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- Exceptional Legal Representation Throughout
- Long Island and New York, Since 1993.
- SUFFOLK (631)-271-3737
, QUEENS (718)-751-0226
- NASSAU (516)-307-0262
, BROOKLYN (347)-508-9316
- Exceptional Legal Representation Throughout Long Island and New York, Since 1993.
(631)-271-3737
(718)-751-0226
(516)-307-0262
(347)-508-9316
Long Island City Queens
Practice Areas
Bankruptcy Solutions
The purpose of federal bankruptcy legislation, sometimes known as Title 11 of the United States Code or the “Bankruptcy Code,” is to provide an opportunity for financial reorganization or a fresh start for legitimate debtors who are unable to fulfill their obligations.
Foreclosure Solutions
As you are undoubtedly aware, many homeowners are in arrears on their mortgages as a result of the 2020 recession brought on by the coronavirus. At first, most lenders had been understanding and would have granted a brief suspension of the late payments.
Debt Negotiations & Settlements
Clients regularly hire the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. to represent them in negotiations with banks, mortgage holders, credit card issuers, auto financing providers, landlords, tax authorities, and other creditors.
Mortgage Loan Modifications
The most common strategy used by our firm to prevent a house in severe mortgage arrears from going into foreclosure is a mortgage modification. Mortgage modification and other potential Retention Options are the potential goals of most homeowners in foreclosure because most people experiencing serious hardships with their mortgages are looking for “Retention Options
Credit Card Solutions
For consumers, credit card debt and other unsecured personal loans are the most common types of debt. There are a few legal options for handling credit card debt, including the following: Litigation, bankruptcy, and/or negotiated settlements are the three options.
Debtor Litigation Defense
Many of The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.’s clients face the possibility of litigation or collection activities from their creditors because they are accused of having debt that they are unable to pay or because they contest the existence, amount, or obligation of the debt.
Landlord Tenant Solutions
Landlord-Tenant Law is one of our firm’s areas of expertise; we defend landlords and tenants in a variety of legal proceedings before the Landlord-Tenant Court and the New York Supreme Court. When it comes to eviction and/or collecting large amounts of past due rent.
Distressed Real Estate
A. Pre-Contract When a seller (the “Seller”) sells real estate to a buyer (the “Buyer”), there are usually a number of important steps involved. A seller will first list their property on the market for sale. A real estate broker is frequently hired by the seller to help locate possible buyers for their property.
Student Loan Solutions
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” as Benjamin Franklin famously said. This phrase has recently been amended by popular opinion to include student loans. Since most jobs these days require a bachelor’s degree, the amount of debt that Americans owe on their student loans
Tax Debt Solutions
Many people have trouble keeping up with their tax payments to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“NYS”), which includes sales taxes, income taxes, payroll taxes, and other state taxes, as well as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), which includes individual income taxes.
Table of Contents
- WELCOME: Long Island City
Long Island City (LIC) is situated on the western edge of Queens, a borough within New York City, bordered by Astoria to the north, the East River to the west, New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the east, and Newtown Creek to the south, which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Originally incorporated as a city in 1870, Long Island City served as the governmental center of the Town of Newtown before being absorbed into the City of Greater New York in 1898. In the early 21st century, Long Island City gained recognition for its rapid residential growth, ongoing gentrification, scenic waterfront parks, and vibrant arts community. The neighborhood boasts a significant concentration of art galleries, institutions, and studio spaces.
Long Island City serves as the eastern terminus of the Queensboro Bridge, providing a crucial non-tolled automotive connection between Queens and Manhattan. Northwest of the bridge lies the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing complex in the Western Hemisphere, developed by the New York City Housing Authority.
Administratively, Long Island City is divided between Queens Community District 1 to the north and Queens Community District 2 to the south. The neighborhood is patrolled by the New York City Police Department’s 108th Precinct, and it is politically represented by the New York City Council’s 26th District.
(southeast), and Woodside and East Elmhurst (east). As of 2019, its estimated population is 95,446. Initially called Hallet’s (or Hallett’s) Cove after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 with his wife Elizabeth Fones, the area was incorporated on April 12, 1839, and later renamed to attract investment from John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in the U.S. at the time. The late 19th century saw significant economic and commercial growth, spurring immigration. Astoria and nearby villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870, which became part of New York City in 1898. The 20th century brought continued commercial activity, with the area becoming a hub for filmmaking and industry.
Astoria is in Queens Community District 1, with ZIP Codes 11101, 11102, 11103, 11105, and 11106. It is patrolled by the NYPD’s 114th Precinct and served by FDNY Battalions 45 and 49. Politically, it falls under New York City Council’s 22nd and 26th Districts.
