Community Corner

Day Tripper: Long Island City

Take a staycation to Long Island City, where you can visit two museums—Noguchi Museum and MOMA's PS 1—and sample French bistro and Italian foods.

Between keeping within your budget and scheduling time off from work, planning a vacation can be stressful.

If you find you have too little time to travel and not enough money in your bank account, there’s no need to fret.

Each Thursday, Douglaston Patch will profile one of the five boroughs’ unique neighborhoods, where you can sample some local culture and culinary delights.

Find out what's happening in Bayside-Douglastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This week’s pick is Long Island City.

10 a.m.

Find out what's happening in Bayside-Douglastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Start off your day at the Noguchi Museum, an internationally renowned cultural institution that includes an open-air sculpture garden and 10 galleries.

The museum was founded in 1985 by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi and features the artist’s sculptures, lamps and furniture designs. It is frequently listed as one of the borough’s top tourist destinations.

The gallery, located at 9-01 33rd Rd., is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

General admission is $10, but seniors and students with ID pay $5 and children under 12 get in free.

1 p.m.

Have lunch at one of two French bistros—Tournesol or Café Henri—in Long Island City’s Hunters Point.

Tournesol, located at 50-12 Vernon Blvd., has a full menu of salads, paninis, brunch dishes and French cuisine, including croque monsieur and terrine of foie gras. The eatery is easily recognizable by the petit red car bearing its name parked out front.

Across the street at 10-10 50th Ave. is the cozy Café Henri, which offers a variety of cheeses, soups, salads, sandwiches and house specials, including the succulent steak au poivre vert and coq au vin.

3 p.m.

If you’re feeling up for another museum, make sure to drop by the Museum of Modern Art’s PS 1, an exhibition space for experimental instillation art.

The museum, located at 22-25 Jackson Ave., is currently featuring a two-part exhibit of Belgian artist Francis Alys’ work, including paintings, videos, photographs and drawings.

Also on display are head sculptures by Nancy Grossman, short films by Ryan Trecartin and screenings of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s mind-bending cult classic, “The Holy Mountain.”

PS 1 is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday through Monday, but is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

6 p.m.

For dinner, sample traditional Italian cuisine at Manetta’s Ristorante, a popular Hunters Point eatery.

The restaurant, located at 10-76 Jackson Ave., serves a variety of pastas, salads, soups, veal and chicken dishes, fish and pizzas.

8 p.m.

End your day on the rooftop bar and patio of the Ravel Hotel, located at 8-08 Queens Plaza South.

The bar boasts a stunning nighttime view of the Queensboro Bridge and the city’s skyline and offers a full drinks menu that includes specialty cocktails, such as blueberry mojitos and strawberry caipiroskas.


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