The Many Museums of LIC

room full of sculptures by Isamu Noguchi in Queens NYC - exploring Long Island City

What this foodstroll is

Our guide to the museums and parks of Long Island City, and the best Brazilian food in Queens.

Why this foodstroll works

Long Island City, a once thriving industrial center turned wasteland in the 1950s, is now one of NYC’s fastest growing neighborhoods. Along with that growth, the product of a 2001 commercial and residential rezoning, has come the construction of two NYC ferry terminals, a multitude of bike paths, and the upgrade of several cultural institutions and parks. Amidst all the action, straddling the border between LIC and Astoria, is a small Brazilian enclave where you’ll find some of the best food in Queens. Everything is nearby and connected via Vernon Boulevard, and in theory you could ride the NYC Ferry, visit multiple museums, eat Brazilian food, and bike all afternoon long in a single day. But if you do only a few of these things, a visit to the area still makes for a great NYC day trip.

Strolling

LIC and Astoria are relatively large neighborhoods and the ideal way to explore them is by bike. There are excellent bike paths throughout the neighborhood and bike racks for locking up on every block. If on foot, you’ll probably want to Uber/Lyft from place to place.

NYC Ferry approaching LIC with the UN and Chrysler Building in the background - things to do Long Island City

Our favorite mode of transportation to LIC and Astoria is the NYC Ferry. Connections from ferry to ferry are free, and there are ferry terminals throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. LIC is on the NYC Ferry Astoria route or the East River Route. Fares are $2.75, or $3.75 with a bike. Young kids are free.

view of Gantry Plaza State Park from the water - exploring Long Island City

The LIC waterfront, including the massive new Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Extension, are beautiful places to spend some time. Unobstructed views of Midtown, including the UN, Chrysler Building, and Empire State Building are all around. The bike path along Vernon Boulevard starts here and goes north all the way to Astoria.

child watches a Jim Henson montage at the Museum of the Moving Image - things to do Long Island City

The Museum of the Moving Image is a Queens family favorite. Appropriately situated next door to Kaufman Astoria Studios, the former Paramount Pictures Studio in NYC, where dozens of notable film productions have occurred over the years. A massive expansion was completed in 2011, and they currently host several screenings daily during their Fri-Sun hours.

famous Hollywood facial prosthetics on display at the Museum of the Moving Image - exploring Long Island City

They always have interesting artifacts, like facial prosthetics from Star Wars and The Mask. Other exhibits change regularly. Currently they have a huge area dedicated to the life and work of Jim Henson, and an entire floor on the production of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

view of the 59th Street Queensborough Bridge from Queensbridge Park - exploring Long Island City

Queensbridge Park beneath the 59th Street/Queensboro Bridge (1909) is a lesser known but spectacularly beautiful green space just blocks away from the food spots and along the Vernon Boulevard bike path. It’s worth a detour if you have the time.

child admires the work of famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi - things to do Long Island City

The Noguchi Museum opened in 1985, and received several renovations throughout the 2000s. The entire building is dedicated to preserving the work of Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. We are far from sculpture aficionados, but the works on display are pretty amazing. Our kids are really into it, but to be clear, you are not allowed to sit on the sculptures.

The German Romanesque Revival Style Sohmer & Co. Piano Factory in Queens - exploring Long Island City

If you make it to Noguchi with time to spare, check out the former Sohmer & Co. Piano Factory Building two blocks north on Vernon Blvd. The German Romanesque Revival Style building (1886) is one of the few remaining 19th century industrial structures in Queen’s, and a vestige of Gilded Age America. Piano consumption boomed from 1870-1910, when “civilized” young girls would play piano to entertain their family, prior to the advent of phonographs and radios.

playground in Queens with Manhattan skyline in background - exploring Long Island City

If you need more reasons to visit Noguchi, the outdoor museum Socrates Sculpture Park is across the street. But if all you want is somewhere to park children for an hour, Rainey Park is also across the street, with a rock climbing wall, mini-mountain, and waterfront views of Manhattan. Both parks and the museum are right along the bike path.

exterior of LIC's oldest school building, now MoMA PS1 - things to do Long Island City

MoMA PS1 is one of the only institutions in America dedicated solely to contemporary art. Affiliated with MoMA since 2000, it recently received some upgrades, like an indoor/outdoor restaurant and soundstage. It has rotating exhibits, and if overtly political art is your thing, you should definitely go inside. Our favorite part of the museum is its neo-classical building dating back to 1892, when it was LIC’s first and only school.

oldest row houses in Queens' Hunters Point Historic District - exploring Long Island City

Don’t make the trip without visiting the tiny Hunters Point Historic District. The one block long stretch of row houses was constructed between 1870-1890, predominantly in the Italianate style. The district is reminiscent of a prosperous past, when the the Long Island Railroad terminus was moved from Brooklyn to LIC in the 1860s, and the neighborhood became the Queens County Seat. The railroad terminus still exists today, beneath the busy I-495 Expressway!