- History
As independent city
Long Island City was established as a city on May 4, 1870, through the amalgamation of various areas, including the village of Astoria and the hamlets of Ravenswood, Hunters Point, Blissville, Sunnyside, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay, and Middleton from the Town of Newtown. At the time of its incorporation, Long Island City had a population estimated between 12,000 and 15,000 residents. Its municipal structure included an elected mayor and a ten-member Board of Aldermen, with two representatives from each of the city’s five wards. City ordinances could be enacted through majority votes of the Board of Aldermen, followed by the mayor’s approval.
The city’s first election took place on July 5, 1870, resulting in A.D. Ditmars being elected as the inaugural mayor, running on both Democratic and Republican tickets. The Board of Aldermen, comprising representatives from each ward, was also inaugurated on July 18, 1870.
During the 1880s, Long Island City faced financial difficulties when Mayor De Bevoise was convicted of embezzlement, nearly bankrupting the city government. Additionally, there was discontent among Astoria residents, leading to a petition seeking secession from Long Island City and the reinstatement of Astoria as an independent village. However, this petition was eventually withdrawn by the citizens.
Long Island City remained an incorporated city until 1898 when Queens was consolidated into New York City. Patrick Jerome “Battle-Axe” Gleason served as the last mayor of Long Island City.
In 1873, the Common Council of Long Island City adopted a coat of arms, symbolizing the diverse interests of the city. Designed by George H. Williams of Ravenswood, the shield incorporated Native American, Dutch, and English symbols, inspired by New York City’s coat of arms. With the annexation of Queens in 1898, Long Island City became part of New York City.
After incorporation into New York City
In 1898, Long Island City relinquished its independence to join the City of Greater New York. However, it retained its identity through ZIP Codes 11101 and the prefix 111, maintaining its own main post office. The Greater Astoria Historical Society, established in 1985, has been preserving the area’s history.
Throughout the 1930s, infrastructure developments like three subway tunnels, the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and the Queensboro Bridge bolstered connectivity between Long Island City and Manhattan. However, by the 1970s, the area’s factories began to close down.
In the 1990s, the Queens West project aimed to rejuvenate 74 acres along the East River, introducing plans for 19 new buildings and potentially accommodating 16,000 residents. In 2001, the neighborhood underwent rezoning, transitioning from an industrial hub to a residential area. This shift facilitated gentrification, exemplified by projects like Hunter’s Point South. From 2010 to 2017 alone, 41 new residential apartment buildings sprang up, contributing to substantial commercial and residential expansion. While a proposal to establish a Japantown in 2006 didn’t materialize, Long Island City emerged as one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in New York City by the mid-2010s.
Historic landmarks
Aside from the Hunters Point Historic District and Queensboro Bridge, Long Island City boasts several other landmarks of historical significance. These include the 45th Road – Court House Square Station (Dual System IRT), the Long Island City Courthouse Complex, and the United States Post Office, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Moreover, there are notable landmarks designated by New York City, such as the Pepsi-Cola sign along the East River, the Fire Engine Company 258, Hook and Ladder Company 115 firehouse, the Long Island City Courthouse, the New York Architectural Terra-Cotta Company building, and the Chase Manhattan Bank Building. These landmarks serve as important cultural and historical symbols, contributing to the unique character of Long Island City.
- Demographics
According to data from the 2010 United States Census, the combined Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City neighborhood had a population of 20,030, with a decrease of 1,074 (5.1%) from the 21,104 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 540.94 acres (218.91 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 37.0 inhabitants per acre (23,700/sq mi; 9,100/km2).
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was diverse, with White, African American, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino residents representing significant portions of the population. Specifically, 14.7% were White, 25.9% were African American, 15.5% were Asian, and 40.5% were Hispanic or Latino.
Long Island City is divided between Queens Community Board 1 and Queens Community Board 2. Community Board 1, covering northern Long Island City and Astoria, had 199,969 inhabitants as of 2018, while Community Board 2, covering southern Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside, had 135,972 inhabitants. Both areas have higher-than-average life expectancies compared to other New York City neighborhoods.
Regarding socioeconomic indicators, the median household income in Community Board 1 was $66,382, and in Community Board 2, it was $67,359. While poverty rates were slightly lower than borough and city averages, rent burden was still a concern, with 47% in Community Board 1 and 51% in Community Board 2 experiencing difficulties paying rent.
Recent census data from 2020 shows significant demographic shifts, particularly in the southern portion of Long Island City, where there is a substantial increase in the Asian population. This growth, mainly consisting of second- or third-generation Americans, has led to the emergence of Asian-owned businesses. However, within NYCHA’s Queensbridge Houses, there are challenges due to the immigrant working-class backgrounds of many residents, leading to communication issues with NYCHA. Council member Julie Won has emphasized the importance of outreach to address these issues and support the area’s Asian residents and businesses.
