If your job is in Manhattan but you’d rather live in another area that will still avail you easy commute to your office, then Long Island City in Queens is the place for you. This article will be discussing all you need to know about LIC so that you can be very prepared for your move.
What You Should Know About Long Island City Neighborhood
Erstwhile known as a primarily industrial area, Long Island City has been metamorphosing at a very fast rate over the years. An area that had only a little amount of residential population which was majorly comprised of artists in search of studio spaces has now turned into a place filled with shiny towers and residential buildings.
Young workers and millennials are thronging into the area in their numbers and have caused a huge demand for apartment buildings over the years. In the last decade, more than 12,000 residential buildings have sprung up in the area in a bid to cater to the people moving into the city and it doesn’t look like this influx is stopping anytime soon.
Due to this reason, Long Island City does not have the historic feel of Astoria and Sunnyside, nor does it have the normal New York City vibe. Most of the high-end apartment buildings come with various types of amenities and services such as gyms and dry cleaning. As such, the people living there can do a lot of things in the comfort of their buildings.
Where Is Long Island City Located?
Long Island City is in Queens, a borough in New York City. Long Island city lies across the East River from Midtown East and the Upper East Side. It shares borders with Astoria to the north; Newton creek to the south; Hazen street, 49th street and New calvary Cemetary in Sunnyside to the east; and the East River to the west.
Did you know that between 1870 and 1898 Long Island City was a city on its own before it was annexed by New York City.
ZIP Code
Long Island City zip codes are 11101–11106, 11109, 11120 and Area codes are 718, 347, 929, and 917.
Housing Options in LIC
Long Island City has changed a lot from the industrialized area that it was once was, into the beautiful city that it is today. The area now has a lot of residential buildings and towers with one even being 67-story tall.
If the modern, shiny buildings do not agree with you, have no worries as between the 21st and 23rd street on 45th avenue, there are still pre-war Italianate brownstones that you can check out.
You should know however, that renting in Long Island City leans more to the high side. StreetEasy Analysis has it that the average rent in Long Island City as at December 2021 was $3,700. This is evidently more expensive than the average rent for Queens which stood at $2,300 for the same time.
Are you looking to invest in real estate in Long Island City then just know that as at December 2021, the average asking price for that stood at $1.1 million while in Queens the average asking price stood at $585,000.
The disparity here is a lot but as some people would say – if you really want something, spare no expense.
Parks and Green Spaces
There is no doubt that Long Island City has come a long way from the once desolate, highly industrialized area that it once was. Its view of the waterfront park is simply amazing.
Are you hoping to see an expanse of green grass? Then you will love the one that spans from Hunters Point up to the Eleventh Street Basin. It has event spaces, children’s play areas that are a favorite of kids, as well as walking trails.
Another place of interest that you can visit is the Hunters Point Library designed by Steven Holl Architects. If you are a lover of architectural designs and of course books, you really have to pay the library a visit.
It was built with aluminum-painted cast-in concrete and the sculptural windows gave the place an interesting aesthetic.
Also check out the Socrates Sculpture Park, an outdoor museum and public park where you’ll find large scale sculptures as well as multimedia installations. Admission into this space is free and it is open every day by 9am.
Long Island City Apartments
According to StreetEasy, the average rent in Long Island City as at the third quarter of 2021 is $445 higher than it was in 2020. This is as most neighborhoods in the area recover from the effects of the pandemic.
A lot of people are moving back into Long Island City post-Pandemic and there has been really noticeable increase in rent.
Most young workers are looking to move to Long Island City, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Downtown Brooklyn, and other commuter neighborhoods and these areas have had a significant increase in rent. Most people prefer Long Island City because they believe that it provides an easier commute to Manhattan.
The highest rent rebounds occurred in the Financial District and the Flatiron District. In the Financial District there is a rent increase of $634 while the Flatiron District experienced an increase of $494. This rent increment is in comparison with 2019 rates.
Also, rental incentives such as months of free rent, is no longer a thing in Long Island City.
StreetEasy has it that as at the second quarter of the year, 26.8 percent of rentals in Queens came with rental incentives. Thus Queens ranked as the outer borough with the highest rate of apartments that had rental incentives.
