Get ready, LIC.
With just a month to go, organizers, Long Island City elected officials, Borough President Helen Marshall, community members and some vendors gathered to celebrate the announcement of LIC FLEA & FOOD.
On Tuesday, Joshua Schneps LIC FLEA & FOOD president, introduced the community to what LIC FLEA & FOOD has to offer: quick access to public transportation, a wide variety of vendors and economic growth in the burgeoning Long Island City community.
“Long Island City is a thriving and growing community with arguably the most outstanding views of the Manhattan skyline, amazing restaurants, great housing including new condominiums and luxury rentals, art galleries, museums and waterfront parks,” said Schneps, also co-publisher of The Queens Courier. “We hope to add to this great neighborhood by creating a venue for residents to stay connected in their own community by keeping them local and attracting people from all over Queens, New York City and even tourists.”
The new outdoor market will kick off on Saturday, June 15 at the corner of 5th Street and 46th Avenue and will include a mix of about 60 vendors selling their unique products every Saturday and Sunday. The items for sale will include food and drinks, collectibles, antiques, arts and crafts, fashion and much more.
“It’s so exciting to think that this parking lot will be transformed into an oasis of food and art and creativity that will bring so much life to this particular part of our great neighborhood,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. “This is a place that everyone wants to move to, everyone wants to live here, everyone wants to do business in Long Island City.”
The market will be accessible by the 7, E, M and G subway lines, the East River Ferry and by a parking garage that will conveniently be opening across the street.
The Long Island City East River Ferry stop is the first destination for travelers coming from Midtown Manhattan. To provide visitors with an easy option to get to the market, LIC FLEA will provide a free bus service running from the ferry stop to the lot every Saturday and Sunday.
“[We are] looking forward to bringing people here for many years to come,” said Paul Goodman, CEO of East River Ferry.
Sharing the same goals with LIC Flea, TF Cornerstone has built seven brand-new high rises along the Long Island City waterfront, thus attracting more residents to the area.
“I think people from all the boroughs are going to come to Long Island City for the Flea and be mesmerized by how wonderful everything that Long Island City and Queens in general have to offer,” said Sofia Estevez, executive vice-president of TF Cornerstone.
Directly across from the Flea will be TF Cornerstone’s newest 820-unit rental building, 4545 Center Blvd., opening just about the same time as LIC Flea this June. The building will include a parking lot offering great access to visitors driving to LIC Flea.
As well as becoming the go-to weekend spot, LIC FLEA will help promote and foster businesses getting together with the Queens Economic Development Corporation’s Entrepreneur Space, which works as an incubator. LIC FLEA hopes to offer these businesses a great venue to grow.
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“We are so excited about this flea market, we think that it’s just another wonderful amenity for Long Island City,” said Gayle Baron, president of LIC Partnership. “What we’re hoping is that when folks come to take advantage of what treasures they can find here, they’ll also walk down the block, they’ll stop and just see what Long Island City has to offer.”
LIC FLEA is also working with Food Cellar, a local fresh and natural supermarket, which will be stocking a lot of the items featured in the flea market.
Among the vendors is Malu ice cream, a local family business offering the frozen treat made at their shop, and which will debut its newest flavor “Flea-tastic” at LIC FLEA’s grand opening.
Other vendors include Gianna Cerbone-Teoli from Manducatis Rustica who will be selling her own olive oil, and Matted, a local art gallery, which will sell local artworks, custom frames and much more.
There have already been over 200 applications from businesses interested in selling at LIC FLEA. Vendors can apply to sell at the market at www.LICFLEA.com. Updates will be available through Facebook and Twitter at Facebook.com/LICFLEA and @LICFLEA.
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