Long Island City (LIC) sounds far but it is one subway stop from Manhattan. Whether you’re staying at The Local or not, everyone visiting NYC should plan to spend some time on this side of the river.
We’ve been here since 2013, which means we’ve watched LIC change a lot. There are considerably more glass towers now. There are also better restaurants, more bars, a lot more happening along the waterfront and, thankfully, still plenty of magical Queens energy mixed in.
This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive guide to Long Island City. It’s the stuff we actually recommend to our guests, most of it within walking distance of The Local.
Start with MoMA PS1
If you’re going to do one cultural thing in the neighborhood, make it MoMA PS1.
Housed in an old public school building, PS1 is MoMA’s more experimental Queens sibling. The exhibitions tend to be contemporary, occasionally bizarre and generally more interesting to talk about afterward than another room full of paintings you already saw in an art history textbook.
It’s also very close to The Local, so this is an easy one to work into a morning or afternoon without turning it into a full blown museum day.
If you’re here in summer, check what’s happening outside too. PS1 has a long history of making its courtyard part of the experience and they’re known for their “Warm Up” day parties.
Walk to the waterfront
Yes, you should go see the Manhattan skyline. No, you should not pay $40 to stand on a nauseating platform to do it.
Walk west through LIC toward Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunter’s Point South Park. You’ll get some of the best views of Midtown Manhattan in the city, including the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings across the East River.
The old gantries are remnants of LIC’s industrial waterfront, and the whole stretch is particularly good around sunset. Bring a coffee, bring a beer, bring someone you like, whatever.
If the weather is good, keep walking south through Hunter’s Point South. The waterfront walkway is a nice foil to the urban jungle.
Eat Thai food at Soothr
One of our favorite newer additions to the neighborhood is Soothr LIC, just a couple of blocks from The Local.
The original Soothr in the East Village built a pretty devoted following for regional Thai food and noodles, and the LIC location is much bigger and more ambitious. The room is beautiful, the bar is serious, and it works equally well for dinner with a group or for sitting down to a proper meal after a long day of walking around New York.
We wrote a whole thing about it [Soothr has big Bangkok energy], including what we like to order and when we’d go.
Have a cocktail at Dutch Kills
Dutch Kills has been one of our default recommendations since The Local opened.
It’s dark, low-key and very serious about cocktails without making the whole experience feel particularly serious. In a city where bars appear, become impossible to get into and disappear again approximately every six weeks, Dutch Kills has been doing its thing in LIC since 2009.
If someone at the front desk sends you there, this is why. If they don’t, they might be gatekeeping.
Our full Dutch Kills write-up is here [Dutch Kills – an LIC standby].
Explore our diverse food culture
One of the best changes in LIC over the past few years has been the food.
There’s (formerly Michelin starred!) Casa Enrique for Mexican, Little Banchan Shop for excellent Korean banchan and bibimbap (with Michelin-starred Meju hiding in the back), and a growing collection of Chinese, Thai, Afghan and other restaurants that have made LIC much more of a food destination in its own right. Soothr’s arrival is part of that story too. Recent restaurant guides from both Eater and The Infatuation now devote substantial lists to the neighborhood, which would have been fairly unimaginable when we opened The Local in 2013.
If you want a recommendation based on what you actually feel like eating, ask us. This is one of those things real people at a front desk remain surprisingly useful for. Don’t be shy!
See what’s happening at Culture Lab LIC
Before assuming you need to go into Manhattan or Brooklyn for something to do at night, check Culture Lab LIC.
It’s an arts and community space near the waterfront with live music, exhibitions, performances, markets and other events. In warmer months especially, there is often something happening outside at The Lot.
The programming changes constantly, which is the point. Check their calendar or ask the front desk what’s on while you’re here.
Hop on the ferry
The subway will almost always be the fastest way to get around New York.
The ferry is so much more fun.
NYC Ferry stops at Hunters Point South and Gantry Plaza, making it an easy way to turn getting somewhere into a mini sightseeing trip. Depending on your plans, you can use it to head toward Brooklyn or Manhattan while getting a completely different view of the city from the East River. The best part about the ferry is THE PRICE. The ferry is generally just a little bit more expensive than a subway ride, making this the cheapest cruise you never booked! Oh, and they sell snacks and drinks on board.
Have a very NYC breakfast
Not every meal needs to be a destination restaurant.
One of the pleasures of staying in a neighborhood instead of a tourist district is being able to eat like someone who actually lives here. Grab a bagel. Sit at a diner counter. Get coffee from somewhere that does not have a line of 47 people because TikTok discovered it last Tuesday.
Court Square Diner is the classic old-school option nearby and, importantly, it’s open 24 hours. It’s exactly what a New York diner should be: enormous menu, booths, coffee and absolutely no need to have done any research before walking in.
Roam without an itinerary
This sounds like a cop-out. It isn’t.
LIC is a neighborhood of strange contrasts: old industrial buildings next to new residential towers, tiny restaurants under elevated train tracks, art spaces, film studios, warehouses, waterfront parks and some legitimately beautiful Manhattan views.
Walk down Jackson Avenue. Wander through Court Square. Head toward Hunters Point. Look at the old signs and loading docks that haven’t been replaced by condos yet.
Then get on the subway when you’re ready. Manhattan will still be there.
Staying in Long Island City
One of the reasons we opened The Local here is that LIC gives you both versions of New York.
You can be in Midtown Manhattan in minutes, spend the entire day doing the New York trip you came here to do, and then come back to a neighborhood with its own bars, restaurants, parks and actual New Yorkers walking their dogs.
Or you can ignore Manhattan for an afternoon altogether.
We strongly recommend doing that at least once.
The Local NY is at 13-02 44th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. If you’re staying with us and want a recommendation, ask the front desk. We have strong opinions.