This 4th of July, all eyes are going to be on Hunter’s Point South as the neighborhood’s newly built and priced city park will be the official staging area of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. After years of negotiations to get the festive display back to the East River and losing the prime viewing spot to more southerly borrows last year, Long Island City today will take the lead in the showcasing of the annual fireworks extravaganza, both in offering unobstructed views of the show as well as being the staging area and “command center” for the official Macy’s event and its national broadcast.

On 15 May, several months after more than 93,000 people submitted their applications for the affordable housing apartments on the waterfront of Long Island City, the first lucky chosen residents of the 925 units in the 32-story Hunters Point South Crossing and 37-story Hunters Point South Commons moved into the smaller building.

Several online posts over the last week have indicated that applicants are already being invited to interviews for rentals at the new Hunters Point South Development in Long Island City, with at least two persons disclosing their log numbers and confirming the invites.

The numbers are in. An incredible 92,700 applications have been received for the first phase of the Hunter’s Point South Development, significantly exceeding the expectations of project planners and making HPS one of the most sought after housing projects in New York City history.

To all of those dying to sneak a peek behind the scenes of the two affordable housing units currently under construction at Hunter’s Point South, prepare yourself for a serious visual overload, courtesy of the local media. This latest preview includes countless photos from all angles, showcasing all views, and offering more details on the building amenities and floor plans than were ever available before.

A few years ago I decided that it was time for me to enjoy the bright lights of New York City and migrate to the tiny island of an incredible skyline aka Manhattan where everyone who is anyone seemed to want to live. Being an island boy myself having born and bred in the Caribbean, I felt like it was time to return to my “island roots”, albeit an island of glitzy skyscrapers in the city that never sleeps, a far cry from the sleepy shores of the sleepy West indies.