Long Island City
Where the bridge meets the block, legends are born.
via Wikipedia: Long Island City · see source
Long Island City is a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek, which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to the south. Its name refers to its location on the western tip of Long Island. Incorporated as a city in 1870, Long Island City was originally the seat of government of the Town of Newtown, before becoming part of the City of Greater New York in 1898. In the early 21st century, Long Island City became known for its rapid and ongoing residential growth and gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. The area has a high concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio space. Long Island City is the eastern terminus of the Queensboro Bridge, the only non-tolled automotive route connecting Queens and Manhattan. Northeast of the bridge are the Queensbridge Houses, a development of the New York City Housing Authority and the largest public housing complex in the Western Hemisphere.
- Character
- Neighborhood / Setting
- Affiliation
- Queensbridge Projects, Queens, New York City
- Status
- Iconic in hip-hop lore; real-world gentrification ongoing
Lore & Background
Long Island City was incorporated as a city on May 4, 1870, from the merging of the village of Astoria and the hamlets of Ravenswood, Hunters Point, Blissville, Sunnyside, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay and Middleton in the Town of Newtown. At the time of its incorporation, Long Island City had between 12,000 and 15,000 residents. Its charter provided for an elected mayor and a ten-member Board of Aldermen with two representing each of the city's five wards. Long Island City held its first election on July 5, 1870. Residents elected A.D. Ditmars the first mayor; Ditmars ran as both a Democrat and a Republican. The Common Council of Long Island City in 1873 adopted the coat of arms as 'emblematical of the varied interest represented by Long Island City.' It was designed by George H. Williams, of Ravenswood. The overall composition was inspired by New York City's coat of arms. The shield is rich in historic allusion, including Native American, Dutch, and English symbols. In the 1880s, Mayor De Bevoise nearly bankrupted the Long Island City government by embezzlement, of which he was convicted. Many dissatisfied residents of Astoria circulated a petition to ask the New York State Legislature to allow it to secede from Long Island City and reincorporate as the Village of Astoria, as it existed prior to the incorporation of Long Island City, in 1884. The petition was ultimately dropped by the citizens. Long Island City continued to exist as an incorporated city until 1898, when the city, the rest of the Town of Newtown (today known as Elmhurst, Queens) and other Towns in Queens were consolidated into New York City. The last mayor of Long Island City was an Irish-American named Patrick Jerome 'Battle-Axe' Gleason. Through the 1930s, three subway tunnels, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and the Queensboro Bridge were built to connect the neighborhood to Manhattan. By the 1970s, the factories in Long Island City were being abandoned. In the 1990s, Queens West on the west side of Long Island City was developed to revitalize 74 acres (30 ha) along the East River, with plans to bring in as many as 16,000 new residents in a total of 19 new buildings. In 2001, the neighborhood was rezoned from an industrial neighborhood to a residential neighborhood, and the area underwent gentrification, with developments such as Hunter's Point South being built in the area. Since then, there has been substantial commercial and residential growth in Long Island City, with 41 new residential apartment buildings being built just between 2010 and 2017. A resident of nearby Woodside proposed establishing a Japantown in Long Island City in 2006, though this did not occur. By the mid-2010s, Long Island City was one of New York City's fastest-growing neighborhoods.
Reader's Guide
Long Island City is part of Queens Community District 1 to the north and Queens Community District 2 to the south. It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 108th Precinct. Politically, Long Island City is represented by the New York City Council's 26th District. In addition to the Hunters Point Historic District and Queensboro Bridge, the 45th Road – Court House Square Station (Dual System IRT), Long Island City Courthouse Complex, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. New York City designated landmarks include the Pepsi-Cola sign along the East River; the Fire Engine Company 258, Hook and Ladder Company 115 firehouse; the Long Island City Courthouse; the New York Architectural Terra-Cotta Company building; and the Chase Manhattan Bank Building. The Queensbridge Houses, northeast of the Queensboro Bridge, are a development of the New York City Housing Authority and the largest public housing complex in the Western Hemisphere.
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