Trick or Treat In Long Island City

Editor at Large/Bernadette

Here it is!
What you've been waiting for! These are not your typical restaurant reviews!
We review Long Island City Restaurants in a different way. We dine out and then share our experience with you-because we ARE you! We are local residents eating at the same places you visit--and we do it all in a casual, fun, informal way--just like you do when you go out with your family and friends!
We hope you find our reviews helpful and informative--and "familiar"!
Click here to read Long Island City Restaurants Review

Halloween Safety Tips

• Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don't run from house to house.
• Always  Test make up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
• Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing Decorative Contact Lenses
• Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
• Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.
• Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Courtesy:NYPD

Steps to Landmark Long Island City 
Clock Tower are in Motion

By Andres E Soto

The Bank of Manhattan Clock Tower  rises above train tracks as the 7, N and Q trains make their rounds around Queensboro Plaza. This Neo Gothic creation by architect Morrel Smith was built in 1927 and at the time was the tallest building in Queens and has mainly been vacant for close to three decades.

Within the midst of the constant change and construction happening in and around Queens Plaza, it's nice to know that two local residents are attempting to preserve a piece of the areas worthy building history. Matthew Chrislip and Michael Hall sent a request to the Landmark Preservation Commission  (LPC) in spring of 2014 to evaluate the Bank of Manhattan Clock Tower building located at 29-27 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City.

As for their next step, Matthew and Michael recently reached out to the Queens Community Board 1 (QBC1) to seek support for their efforts and to ask community members to submit letters encouraging the land-marking of the tower. The LPC is reviewing the building, according to a spokeswoman and QCB1 voted to advocate the campaign.

I remember seeing the Clock Tower every day since my college days as I commuted on the 7 train to and from Manhattan. For an area that's consistently changing its scene, some may say it’s being over developed, with new construction buildings it’s refreshing to see some fondness to preserve Long Island City’s history. Hall and Chrislip say their request only applies to the property's exterior, not its interior. "We are not opposed to development, but we think it's important to protect worthy buildings like the Clock Tower," Hall told members of QCB1.

If you would like to assist in Hall and Chrislip's efforts, and I encourage you to do so, please email them at everyone@pluspartners.org. 

Sources: untappedcities.com,dnainfo.com,newtownpentacle.com 

Win a one year pass!

Tweet this link: http://whytuesday.pgtb.me/p6KZVk , mention @eastriveryferry & be entered to win a Year Pass on the East River Ferry

About the Contest:

With a new "Let's Fix It" campaign, non-profit group Why Tuesday? is aiming to rally the public and Congress toward fixing a broken voting system – one which currently ranks 138th out of 172 nations in terms of voter turnout. To raise awareness for the cause, the organization has announced a nationwide contest offering $64,000  to the individual who comes closest to guessing the national voter turnout numbers for the 2014 midterm election.

"We are asking the $64,000 question, because people don’t realize just how low our voter turnout is," Why Tuesday? co-founder William Wachtel said in a statement. “It’s not because Americans don’t care. It’s simply that an antiquated system makes it hard for people who do care to vote. Everyone agrees it’s broken, everyone agrees that there are practical ways to fix it, so the only challenge is to get our elected leaders to finally do something about it."

To enter the contest, participants are asked to predict the national percentage of voter turnout; the person who submits the closest prediction will win the $64,000 cash prize. The contest is open to individuals at least 18 years old residing in the U.S.

The contest is part of a larger Why Tuesday? campaign, launched ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 2015. Supporters can help spread the word through social media by using the hashtag #FIXITNOW.

Plus, tweet a the link to the Let's Fix It Challenge and mention @eastriverferry and you'll be automatically entered to win a one year pass on the East River Ferry!

"The problem is that our elected officials don’t want to get out all of the vote; they want to get out their vote," said Why Tuesday? Chairman Andrew Young. "We look at it differently. We have Republicans, Democrats and independents coming together to say the system is broken and we need to fix it."

We Care.  We Vote.  So Should You.

NY fall foliage

Citibike in Long Island City

The CitiBike System is expanding in New York City, and they will be available in dozens more neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens (Long Island City). Yet only 1,000 bikes will hit the streets next year, with the remainder ready by 2017.

