Long Island City History & Culture
Long Island City was a prime base of operations for giants in audio equipment, chewing gum, soft drinks, and many more industries in its past life. That history has not been entirely discarded, even as the area is now primarily residential. The most evident preserved piece of history is the neon Pepsi-Cola sign in Gantry Plaza State Park — formerly atop the company’s LIC bottling factory — a city landmark near-synonymous with the neighborhood. Another repurposed LIC icon is Silvercup Studios, a substantially-sized film and television production facility housed in a former bakery. MoMA PS1, a leader in experimental contemporary art, lives inside an unmistakable Romanesque Revival building that was previously a public school. In addition to its exhibitions and installations, MoMA PS1 screens films and annually hosts the popular Warm Up outdoor concert series. For older architecture retaining its original function, check out the stellar 19th-century townhouses of the Hunters Point Historic District.