country ... why would I want that ...

Anyhow, this has gotten way off topic. This was supposed to be about new parks coming to LIC ... then the people that had nothing better to do than read about it because they "weren't" interested in LIC came to start getting it off topic and discussing the geographic location which I'm pretty sure that most everyone knows by this point.

There's no point in continuing to debate here ... this thread has run its course.

Why don't you just admit you got caught up in some overenthusiastic shilling? Your comment about what neighborhoods were and weren't apt comparisons to LIC was nonsense. I never said that LIC and JC were the same, but I guess that's easier for you to argue against. In my last post I specifically said that some people in LIC and JC wouldn't want to live in my Manhattan neighborhood. Nor would many people, and I couldn't care less. You're the one who's hung up on the idea, not me.

As for parks, the more the better.

"You get to make fun of any neighborhood with a lower PSF or with a larger percentage decline. That's the rule. I said so."

For rents or sales? Seems weird for you to say sales, no? Seriously though, the neighborhood bickering is old, folks. If you really don't care for or about LIC, why post here?