Why Is The Foundry a Multi-Backdrop Shoot Venue in Long Island City, NY
When I started searching for a shoot location in Long Island City, NY, I needed a space that could deliver more than one visual environment without splitting the production across multiple addresses. I came across The Foundry at 42-38 9th Street and walked in expecting a single industrial room. What I found instead was several genuinely different backdrops inside one 19th-century building, and for any photographer, director, or creative team working on Long Island, that kind of range within a single booking is hard to find anywhere else.
The Foundry is a multi-backdrop shoot venue because it contains several distinct interior and exterior environments within a single 19th-century building in Long Island City, NY. One booking provides access to a raw main space, a Billiard Room, an Albra Room, a rooftop terrace with Manhattan views, and a working industrial kitchen, eliminating the need to move between locations.
The Foundry's Restored Industrial Character
What sets The Foundry apart for shoots is that the building's history shows up on camera without any styling effort. It started as a fine varnish manufacturer, then became The Albra Metal Foundry, serving New York City's riverfront manufacturers by 1906. The Du Val family purchased it in 1980, restored it to reflect its original industrial character, and began hosting events in 2001. That original Albra Metal Foundry logo is still visible on the corner of 9th Street and 43rd Avenue today, and it is the kind of detail that grounds every shot in something genuinely real.
The Raw Main Space for Multi-Backdrop Shoots
The main interior runs over 3,000 square feet of open, raw space, giving a production team room to set multiple stations without striking one to build another. The honest surfaces and genuine proportions provide texture and depth in frame with very little intervention, and the walls respond differently depending on how you approach the lighting, which means the same room delivers several distinct looks across a single shoot day.
The Billiard Room and Albra Room Give Productions
The Billiard Room offers a more contained and intimate interior that reads as a separate location entirely on camera, shifting the mood completely from the open main hall. The Albra Room adds yet another named interior environment, and having both available inside the same building means a production team can move through multiple setups without anyone relocating to a different address.
The Rooftop Terrace with Manhattan Skyline
The rooftop terrace offers a direct sightline to the Manhattan skyline, and the light across that view shifts from morning through golden hour into dusk, giving productions a backdrop that changes quality throughout the day. For campaigns and editorial shoots that need New York in the frame, this terrace delivers that from Long Island City within a single booking.
The Industrial Kitchen Rounds Out the Multi-Backdrop Options
The fully equipped industrial kitchen is a working kitchen, not a decorative prop, and that functional authenticity shows up clearly in the final image. For culinary content, food and beverage campaigns, and product photography involving kitchen settings, this space provides real surfaces and a genuine spatial dynamic, with a separate caterer and kitchen entrance at 42-32 9th Street keeping crew and production moving independently throughout the day.
Conclusion
Seeing the spaces in person changes how most production teams think about what is possible within a single booking, so I would strongly encourage scheduling a walkthrough before finalizing any shot list. Browse the Gallery and take the 360° Tour for a first look, then call 718-786-7776, email Angela Ortiz at ao@thefoundry.info, or email Managing Director Allison Du Val at adv@thefoundry.info.
FAQs
Is The Foundry available for film, video, and photo shoots?
Yes. Film, video, and photo shoots are a named event type at The Foundry, alongside weddings, corporate events, launch parties, and bar and bat mitzvahs.
How many backdrops can a production access in one booking at The Foundry?
One booking gives access to the Main Space, Billiard Room, outdoor courtyard, rooftop terrace, indoor greenhouse, Albra Room, and industrial kitchen, all within one building.
How do I get to The Foundry in Long Island City from Manhattan?
The main entrance is at 42-38 9th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101, accessible via the E, M, R, N, 7, and F subway lines, and by car through the Queensborough Bridge or Midtown Tunnel.
Who do I contact to book a shoot at The Foundry?
Email Angela Ortiz at ao@thefoundry.info, email Allison Du Val at adv@thefoundry.info, or call 718-786-7776.