You should check out a bike shop focused on commuters like Rolling Orange in Brooklyn or Adeline Adeline in Manhattan. Life is much easier when you talk to people who understand commuting vs people who understand recreation and racing. They might also be able to help you out with routes. Of the two I'd probably start w/ Rolling Orange.

At one time LIC was on the first wave of Citibike and then got pushed back. Are they still planning to include it? Any idea when? Deeper in to Queens I think is still 2016.

Any way you go, you'll enjoy it. Much better than being a tunnel rat.