Long Island City: New York’s artistic niche

Long Island City (LIC), a neighborhood in Queens, New York, has been gaining more and more popularity in recent years. Located on the edge of the East River, opposite the United Nations Headquarters (Murray Hill), it is obvious that Long Island City offers breathtaking views of Manhattan. Composed of buildings, townhouses, and many green spaces, Long Island City offers a solution just as modern and practical as Manhattan with significantly less hustle and bustle. Ideal for young couples or families, Long Island City is just a stone’s throw from Midtown Manhattan.

Once an epicenter of the manufacturing industry, Long Island City is today renowned for being home to one of the most exciting art scenes in the country. The district is made up of industrial buildings which have since been transformed into galleries, museums, studios, restaurants, shops, etc. The district continues to develop and today represents an excellent investment, given the rise in prices in the neighboring districts of Manhattan; offering the advantage of living in peace while remaining only a few metro stations from the heart of the city. In the same vein, also consult the BARNES guide on Dumbo.

A major attraction in Long Island City, the MoMa PS1 is a former public school (Public School 1), which has been renovated and transformed into an artistic space; today it is an extension of MoMa – Museum of Modern Art – one of New York’s most recognized museums.

Founded in 1971 by Alanna Heiss, originally under the name PS1 Contemporary Art Center, the site is used as a studio, performance hall, exhibition space, and serves artists from around the world. A champion of new ideas, the PS1 actively seeks out new emerging artists, new genres or new original works in order to support innovation in contemporary art. In 2000, the PS1 Contemporary Art Center became a member of the Museum of Modern Art with the aim of associating the contemporary mission of the PS1 with the strength of the MoMa, one of the largest and oldest non-profit contemporary art institution in the States. -United. The “birth” of the MoMa PS1 therefore actively contributes to this rich artistic scene today present in Long Island City. Note that the area also hosts the Noguchi Museum (museum in a large garden presenting the work of the American-Japanese sculptor, Isamu Noguchi), and the Socrates Sculpture Park (large outdoor facilities overlooking the East River).

And to talk about real estate, we cannot mention three of LIC’s most ambitious new constructions, namely:

• Skyline Tower: Lots of superlatives for this massive project destined to become the tallest building in Queens, peaking at nearly 240m by 2021. Stunning views spread over 67 floors for 802 condominium apartments; the project will be the first to exceed $ 1 billion in revenue. Note a private entrance for metro line 7. From studios at $ 650,000 + to 3-BRs from $ 2,300,000 +.
• Hero: Project with remarkable architecture, being delivered at the end of 2019; it benefits from a property tax reduction (421-A). Offering over a hundred apartments over 23 floors, it has a great range of amenities with magnificent views of Manhattan, including a shared rooftop. From studios at $ 600,000 + to 2-BRs starting at $ 1,100,000 +.
• Galerie: Located directly across from MoMa PS1, and in close proximity to the Hunter’s Point transport hub, the project was delivered last year. It also offers a superb suite of amenities (including a swimming pool), coming in at roughly the same prices as its competitor Hero: from studios starting at $ 600,000 + to 3-BR starting at $ 1,700,000 +.

For any details and interest in these projects, do not hesitate to contact your BARNES New York experts.