BID Operations
Throughout the year, the LIC BID maintains the areas lying within the business improvement district.
The BID leverages LIC Partnership to enliven the neighborhood with events and campaigns that increase visibility for small businesses, celebrate the area’s creative and cultural identity, and create meaningful opportunities for residents and workers to engage with their community.
Sanitation
The BID contracts with Street Plus to provide supplemental on-street services to keep the district clean 7 days a week as well as serve as important ambassadors for the neighborhood. Every day they are out there sweeping the sidewalks, bagging trash, cleaning off street furniture in addition to their monthly graffiti removals. They also remove snow and ice from intersections and sidewalks in the winter months.
Beautification
Our efforts to beautify the neighborhood take place year round. In the fall we plant and maintain tulips that come up in early Spring, in the winter we hang snowflakes and skyline banners to keep the district lit up in the darker months, and in the summer we plant begonias our tree pits and fill the hanging baskets with seasonal flowers to last throughout the summer and early fall. We also directly maintain the Jackson Avenue medians and partner with NYC Department of Parks to maintain and beautify Dutch Kills Green and the Queens Plaza Greenway bike path.
Safety
Public Safety is a high priority in the LIC BID. Throughout the year we work closely with NYPD’s 108th and 114th Precincts. We host frequent roundtable meetings with both Precincts, local business, city officials and property owners to discuss community events, safety tips, and general guidance to keep our BID safe. As Community Partners with the 108th Precinct we meet weekly to discuss crime trends, updates, and attend their frequent Build-A-Block and Community Council Meetings to hear public concerns and opinions from around the district, elevating when necessary to senior personnel and other city agencies. We also work closely with our partners at Breaking Ground, the city-designated homeless outreach organization, to offer support and assistance to those in need.
Tours and Community Events
We host a range of community events each year to celebrate and support Long Island City. Our signature street festival, LIC Springs!, brings over 15,000 people to Vernon Boulevard for a day of performances, local vendors, and activities.
Other annual programs include Shop Small for Small Business Saturday, LIC Lights Up for the holiday season, and community and corporate volunteer days that build connections and enhance neighborhood spaces.
We also offer neighborhood tours for prospective businesses, city agencies, and others looking to better understand LIC’s streetscape, growth, and potential.
Marketing
Our BID team is dedicated to driving visibility for our small businesses, engaging both residents and visitors. By collaborating with the LIC Partnership, we ensure our businesses are integrated into impactful, large-scale marketing campaigns and events that elevate the entire neighborhood. Additionally, we manage the LIC Community Gift Card program, an initiative that directly supports local businesses. Learn more about it here.