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HotelTonight – Long Island City Queens Hotels

Cities have personalities, at least in my opinion. When you're in a place like Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans or somewhere else, you can feel that city beat in your chest. I'm not sure there's a place anywhere in the world that's got more of a personality than New York. This is a city that you'd know you were in even if you were dropped into it blindfolded. The sounds, the smells and even the feel is completely unique. I've long loved the Big Apple for this and other reasons. I've been traveling there for years, and one of the things that I've noticed about the personality of New York is that, like those with personalities, it's growing and changing over time. I've been exploring these changes at every opportunity, and on my last trip I decided to spend 24 hours taking a deep dive into the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens. I had heard that a lot of changes were happening there. I wasn't concerned about finding a place to stay, as I travel with my HotelTonight app. I'd find a Long Island City Queens hotel room as soon as I needed one.

The Transformation

For generations, Long Island City was almost a forgotten part of Queens. It was, and still is, set off a bit geographically, so it became a home for industrial buildings, warehouses, cab stations and many other things that don't necessarily lead to the development of neighborhoods. Over the past 25 years or so, that has all been changing. A lot of investment has been targeted to this part of town. There are a lot of different and modern residential buildings already in place and many others that are in the process of being built. People are coming and there's new life there.

The Park

It always helps to have a centerpiece when you're trying to put a neighborhood together, and Long Island City has that in the form of Gantry Plaza State Park. This is not an enormous park, as it's barely more than 10 acres in size, but nearly 1 million people visit it every year. It's obvious as to why, as the entire park is wide-open and green, and the views of the Manhattan skyline across the river are breathtaking. It's a happy, relaxing, clean and vibrant place where people of all ages come to enjoy the fresh air.

The Dining

As neighborhoods grow and develop, so too does the restaurant industry in those communities. That's what's happening in LIC, as it's referred to by the locals. I decided to try a new sushi place that had apparently been drawing a lot of crowds. I was glad I did, as the sushi was done perfectly. The rice was sticky and sweet, and the fish was top-notch and fresh. I ate quite a few different rolls, and the prices were relatively reasonable as well.

HotelTonight – Long Island City Queens Hotels Near You

After a fun day of exploring a new part of New York, it was time to rest. I opened my HotelTonight app on my phone and booked a Long Island City Queens hotel room in seconds. I couldn't wait to fall into my comfortable bed and enjoy a deep sleep.