Real Estate
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I NOVEMBER 2017 17
Blue Streak Wine and Spirits made
a bet in 2006 that Long Island
City would become a neighbor-hood
where small businesses
could thrive, and that bet has paid off.
The liquor store, located at 4720 Center
Blvd., opened at a time when “there was
literally just a dirt road in front of the store,”
said manager and buyer Chris Ortiz.
“New plans to build more housing in the
neighborhood, all the hyper-local business
owners were the biggest driving force
to opening up the store,” Ortiz said. “We
wanted to make it very local.”
Ortiz said the neighborhood’s population
exploded from 2010 through 2015, with
many of the new residents being starter
families and blue collar workers.
This influx has been great for business,
Ortiz said, because the shop has been able
to cultivate loyal customers. Blue Streak
Wine and Spirits also prides itself on giving
customers —
whether they are wine connoisseurs
or are looking for the right bottle for a
special occasion —
a personalized experience.
“We taste every single wine so that we
know exactly how to properly recommend
wine to customers,” he said. “We don't mind
if they are spending $10 or $120. We make
sure that everyone gets the same treatment.”
Ortiz also said developer TF Corner-stone,
which owns the building, has helped
the business thrive.
“TF Cornerstone was really super sup-portive
with us when we first opened,”
Ortiz said. “ They did some marketing
for the business and they continue to
support us by letting people know we’re
the local wine place on Center Boulevard.”
Ortiz said the neighborhood is a great
place to start a business and that in-terested
parties should “start scoping
out the crowd” before making a final
decision.
“Sit at the wine bar, sit at the restau-rant,”
he said. “Talk to whoever is there.”
There are about 9,000 new units
slated to be constructed in 2017, mak-ing
it the most number of units in a single
year in Long Island City’s history. The total
number of residential units built in Long
Island City since 2006 will total more than
20,000 by the end of this year.
The NYC Ferry service has also
launched a new stop in the neighborhood
at Gantry Plaza State Park in addition to
the Hunters Point South landing. Now,
residents from Manhattan will be able
to peruse Long Island City businesses
without braving the subway.
Ortiz said his favorite part of being
located in Long Island City is the sense
of community.
“There's really not any other place
in New York that has so many busi-ness
owners that are invested in this
neighborhood and making it feel like a
true community where everybody knows
everybody,” he said.
Blue Streak Wine and Spirits also
provides free local deliveries every
day of the week and offers a Wine
Club and Whiskey Club for those who
want hand-delivered wine and spirits
every month.
To learn more, visit www.bluestreak-wine.
com or call 718-706-9463.
Photo by Dean Moses
owners explain why
great for business
