Long Island City used to be one of the most industrialized parts of Queens– now it’s an artistic and unique neighborhood with comedy clubs, coffee shops, and a beautiful view of Manhattan.

When I think of LIC, I think of my favorite restaurants, MoMa P.S.1 and, of course, Gantry Plaza State Park. 

You will see so many different people here, from businessmen commuting to work in Manhattan, to hipster artists typing away on their laptops with their oversized glasses and suspenders.

Long Island City is full of tall residential apartment buildings and offices, but I feel that it has a pretty strong romantic vibe to it. Something about viewing the skyline creates a certain aura around this neighborhood that I cannot put into words. You just need to visit it to understand.

Here are a few of my favorite spots in LIC:

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Tuk Tuk

Located: 49-06 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101.

This authentic Thai restaurant is my favorite place to eat.

The outside may confuse some, because it doesn’t look like a restaurant at all (it says “paints” and “engineer” by the entrance), but once you enter you can immediately tell you’re in for a treat. It’s very modern and the atmosphere is peaceful.

It is one of two Thai places in LIC, and the only one that isn’t a chain. According to Tuk Tuk‘s website, a “Tuk Tuk” is a three-wheeled taxi in Bangkok that can transport you throughout the city.

The restaurant has a lot of space, and the walls are covered in interesting artifacts from Thailand.

Not only is the decor unique and beautiful, but the food is also flavorful and reasonably priced.

They have the best appetizers, such as Tuk Tuk satay, which is grilled marinated chicken on skewers served with peanut sauce and cucumber sauce.

That cucumber sauce is surprisingly perfect for this dish. The chicken and the cucumber create this strange, tangy, sweet, but kind of salty taste at the same time– a completely satisfying sensation in your mouth.

I recommend their pad see-ew, which is stir-fried flat rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, soy sauce, and egg. I usually get mine with vegetables. It’s sweet, delicious, and filling.

They also have really good pad thai– a classic Thai dish.

I think it’s a perfect date spot. The lights are dim, there are candles on the table, and the food is amazing.

All around good vibes.

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 MoMA P.S.1

Located: 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

MoMA P.S.1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the United States. According to the MoMA PS1 website, it is considered an exhibition space rather than a collecting institution, and is always on the look out for emerging artists and new genres in an effort to support contemporary art.

There are all sorts of wacky modern artifacts all around the museum.

Also according to the MoMA PS1 website, it was founded in 1971 by Alanna Heiss and is also used as a performance space and a studio. They also host parties, such as the fourth annual MoMA P.S.1 Halloween Ball on October 31st.

When I went to visit this museum there was a special exhibition called Björk’s Stonemilker by Andrew Thomas Huang. It was a virtual reality exhibition of Björk’s music video “Stonemilker,” which was filmed in Iceland. You put on the virtual reality headsets and sit on a stool that spins. You have a panoramic view of an Icelandic landscape while watching Björk perform her song. It was so cool. You can watch the Youtube video here.

Long Island City has a system called the “LIC Art Bus,” a bus service that runs during the summer. It’s a bus that takes you to different art institutions in LIC for free. Once you board, you can take it to MoMA P.S.1, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Noguchi Museum, and SculptureCenter. For more information you can visit their website here.

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Gantry Plaza State Park

Located: 474 48th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11109.

This waterfront park is right on the East River and has a beautiful, unobstructed view of the city skyline.

According to the park website, Gantry Park is only ten acres but will eventually reach forty acres in size when completed.

The park was constructed on an industrial relic of New York City’s history. Gantries were built to transport rail car floats for the Long Island railroad. The gantries were shut down years ago, but four massive structures are still up in the park today.

 

 

 

They even have railroad tracks throughout the park to symbolize the industrial area the park was built on.

Also according to the park’s website, there are four piers, a bike lane, a food stand and access to the East River Ferry.

There is also a field to play sports and multiple seating areas.

No matter the time of day you come, the view from Gantry Park is still breathtaking.

It’s also a great date spot. It’s a great place to take your significant other to watch the sunset, take in the ambiance of the moonlight and enjoy the beautiful Manhattan skyline right in front of you.

You’d probably get a second date.

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Sweetleaf

Located: 10-93 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

This cozy coffee shop opened in 2008 and has some of the best gluten-free pastries I’ve ever had. It is also the most vintage-looking coffee place I’ve been to. Their attention to detail is magnificent.

According to Sweetleaf’s website, this is their first of three locations. They have another location in LIC that doubles as a cocktail lounge.

The cafe is in a 19th-century building and has decorations imported from Paris. The walls and ceiling are the original tin from the 1800s.

They have multiple rooms that are all decorated, including a laptop room. They also have a turntable and hundreds of records you can choose from.

There are really cool things on the menu as well, like the Rocket Fuel (cold-brewed coffee with chicory, maple syrup and milk) and the Voodoo Child (Vietnamese style cold brew).

 

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Blend on the Water

Located: 4540 Center Blvd, Long Island City, NY 10044

This Latin fusion restaurant is best known for ten-foot windows that wrap around the whole restaurant, providing a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline and the East River.

They’re also well known, in my book, for amazing (and strong) passionfruit mojitos.

They have another smaller location in LIC, but this location provides outdoor seating for sixty people and up to 160 diners in total according to Blend on the Water‘s website. Diners who sit outside get a great view while they enjoy their dinner.

I recommend getting the Pernil, an oven-roasted pork shank that comes with white rice, bean sauce, and chimichurri (a sauce that usually includes parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and flakes of chili pepper).

 

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Long Island City is one of my favorite places to hang out in Queens. It’s easy to access on the 7 train, and there are a ton of fun things to do here.

Even just sitting out at Gantry Park for a while is spiritual.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you love this romantic, active, cultural neighborhood as much as I do!

Long Island City Natives: Where is your favorite place in LIC? Did I not mention it? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time!