- Commerce and economy
Developments and buildings
Long Island City, once characterized by its industrial landscape, has undergone significant redevelopment, repurposing many former factories and bakeries for new uses. For example, the former Silvercup bakery is now Silvercup Studios, known for producing notable television shows like NBC’s “30 Rock” and HBO’s “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos.” The Sunshine Bakery has been transformed into a building housing LaGuardia Community College, while other campus buildings were once home to the Ford Instrument Company. Isamu Noguchi converted a photo-engraving plant into what is now the Noguchi Museum, dedicated to his work.
The Standard Motor Products headquarters, a former manufacturing site, has been repurposed to house various entities, including the Jim Henson Company, Society Awards, and a commercial rooftop farm managed by Brooklyn Grange. High-rise residential buildings are replacing former industrial sites, such as the former Pepsi-Cola site on the East River.
Queens West, a turn-of-the-century district of residential towers, has become a major residential area in New York City, featuring high-rise residences close to public transportation, facilitating easy commuting to Manhattan. The area’s first tower, Citylights, opened in 1998, with more towers completed since then and others planned or under construction.
Long Island City boasts several of Queens’ tallest buildings, including One Court Square, formerly the Citicorp Building, and Skyline Tower, the tallest building in both Queens and
Developments and buildings
Long Island. Another skyscraper, Queens Plaza Park, is under construction and will become the tallest skyscraper in Queens and Long Island upon completion.
The neighborhood is also home to the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing complex in North America, comprising over 3,000 units.
Companies
Eagle Electric, now Cooper Wiring Devices, was among the last major factories in the area before relocating to China. Its Plant No. 7, once the largest of their factories and housing their corporate offices, is undergoing conversion into luxury residential lofts.
Long Island City hosts the largest fortune cookie factory in the United States, owned by Wonton Foods, producing a staggering four million fortune cookies daily. Remarkably, fortunes from these cookies led to 110 individuals across the United States winning $100,000 each in a May 2005 Powerball drawing.
The Brooks Brothers tie manufacturing factory, operational since 1999, employs 122 people and churns out over 1.5 million ties annually.
Long Island City is now home to the independent film studio Troma.
In spring 2010, JetBlue Airways announced its relocation from Forest Hills to Long Island City, consolidating jobs from its Darien, Connecticut office. The airline, with its major hub at JFK Airport and operations at LaGuardia Airport, made the Brewster Building in Queens Plaza its headquarters, completing the move around mid-2012.
In November 2018, there was speculation that Amazon.com was in final talks with the New York State government to build one of two campuses for its proposed Amazon HQ2 at Queens West in Long Island City. The other campus was to be in National Landing, Crystal City, Virginia, each accommodating 25,000 workers. However, Amazon announced its withdrawal on February 14, 2019, citing unexpected opposition from local lawmakers and unions.
- Subsections
In 1870, Long Island City was formed by the incorporation of several villages including Astoria, Ravenswood, Hunters Point, Dutch Kills, Middletown, Sunnyside, Blissville, and Bowery Bay.
Dutch Kills
Dutch Kills, named for its navigable tributary of Newtown Creek, was a hamlet situated in what is now Queens Plaza. During the American Revolutionary War, it served as an important road hub and hosted a British Army garrison from 1776 to 1783. Throughout the 19th century, the area primarily supported farms. The Dutch Kills tributary connected to Sunswick Creek at its north end, facilitating commerce in the region. Industrial development intensified in the late 19th century with the canalization of Newtown Creek and the Kills, leading to prosperity until the mid-20th century. Currently, the neighborhood is undergoing significant rezoning, aiming for a mix of residential and commercial properties.
Blissville
Blissville, situated within Long Island City and bearing the ZIP Code 11101, is a neighborhood positioned at 40°44′4.87″N 73°56′9.81″W and bordered by Calvary Cemetery to the east, the Long Island Expressway to the north, Newtown Creek to the south, and Dutch Kills, a tributary of Newtown Creek, to the west. The area derives its name from Neziah Bliss, who owned much of the land in the 1830s and 1840s. Bliss constructed the initial iteration of the Blissville Bridge, a drawbridge spanning Newtown Creek and linking Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and Blissville. This bridge, replaced in the 20th century by the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge, also known as the J. J. Byrne Memorial Bridge, was slightly upstream. Blissville functioned as a small village until its incorporation into Long Island City in 1870. Historically industrial in nature, it boasts Triangle 54, a small park featuring a monument situated at 54th Avenue and 48th Street.
Hunters Point
Hunters Point, situated on the southern side of Long Island City, borders Newtown Creek. The area acquired the name Hunters Point in 1825, honoring British sea captain George Hunter, whose family operated a 210-acre farm on the site. Notably, it encompasses the Hunters Point Historic District, a national historic district comprising 19 contributing buildings along 45th Avenue between 21st and 23rd Streets. These structures consist of townhouses constructed in the late 19th century. Designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1968, the historic district was subsequently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Additionally, the contemporary Queens West and Hunter’s Point South developments are situated on the East River waterfront.
- Arts and culture
Long Island City boasts a vibrant and diverse artistic community.
Among its notable features was 5 Pointz, a building housing artists’ studios that became a canvas for graffiti artists, visible near the Court Square station on the 7 and <7> trains. Unfortunately, the 5 Pointz building was painted over and demolished by the property owner starting in 2013, resulting in a legal battle where the owner was ordered to pay $6.75 million to artists as compensation. In 2021, a pair of connected rental towers dubbed 5Pointz opened in its place.
Culture Lab LIC, housed in The Plaxall Gallery, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing visual art, theater, music, and various art forms in Western Queens, providing valuable community space. The 12,000-square-foot converted waterfront warehouse donated by Plaxall Inc. features three art galleries, a 90-seat theatre, outdoor event space, and has become an essential institution for the local artistic community.
The Fisher Landau Center for Art, though closed to the public since November 2017, offered regular exhibitions of contemporary art. Meanwhile, the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Museum, founded in 1985 by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, underwent a significant renovation, reopening in 2004 with enhanced facilities.
MoMA PS1, affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art, stands as the oldest and second-largest nonprofit arts center in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. SculptureCenter, dedicated to innovative sculpture, relocated from Manhattan to Long Island City in 2002, while Socrates Sculpture Park offers an outdoor exhibition space. Additionally, See.me, a web-based arts organization, supports artistic talent and promotes artists’ work from its Long Island City location.
- Police and crime
Woodside, Sunnyside, and Long Island City fall under the jurisdiction of the 108th Precinct of the NYPD, situated at 5-47 50th Avenue. In 2010, this precinct was ranked as the 25th safest out of 69 patrol areas in terms of per-capita crime.
As of 2018, the non-fatal assault rate in Sunnyside and Woodside stood at 19 per 100,000 people, which is lower than the citywide average for violent crimes per capita. Similarly, the incarceration rate of 163 per 100,000 people in this area is lower than that of the city as a whole.
Compared to the 1990s, the 108th Precinct has seen a significant decrease in crime rates across all categories, with crimes dropping by 88.2% between 1990 and 2018. In 2018, the precinct reported 2 murders, 12 rapes, 90 robberies, 108 felony assaults, 109 burglaries, 490 grand larcenies, and 114 grand larcenies auto.
- Health
As of 2018, preterm births are more common in southern Long Island City compared to other areas citywide, while they are less common in northern Long Island City. Births to teenage mothers are less common than the citywide average in both areas. In northern Long Island City, there were 84 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 15.1 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). In southern Long Island City, there were 90 preterm births per 1,000 live births and 14.9 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births. Long Island City also has a high population of uninsured residents, estimated at 12% in Community Board 1 and 16% in Community Board 2, compared to the citywide rate of 12%.
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, is slightly higher in southern Long Island City compared to northern Long Island City. Nineteen percent of Community Board 1 residents and fourteen percent of Community Board 2 residents are smokers, compared to the city average of 14%. Obesity rates are slightly lower in northern Long Island City compared to citywide averages, while they are slightly higher in southern Long Island City. Additionally, a significant portion of children in both areas are obese compared to the citywide average.
Despite these health challenges, a high percentage of residents in both areas eat fruits and vegetables daily and rate their health as good, very good, or excellent. There is a higher ratio of bodegas to supermarkets in southern Long Island City compared to northern Long Island City.
- Education
As of 2018, Long Island City generally has a slightly higher ratio of college-educated residents compared to the rest of the city. In Community Board 1, half of residents (50%) have a college education or higher, while 16% have less than a high school education and 33% are high school graduates or have some college education. In Community Board 2, 45% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 19% have less than a high school education, and 35% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.
Long Island City has seen improvements in student achievement over the years. The percentage of students excelling in math and reading has increased significantly in both Community Board 1 and Community Board 2 between 2000 and 2011.
The rate of elementary school student absenteeism in Long Island City is about equal to the rest of New York City. Nineteen percent of elementary school students in Community Board 1 and eleven percent in Community Board 2 missed twenty or more days per school year, which is less than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, the graduation rate for high school students in both community boards is higher than the citywide average of 75%.
The New York City Department of Education operates a facility in Long Island City housing the Office of School Support Services and several related departments.
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