But by the third quarter of the year, this number decreased so much so that only 17.1 percent of apartments have some sort of rental deal. This then made Queens the borough with the lowest rate of rental incentives in NYC.
That notwithstanding, rent is cheaper than what it was before the pandemic in some parts of NYC, one of such places being Astoria. In Astoria, although the rent is $25 more than what it was last year, it is still $132 less than what it was as at two years ago.
However, according to StreetEasy economist Nancy Wu, there are people who are not affected by whatever the market trend is and these are the highly mobile renters who will pay any amount to ensure that they rent in the neighborhood of their choice, no matter how expensive the area is.
Wu believes that this will still be the case till winter as by then, less people will be looking to move. Even though you might have a lower budget, an apartment can still turn up for you. Bear in mind however that you won’t be the only person looking to have possession of the apartment.
Cost of Property Taxes in LIC
It is one thing to be able to comfortably afford a house, but have you considered property taxes? In some areas, property taxes can be very high and can greatly impact your housing expenses. Carry out your research and be aware of the property taxes of the area where you are looking to buy your property in so that you will not be taken unawares later on. Some people have had to sell their homes even after they’ve paid off their mortgage just because they couldn’t keep up with the property taxes.
Also bear in mind that these property taxes can increase in the future. Hence, you should seriously put it under consideration and be sure that it is something you can comfortably handle.
Traffic in the Area
Long Island has its fair share of traffic, but even more on some particular roads, one of which is the Long Island Expressway. Some have nicknamed the expressway – the world’s longest parking lot.
If you are moving into Long Island, you should try out routes from your intended house to places you’ll always have to go to such as your job, so that you can find the easiest and fastest route. You wouldn’t want to be always late for work on account of traffic.
Weather and Climatic Conditions
The weather and climatic conditions of a place is a very important factor to consider when you are moving to a place. Generally the weather is okay but nature can be quite unpredictable. Humidity can cause a nice summer weather to become too hot, and a wind-chill can make the temperature colder than what would normally be the case.
You should also be aware of the fact that Long Island, as well as some close by areas have experienced hurricanes and snowstorms. Hurricane Sandy occurred in 2012 and a lot of communities in Long Island were affected. It was so severe that many residents of Long Beach had to evacuate their homes. It also caused some areas not to have electricity for weeks.
Noise level of the Area
There is no doubt that Long Island comprises of a lot of amazing communities. If you want to stay in communities that will make accessible to you wonderful parks, close by gardens, white sand beaches as well as large expanses of green grass, you are sure to find them.
However, it very important that you find out about the noise level of the area before finally settling in. You wouldn’t want to spend time, energy and resources in moving only to find out that you cannot bear the noise or so much activity in the neighborhood. This could be as a result of a bar or a restaurant that you failed to take note of when you were checking the place out, because you never went during their operating hours.
The right thing to do when you are looking to buy a house is to check out the property in the day time, at night, weekdays and on weekends. This is so that you don’t get any surprises with regards to noise or any other factor when you eventually move in.
Long Island City Frequently Asked Questions
Is long island city expensive?
Long Island City is considered an expensive neighborhood. According to PropertyNest, the city is the most expensive area in Queens for 2021. The average income required to be able to comfortably rent in the area gets into six figures.
Is LIC safe for tourists?
Long Island city is pretty safe and poses low risk to tourists. Zippboxx.com has it that the city is a very safe place to visit and live in New York. Although it might seem somewhat desolate late into the night, it still has a low property crime rate, and violent crime rate is well below average.
What subway lines go to long island city?
Subway lines that you can take to Long Island city include;
- Flushing Local
- Flushing Express
- 8 Avenue Local.
- Queens Blvd Local/6 Av Local.
What is middle class income on long island?
According to estimation by the Economic Policy Institute, for a family of four residing in Long Island to survive comfortably, they need to earn $11,629 each month, which is $139,545 yearly.
Is long island city cheaper than Manhattan?
When compared to Manhattan, Long Island City has a lower cost of living. One of the things that makes Manhattan have a higher cost of living than Long Island city is the very expensive rent. A lot of persons find that rent alone in Manhattan is eating up most of their budget. RentCafé has it that the average rent there is more than $4,200.