The system may be expanding, but riders will have to pay more for it: Annual Memberships are expected to rise almost 60 percent, to $149 from $95. There will be more payment options, though, including monthly and seasonal passes. Currently, there are only annual, $25 weekly and $9.95 daily passes.

 If you would like to suggest a new location for Citi Bike stations, visit Suggest a Location 

sources & references

Secret Theatre ONE DAY CAMP

Special One Day Camps During School Closings 

The following is courtesy by The Secret Theatre .....

Following the success of our 2 day Rosh Hashana camp and the recent Columbus Day Camp we are now pleased to announce our schedules of camps through the 2014 – 2015 School Year. 

Camp Fees $75 per day 

• Camp begins at 9am and ends at 5pm.

• Through the day the students will be given a snack break, a Pizza lunch and a movie. 

• The activities are loosely theatre based and include warm-up games, improvisation and related tasks such as puppet or prop making.

•

Election Day Camp NOVEMBER 4 $75

Veterans Day Camp NOVEMBER 11 $75

Please click this link  to register 

[Includes Free Pizza, water and snacks but parents may wish to supply a packed lunch]

The day begins at 9am with a ‘get to know you’ session of improv games and through the morning and afternoon campers will get to make puppets, create a fun puppet play based on the Christopher Columbus story as well as other theatre activities such as Musical Theatre songs and simple dance steps. We will also be hosting a great kids movie to end a fun filled and action packed day.

Typical Schedule [activities might vary slightly according to the holiday theme]

9am – 10am Improv games and ‘get to know you’ session

10am – 11am A light hearted look at what the vacation day means leading to creation of a short play/story

11am – 11.15am Snack Break

11.15am – 1pm Making Sock Puppets! Construction and techniques

1pm – 1.45pm LUNCH BREAK

2pm – 2.30pm Musical Theatre

2.30pm - 3pm Students perform their play

3pm – 3.15 Snack Break

3.15 – 5pm Movie Time!! 

5pm We Give Your Campers Back!

[movies will be chosen from a recent selections of movies including The Lego Movie, Up, Bugs, Toy Story 2/3 or similar family rated fare]

Kids should come prepared to have fun, everyone will be allowed to take their puppets or props home… 

Early drop-off possible please contact us directly after registration

For any questions or concerns please phone 718 392 0722

Halloween line up at the The LOCAL see location

If you haven’t been by in a while, things are getting creepy at The Local.  They are planning to have a lot of fun with their out of town guests for Halloween. The bar will be open as normal on Friday and join them in costume.

Halloween Candy Beer Pairings

Who said beverage pairings are just for haute cuisine? For $11 you can sample four of their craft beers.

Halloween Trivia

Our Thursday trivia night will have a Halloween-themed round this week.  Come with your own team or make friends on the spot to compete for a $50 bar tab. That’s a lot of pumpkin beer!  Sign-ups start at 7:30 and the game starts at 8pm.

A Tale of Three Breweries

A Tale of Three Breweries by Daniel Sennet

With every new café, restaurant, bar or in this case, brewery that opens up, Long Island City grows its stature. I recently completed the trifecta of micro, nay, nano-breweries in Long Island City after having sampled the Octoberweizen at Big Alice Brewing. This brewery, on 43rd and Vernon, was the northern most of the three; with Rockaway Brewing Co on 46th and Vernon and Transmitter Brewing on 11th St and Borden. Each is unique in its approach to brewing, but common in their passion for beer.  Relative to the larger Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg or Heartland in Manhattan, you can walk in to any one of these, speak with the owner, who is often the Master Brewer and really get a sense for the love and respect these owners possess for their craft and for their products.  Even if you don’t like beer, which is unfathomable, the tour of the three is really a tour of the city; a tour of everything that’s right about living in a time when and place where you can quit your day job to open up a brewery. 

