A grocery store that sells a range of conventional and organic foods has opened in a high-rise apartment building in Long Island City (Photo: Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
Nov. 17, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A grocery store that sells a range of conventional and organic foods has opened on the ground floor of a high-rise apartment building on the Long Island City waterfront.
Luminescence Gourmet Market and Deli opened on Nov. 8 inside a two-tower complex at Hunters Point South.
The store is located at 52-03 Center Blvd, which is the 55-story north tower of the TF Cornerstone development. The south tower is located next to it at 52-41 Center Blvd. and is 44-stories.
The owners of Luminescence, brothers Osam and Yayh Saleh, have taken a 3,000-square-foot space in the building that is situated on the corner of Borden Avenue and 2nd Street.
The opening marks the brother’s first Queens location.
The pair, who immigrated to the U.S. from Yemen in 2000, own seven other stores—each with their own name—in the city across Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Luminescence sells a wide range of natural and organic foods along with other grocery items. It also has a deli that offers hot food items, cold sandwiches and salads.
There is also a juice bar offering a selection of smoothies and freshly squeezed juices while coffees, teas and snacks are also on offer. Toiletries and other household items are also sold.
An image from inside Luminescence (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
Saleh said the brothers were drawn to the location, upon concluding that there was a shortage of grocery stores around Hunters Point South Park.
“I was hanging out there one time and realized it was really cold and there was nowhere for people to go and eat or to go and shop,” Saleh said. “So, we thought it was a good idea for us and for the customers to open.”
Saleh said the duo is looking to attract customers from the TF Cornerstone complex and the surrounding area. He said a number of other high rises have gone up in the area recently which has substantially increased foot traffic including 52-41 Center Blvd. and the Gotham Point development
He said construction workers traveling to and from other construction sites have helped increase business. He said many are working on a two-tower development at the site that previously housed a City Harvest warehouse.
He said overnight business has been slow to date, but he is confident it will pick up once more residents become aware that they have opened.
Luminescence Gourmet Market and Deli, opened on Nov. 8 inside 52-03 Center Blvd. (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
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5 Comments
The more the merrier. Gourmet Market and Food Cellar both have pretty steep prices, this very well might too. But a third choice at least introduces the opportunity for competition. If just one of these places is able to lower their prices a bit they’ll reign supreme.
Can’t wait to go to this store and get ripped off, nothing like joining the likes of Food Cellar , ya know $10 organic milk that sells for $4.59 at Stop and Shop, oh wait, Stop and Shop is not around anymore. I hope they take EBT, that’s the only people that will be left in LIC in a few years.
It’s literally two blocks from Urban Market (and they’re both on 2nd St, not Center Blvd) and maybe business has been slow because everything is unbelievably overpriced. I understand why prices have risen at grocery stores but this is beyond. Blame TF for the high rent, sure, but at those prices I don’t know how long it’ll last.
Anotber Yuppie/ Hipster store.
Can’t we get a generalized store. KEY FOID,STOP & SHOP,, PUBLIX . Something tlike tbat.
Gourmet deli’s usually cater to higj end people. Welcome to
LIC area for the rich and well off.
Urban Market IS a KeyFood (as much as they try to hide it). Thankfully we also have TJs (as small, under-stocked and under-staffed it may be) and plenty of inexpensive stores across the bridge in Greenpoint.