Spotlight on Ai Mart

May is Small Business Month and AAPI Heritage Month! Please join us to show some love and support to the small businesses that keep Long Island City running. Andy and Winki, the owners of Ai Mart at 21-51 44 Drive, are bringing specialty Asian fruits, vegetables, snacks, drinks, and other grocery items to LIC. 

Andy: “We chose to open Ai Mart in Long Island City to help sustain the growing Asian population here and at the same time spread awareness about our food to the non-Asian community as well.” Details

LIC Happenings

June 1 - Queens Rising and Culture Lab LIC present the opening reception for a gallery show highlighting the work of Queens visual artists. Details

June 2 - Join Court Square Civic Association and Big Reuse for a street care event in Court Square. Details

June 2 - Studio Artego kicks off their summer art show featuring 36 artists across a broad range of styles and mediums with an opening reception. Details

June 3 - Walk with Solace House at sunrise to raise awareness and funds for free mental healthcare. Details

June 3 - MoMA PS1 celebrates two new exhibitions with a full day of screenings, talks, and performances by artists, activists and scholars. Details

June 3 - Show your support for Hunters Point Parks Conservancy's 8th Annual LIC Waterfront 5K. Details

June 3 - Mount Sinai Queens and United Community Civic Association present their annual community health fair including music, entertainment, food and drink. Details

June 3 - Long Island City Ballet performs an original contemporary ballet, "Squashed Fairies." Details

June 6 - Join Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement for their Annual Spring Benefit to help support their programs. Details

June 6-11 - Jungly presents an exclusive multi-sensory cannabis pop-up experience with GreenKlub. Details

June 14 - Learn how you can support young LIC scholars from iMentor and Deputy Queens Borough President Ebony Young. Details

Pride Month in LIC

June 2, 6 p.m. - Sunnyside Shines presents SunnyPride, including a rally in Lowery Plaza, a community march, performances and free testing, an artist market and a drag afterparty. Details

Weekends Through July 2 - Museum of the Moving Image shows a selection of films that epitomize the complex, contradictory, and compelling ways queerness finds itself as code, language, or point of view. Details

June 6+14 - Dogtopia of LIC hosts an in-house Pride Month events for their pups, consisting of "Dog Queen Day" and "Pride Day." On pride day all pups will go home with their very own Pride Bandana. Details

June 9, 5:30-7 p.m. - Industry Gymnastics collects gently used adult femme and masculine clothing for the Stay Gold Foundation, now through June 12, ending the fundraiser with a fun, family friendly Jog-A-Thon on June 9 at the oval at HPS Park. Details

June 10 - F45 Training LIC holds donation classes with a DJ all day as a fundraiser for The Trevor Project. Those who donate will receive F45 Pride tank tops. Details

June 11, 12 p.m. - Book Culture LIC hosts a special Drag Queen Story Hour presented by Magnolia Bakery. Drag Story Hour NYC produces storytelling and creative arts programs for children and teens, presented by local drag kings, queens and royalty. Details

June 17+18 - Culture Lab LIC presents Queerchella, a music festival showcasing the incredible queer talent in NYC, and Together! Pride 2023 - a festival with local vendors, a fabulous drag show and live music. Details

Have a Pride Month happening? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/pq9gj25b9ZSR3Qi79

Neighborhood Banner Sales End Friday

Advertise your business

The LICP street pole banner campaign returns! The new banners feature a return to our original logo and color scheme, with crisscrossed lines symbolizing the dynamic mixed-use nature of LIC, and greens and blues representing LIC's parks, waterfront and buildings.

Interested in purchasing a banner for your company? Email Sierra Brown at sbrown@licpartnership.org to learn more. Supply is limited. 

Permanent Open Restaurants Program Update

Last week, the Mayor’s administration and the NYC City Council came to an agreement on the permanent Open Restaurants program. The bill is currently aging and is expected to be passed in late June. Read the draft legislation here.

Highlights:

• Sidewalk dining will be permitted year round
• Roadway dining will be permitted for eight months of the year (April-Nov)
• Operating hours will be 10am-midnight
• Restaurants will have to obtain a license ($1050 for four years) and pay consent fees based on location and square footage

After approval by City Council, there will be a rulemaking process to determine final details and design guidelines, with final rules set by September.

LICP Business Assistance Program

Our Business Assistance team provides free, one-on-one assistance to businesses in the greater Long Island City area, covering a variety of issues. We can help you: Access Financing, Find Real Estate, Grow Your Business, Navigate Government and Incentives, and much more. Details