I digress. Octoberweizen. This somewhat untraditional seasonal beer clocks in just north of 7% ABV with a very mellow Octoberfest taste that dances a romantic tango with a more traditional Hefeweizen. The result is a lasting bold taste that is dangerously delicious. I remarked somewhat outloud that I would definitely drink this again, and a gentleman standing around remarked, “no – you won’t!” Somewhat taken aback, the (unknown to me at the time) Co-Founder Scott Berger told us that every batch is different and every time you come back, there will be a new keg pouring samples. In all likelihood, they’ll never brew this batch again. I was saddened by the loss, ecstatic with original find, and hopeful for the future. Their story is listed on their website, but to sum up the experience, “We won't have the same beer produced over and over but instead will provide an ever evolving line of unique and interesting one-off beers. We can do things the big boys can't.” And I agree with them: “That’s the really cool part.”

The Big Alice tasting room had at least ten taps, but only one pouring. With a recently acquired license to dispense farm distilleries’ liquor and other New York State beers, Big Alice will soon open its doors on Thursdays and Saturdays to hold tastings, bigger samplings and other great events to really take advantage of the crowd that is thirsty for this nano-brewery’s beers.  For now, the very recently renovated warehouse space welcomes patrons (and their dogs!) from 5 – 8pm on Friday nights to sample their current brew and buy bottles of any of their recent batches. With John Brown’s Smokehouse so close-by, it’s the perfect way to kick-off the weekend.

On the south side of the beaten path is Transmitter Brewing. A similarly small operation with big aspirations. The focus here is on Farmhouse ales, that is, “yeast-driven beers with complimenting grains and hops.” You can read more about their unique contribution to the craft beer scene on their website. After crossing over the old LIRR tracks on 11th St, you find the warehouse waiting for you with open arms. The front reception, no more than 75 square feet, is where the loveliest of Beer Advocates pores samples from three open bottles. Each had a strong inclination towards the fruity, but depending on the level of hops added in and at what time during the production process, you could find yourself with an IPA styled Belgium beer. I got the impression that this was a take-out only. Sample the beers, choose one that you like and grab a few bottles. There was only one bench to sit at at the front end of the warehouse, and it was taken by thirsty revelers. Similarly priced as Big Alice, $17 is a significant investment for a 750ml bottle, but when it’s delicious, high-quality beer, you can justify supporting your local brewer!

Lying smack-dab in the middle between the two is Rockaway Brewing Company, the oldest of the three having opened way back in 2012! With a more traditional tasting room boasting 8 open taps, Rockaway invites you to come in, stay a while and enjoy the art of brewing. What the tap room lacks in décor it makes up for with Hendrix on the speakers, free chips to nosh on and of course, a constantly changing selection of solid beers. According to their website, “Our brewing process is very simple, there are no tricks or gimmicks we make it the old fashioned way, with a passion for fresh beer and a lot of elbow grease.” I went with a few friends and ordered two flights in order to sample all the beers. My favorites were the Black Gold Stout Nitro and the Old School IPA. On the latter, they used west coast hops which produced a drier and more piney tasting beer, the opposite of the IPAs produced by east coasters like Dogfish Head. On the former, we tried both the original and the Nitro to see the difference. The original was meant to be enjoyed later with a steak and the nitro immediately with your friends on a cooler day.  Go in; they will definitely explain the difference better than me. A 32oz growler costs $10, including the growler but only $7.50 to fill up again later. 

The Long Island City nano-brewery tour is one meant to be enjoyed with friends and fellow beer enthusiasts. Each indulges people like me who have become beer snobs, or rather, have become particular about the beers they enjoy. With three very high quality breweries so close to home, there is never a reason to settle for a Stella or a Bud. Spend a little bit more and try something that is unique, both to the world of craft brewing and to Long Island City. You won’t regret it.

LICqueenstv Food Writers

Read the Restaurant Review from our local residents Eso Romero and Daniel Sennet

Halloween in LIC

Halloween Trick-or-Treating March
Friday Oct. 31st @ 4:15pm

Line up time: 4:15 pm @Gantry State Park(center Blvd)

March time:4:30pm sharp

Route: 

• Crossing at Center Blvd and 48th Avenue
• March 48th Avenue passing Little ones for treats and make right onto 5th Street
• March along 5th Street and make a left on 50th Avenue
• Turn left on Vernon Boulevard and enjoy!

