Aaron Monteabaro
Neighborhood Backgrounder
Long Island City is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the metro area, and one in need of much revitalization. The population is generally younger and centered around the arts and social services. The interesting mix of industrial and rising levels of residential commerce make it a unique case study in city redevelopment. All the while, crime and pollution levels are decreasing, as is common city-wide, but infrastructure as well as schools and parks needs to be addressed.
This information is reported mostly from the city and federal government statistics. While a lot of what is shown marks similarities with other areas, there are some interesting points that stand out.
Demographics:
Using the combined data from the two PUMA’s which incorporate Long Island City, it is safe to make a few assumptions. First, the total population averages around 160,000, with more reported toward Sunnyside/Woodside, and about half the population was foreign born with 40% born in NYC. Reports indicate a presence of Irish and Italian immigrants, but the two largest non-white groups are Hispanics at around 35% and Asians, which on the East side are around 30% but that number decreases toward Astoria.
Of these, a little more than half the people were reported ‘family units’ with under half reporting that they speak Spanish as well as over half reporting that they don’t speak English “very well”. The average percentage of households under the poverty line nears 16%, with just over 5% unemployment and 10% receiving food stamp benefits (it appears to be a fairly large number in the northern half). The median income is nearly 50,000 while the mean is around 62,000.
The mean age group is near 35, with a larger portion of the higher ages (35-44) on the Woodside/Sunnyside area and the lower (25-34) toward Astoria. The two largest groups of employment reported are arts, entertainment, recreation, food service, and similar jobs as well as education, health services, and social assistance. Around 70 percent take public transportation to work, with an average commute time nearing 40 minutes.
Services:
Around 75% of the population 25 or older holds a high-school diploma or equivalency, while around 30% a 4-year college degree. There are several high schools, including Aviation High School and Information Technology High School. While the percentages of students grades 3-8 meet or exceed the city standards in math and English, the average appears to be similar in other neighborhoods of the city, around 75%. There are roughly 35,000 students enrolled in school between the two areas, with a higher concentration on the northern end of the neighborhood. However, nearly 38% of students are in schools that are reported as overcrowded. In addition, CUNY has a community college, LaGuardia, in the area. It is reported that there is a growing need of after school and youth programs in the area.
Parks and green space is somewhat limited in the area, specifically in the lower region. Among the small parks category, the percentage listed as acceptably clean compares to others in the city, however the percentage listed as in acceptable condition is alarmingly low at around 67% on the northern region and 73% in the lower regions, while the city-wide average is around 80%.
There are two police precincts that cover the area, one for the north and one for the south, both of which cover other neighborhoods as well. The 114th precinct reports higher rates than the city average of burglary, major felonies, and robberies, while the 108th in the lower area reports stats similar to the rest of the city. The average response time is about the same city-wide as well, in about 4 minutes.
There are reported around 5% of homes with no available telephone service. And around 22% of the food establishments in the area failed initial inspection. In addition, around 37% of homes heat their house without electricity or gas.
There are a number of libraries in the area, about 4, with several more close by. Three of these are in the northern half while one is near Hunter’s Point. There are a number of cultural institutions including the Museum of the Moving Image and PS1. There appears to be a wide choice for private day care but only a handful of public day care facilities. There is listed a dire need for increased low-income child care facilities in the area. In addition, there are about 10 senior centers, again mostly on the upper half.
Long Island City is in desperate need of a primary care hospital facility. There are some nearby medical clinics, but as it sits now for specialty cases and emergencies most residents are forced further east in Queens or into Manhattan. Long Island City has the highest child and HIV/AIDS related medical problem occurrence in Queens County.
Business/Real Estate:
Long Island City has an interesting relationship between commerce and industry, specifically with its waterfront. There are special zoning regulations in play for the heavy manufacturing areas. Some of this land needs to be revitalized, but improvements are being made sometimes with new businesses and sometimes by redevelopment for a different use.
Business is reported as expanding in both the north and south sections notably with commercial interests. This is in part due to the increased housing development. There are around 62,000 housing units with a higher concentration in the northern part. The majority are occupied as well. The northern section reports a higher median mortgage payment, but average rent prices are about the same throughout. Most of the housing units were built before 1939 and many of them need repairs. The average percent of households paying around 35% of their income to rent is around 38%, close to other areas, but there is a significantly lower percentage of smaller ratio houses. The increase in rent comes from gentrification and the building of new luxury high-rises in the area.
Conflicts:
There are many issues apparent from the statistics as well as reported in the community needs report. The schools are largely overcrowded, as stated above, but many of them are in need of repairs and updates as well. The condition of the green space and parks needs to be addressed, as well as the lack of youth programs in the area for after school hours. There is also a need for career training for unskilled workers.
There is also marked concern over a plan to extend the N train to LaGuardia Airport and the reported damage that would do to some central business streets in the northern area, mostly extending into Astoria. And throughout Long Island City the taxi and car service hubs are a constant reported nuisance, and the area is plagued by illegal auto repair shops.
Conclusions:
Long Island City has maintained a certain level of residential and commercial activity, though has remained largely underfunded. With the prices of housing soaring throughout the city, the development has moved into the area with some noteworthy consequences. First they are revitalizing areas of industry that fell into disrepair when no longer in use. Second, they are increasing the rent prices and pushing the low income families out while the build new apartment towers. And third, they are creating a demand for local businesses and commercial shops, some of which are thriving.
These findings paint a clearer picture as to what the population looks like, making it easier to see not only what they need right now, but also what direction the neighborhood is taking in terms of future development. Questions about how to accommodate a growing residency as well as support one of the industrial hubs of the city can begin to be answered by examining these reports.
Links:
Long Island City Business Improvement District
http://www.licbid.org/
Queens Community Board 1
http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/cb/cb_queens.shtml
36-01 35th Avenue,
Astoria, NY 11106
Phone: 718.786.3335
[email protected]
114 Police Precinct
Deputy Inspector Paul E. Vorbeck
Crime Statistics
34-16 Astoria Blvd., Queens, NY, 11103
(718) 626-9311
Community Affairs: (718) 626-9327
Queens Community Board 2 (Lower Half of Neighborhood)
http://www.cb2queens.org/
43-22 50th St Woodside NY 11377
(718)-533-8773
[email protected]
[email protected]
108 Police Precinct
Captain Donald T. Powers
Crime Statistics
5-47 50th Ave., Long Island City, NY, 11105
(718) 784-5411
Community Affairs: (718) 784-5420
NYC DOHMH EpiQuery: Interactive Health Data
https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/epiquery/EpiQuery/
NYC.gov – My neighborhood Statistics
http://gis.nyc.gov/ops/mmr/address.jsp?app=MMR
liQcity.com – Local Blog
http://www.liqcity.com/
Discover Queens
http://www.discoverqueens.info/
The Queens Gazette
http://www.qgazette.com/
The Queens Courier
http://www.queenscourier.com/
The Long Island City/Astoria Journal
http://www.licjournal.com/
The Queens Chronicle
http://www.queenschronicle.com/
The Greater Astoria Historical Society
