Real Estate
Four Queens properties among the top-selling NYC buildings this year
Closing Out the Year sounds of the day – the clangs and booms
with a Big Hug, LIC
I moved to Long Island City from Bay Ridge in
2007. I was the first tenant in a one bedroom
at Riverview North. It had a washer and dryer,
food disposal and a dishwasher, and river view
that included the Empire State Building when
you looked out the right window at the right
angle. It was the most modern and overall nice
apartment I’d ever rented, and I’d always been
lucky in finding nice homes.
I’ve lived in great neighborhoods in Brooklyn,
Manhattan, and Queens. I have lived in Long
Island City almost as long as I lived in my
childhood home. It’s the only place my children
have ever called home. It’s been such good
fortune to be in this neighborhood as it grows
and matures. We have challenges to face in our
growth, but LIC continues to head in a great
direction. The convenience and quality of life that
we in the real estate business talk about regularly
is legitimate. And, it continues to get better.
So, in this season of celebration and reflection,
I’d like to share three things I completely love
about Long Island City, in no order.
The waterfront is quiet.
The workdays in LIC are not all that unlike
the quieter neighborhoods of Manhattan. The
of construction sites, the groan of trucks,
and the occasional whir of sirens, often from
across the river – create an energetic chorus
of white noise. But before the day gets going,
and after the sun is down, LIC just winds down
and is flat-out peaceful.
The airy waterfront parks and walkways are
also places of live music, silent discos, dance
performances, ferry landings, coffee, and a
variety of food trucks.
Long Island City has grown to have a healthy
number of good restaurants, including
several pubs. There are great lunch specials
throughout the neighborhood. One of the best
things about my office at Halstead – it’s next
door to Woodbines and shares the block with
The Gantry and Corner Bistro. We are looking
forward to the Argentinian steak house that is
coming soon! (Centro and Bellwether are also
just across the street.)
Over near Queensboro Plaza, where the
construction is booming, you can’t miss with
The Baroness, SAPPS, or M. Wells Steakhouse.
You get the point; there are plenty of options.
Third, Long Island City is full of special and
unexpected treats – a flea market, several
breweries, and Gutter – the cavernous
neighborhood bar with eight bowling lanes in
the rear. We have ice skating at City Ice Pavilion
16 DECEMBER 2019 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
(and two short stops on the 7 to Bryant Park),
and there is a former warehouse that is now
the LIC-ICE rink and training facility, which in
partnership with the NHL operates a youth
hockey program for kids up to 8 years old.
There is a YMCA with a large swimming pool
and a robust calendar of classes year-round.
In addition to MoMA PS1, Long Island City has
several galleries and performing arts venues.
Creek and the Cave has live comedy and improv
shows in the theater next to the dining room.
In the lower level, there’s a full bar and several
pinball machines. I’ve seen a few open mics
in the side room downstairs as well.
Other fun treats: sometimes we host the Macy’s
Fourth of July Fireworks display. The NYC
Marathon runs through LIC, which is about
exactly the halfway point.
These are a few of my favorite things (about
Long Island City). What are some of yours?
Connect with Robert at Robert@halstead.com
Robert Whalen
Executive Director of Sales
Halstead Real Estate
47-12 Vernon Blvd, LIC, NY
718. 878.1800
BY SAMANTHA WANDERER
An end of the year report from Property Club
placed four Queens properties on its list of
the top 20 best-selling residential buildings
in NYC. This list is ranked by the number of
units sold in 2019.
The GALERIE Project, located at 22-18 Jackson
Ave. in Long Island City, was ranked third on the overall
list. The 182-unit building sold 93 units during 2019, with
a median sale price per unit of $909,493. The combined
sales volume was a whopping $95 million.
GALERIE didn’t make the list in Property Club’s
report of best-selling buildings from the first half
of the year, so the fact that it ranked third this time
show that sales have picked up rapidly in recent
months. The units in this building range from studios
to three-bedrooms, and the building features unique
amenities including a curated art program and other
luxury features.
Adam America Real Estate and Vanke US developed
the GALERIE, and The Aguayo Team at Halstead Property
Development Marketing helped close sales, according to
Property Club.
One Bay Club Drive and The Grandview Commons
are the next two Queens buildings on the list, coming in
at 14th and 15th respectively.
The Sunrise Forest Hills, brokered by the firm Doug-las
Elliman, is the final Queens building to enter the top
20 for NYC. Douglas Elliman also handled sales at five
other projects in NYC, including Gramercy Square and
565 Broome Soho.
The median price per unit at The Sunrise Forest
Hills was $853,497, putting it second behind the
GALERIE for the most expensive unit price in Queens
on the list.
It is notable that all of the top-selling buildings in
Manhattan sold on average for over $1,000,000 while
Queens’ lowest median price was $315,824. Although the
prices in Queens were significantly lower, Property Club
still reports that Queens and Brooklyn are increasingly
becoming less affordable.
Renderings courtesy of Binyan Studios
GALERIE in Long Island City
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