A thousand reasons to love Long Island City. Tips: Editor@LICtalk.com
GREATS of Craft, a bar specializing in craft beer, is opening in Long Island City tomorrow. Located at 10-15 43rd Avenue across the street from the Z Hotel, this will be the second location for ‘Greats,’ the first being on 1st Ave and 54th Street, which opened five years ago.
[Read more…] about ‘Greats of Craft’ Opening In Long Island City
THERE is nothing more important than proximity when it comes to exercising. Between inertia and the multitude of distractions in the 21st century, convenience is the key to a successful and thriving Rec Center. Thus when it was pointed out to me that ‘Yes indeed, there is a plan to build a Rec Center in the LIC Waterfront Master Plan,’ I couldn’t help but feel tremendously disappointed in looking at where it’s tentatively slated to be.
[Read more…] about Rec Center Slated For LIC Waterfront, But…
Last week came the announcement of a new school to be located along the waterfront on parcel C in Hunters Point South (TF Cornerstone Development). Two months prior to that came the announcement of a new school to be built along the waterfront on the former site of the Water’s Edge restaurant. Two weeks prior to that came the announcement that a new school would be built on parcel F in Hunters Point South, also located on the waterfront.
In summary, in the last ten weeks LIC received the news that it is expected to possibly get three new waterfront-located schools over the next four to six years.
That’s great, but somewhat bittersweet. The battle for increased school capacity has been waged by parents for several years now, many of whom won’t be the beneficiaries of the new schools. Though most ultimately were unscathed by the controversy, inasmuch as their child eventually received a seat in PS78, the uncertainty was unsettling, and may have motivated others to move out or not move to LIC in the first place. Also, in the question-mark that is truncation, it was a factor in prompting some recent middle school parents to opt for the new middle school instead of sticking it out at 78.
In viewing the current situation, I can’t help but think that for every action there is at first a delayed response, and then inevitably an overreaction. Since it’s been primarily parents along the waterfront who have been demanding schools now, that is where the schools have been going. Yet any chess player can see that the next big need is closer to Court Square. The powers that be completely screwed up in not insisting a school be placed in the base of 5Pointz. In addition to being extremely well-situated to accommodate children from all parts of LIC, it would have been available in time for the school year beginning in 2018. Instead the community received baubles in return for granting the developers a zoning variance allowing them to build an additional 28 stories.
That’s spilt milk today. What is not is the need to: [Read more…] about THE HUNTERS POINT REC CENTER, IT’S TIME HAS COME