NYC's Clothing Reuse Program

Annually NYC residents throw away approximately 200,000 tons of clothes, towels, blankets, curtains, shoes, handbags, belts, and other textiles and apparel. Why New Yorkers sometimes choose to toss out rather than donate their unwanted clothes is believed to be a matter of convenience.
re-fashioNYC is a partnership between the City of New York and Housing Works to make clothing donation as easy as possible through convenient in-building drop-off service.
The partnership is unique because it provides any participating apartment building of 10 units or more with convenient donation services at no cost to the building or taxpayers. Some businesses who regularly collect and donate clothing may also be eligible for participation in re-fashioNYC. The program is expected to grow slowly in response to participation requests and Housing Works ability to expand its services.
If you're interested in participating in this new and convienient clothing reuse program, please complete Enrollment form

Tiny You photo contest

Tiny You
Halloween costume Photo contest.
Friday, October 31st 
all day!

Tiny you Children's store located on Jackson AV. in long island City will be hosting a halloween costume photo contest for kids ages 10 and under. they will be handing out treats all day!

Penthouse 808's Halloween party

Penthouse 808's

Friday, October 31st

10:00pm

Penthouse 808′s Halloween Party is at the Ravel Hotel and takes up 2 floors with 10,000 square feet of Halloween decorations. They apparently have a graveyard, mortuary, and psych room set up. It is ticketed—purchase Tickets 

Halloween Party and costume contest

Woodbines
7:00pm-11:00pm

 Woodbines is having a Halloween party and costume contest. There will be $5 drink specials, prizes, giveaways, and a $100 gift certificate for the person with the best costume. 

Monster skate halloween party

Sunday October 26, 12:10 to 2:20pm
City Ice Pavillon

 The City Ice Pavilion hosts their Monster Skate Halloween party again! Skate to Halloween music during this public skate session. Dress in costume and the best one wins a free session of skating session. limited space must sign up in advance: (718)706-6667

Halloween at the Irish Center

4th Oíche Shamhna celebration for Children & Families
 Saturday oct 25th, 2:00pm-6:00pm
NY Irish Center in LIC  

It is said the origins of Halloween, or Oíche Shamhna, in Gaelic, can be traced back to ancient Ireland during the Celtic festival of Samhain. The New York Irish Center, will host an exciting fun-filled day exploring the true origins of Oíche Shamhna, followed by a traditional Irish Halloween party for all the participating children and their families.

• Visual Arts workshop 2pm - 3pm.

• Traditional Irish Halloween party 3.15pm - 5.45pm.

• Suitable for 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds.

• Price: $10 per child family & discounts available.

• Places are limited and must be booked in advance on our website by clicking here Tickets

Halloween at Z-NYC Hotel

kids Halloween costume party
age 2-11
Friday 10/31/14
free

The Kids Halloween costume Party at the Z-Hotel is free but you need to call to reserve your spot!

212-319-7000. There will be plenty of food and games for the kids!

Halloween in LIC

The LIC Halloween parade is going on schedule, the time and location:See here

Listing of Halloween Parties in LIC

The LOCAL NYC

Halloween at the Long Island City School of Ballet

Pet costume Party

Harvest Halloween Party

Halloween at the Z-Hotel

Halloween at the Irish Center in LIC

Monster skate at the Ice Pavillon

Woodbines Halloween party

Penthouse 808's Halloween costume party

Tiny You Halloween Photo Contest

Long Island City Restaurants on Vernon BLVD

The NFL Super bowl is Sunday February 1, 2015 at 6:30 pm. 

Plan your viewing  along Vernon BLVD in Long Island City 

Alobar

Juniors

ManducatisRustica

Blend

L'inizio

Masso 

Madera 

Testaccio
Dorian

PJ Leahy

Tournesol 

Cafe Henry

Spice

Bella Via 

corner 
Bistro 

Woodbines

LIC Bar

Halloween at LIC School of Ballet

Halloween Fair and Performance
Sunday, October 26 at 1:00pm-4:00pm
Long Island City School of Ballet in Long Island City, New York
Suggested donation $15.00

Halloween Fair fundraiser for the LICSB. We have lots of great activities and performances. Get your fortune told, visit the spooky room, have your picture taken with the frozen fairies. Watch our new murder mystery ballet The Despicable Mr. B, Urban Tech, and Mr. Heather's invitation class will perform. Great for all ages. 

