NYC Bud opened at 44-45 Vernon Boulevard on February 16, 2024, and Time Out called it both the first recreational dispensary in Long Island City and the first subway-themed dispensary in the city. The design is the draw: a life-sized subway car with moving doors that customers can step inside, vintage MTA benches and signage, and graffiti from classic 1980s-era artists. Its Vernon Boulevard address is confirmed on the state's licensed-retailer lookup.
Co-owner Jonpaul Pezzo told Time Out that transit was an obvious inspiration, and QNS's opening-day report added that he and his partners see themselves as "old school" New Yorkers who wanted the store to reflect the music and look of the city they grew up in. By 2025, Time Out was naming Pezzo and Giancarlo Pinto as co-founders of a growing two-store business.
The subway station, piece by piece
QNS's coverage catalogued the details. The entrance is framed with a green subway-style railing and a sign reading "Tokin' Booth 420." The ATMs are dressed up as MTA vending machines, and the checkout counter is built to look like an old-fashioned station newsstand. The subway car itself was constructed from refurbished bus steel. At the opening, a costumed mascot called Buddy the Rat greeted customers, a joke every New Yorker will get.
All of that makes NYC Bud one of the most photographed dispensary interiors in Queens, and it gives first-time visitors a reason to make a trip beyond simply stocking up.
Events at the Vernon Boulevard store
NYC Bud runs a busier events calendar than most shops. Listings and reviews mention painting nights billed as "Buds & Brushes," comedy shows, "bud brunches," DJ sets and Saturday 4:20 p.m. gatherings, plus interactive touches such as sniff jars and a digital graffiti wall. The schedule changes, so check the shop's social channels before planning around a specific event. Consumption rules still apply: events at a retail dispensary are not a license to smoke on site.
New York brands on the menu
At its opening, NYC Bud highlighted brands such as Dank, Zizzle, MFNY, Ruby Farms, Good Times, Chef for Higher and Plug N Play. Zizzle has a neat local tie: QNS reported it was founded by Queens natives who run their farm near Ithaca. Categories cover flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, tinctures and accessories, available in store or for delivery. Pre-rolls are a natural fit for a grab-and-go shop near the waterfront; see our guide to New York's best pre-rolls and infused joints, and if you're buying loose flower for the first time, our explainer on grams, eighths and ounces helps decode the sizes.
Hours, payment and delivery
Public listings give NYC Bud's Long Island City hours as 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. A review aggregator notes that cash is preferred and that card transactions carry extra fees, so bring cash or use the on-site ATMs if you want to avoid surcharges. Delivery is available, and reviewers describe it as fast and easy. The shop's website sits behind an age gate and didn't expose a phone number or full policies when we checked, so confirm details directly if you need them. LIC promotions show up on the High Today deals feed when stores post them.
Hunters Point, and the Midtown sibling
The store is on Vernon Boulevard in the Hunters Point part of Long Island City, a few blocks north of the 7 train's Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av station and a short walk from Gantry Plaza State Park and the East River waterfront. That makes it easy to reach from Midtown East: one stop on the 7 from Grand Central.
In August 2025 the team opened NYCBUD Midtown at 405 West 39th Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues. Time Out reported that its centerpiece is a scaled-down replica of Grand Central's turquoise-and-gold constellation ceiling, hand-painted by street artists Jamie Hef and Cern, with an information-booth pickup counter whose order screens resemble train boards and ATMs styled like Metro-North ticket machines. Time Out listed Midtown hours as 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. That store is on the same street as QUBE, a few avenue blocks west of Broadway, so Midtown shoppers can easily compare a design-driven shop with a late-hours specialist in one short walk. The Midtown store also offers online ordering and Manhattan delivery, per Time Out, which extends the brand's reach well beyond Queens.
How a themed store got built
QNS's opening-day story included a detail that says a lot about how small New York cannabis businesses get off the ground: the landlord cut the rent during construction, giving the team breathing room for an ambitious buildout. Elaborate fit-outs like a working subway car are expensive, and most CAURD-era shops opened with far simpler interiors. That NYC Bud went the other way, and then repeated the trick with a hand-painted ceiling in Midtown, makes design the brand's signature.
The Zizzle connection adds a local thread. QNS reported that the brand's founders, Noomi Rana and Zion Voss, grew up in Queens before starting a farm upstate near Ithaca, so a Queens store stocking their product closes a neat loop.
Coming from Manhattan
Getting there is easy. From Grand Central, the 7 train reaches Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av in one stop under the East River; from there it's a short walk north along Vernon Boulevard's restaurants and bars. NYC Ferry's Hunters Point South landing is another option for riders coming from Midtown East or Wall Street, and Citi Bike docks are spread throughout the neighborhood. If you're also curious about the Midtown store, it's a quick 7 ride back to Times Square and a short walk west to 39th Street.
Other LIC choices
Long Island City has gained several licensed shops since NYC Bud opened. The OCM verification list includes Trends Dispensaries at 27-25 44th Drive, Nice Yield at 10-50 Jackson Avenue and Just A Little Higher's Queens store on Queens Plaza North. Shoppers who just want a quick refill have options, but none match NYC Bud's theme-park take on transit. Want more borough picks? See where we'd shop in Queens right now.
Who should go
NYC Bud is for LIC and Hunters Point residents, design lovers, transit nerds, and visitors who want a dispensary that doubles as a photo op. Event-goers will get the most out of it. Anyone in a hurry can still order ahead and treat it like any other neighborhood shop. And because the brand now has a Manhattan outpost, Midtown workers who like the concept can sample it without crossing the river, then make the trip to Vernon Boulevard to see the subway car that started it all. Public reviews tend to praise friendly, knowledgeable staff and the décor; complaints were scarce on the review pages available to us.