LONG ISLAND CITY: Capturing the Moods of Edward Hopper
On a clear evening, when the sun begins to fall behind the skyline of mid-Manhattan, the shadows of the tall buildings begin to envelop the low-rise Long Island City riverfront, less than half a mile away. They darken the vantage points from which magnificent skyline and river views abound. They further obscure the historical landmarks of a century ago which attest to a very different place-- an independent city, a hub of employment, trains, and ferries-- the busiest place in Queens County. Because of the special demands of twentieth-century transportation, the hundreds of thousands of commuters passing through Long Island City on the same clear evening see virtually nothing of its views and landmarks. Most travel under it, some travel over it, and a very few travel by way of it. Fewer still know its secrets. They are obscured not only by the shadows of taller buildings, but also by those cast by lofty plans. Like many communities separated by a mere river from the lower half of Manhattan, Long Island City is usually referred to in the popular press in terms of 'next' rather than 'now' and 'then'. The next artistic enclave, the next waterfront colossus, the next subway line and 'Midtown East' make headlines or feature articles. As a predominantly industrial area with few residents, its 'now' is rarely championed by civic outcry and its 'then' is the province of historical societies.
Excerpted from Long Island City (by Jack Eichenbaum), one of a series of brochures about Historic Queens Neighborhoods published by the Queens Historical Society.
YOUR GUIDE to Long Island City
Jack Eichenbaum holds a PhD in urban geography and is an urban information system specialist He has been exploring Long Island City for twenty years. Jack has toured the neighborhood under the auspices of the Queens Historical Society, the 92nd St.Y, Hunters Point Community Coalition, American Institute of Architects and Shorewalkers. Over the years, Jack has developed a series of three walking tours of Long Island City which highlight the most visible of its charms, surprises and problems.
TOUR 1: The Hunters Point Waterfront
We begin in Manhattan under the Roosevelt Island Tramway Station at Second Ave and 59th St and cross the Queensborough Bridge into Long Island City. The bridge affords an overview of the entire Hunters Point waterfront-- where railroads and industries developed before the Civil War-- as well as a spectacular perspective on the midtown skyline. Once in Queens, the walk introduces Courthouse Square, the PS 1 Artists Complex and the Hunters Point (Brownstone) Historic District. We arrive at the Vernon-Jackson community where the oldest infrastructure dating to the largely unregulated era of an independent LIC (1870-1898) is exposed. Redevelopment of the shore area, known as Queens West, already includes a new ferry terminal, an apartment tower and a waterfront park . The tour ends at the old Long Island RR depot near the Vernon-Jackson #7 subway stop.
TOUR 2: Dutch Kills and the Legacy of Industry
We begin at the Vernon Mall outside the Vernon-Jackson # 7 stop and head inland for a view of Newtown Creek, the Brooklyn-Queens border river that was the focus of intense industrial development in the late 19th century. We follow internal railroad spurs, roads and the canals formed from Dutch Kills to the massive commercial structures of the post World War I era built where freight transportation alternatives were maximized. Former warehouses and factories have been whimsically transformed into offices and outlets and the most prominent buildings were transformed into interior design complex. We weave our way through early art deco commercial daylight loft buildings to emerge at Queensborough Plaza, the post World War I commuter nexus of Queens.
TOUR 3: The Long Island Railroad Corridor
We explore the Jackson Ave/Long Island Railroad right-of-way that has formed the spine of Long Island City and influenced the development of all of North Queens for nearly 150 years. We begin in Queensborough Plaza and follow eclectic Jackson Avenue to the Hunters Point #7 station, the route of the original Flushing-LIC railroad where glimpses of the 19th century are still possible. From the elevated #7 subway we view the massive Sunnyside Yards project by crossing over it twice on the ride to Sunnyside. We begin walking again through residential Sunnyside and the architecturally-cited Sunnyside Gardens. We conclude along the Northern Boulevard Big-Box retailing corridor that is the latest spatial response to the railroad building, affinity development and subsequent zoning that began long ago.
Each of these tours is designed to last about 3 hours and involve about 3 miles of walking, including a rest stop and frequent pauses for discussion. These tours are sponsored occasionally by the Queens Historical Society and other organizations open to the public. They may also be contracted by any academic, business or community organization on a closed or open basis.
10 AM-5:15 PM, Sat. November 7, 1998
Join fellow adventurers for a daylong tour in the transportation corridor between Long Island City and Flushing. The IRT #7 was one of many ventures facilitated by the Consolidation of Greater New York City in 1898. The all-you-can-ride Metrocard now makes it efficient to incorporate transit into “walking tours”. Explore the colorful neighborhoods served by the #7 in six walks of 30-45 minutes each. Rides or rest stops separate walks. Station platforms will be used for overviews of the surroundings. Commentary will focus on colonial settlement patterns, demographic history, revolutions in transportation and industry, major public works projects, “Garden City” experiments and contemporary ethnicity.
Contact Jack Eichenbaum at 718-961-8406 or jaconet@aol.com for flyer and/or reservations.
Newtown Creek -- NEW for 1998
Sat. November 28, 1998
Begins and ends outside the Greenpoint Ave subway station (G train). Cross the Pulaski and Greeenpoint Ave. bridges connecting Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Long Island City, Queens. Walk through remnants of the intense and largely unregulated industrial development that thrived along Newtown Creek during the late nineteenth century before Consolidation and twentieth century infrastructure improvements rendered them obsolete. This is the first of several walks exploring interaction at the Brooklyn-Queens boundary sponsored by Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, continuing in Spring, 1999.
Sponsored by Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment 718-788- 8500
Amendments to these itineraries are possible. Contact Jack Eichenbaum 718-961-8406, or E-mail to jaconet@aol.com
LIC Touring Calendar:
Saturday, October 24, 1998: Tour 1: Hunters Point Waterfront
Saturday, November 21, 1998: Tour 2: The Legacy of Industry
Both tours will be sponsored by the Muncipal Art Society Call 212-935-3960 for logisitics and cost