Food Spots

1. Beija Flor

beautiful exterior of the best Brazilian restaurant in Queens - Brazilian food Queens

Newark’s Ironbound district aside, Queens is the epicenter of Brazilian food in the NYC area, and Beija Flor is one of the best examples. It’s a top notch restaurant in Long Island City that hosts live music Fri-Sun after 6pm, and you won’t hear anything but Portuguese spoken inside, which is a good thing!

authentic juicy Brazilian Picanha with yucca fries in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

The Picanha à Palito is a starter at Beija Flor, but it could deservedly be a main. It consists of Picanha, Brazil’s famous cut of beef, alongside fried yucca.

colorful bowl of authentic Brazilian chicken wings in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Frango a Passarinho are deep fried chicken wings. Brazilians use garlic and lime instead of the American preparation of Frank’s Red Hot and butter, but the results are equally delicious.

variety of authentic Brazilian appetizers in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Salgadinhos, like Pastel de Queijo (cheese), Pastel de Carne de Sol (cured beef), and Coxinha de Frango (chicken) are classic snacks. Our kids can never get enough.

colorful table with authentic Brazilian Feijoada, Farofa, collards, and rice and beans in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Feijoada is a pork and beef stew typically eaten with collard greens, orange slices, and rice. Normally eaten on weekends for lunch, it’s Brazil’s national dish, and Beija Flor does it well.

traditional authentic Brazilian Moqueca and Pirão in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Moqueca de Peixe is a famous Brazilian seafood stew made with coconut milk and palm oil. It’s served with Pirão, a traditional fish gravy thickened with manioc flour. This is our favorite thing on the menu.

variety of authentic Brazilian dishes at a buffet in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Rio Market is the best Brazilian supermarket in NYC, and one of our favorite spots in Queens for lunch. The list of traditional products, like Pimenta Malagueta (Brazilian hot chilis), Azeite de Dendê (Brazilian palm oil), Pão de Queijo (cheese bread), and Catupiry (common in Brazilian pizza and coxinha), goes on and on. It also has a fabulous buffet.

child enjoys juicy authentic Picanha at a Brazilian buffet in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

The market sells everything from fresh Picanha and Chicken Hearts to imported frozen fish straight from the Amazon River. They even have a travel agency in the back where you can book flights to Rio or São Paulo, and a section full of Havaiana flip flops so you can travel prepared.

best Brazilian buffet and supermarket in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

They have rotating “kilo”, or by the pound selections, and a grill serving Picanha, Skirt Steak, and Linguiça, Brazil’s version of chorizo. From the buffet, the Salpicão de frango, or Brazilian chicken salad, is a must try. They also sell tons of Salgadinhos like Coxinha de Frango and Pastel de Queijo.

authentic Brazilian desserts at a supermarket in NYC - Brazilian food Queens

Rio Market has an entire refrigerator full of treats like Brigadeiros (chocolate fudge balls) and Beijinhos (Brazilian coconut candy), perfect to take home and a great way to end a fun afternoon.

Transportation

Our favorite mode of transportation is the NYC Ferry. LIC is on the NYC Ferry Astoria route or the East River Route. Fares are $2.75, or $3.75 with a bike. Once you’re there, we recommend exploring by bike. Vernon Boulevard has an excellent bike path that runs from Gantry Plaza State Park all the way north to Astoria. You’ll be treated to waterfront views all along the way.

There are lots of subways that stop in LIC, including the 7, E, M, R, F, N, and W. Streetside parking in LIC and Astoria near the Brazilian places is fairly easy. Parking near Gantry Plaza State Park is more challenging.


hungry children devouring authentic Brazilian food in NYC - Brazilian food Queens
young child with a bottle admires art exhibit in Queens NYC - things to do Long Island City
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