42-12 28th Street Long Island City

Foundation work has begun at 42-12 28th Street, in the Court Square section of Long Island City. Heatherwood's latest project is a 477-unit residential building, with sharper renderings. The tower is currently under construction, and within two years, it will soar 58 stories and 646 feet into the air.

The images are accompanied by a new name for the building — 28 on 28th — and the architect is Goldstein Hill & West

Sources & Credits 

Andres Soto

Meet Andres E. Soto, writer for LICqueenstv 

Real Estate Section

Experienced in the Long Island City real estate market, ready service and prompt results is what Andres continually provides as his business goal is to create clients for life.  he strives to make the real estate process efficient and enjoyable for every client he represents.

A lifelong resident of Queens, NY, Andres loves the diversity of his borough. He says, “Only in Queens will you have a 10-block stretch that will take you to 20 different countries.” With a great mix of people and their life-long traditions, Andres enjoys learning about new cultures and especially enjoys the food! In his spare time, he is an avid fan and athlete in a wide range of sports.

• Clock Tower- Landmark
• Poor Credit
• Tips To Sell Your Home
• Home Buyers Checklist
• Newtown Creek
• Found Your Home!... Now what?

Contact Andres Soto Click here

Artisanal Market

The best of LIC Food Artisans
Saturday, October 25th, 11am-4:00pm
The local NY (13-2 44th Ave)
Free

On Saturday, October 25 there will be a pop up artisanal market, De-LIC-ious, taking place at The Local NY (13-2 44th Ave). The event will be free to enter and food can be purchased from individual vendors.

Subletting

Many New Yorkers sublet their apartment but Can you sublease your apartment without breaking the law?... the answer is "it depends" we did some research!

In New york City, Tenants must obtain approval from the property owner or landlord before subleasing their apartment.

What happens if the property owner doesn't want you to sublease the apartment?

In an apartment complex with fewer than four units, the property owner has the unconditional right to deny you from subleasing your apartment. However, if the property owner “unreasonably” withholds approval, you can be released from your lease after providing thirty days notice. So if you planned to sublease your apartment for six months because you’re moving to another State and the property owner says “no” without a reasonable explanation, you can demand that your landlord release you from the lease upon thirty days notice.

In an apartment complex with four or more units, you must get approval from the landlord. The landlord can only deny your right to sublease when he or she has a “reasonable” explanation for doing so. That means that if you live in a big apartment complex in the city and want to sublease your apartment, you will be allowed to do so unless your landlord gives you a “reasonable” explanation as to why he or she will not approve your sublease.

How exactly do you obtain approval from your landlord? Under New York law, tenants must write a letter to their landlord via certified mail informing the landlord of their intent to sublease the apartment. In this letter, you need to include how long the sublease will last (also known as the “term” of the sublease), the name of the person you are subleasing the apartment to, your reason for subletting, your updated address during the duration of the sublease term, the written consent of any guarantor or cotenant on your lease, and a copy of the sublease agreement. The landlord must respond to your letter within thirty days; if they do not respond within thirty days, their failure to respond constitutes consent and you can sublease your apartment.

Before you sublease your apartment pay attention  two special considerations for New York City subleasing: First, the information above does not apply to rent-stabilized apartments or public housing. Second, because of a law enacted in 2011, New Yorkers cannot sublease their apartment for fewer than thirty days. The law upset many Airbnb hosts and vacation rental owners who were enjoying thousands of dollars of extra income. 

Sources & Credits

7-train interruption

PLan your WEEKEND!
sources & credits

No trains will run between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza during four consecutive weekends, from Jan. 17 to Feb. 9. Disruptions will extend to 74 St – Broadway in Jackson Heights for the weekends of Feb. 27 and March 6. The rest of March will see 7 train service halted between Times Square and Hunters Point Ave. - Click here for details 

Affordable Housing for rent

Halloween Harvest festival

Socrates Sculpture Park

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2014  |  11 AM – 3 PM

October 25th fall annual Halloween Harvest Festival, exploring Mysteries from Around the World: Mummies, Monsters, and Myths!

