5-20 51st Ave, 3

Quick Profile

Hunters Point is a neighborhood inside a neighborhood. Technically, it’s part of the larger nabe of Long Island City. In recent years it’s stepped out from behind LIC’s shadows and become a desirable place to live. Besides its proximity to Midtown, it has breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. It offers art galleries, craft breweries and a thriving culinary scene on the north side too. It’s safe to say Hunters Point is all the buzz. Young professionals and families are flocking to the neighborhood in search of new frontiers, a little more space and buildings with modern amenities.

Hunters Point is bounded by Astoria to North, Newton Creek to the south, Sunnyside to the east and the East River to the west. Long Island City is often referred to as Hunter’s Point and vise-versa. They are generally referring to the same area. 

Just one subway stop from Grand Central Station, the working-class and industrial neighborhood of Hunter’s Point has had quite the makeover as of lately. Especially the waterfront park, which defines the neighborhood. The 11-acre stretch of continuous waterfront green space is so big that they had to create it in phases over many years. Some consider the development one of the most ambitious waterfront projects in New York City history.

The first phase, completed in 2013, sits along the banks of the East River. It has a playground, basketball courts, dog run, multipurpose field, sand-filled volleyball courts and food concessions. It has unique winding paths with rocky outcrops, native plants and park benches along the way. In addition, the NYC Ferry Service operates a ferry landing within the park and whisks commuters to Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

The second phase of the waterfront development was completed in 2018. Once overgrown with weeds, shrubs, and trees, the development’s land served as a legitimate dumping ground for construction rubble and excess soil. The post-industrial wasteland was renovated into an award-winning park that offers a cantilevered viewing platform overlooking the East River. Traverse the salty marshes along some of the coolest elevated and sustainable footpaths New York City has to offer. The landscape architecture of the park protects the nearby apartment buildings from flooding and storm surges.

Not all of Hunters Point is shiny and new with world class parks. The Hunters Point Historic district represents a small but nostalgic glimpse of how things used to look. The district spans the block of 45th Avenue between 21st and 23rd Streets and contains red-brick brownstones from the late 19th century. You’ll also see many other styles of architecture in the district.