Location: Long Island City
Top Things to do in Long Island City
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The 10 Best Things to do in Long Island City, New York (NY)
Long Island City (LIC) is the westernmost residential and commercial neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. LIC is noted for its rapid and ongoing residential growth and gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. LIC has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio space of any neighborhood in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Hazen Street, 49th Street, and New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek—which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn—to the south. It originally was the seat of government of the Town of Newtown, and remains the largest neighborhood in Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 1, located north of the Queensboro Bridge and Queens Plaza; it is also of Queens Community Board 2 to the south.
Restaurants in Long Island City
1. Gantry Plaza State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 467 reviews
Reviewed By untdrum99 - Cebu City, Philippines
Gantry Plaza State Park is located in Long Island City in Queens and is a great park with a lot of family-friendly activities with a dog park, sand volleyball, dining, open spaces, and with some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline, especially at sunset. There is also a ferry that goes across to Manhattan, but is also conveniently located near a couple of subway stops. Entrance to the park is free. It's a former dockyards so it is interesting to see how they have repurposed the area into something everyone can use. There is free parking located nearby on the street.
2. Noguchi Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 194 reviews
Thirteen galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden are the settings for the wide collection of art work by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988.)
Reviewed By Chi2me - Chicago, United States
Noguchi is iconic and now, for me, so is his museum. Really worth a trip. The open air parts coupled with the sculpture garden and gift shop make it truly unique. Then walk out the door to the Socrates Sculpture park and you're good to go.
3. Hunter's Point South Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 109 reviews
Reviewed By seanworc - New York City, United States
This is a relatively new park along the East River waterfront in Long Island City, Queens. What makes it very special is the views across the river to scan the horizon lines of the Manhattan Midtown skyscrapers such as the United Nations, Citibank Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, UN Plaza, and many more. There are plenty of lounge chairs to sit and watch the the people and the sights. The locally famous Pepsi Cola sign is nearby. Plenty of food and drink options. Big kid playground. Easy access by train, car, taxi, or Uber. Go on a clear and sunny day. It can get very cold/windy next to the water in winter.
4. Rockaway Brewing Company
5. LIC Beer Project
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By Blubusdrvr - Baltimore, United States
Stopped by for a couple of beers (Miles From Nowhere and Humming Dragon). They're both IPAs and very similar actually. Hazy with a good hop bite. The MFN may have a better hop but the Humming Dragon has a spice that's good. Pick your poison!
6. Pepsi Cola Sign
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 126 reviews
Reviewed By 415jaroslawg - Maspeth, United States
great views of Manhattan, Bridges and great park in Long Island City, there few great restaurants around, great park for picnic.
7. The Cliffs at LIC
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By waverider681 - Detroit, United States
Love this place! If you are looking to try something new, I would highly recommend taking a wander to the Cliffs indoor climbing gym. With walls twice as high as a number of other gyms I have visited, I was seriously impressed. Additionally, the staff and members fostered a genuinely friendly atmosphere - a rare find in NYC. Members were very supportive of one another and seem to have formed a community of camaraderie. With a sizeable area for bouldering, a number of auto belays, lots of top ropes, and lead climbing options, there is certainly enough to keep you occupied for hours. In fact, I bet your body will be exhausted before your mind is ready to leave. The locker rooms are kept very clean and all the equipment you need is available to rent, or you can purchase in the small shop on site. They do offer courses for beginners if you have never been climbing before, or if you need a refresher. I have not tried it, but the Cliffs also have a small gym with weights/machines upstairs and offer some yoga classes. Yes, it is quite expensive, but I deem it is well worth the cost.
8. Fifth Hammer Brewing
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Fifth Hammer is a Brewery & Taproom in Long Island City, NYC With over 10 styles on tap at any given time, we brew something for everyone! We also serve wine and cider. You may bring food from outside, and we also feature food trucks and popups. See our website for the schedule. Beer is available to go, both in 4packs of cans and 32oz crowlers.
Reviewed By marcoburatti7 - Mondavio, Italy
Great brewery in Long Island City. The atmosphere is very cool and cozy. The staff is friendly and can suggest to you which beer to try. I have also noticed people coming in to buy six-packs of their beers to take away.
9. MoMA PS1
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 381 reviews
MoMA PS1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the United States. Located in Long Island City, New York, MoMA PS1 is dedicated to exhibiting the most provocative and challenging art from around the world. MoMA PS1 is an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Reviewed By hrobinson1114 - Hopkinsville, United States
This is MoMA’s more experimental space, and I like it a lot! It’s in a cool, old school building, with great exposed brick and wooden floors. Beautiful large windows with tons of light. Feels less snobby or pretentious than many other NYC museums. The art is also edgier, maybe even more controversial. More raw. And I like that. My favorite experience here was an expansive exhibit focusing on the art of incarcerated prisoners. The work was beautiful, moving. Sometimes heart-wrenching. I wish I had been able to spend more time with each piece, to truly digest the gravity and the pain, but the spaces are small, and only so many people are allowed to be in one room at a time due to COVID restrictions. There was also a neat, colorful, and cheeky Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture exhibit. It tied in with some of her more serious social justice work. There is a cafe that offers counter service and has a big courtyard for outdoor dining. I didn’t try it, but it would have topped off a great experience. I almost passed up this museum, but I ended up enjoying it very much, probably even more than the main MoMA campus. I’ll keep an eye out for future events.
10. Socrates Sculpture Park
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 131 reviews
You can admire the changing exhibits, or the spectacular view of Manhattan in this park.
Reviewed By staceyd284 - New York City, United States
As we are all itching to responsibly get out of the house for fresh air, I am happy to report Socrates Sculpture Park is open. It feature interesting modern sculptures, overlooks the water and offers some nice green space for solo exercise.
