39th Avenue Station: Connecting Long Island City, Queens

The 39th Avenue station is an elevated subway station located in Long Island City, Queens, New York. It serves as a local stop on the BMT Astoria Line, providing service to residents and workers in the area. Its location in Queens distinguishes it from the main hubs of Manhattan, offering a vital connection for this part of the city.

Connections and Services

The 39th Avenue station is a single station belonging to the BMT Astoria Line:

39th Avenue Station (Astoria Line)

• This part of the complex is an elevated local station on the BMT Astoria Line of the New York City Subway.
• It is served by trains from the following services:
  • N (yellow) (all-day service)
  • W (yellow) (weekday-only service)
• Main entrance address: Intersection of 39th Avenue and 31st Street, Long Island City, Queens, NY 11101

Station Features

• It is an elevated station with two side platforms and three tracks.
• It is served by trains operating on the local tracks:
  • The side platforms serve local N and W trains.
  • The center track is used by express trains (generally peak service on the <0xF0><0x9F><0x97><0xBD>️ line) that do not stop at this station.
• Entrances and exits are located at street level beneath the elevated structure.

There are no direct transfers to other subway lines within the station. However, there are connections to local buses on nearby streets, such as the Q102 route.

Importance and Location

• The station is located at the intersection of 39th Avenue and 31st Street in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens.
• Its strategic location makes it a key access point to destinations such as:

  • Long Island City (LIC)

    • Area known for its recent development, a mix of industrial, commercial, and residential areas.
    • Proximity to several hotels and new constructions.
    • Access to the Dutch Kills neighborhood.
    • Nearby film and television studios, such as Silvercup Studios East.

  • Nearby Points of Interest

    • Primarily serves the immediate residential and commercial communities.
    • Some local commercial establishments and restaurants in the vicinity.
    • It is not a major tourist hub, but an essential local transportation stop for the area.

  • Transportation Connections

    • Connection with the Q102 bus route.
    • Access to other parts of Queens and connection to Manhattan via the N and W trains.
    • Proximity to the Queensboro Bridge (59th Street Bridge), although not with direct pedestrian access from the station.

History and Evolution

• The 39th Avenue station was inaugurated on July 19, 1917, as part of the Astoria Line extension, jointly operated by the IRT and BMT.
• The station was extensively renovated between 2017 and 2018 as part of a larger project to modernize several stations on the Astoria Line. Renovations included structural improvements, new platforms, canopies, and signage.
• It was originally named “Beebe Avenue.” It was renamed “39th Avenue–Dutch Kills” and later simplified to “39th Avenue.”

Interesting Facts

• It serves as a key local stop for residents and workers in the Dutch Kills area and the surrounding Long Island City area.
• Being an elevated station, it offers views of the local urban landscape and, in the distance, the Manhattan skyline.
• It is part of the Astoria Line, one of the historic elevated lines of the system, originally built for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT).