If you happen to be searching for Long Island City rentals to make your move here in the near future, you’ll get to explore these attractions and experience a distinct post-industrial culture that you won’t find elsewhere.

Below are a few of the most popular attractions and things to do in Long Island City to explore:

Several extraordinary waterfront parks

Long Island City is home to some of the most scenic waterfront parks on the Hudson with walkable areas that are full of pubs, restaurants, and shops to explore. Some of the most popular parks in Long Island City include Hunter’s Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park. Because of the recent renovations in the area, several of these parks have been recently revitalized with new amenities.

Gantry Plaza State Park is known for its lovely gardens and excellent views of Manhattan. The park is named after the industrial gantries which were restored and now serve as visual centerpieces and nods to the past throughout the park, providing a unique setting to relax and enjoy the waterside views.

Hunter’s Point South Park also has some lovely views of Manhattan from the ground. The area went through a major recent restoration project after it was an abandoned industrial site and with its now full range of amenities including a basketball court, dog run, and a large pavilion where live music and frequent events are held.

Find your favorite cuisine in Long Island City

Those who are lucky enough to live in Long Island City rentals are able to sample a wide range of different cuisines, as several top-rated restaurants have recently been launched there, along with plenty of longer running establishments.

Just a few of the restaurants that you’ll find in the area include the Crescent Grill, with its delectable new American farm-to-table cuisine and innovative cocktails. The very popular LIC Market with its health focused menu, international fare and hip décor. The John Brown Smokehouse which offers you the chance to enjoy authentic Kansas City style BBQ in the middle of the big city. Dutch Kills Centraal, a European gastropub with craft beers, and so many other choices.

A plethora of arts related events and attractions

Long Island City has also become a vibrant and growing center for the arts, as the cost of living in the area continues to be significantly lower than Manhattan while being close enough for artists to stay connected to its top events and institutions. Artists of all backgrounds and specialties including sculptors, painters, actors, and fashion designers make Long Island City their home.

You’ll find a vast range of art galleries throughout the area including the Fisher Landau Center for Art, Radiator Gallery, Eleventh Street Arts, and the MoMA PS1 – a branch of the Museum of Modern Art dedicated solely to contemporary art.

There’s something for all interests in Long Island City, so check back for more information about the upcoming luxury Long Island City rentals available at ARC.

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Long Island City offers quite a different vibe compared to Manhattan and other New York City boroughs. It has long been established as an “anti-cookiecutterism” community that goes against the trends. It’s now a hub where artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives of all types have gathered due to the close proximity to Midtown with a lower cost of living, several artistic venues, and other unique benefits to the area.

Long Island City was a former industrial center for decades before it recently went through a dramatic shift into a renovated and updated residential community. Today, it’s one of the most architecturally unique and diverse regions of New York City; a home to people of all backgrounds.

A brief history of Long Island City

Nearly the entire current area of Long Island City used to be an industrial epicenter for New York, including the neighborhoods of Ravenswood, Hunters Point, Dutch Kills, Steinway, and Astoria. It was first developed around 1861 after a Long Island Railroad terminal was constructed at Hunters Point.

Throughout the 1900s the area began to quickly grow with several new factories and commercial buildings sprouting up. Simultaneously, residential complexes were built to accommodate the demand for those who started to prefer living in the area compared to the more crowded conditions of Manhattan. Toward the end of the 20^th century, several of the industrial companies relocated while art galleries and museums moved in. The community started to make a shift toward the creative and eclectic post-industrial culture that it’s now known for.

Unique architecture and scenery

Long Island City now continues to have its own independent local culture and vibe compared to Manhattan, shaped by the ghosts of its industrial past. Developers have capitalized on the area’s proximity to Manhattan and lower costs while launching several exciting new commercial and residential structures.

Many of the former industrial buildings in Long Island City still stand today and have been repurposed, such as the famous Silvercup Studios which is located in the former building of Silvercup Bakery. A nearby I-beam manufacturing plant was also later converted into a film studio by the Suna family, the founders of Silvercup Studios.

These are just a few examples of the dozens of other industrial buildings have been repurposed into restaurants, artistic venues, and galleries. Today the community includes a mixture of older commercial and industrial buildings as well as several modern and recently constructed buildings. These developments helped Long Island City turn into the popular arts-centered community it is today.

Now a lively arts centered community

With a quick tour of Long Island City, you’ll see that it’s very different from Manhattan and the other boroughs. You’ll find incredible waterfront parks, a wide range of different architectural styles, restored buildings, art galleries, and unique stores and boutiques throughout the area.

You’ll find art just about everywhere in Long Island City, from the outdoor sculpture parks in the area, to the MoMA PS1 and a variety of other specialized art galleries, to frequent community events, and extraordinary painted murals on the side of buildings.

With a distinct personality and a community of trailblazers rather than followers, Long Island City and its new luxury apartment complexes like ARC have become top residential destinations for creatives of all types. Artistic, cultural, and cuisine trends are set in Long Island City every day, making the community a true definition of anti-cookiecutterism.

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