About

The LIC Community Boathouse is playing a critical part in revitalizing Long Island City, and is reconnecting residents and local business people with their estuary.

Mission
The mission of the all-volunteer Long Island City Community Boathouse is to provide western Queens residents, employees, and visitors with educational and recreational paddling programs. Our programs raise awareness about estuary ecology with the goal of restoring the natural beauty and health of New York Harbor for today’s and future generations.

We will achieve our mission through three primary programs:

  • Our “Weekday Paddles” provide beautiful views of Roosevelt Island, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Paddlers will also be able to experience one of the most sensational sunsets in New York!
  • “Weekend Paddles” open new visions of the harbor to paddlers!
  • Free Hallets cove paddles. We host  “walk-up” kayak rides in the protection of Hallets Cove, at the northern end of Socrates Sculpture Park. Children are welcome if accompanied by a parent.
  • Free walkup paddles in our Anable Basin on weekends.

Achievements

  • Thousands of adults and children served with free paddling.
  • Free paddle trips three times each week during the summer to destinations in Queens and other boroughs.
  • Key member of the Newtown Creek Alliance, advocating for cleaner water and community access
  • Assisted the formation, equipping, outreach, and events of other boathouses throughout the city
  • Featured in a Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance “City of Water” documentary about the East River.
  • Worked with youth from the Queensbridge Houses’ Jacob Riis Settlement.
  • Worked with NYC Audubon and New York Water Taxi to provide eco-cruises to kids and parents from Jacob Riis Settlement and Hour Children (www.hourchildren.org)
  • Augmented American Cancer Society and other cancer fundraising events by providing free skyline paddle tours to participants and escorts to swimmers.
  • Leader in shoreline cleanup efforts at Hallets Cove, with support from Partnerships for Parks, Socrates Sculpture Park, and NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation.
  • Played a central role in bringing Recycle-a-Bicycle to Queens ( http://www.recycle-a-bicycle.org )
  • Provides swim escorts to area swim and estuary ecology groups
  • Pioneering role in the creation of a NYC Water Trail

Of course none of this could have happened without the support of local business sponsorships, Partnerships for Parks, NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation, and the generosity of Plaxall Inc.