Experienced Long Island City, Queens movers
Experienced Long Island City, Queens movers
A short trip across the East River, Long Island City (LIC) sits adjacent to midtown Manhattan with iconic views of the skyline but with its own vibrant, fast growing community of young people, artists and families.
What used to be a heavily industrialized area has been transformed through new housing, adding what is estimated to be 12,000 new dwellings in the last decade, upgraded open spaces and cultural landmarks.
Piece of Cake Moving and Storage is an expert on local building and street conditions in LIC, regularly moving New Yorkers there from other boroughs and parts of the state.
Ask us about your flat price for your upcoming LIC move and our affordable add-on services like full packing service, packing supplies and custom crating for oversized items.
Our top moving tips when moving to Long Island City
Long Island City offers one of the best destinations for living in NYC. Even for Manhattanites not prepared to travel too far afield, LIC provides easy proximity to the city hotspots coupled with more laid back and affordable neighbourhoods. Consider it the best of both worlds.
LIC’s got a long history dating back to the Algonquin speaking Native Americans who travelled the East River by canoe until 1640 when the Dutch colonists settled in. In 1870, Long Island City was created via a merger of the village of Astoria and nearby hamlets including Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Bowery Bay, Hunters Point, Middletown, Sunnyside and Blissville. In 1898, LIC surrendered its independence to become part of Greater New York City.
Factors to take into account when moving to LIC:
- Cost of living. Queens has lower average rental prices than Manhattan but the luxury condos along the waterfront in Long Island City are an exception. There are relative bargains to be found further away from the East River, including some affordable low rise options with more space than the shoebox apartments New York is known for. The average house price in 2020 was recorded at $595,000 which sits below the Manhattan average but you are still in New York City and it’s no surprise the cost of housing, goods and services is above the national average. One very positive metric is the crime rate which is below the NYC average.
- The commute. The journey via subway on the 7 line from LIC to Grand Central clocks in at about 10 minutes, but there are 8 subway lines to New York City. It takes roughly the same time as the Astoria route of the NYC ferry which provides breathtaking views of both locations. A longer option on the Q32 bus takes just over half an hour and there are 12 bus lines in total. Travel by car via the Queens Midtown Tunnel takes about 15 minutes, depending on traffic or you could always walk and cycle across the Queensboro Bridge at your own pace. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has a station in Long Island City which is the end of the Main Line and Montauk Branch and of course for travel further afield you’re close to both the La Guardia and JFK airports.
- Industry and innovation. The iconic SilverCup sign hints at industries past in LIC, having been reimagined from a bakery to television studios. The Standard Motor Company was once headquartered here and the building now houses the Jim Henson Company Society Awards. Signage from the old Pepsi Cola factory by the Gantry Plaza State Park hints at the extent of the transformation which now includes the headquarters of the airline JetBlue and Brooks Brothers tie manufacturing. The Learning and Innovation Centre is fostering entrepreneurship while the lab and office space called Innolabs helps meet the LifeSciNYC aims to create 3 million square feet of life science space in the city.
- Foodie destination. The Michelin starred restaurant Casa Enrique is one of the top local eateries in LIC and as with most of Queens you can find quality cuisine from almost anywhere in the world just a few minutes away like Japanese restaurant Takumen. Adda Indian is small but has a big reputation for quality, John Brown BBQ brings Kansas City style BBQ to LIC while Beebe’s pizza’s at the Boro Hotel are a casual staple. For the trivia buffs, LIC is now home to America’s largest fortune cookie factory, owned by Wonton foods which produces 4 million cookies a day.
- Arts hub. New York’s only non-profit sculpture exhibition space, the Sculpture Centre, is one of many arts landmarks to be found in LIC. It seems to be a popular form of art for the area with the Socrates Sculpture Park also located here, just a block away from the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Museum. MoMA’s PS 1 is dedicated to contemporary art while Culture Lab LIC provides a gallery and performance space for the burgeoning artistic community. There are also spectacular art installations at one of two branches of the Queens Public Library located in LIC.
Photo credits: Joe Mabel / Flickr
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