For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago
So there I was, lying on my couch awaiting synchronized swimming, when it hit me ‘I could have still been living at my parents house in Tenafly if NYC had won the Olympic bid for this summer!’ Instead, I am a Master of the Universe and living in LIC …in a converted one bedroom with two roommates and a labradoodle. Who knew that (in)decision would be so precipitous for me? Oh yes, and for most of you as well. As a reminder, Hunters Point was supposed to be where the Olympic Village was to be located, per the bid submitted by NYC to the Olympic committee. Specifically, according to a New York Times article written in 2004:
“The Olympic Village is part of a brilliant master plan for the games devised by Mr. Garvin in 2002. Entitled the Olympic X Plan, the scheme uses the city’s transportation system to link new and existing sports venues arranged in giant intersecting axes draped across all five boroughs and the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Olympic Village sits at the center of the crossing, facing the Manhattan skyline. The view could make even the losers feel like champions.“
Looking back on it now, I for one am glad that we did not end up hosting the 2012 Olympics, though probably not quite as glad as Related Cos. Though it would have been nice taking one subway line straight to Jet games and Bon Jovi concerts.
Talking about one subway line, picking up on my story from a week ago, Crain’s reporter and LIC resident Amanda Fung wrote an article about how a new Silicon Alley is forming along the F-train line. Most of it focuses on the areas in Brooklyn, but despite disparaging words from a commercial real estate broker, all indications point to LIC as the future. So here is a little advice for said commercial broker from my post of July 19th, and you can feel free to use it in your pitch to prospective tenants:
“Once the first corporation makes the jump, others become more willing, and the perception of the area goes from being manufacturing and warehouse-centric to “happening” and cutting-edge, with the added bonus of a discount for those who act fast.”
OK, ok, enough of my Trump-like real estate bluster so early in the week. I will leave you with an LIC inspired two-word mantra to repeat as you watch archery and fencing over the next two weeks: “Hail Britannia!”
NYC 2012: The Legacy Of Losing The Olympics To London – gee, not a word about my wrenching transformation in this article
Let The Design Sprint Begin – 2004 NYT article
Call The F The Silicon Subway – Gravesend Bklyn? not gonna happen.
Hearty And Happy At Alobar In LIC – excellent review of Alobar, this guy gushes even more than I do about LIC; I hope this guy doesn’t take my job from me!
Monthly Pop-Up Queens County Market Brings Food Artisans To LIC – like a mini-Smorgasburg coming to Laughing Devil Comedy Club
LIC Sculpture Center To Get Outdoor Exhibit Space In Makeover
Sue says
July 31, 2012 at 10:13 amI can confirm that Alobar is as good as they say in the article and a great addition to the neighborhood.