Long Island City - desirable area to live now?

I believe it's the lack of everything.
One subway, which is a long walk away for many.

"One subway, which is a long walk away for many."

I am not a fan of LIC, but there are more than 1 subway stops there. There are 4 that I can think of: 1 on the F, one on the NQ, one EMR, and one EMG. A lot of buildings are close to 2 or even 3 of these. For mid-town workers, its actually better than W-burg train wise.

But yes amenities are lacking.

Should go walk around the hood at night to see if you like what you see.

Oh of course I forgot 4 others - three on the 7 and one more on the G. So 8 total (and the NQ one above is also 7.)

http://alert.mta.info/sites/default/files/pdf/hurricane_recovery_map_bw_Dec21_R.pdf

I have looked at places there in the past, and some were literally ten minutes from desk mid town east to the leasing office at lunch.

Don't know about living there, but there are a few decent resturants. It also helps that the East River Ferry has a stop there.

misha2306, just do a search over there in the box on the right for discussions (not at the top of the page; scroll down if necessary).

Abundant answers to your questions, in prose and poem.

jason10006, I guess I was talking more about central LIC, which is basically just the 7. (maybe 21st street on the G). But yes, technically, if you consider all of LIC to the borders, then yes, you are right, there are other train lines.

So Daniel the buildings I looked at - two were 7-only, one was easy by E, M, G, or 7, and the fourth by the N, Q, F, E, 7 , or M. So it depends on where. You are right - the 7 only ones were more of a pain. The ones farther north that were near more stations were in worse areas, but better for trains.

I recently purchased in LIC and could not be happier with my decision. Having lived there for about 4 months I can say that the restaurants in the neighborhood are fantastic. There aren't as many as you would find in more established neighborhoods but there are enough. A few that come to mind are Tournesol, Alobar and Casa Enrique. The latter two were just named to Michelins Bib Gourmet list. In addition Blend, Shi, Cafe Henri, Testaccio. Basically, we have at least one great restaurant of each cuisine.

There is a lot of construction going on in the area right now which is bringing much need commercial space. Lots of it. For now I am happy with what we have but I am looking forward to more. But the basics are already present…Grocery store, spin studio, yoga studios, spa’s, tons of dog day care, dry cleaners, coffee shops, and bars.

I live in Hunters Point with the 7 Train being my primary source of transportation. My commute from door to desk is 18 min to 49th and 6th. One stop to Grand Central gets you access to 456 and all of the east side. Two more quick stops and you are in Times Sq with access to all subways. I can bike/walk to Williamsburg or take the G train. You have the East River Ferry if you want a quick commute to Wall St. It is really a convenient location.

There are two sports fields (where I play soccer) within walking distance with a 3rd being built on the river. The views are spectacular from some apts and most of the buildings roofs as well as from Gantry Park.

There are a lot of positives to the area. You can find good sized apts for a decent price. I understand that it is Queens and not Manhattan. If you can get past that there is a lot to like about LIC with more to come in the next few years.

are limericks poems??

lrice,
How have you dealt with the 7 train when it's not in service?

There once was a poet laureate from Queensbridge,
Who ...

The area took a long time for development to start, but since 2008 or so it has developed very steadily. Lots of people have moved to the area, many new restaurants and businesses have opened, more of the waterfront park has opened. The 7 train is extremely reliable during the week, but the MTA has shut it on weekends during the winter far too often.

And right on cue, there he is!

Daniel178 - It is frustrating that the MTA shut the 7 train down on the weekends but I guess this is the price you pay for progress and countdown clocks on the platforms. Anyway...it's been a little bit of a hassle but not as bad a I initially thought it would be.

Primarily I've been going into Manhattan less on the weekends. I've been spending more time exploring the bars and restaurants in LIC and Williamsburg. This is probably one of the reasons I've tried so many of the restaurants in LIC.

When I do go into Manhattan on the weekends I will take the shuttle from Vernon Jackson to Queeensboro plaza. It adds about 10 min to my commute. This past weekend I used the East River Ferry twice. When I am coming home after the bars I just take a cab which I would do 80% of the time regardless of the 7 train situation.

lrice,
How have you dealt with the 7 train when it's not in service?

Long Island City
New slogans:
1.It Positively Glows
2.Be Active, Radioactive
3.Take the Pepsi Challenge

It's all just doggerel.

One thing I have discovered is that a lot of families have moved or are moving to LIC for two reasons: (a) easy commute to midtown for working parents; and (b) good public school option. The elementary school there (PS 78) is supposed to be pretty good, and in September 2013 another new school is slated to open. There was a NY Times article on this I believe.

On the flip side, I was talking to a LIC parent this past weekend and he did note that services still have some catching up to do. He mentioned lack of good daycares specifically. I'm not familiar with environmental issues pertaining to LIC - try Newton Creek Alliance website for more info maybe.

They even have a good comedy club now -- the Laughing Devil on Vernon Blvd.