11am–2pm

- Costume and Art-making workshops led by Socrates artists and Free Style Arts Association

- Cooking demos + Harvest food activities led by Queens Action Council

- Hyakumonogatari: Japanese ghost stories read under the trees with Urban Librarians Unite

11:30am–2:30pm

- Face Painting by Agostino Arts!

12pm & 2pm

- Public art and extreme action collide as the jaw-dropping, mini-action heroes of The STREB EXTREME ACTION Kid Company premiere a site-specific wild action event – don’t miss it!

1–2pm

- Concert by The Hell’s Gate Philharmonic, who will be performing their “hits” The Necropolis Rag, Old McDonald Had a Crypt and Zombie Cha, Cha Party as well as other frightening Halloween favorites. Be prepared to be scared!

2–3pm

- Annual Canine Costume Contest with LIC’s Pooches Sport & Spa

ALL DAY!

Harvest foods and fall delights sold by XXX Coffee, Shore Soup, Sweet Dream Pops, and our GrowNYC Greenmarket throughout the festival.

Sources & Credits

Halloween

Happy Hour and Pet costume Party 
LIC Landing
Saturday, Oct 25th from 12:00pm-4:00pm

Hibino

Hibino  - A Diamond in the Rough

By Eso Romero


Coming from San Francisco where Asian cuisine is aplenty, I was looking forward to having lunch at Hibino, a Japanese restaurant amidst the many burger and brick oven pizza joints in LIC. Inside, most of the space is taken up by a long beechwood table with stools, while the opposite wall has booth seating with two-person tables. It is minimially decorated with simple table settings, not the usual clutter of communal chopsticks dispensers or soy sauce bottles. I arrived after the lunch rush, so it was a mellow setting. There was still a steady flow of customers, however, most ordered take out.

There are daily lunch specials that revolve around the classic bento box meal. Today’s special included yellowtail collar (which sold out before I even left), pork sausage, hangar steak and onion with teriyaki sauce, steamed shrimp shumai and fried pork gyoza. There were also special rolls. I chose to go with the Hibino sushi plate: seven assorted sushi and Kyoto-style futomaki which was served with miso soup and salad.

The first taste of food was the miso soup, a great start to the meal. Clearly housemade, the tofu was silky and fresh and bits of asparagus were a nice alternative to the traditional seaweed, adding a crunchy texture. Next came the salad, which was probably the least impressive part of my lunch. The simple salad with fresh greens and ginger dressing was incredibly overdressed, leaving the greens limp and soggy.

I didn’t waste any more time on the salad and looked forward to my main entree. I hadn’t eaten sushi in months and thought that the chef’s pick would be the best and freshest fish they had. I wasn’t disappointed. When the fish melts in your mouth like butter, you know it’s fresh! The tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and mackerel were my faves among the bunch. The Kyoto-style futomaki is a jumbo-sized roll stuffed with tuna, shrimp, eel, avocado, cucumber, tamago, and tobiko with a dollop of yuzu mayo on the side. I’m more of a soy sauce and wasabi gal and preferred that over the mayo. The sushi rice was cooked perfectly, and didn’t taste overworked or refrigerated as some sushi rice can taste.

Without a doubt, Hibino offers an authentic experience with Japanese food. The care and attention to detail is quite clear in their food, as well as in the ambiance of the restaurant. I’m certainly willing to overlook the doused salad and return for a dinner experience.

PARKtoberfest

 A Review of PARKtoberfest
By Daniel Sennet

 The morning stared off ominously: rain, cloud, cold fall breeze in the air. The afternoon brought with it a degree of hope along with a parting of the grey skies. By early evening, the sun was out and on its way to a beautiful setting. And that is the backdrop of the inaugural PARKtoberfest, a boozy fundraiser for the Hunter’s Point Park Conservancy.

