If you ask a Manhattanite how to get to Astoria by public transport, there are two common answers: (1) Take the N or Q subway lines. (2) Take the M60 bus.
The N and Q trains in Astoria have a long past. Now known as the BMT Astoria line, the section of the N and Q now serving Astoria residents was opened on February 1st, 1917, with some stations opening later that year, and was jointly run by IRT and BRT (eventually, BMT.) It ran from current stop 39th Avenue (then Beebe Avenue) to Astoria – Ditmars Boulevard (originally just Ditmars Boulevard.)
The building of the subway at this time points to some gentrification, though much of that has to do with better access to the location. One other important note about this time period is that Astoria Park (originally William J. Gaynor Park) was opened in 1913, just four years earlier. The city acquired a parcel of 56 acres for a park along the Queens side of the East River, which many New York City residents favored as a way of diluting the industrial dominance of our public waterfronts.
From the end of the line at Astoria-Ditmars, it takes 30 minutes or less to arrive on the East Side’s Lexington Ave by the 4, 5, and 6 trains; to arrive at 5th Avenue’s famous shopping strip; to hop off near the Theater District for a Broadway show; and to arrive at the transit hub and tourist center that is Times Square. This makes access to almost any job in the city a possibility, as transfer between the NQR and nearly any other subway line is available in less than half an hour. According to the Furman Center, the average commute time for Astoria residents is 28-32 minutes. Between the convenient access to both a large public recreation area and relatively easy access to other parts of the city, Astoria became a viable place for many to live.
In the modern wave of gentrification in Astoria, from the 1980s until now, both the BMT Astoria Line and Astoria Park are important to look at. The subways, along with many other factors, laid the foundation for a massive influx of young professionals into the neighborhood. Astoria Park reflects this influx, as that is when Astoria Park underwent a massive tripartite renovation.
The M60 bus is a rather recent invention, and was created once Astoria’s gentrification process was moving full steam ahead. The route started operations on September 13th, 1992. While its purpose was to connect Manhattan and La Guardia International Airport (aside from taxis or personal vehicles,) it is no coincidence that the buses first stop in Queens once it leaves Manhattan is at Astoria Boulevard by the N and Q station; it makes commuting to Upper Manhattan easier.
(This is an annotated MTA Subway Map)
(Image from NYC.gov)
The M60 stop at Astoria Boulevard both reflects and abets gentrification. Many people on the M60 are heading to the airport, but a substantial number get off in Astoria. Some of those people are from Greek backgrounds, but many are the typical young white professionals who tend to gentrify neighborhoods.
There was a plan proposed in 2010 to extend the N to connect with LaGuardia Airport. However, due to Astoria resident protest, along with the MTA’s other large infrastructure projects going on at the moment, the plan was put on the back burner. Astoria’s gentrified population fought heavily against this expansion.
(For more info, look here for a 2001 NYTimes article discussing the reaction to the plan when first proposed in the 1990s, and here or here for some blog posts with a more critical edge.)
One suggestion made by Astoria residents was to instead extend the 7 train to LaGuardia via a connection at Willets Point. According to Assemblymember Gianaris, “That went through industrial areas, not residential communities like the N train, and came into the back of the airport. It was ideal.” However, the term “industrial area” here needs to be deconstructed. “Industrial area,” in this case, means more than an area with a lot of businesses; it means neighborhoods where only poorer individuals and families live… aka, that is where the disempowered poor people live. The suggestion sounds smart, in theory, but ends up sounding like a class struggle when hearing that perspective.
Astoria used to be an isolated community. Transportation has allowed it to grow monetarily wealthier. However, it has gentrified so much that it is now falling into the same trap as Long Island often does: “Create public housing, build infrastructure – but not in my backyard!” (This phenomenon is often abbreviated as NIMBY.)
On a related note: the Hell Gate Bridge. It runs through Astoria Park, and serves as a rail-only bridge. It connects Queens to the railroad systems which run to the rest of the Northeast corridor. It was built in from 1912-1916 with four tracks: two freight, two passenger. One freight track closed permanently in the 1970s. The bridge is owned and maintained by Amtrak.
(From DeviantArt user Inno68)
How does that tie back to the theme? Once this bridge was constructed, would anyone buy housing real estate right nearby? Probably not. This made securing the public land for Astoria Park that much easier.
