page_title: Long Island City
section_title: Developments and buildings
hierarchical_section_title: Long Island City / Commerce and economy / Developments and buildings
caption_attribution_description: English: Pepsi-Cola sign in Gantry Plaza State Park, Long Island City, New York, as seen from Roosevelt Island.
context_page_description: Long Island City is a residential and commercial neighborhood located on the extreme western tip of Queens, New York City, on the western edge of Long Island. 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.
  Incorporated as a separate city in 1870, Long Island City was originally the seat of government of the Town of Newtown, before becoming part of New York City in 1898. Starting in the early 21st century, Long Island City became known for its rapid and ongoing residential growth and gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. The area has a high concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio space.
  Long Island City is the eastern terminus of the Queensboro Bridge, the only non-tolled automotive route connecting Queens and Manhattan. Northwest of the bridge are the Queensbridge Houses, a development of the New York City Housing Authority and the largest public housing complex in the Western Hemisphere.
context_section_description: Long Island City was once home to many factories and bakeries, some of which are finding new uses. The former Silvercup bakery is now home to Silvercup Studios, which has produced notable works such as NBC's 30 Rock and HBO's Sex and the City. The Silvercup sign is visible from the IRT Flushing Line and BMT Astoria Line trains going into and out of Queensboro Plaza (7, <7>​​, N, and ​W trains). The former Sunshine Bakery is now one of the buildings which houses LaGuardia Community College. Other buildings on the campus originally served as the location of the Ford Instrument Company, which was at one time a major producer of precision machines and devices.  Artist Isamu Noguchi converted a photo-engraving plant into a workshop; the site is now the Noguchi Museum, a space dedicated to his work.
  The Standard Motor Products headquarters, a manufacturing site producing items like distributor caps, was once located in the industrial neighborhood of Long Island City until purchased by Acuman Partners in 2008 for $40 million. The Standard Motor Products Building was put on the market by Acuman in 2014 and acquired by RXR Realty, LLC for $110 million. The former factory built in 1919 now houses the Jim Henson Company, Society Awards, and a commercial rooftop farm run by Brooklyn Grange.
  High-rise housing is being built on a former Pepsi-Cola site on the East River. From June 2002 to September 2004, the former Swingline Staplers plant was the temporary headquarters of the Museum of Modern Art. Other former factories in Long Island City include Fisher Electronics and Chiclets Gum. Long Island City's turn-of-the-century district of residential towers, called Queens West, is located along the East River, just north of the LIRR's Long Island City Station. Redevelopment in Queens West reflects the intent to have the area as a major residential area in New York City, with its high-rise residences very close to public transportation, making it convenient for commuters to travel to Manhattan by ferry or subway. The first tower, the 42-floor Citylights, opened in 1998 with an elementary school at the base. Others have been completed since then and more are being planned or under construction.
  Long Island City contains several of the tallest buildings in Queens. The 658-foot (201 m) One Court Square, formerly the Citicorp Building, was built in 1990 on Courthouse Square; it is the second tallest building in Queens and the third-tallest on Long Island, and was Queens' tallest building until 2019. The tallest building in both Queens and Long Island, the 778-foot (237 m) Skyline Tower one block away, was architecturally topped-out in October 2019. Yet another skyscraper, the 755-foot (230 m) Queens Plaza Park, is under construction at Queens Plaza and will become the tallest skyscraper in Queens and Long Island when complete.
  The Queensbridge Houses, a public-housing complex, comprises over 3,000 units, making it the largest such complex in North America.
caption: Gantry Plaza State Park, as seen from the west
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