On this cool Saturday in October, what will eventually morph into a long-standing and noble tradition in Long Island City had its humble beginnings. Originally a ticked event, there seemed to be a lot of stress involved in its conversion to a free event with a-la-carte tickets for the available beer, oysters and sausages.

As we approached the event from Center Street, we were welcomed by a brass band cranking out American classic covers (think Frank Sinatra), an interesting way to begin day drinking. We each purchased a $6 ticket for a beer and were given a massive Litre stein. Game Time. We approached the booth setup with 5 taps and each chose according to our preferences. I had the Blue Point Oktoberfest, my friends enjoyed a Mahogany from the Queens Brewery SingleCut and the 1933 Lagrrr! On hand was also a cider from Crispin and a Southern Tier. With litres in hand, we sat down to take in the landscape. In front of us was a perfect sunset over the Manhatten skyline; the Queensboro bridge to the north and a great shot of the new Freedom Tower to the south. With a few more brewers on hand, a few more stalls with food and more music on in the background, this had all the trappings of an epic event. At least we can state that we were there when it all began. Despite the lack of a crowd and the cold evening, to be honest, it was great.

My Oktoberfest from Blue Point tasted pretty much like every other Blue Point – just like their signature Lager. It was as if they just ripped the label off the tap of the Lager and put on a cooler looking Oktoberfest label. The Lager was a solid outing from SingleCut, a brewery that is quickly gaining a reputation for its delicious and robust beers. The Mahogany Ale has an IBU count of 73, meaning that it starts off tasting very similarly to an IPA but the maltiness of it gives it a sweeter, smoother finish. Clearly the best beer on tap that day. 1 litre of each is enough to start your evening off in the right direction.

All totaled, the event had some difficulties but it will be awesome as the learnings from this year become the successes of next. I know that I look forward to it. Along with other free events like the weekly Jazz series at the Gantry or the LIC Flea, the area continues to stand out as a unique and fun destination.

Queens Restaurant Week 2014

From October 13 until Halloween, more than 100 local restaurants -- spread out over roughly 30 neighborhoods -- will offer special prix fixe meals. A three-course dinner for only $28* per person and lunch for only $14* will be the most common offerings.

*Unless otherwise specified.

Please note: Not all participating eateries will offer lunch and dinner, and weekends might not be included. See below list for individual details. Tax and gratuity not included.


*LIC Restaurant Listing:
Court Square Diner
45-30 23rd St
Long Island City, NY 11101

Cuisine: American 

Il Falco
21-50 44 Dr
Long Island City, NY 11101

Cuisine: Italian 

Full Queens Restaurant Week 2014 Listing

Sources & Credit

Compost locations in Long Island City

Big compost a program of Build it green NYC and the NYC Compost Project is a community- scale composting network that work to increase capacity and participation in composting in NYC. for drop off location this week in Long Island City visit here. and also you can visit the reuse center in Astoria If you have any house building materials, etc. that can be used and sell at the Reuse Center.

LIC COMMUNITY CARNIVAL UPDATED NEW DATE due to weather OCTOBER 5th, 2014.

Open House NY

On October 11-12, OHNY Weekend unlocks the doors to New York's most important buildings, offering an extraordinary opportunity to experience the city and meet the people who design, build, and preserve New York. 

Check out LIC Partnership's OHNY self-guided tour suggestions of LIC's buildings that showcase this diverse neighborhood in its transformation to a modern industrial hub, growing commercial center, emerging cultural circuit and booming residential community.

View the map, descriptions, and hours of participating open access sites, and see below for suggested itineraries. Stop by Modern Spaces on Vernon Blvd on Saturday, October 11 from 12-4PM to pick up a printed version of the map and get your self-guided tour started.

