One of the big new buildings with for-sale condos started showing recently - the Echelon. "Start getting your hopes up" etc etc.

All the "high" talk is kind of overdoing it. The place is nice in a medium sort of way with certain excellent aspects -- Jackson Ave near 47th Road is nice and convenient to lots of trains, the views for about half the units are just great, and the exterior of the building looks good. But the finishes are sort of medium quality (lots of particle-board and delicate assembly items), and the layouts are occasionally bizarre. But the prices are not too steep -- in the $650 per sq ft range. Come on over Manhattanites.

Click on through for LICNYC's tour of the place

Posted by Amol at 11:35 PM | Permalink

Seen on the 5 train in the Bronx. Ads for luxury LIC condos.

Posted by Amol at 12:23 PM | Permalink

Coming soon to the old Andell Packaging storefront next to Bella Via, an organic and natural foods cafe. Stay tuned.

Posted by Amol at 11:54 PM | Permalink

The huge site is nearly done. And whiffs across Greenpoint the gentle smell of methane.

Posted by Amol at 05:00 PM | Permalink

Looks like three major projects are brewing on 11th Ave, where the Pulaski Bridge from Brooklyn let's off. One of course is the Badge Building, which is now marketing away.





But the other two are fast moving demolition projects - both on Jackson. Things will be very differrent for the Jackson Ave Steakhouse pretty soon.

Posted by Amol at 03:52 PM | Permalink

LICNYC is getting outrun - there is that much happening. Up and down Vernon Blvd, Jackson Blvd, 5th St: 1000s of new condos in development, nearly 10 new shops, and lots of people shoping for space.





The action is palpable.





It will be LIC vs. LIC as we go!

Posted by Amol at 01:46 PM | Permalink

New shopfronts are accumulating, looking for shopkeepers. Here is a new renovation on 50th Ave near Vernon. And then there is the ground floor of the big apartmenthouse on Jackson and 50th. Should be some interesting stores coming soon.

Posted by Amol at 01:20 PM | Permalink

Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Posted by Amol at 10:58 AM | Permalink

The boroughs each have their parklife marvels -- Central Park, Prospect Park, Flushing Meadow Park. But Queens has another spectacular park (more amazing than just big -- Flushing Meadow gets all the glory during US Open time, or when the Mets are playing, or pretty much whenver else).

Astoria Park has the biggest swimming pool in New York City - built as a public works project in 1936, to accomodate nearly 3,000 people. The pool still operates today (just closed this Labor Day), with waters the size of three Olympic size pools.

The waters the size of a football field fit snugly in a massive park created at the edge of Astoria, fronting the East River, in the leafy shadows of the Triboro Bridge, in view of Manhattan and Randall's Island. Lots of tennis courts, a track and field, soccer field, and lots of quiet corners to set up your picnic. In early September, Astoria Park looks like a quiet, remote marvel -- and it's just 5 minutes from LIC if you are in a car, or 20 minutes if you are on your bike.

Pictures of the park

To get there you pretty much need to think "I"m going to the Bohemian Beer Garden" (if by train), or in other cases think "I'm about to get on the Triboro Bridge but not really".

(PS, if you are looking for more stuff in the "dodgeball tournaments and handlebar moustaches" category of park fun, McCarren in Williamsburg is your place.)

Posted by Amol at 10:21 AM | Permalink

Some of the weirder restaurants in LIC are nestled up above the Queensboro bridge between the Queensbridge apartments and the Triboro Bridge. It's Astoria, technically, and that enhances the weirdness of these places.

One of them is Rizzo's, an italian place on 21st street on the way from LIC to Socrates Sculpture Park. The signature elements are the overgrown green ivy, the gondola with an electric boatman who stutters back and forth, and some charming old neon lettering gone stale. The food isn't really praised in the reviews they have pasted onto the front door, so LICNYC took a pass on actually dining there.

Another one is the only Bulgarian restaurant anywhere in New York, and for that reason likely one of the few in the country: Bulgara. When LICNYC dropped in, the staff was relaxing the afternoon away, waiting for the evidently very busy and musical nights. There is a stage, sound system, big open dance floor, and a vaguely Mediterranean-except-really-Black-Sea look. Get in touch with them here

If you are really hard up for a buck, you can dive into one of the taxi driver joints lined up near the end of 21st near the Triboro. Fast, cheap...dubious quality, but friendly (depending on your Urdu language skills).

Posted by Amol at 07:47 PM | Permalink