LIKE any good journalist I maintain a list of possible story ideas for future use. Every so often someone else comes along and publishes one of those ideas, at which point I make an assessment – was it done well or is there more to say at some point in the future? In the former category is a story out this week in The Irish Echo about the Guinness brewery that used to be in Long Island City. It was located at 28th St. and 47th Avenue on the eastern side of Sunnyside Yards, and was in production from 1949 to 1954. As anyone who’s been to Ireland knows, the thought behind it brewing fresh Guinness versus having it shipped was a good one. Alas, the American public was not quite ready for the taste of stout. Fast forward to today and this once industrial factory/warehouse was recently repositioned into a new loft-like office building called The Mill. Check out the story in the link below, and a tip of the hat to the writer of it.
Also in the well-written1 category is a story about Hellgate Farm in Edible Queens2. Or farms as it may be, the most prominent of which is sitting on top of a low-lying warehouse on 10th Street and Queens Plaza South in the shadow of the Queensboro Bridge and Silvercup sign. Unlike the Guinness plant, I was completely unaware that this farm existed right in our midst, or above us as the case may be. Anyway, the farm sells its produce locally at Socrates Sculpture Park when in season (right now!) and via a CSA. Check out the story below and the website, both of which have good pics.
//TALKING about Socrates Sculpture Park, summer may be over but in addition to the harvest from local farms being sold on site there’s a whole roster of events coming in September and October. Check out the calendar below.
//WE hear, through a reader, that The Sandwich King on Vernon Boulevard has closed.
The Brewery on 47th Avenue – nothing like a fresh one
A Harvest Hidden in Plain Sight – what a bounty
Hellgate Farm – several products available online too
Urban Farms Are Sprouting Up All Over NYC – on the heels of the story above
Socrates Sculpture Park Fall Calendar – open 365 days a year!
The Sly Super Power of the ‘Hustlers’ Movie – “They shot in an actual club, Show Palace in Long Island City, Queens, where, after an open call, they cast several real-life dancers and a manager”
Local LIC Schools To Explore Newtown Creek In New Program – PS78Q and Hunters Point Community Middle School going down to the crick
Guitar School Queens Opens New Location on LIC/Astoria Border – the next Jimmy Page cometh
A curious resident says
September 6, 2019 at 11:35 pmCan we talk about why these restaurants (ie. Sandwich King the latest) keep closing down? Is it because they offer a bad product? Greedy landlords? A lack of foot traffic because there isn’t an abundance of business in the area? Why does this keep happening? I’ve lived in Hunters Point 6 years and it’s sad to watch it still happening. What gives? Would really enjoy an article getting into that a bit, if that’s possible at all. Thank you for considering this topic.
MattB says
September 7, 2019 at 2:35 pmIt’s sad. I’ve been here for 5 years now and have been just as miffed. In the case of the SK, Desi Bowl and the countless others, the product wasn’t great especially for the cost. That leads me to believe that the rents are cost prohibitive. It is what it is. But if this is ever going to be more than a bedroom community, it’s something that needs to be addressed. I’m sure many of the original residents are put off by the transitory nature of the community these days and long for the good old days before the development, well to achieve that we need a community that is desirable to live, work and play in.
LICperson says
September 9, 2019 at 9:06 amI cannot speak to previous closures in this particular space, but Sandwich King was a disaster. The interior was unfinished and often just appeared outright dirty. They were routinely out of ingredients, and employees certainly didn’t seem to care. They never stood a chance
Neighbor says
September 7, 2019 at 5:24 pmSandwich King had a dark, depressing, unappealing interior and the food was inconsistent and average at best. Desi Bowl wasn’t bad but also wasn’t good and didn’t really make sense. Same could be said for Green Street. There are plenty of good, well-executed concepts that do just fine here. But a mediocre, poorly-executed concept will fail here just like it will anywhere else.
Noob Whale says
September 9, 2019 at 2:39 pmAs my wife and I say on a nearly weekly basis….Tuk Tuk it is