Itinerary 1
A. Open House New York LIC HQ: Modern Spaces on Vernon Blvd: Visit the OHNY LIC Hub for a printed map of all LIC Open House New York open access sites and neighborhood information
47-42 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11101
B. LIC Community Boathouse
46-01 5th Street, Long Island City, NY
C. FIVE FORTYONE – New Condominium Property 
 5-41 47th Rd., Long Island City, NY 11101
Itinerary 2: 
A Look into Queens Plaza & Court Square
D. NYC Compost Project under the Queensboro Bridge
E. Museum Antique Frames Showroom with Diego Salazar
21-25 44th Avenue, Long Island City, NY
F. LINC LIC
43-10 Crescent Street, Long Island City, NY
G. SculptureCenter
44-19 Purves St, Long Island City, NY 11101
Itinerary 3: LIC Incubators: Design, Tech, & an Urban Farm
H. NYDesigns
45-50 30th St, Long Island City, NY 11101
I. Falchi Building
31-00 47th Avenue, Long Island City, NY
J. Smiling HogsHead Ranch (note: early tour)
25-30 Skillman Avenue
Itinerary 4: Find Art and Treasures in “LIC North”
K. Noguchi
9-01 33rd Rd, New York, NY 11106
L. Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11106

M. The Welling Court Mural Project

11-98 Welling Court, Long Island City, NY

N. Build it Green! 

3-17 26th Ave. Astoria, NY 11102

Beer and movies

Chain Theatre, Long Island City

Halloween/ Blue Velvet

Cinema Under the Influence

Double Feature!

Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 7:00PM

Buy Tickets

27-21 44th. Drive Long Island City

SilverCups Properties, the development division of film and TV production company Silvercups Studios, filed plans for a 26-story apartment building in Long Island City. The 145,000-square-foot building at 27-21 Drive,  between Sunnyside Yard and Jackson Avenue, is set to hold 115 apartments. Apartments will average under 1,000 square feet. There will be a 6,780-square-foot ground-floor commercial component. 

Credit & Sources

Sculpture Center

Tuesday November 4th, 2014
The Edison Ballroom 
6:30pm

Celebrating SculptureCenter's past, Present and future. 

November 4th Annual Benefit Gala at the Historic Edison Ballroom in Manhattan's Theater District. This memorable evening will include a special installation by Radamés "Juni" Figueroa, an artist project and performance by Gobby, photobooth by Win McCarthy, the unveiling of limited editions by Allison Katz and Pamela Rosenkranz, and a premium open bar.

Purchase an after party ticket to join us for the 9:30 Dance Party with premium open bar and deserts.

6:30pm Cocktails
8:00pm Dinner
9:30pm Dance Party
click here to purchase tickets

Sculpture Center  is pleased to announce a special event to celebrate the opening of its newly renovated and expanded facility and the inaugural exhibition "Puddle, pothole, portal".

The event will offer free family-friendly activities from noon–3pm in a nearby space donated by NestSeekers International including exhibition tours, games, face painting, nail art by Vanity Projects, a comic book-making contest, a photo booth by LAZY MOM (artists Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma), and beverages from Rockaway Brewery Co. Food will also be available. From 3–5pm, a DJ will spin in SculptureCenter’s courtyard.

Museum admission fees will be waived all afternoon.

For more upcoming events click here

Affordable housing info

Post by Hunter's Point South Living.

The affordable housing lottery for Hunter’s Point South has drawn roughly 25,000 applications during its first week. Hunter’s Point South, a two-tower development in Long Island City will house some 925 low- and moderate-income families. The results of the lottery, which was launched on October 15, reveal that the development doesn’t come close to accommodating the demand for affordable housing in the area. Hunter’s Point South, which is being developed by the Related Companies,phipps Houses, and Monadnock Construction, spans 30 acres. Below-market-rate units start as low as $494 per month for single residents making between $18,618 and $23,520 annually. The site, which is 50 percent complete, was designed by SHoP Architects, the same firm that conceived Two Trees’ Domino Sugar Factory development in Williamsburg - 

Process now OPEN!

VIEW AVAILABLE UNITS HERE!


The application forms can be fill it out on line at: HOUSING CONNECT 

sources & credits

U.S. Housing News is out! http://t.co/Rhbn9h9kHH Stories via @LicqueensTv @CashPathREInv @RoelSarmago
— U.S. Housing News (@US_Housing) October 5, 2014

LICqueenstv : #Affordablehousing #LIC info @NY_Aff_Housing @NYC_Buildings @US_Housing @qptv @clicktoshareme http://t.co/9Msj8hzwry
— LICQUEENStv (@LicqueensTv) October 11, 2014