Brief History

The area now known as Long Island City was first inhabited by the Algonquins, followed by migrants from the New Netherlands in the 17th century. The area was primarily used as farmland. In 1652, Dutchman William Hallet Sr. bought the area from the Algonquins.

During the 19th century, waves of settlers moved through the area and began building homes in what became villages and hamlets (settlements smaller than villages). The villages and hamlets, including Astoria, Hunters Point and Steinway were consolidated into Long Island City in 1870.[3]

Long Island City was consolidated along with Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx into New York City in 1898. [4] It is now considered part of the borough of Queens.

New infrastructure such as the subway system and the Queensboro Bridge in the 20th century made travel to and through Long Island City much easier. Along with the higher levels of traffic came higher levels of industrial and manufacturing growth in the area. At the turn of the 21st century, Long Island City became subject to rezoning projects by the Department of City Planning to help spark residential growth once again. The city government plans to integrate more office and residential spaces in the coming years.[5]

The artistic boom in Long Island City began in the 1970’s with the establishment of P.S. 1. Contemporary Art Center. Since then, Long Island City has adopted a large variety of art forms, including graffiti art and outdoor sculptures.