Queens County New York Warrant Search

Queens Queens is the largest in area, the second largest in population, and the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States.Located on the western portion of Long Island, Queens is home to two of the three major New York City area airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. It is also the location of the New York Mets baseball team, the US Open tennis tournament, Flushing Meadows Park, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, and Aqueduct Racetrack.As of the 2005[update] American Community Survey, immigrants comprise 47.6% of Queens residents. With a population of 2.3 million it is the second most populous borough in New York City (behind Brooklyn) and the tenth most populous county in the United States. It is also the nation's fourth-most-densely populated county (after the counties covering Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx). The 2.3 million figure is the highest historical population for the borough. Were each borough an independent city, Brooklyn and Queens would be the country's third and fourth largest cities, respectively, after Los Angeles and Chicago.Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of New York and was supposedly named for the Queen consort, Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705), the Portuguese princess who married King Charles II of England in 1662.The borough is considered one of the more suburban boroughs of New York City. The neighborhoods in eastern Queens have a look and feel similar to the bordering suburbs of western Nassau County. In its northwestern section, however, Queens is home to many urban neighborhoods and several central business districts. Long Island City, on the Queens' waterfront across from Manhattan, is the site of the Citicorp Building, the tallest skyscraper in New York City outside of Manhattan, and the tallest building on geographic Long Island. History European colonization brought Dutch and English settlers, as a part of the New Netherlands colony. First settlements occurred in 1635 followed by early colonizations at Maspeth in 1642, and Vlissingen (now Flushing) in 1643. Other early settlements included Newtown (now Elmhurst) and Jamaica. However, these towns were mostly inhabited by English settlers from New England via eastern Long Island (Suffolk County) subject to Dutch law. After the capture of the colony by the English and its renaming as New York in 1664, the area (and all of Long Island) became known as Yorkshire.The Flushing Remonstrance signed by colonists in 1657 is considered a precursor to the United States Constitution's provision on freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights. The signers protested the Dutch colonial authorities’ persecution of Quakers in what is today the borough of Queens.Originally, Queens County included the adjacent area now comprising Nassau County. It was an original county of New York State, one of twelve created on November 1, 1683. On October 7, 1691, all counties in the Colony of New York were redefined. Queens gained North Brother Island, South Brother Island, and Huletts Island (today known as Rikers Island). On December 3, 1768, Queens gained other islands in Long Island Sound that were not already assigned to a county but that did not abut on Westchester County (today’s Bronx County).Queens played a minor role in the American Revolution, as compared to Brooklyn where the Battle of Long Island was largely fought. Queens, like the rest of Long Island, remained under British occupation after the Battle of Long Island in 1776 and was occupied throughout most of the rest of the war. Under the Quartering Act, British soldiers used, as barracks, the public inns and uninhabited buildings belonging to Queens residents. Even though many local people were against unannounced quartering, sentiment throughout the county remained (albeit fairly passively) in favor of the British crown. The quartering of soldiers in private homes, except in times of war, was banned by the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution. Nathan Hale was captured by the British on the shore of Flushing Bay in Queens before being executed by hanging in Manhattan for gathering intelligence.From 1683 until 1784, Queens County consisted of five towns: Flushing, Hempstead, Jamaica, Newtown, and Oyster Bay. On April 6, 1784, a sixth town, the Town of North Hempstead, was formed through secession by the northern portions of the Town of Hempstead.The seat of the county government was located first in Jamaica, but the courthouse was torn down by the British during the American Revolution to use the materials to build barracks. After the war, various buildings in Jamaica temporarily served as courthouse and jail until a new building was erected about 1787 (and later completed) in an area near Mineola (now in Nassau County) known then as Clowesville. The 1850 census was the first in which the population of the three western towns exceeded that of the three eastern towns that are now part of Nassau County. Concerns were raised about the condition and distance of the old courthouse, and several sites were in contention for the construction of a new one. In 1870, Long Island City split from the Town of Newton, incorporating itself as a city, consisting of what had been the Village of Astoria and some unincorporated areas within the Town of Newtown. Around 1874, the seat of county government was moved to Long Island City from Mineola.On March 1, 1860, the eastern border between Queens County (later Nassau County) and Suffolk County was redefined with no discernible change. On June 8, 1881, North Brother Island was transferred to New York County. On May 8, 1884, Rikers Island was transferred to New York County. In 1885, Lloyd Neck, which was part of the Town of Oyster Bay and was earlier known as Queens Village, seceded from Queens and became part of the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County. On April 16, 1964, South Brother Island was transferred to Bronx County. Borough of Queens The New York City Borough of Queens was authorized on May 4, 1897, by a vote of the New York State Legislature after an 1894 referendum on consolidation. The eastern 280 square miles (730 km2) of Queens that became Nassau County was partitioned on January 1, 1899.Queens Borough was established on Jan 1, 1898. Long Island City, the towns of Newtown, Flushing, and Jamaica, and the Rockaway Peninsula portion of the Town of Hempstead were merged to form the new borough, dissolving all former municipal governments (Long Island City, the county government, all towns, and all villages) within the new borough. The areas of Queens County that were not part of the consolidation plan, consisting of the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the major remaining portion of the Town of Hempstead, remained part of Queens County until they seceded to form the new Nassau County on January 1, 1899, whereupon the boundaries of Queens County and the Borough of Queens became coterminous. With consolidation, Jamaica once again became the county seat, though county offices now extend to nearby Kew Gardens also.From 1905 to 1908 the Long Island Rail Road in Queens was electrified. Transportation to and from Manhattan, previously by ferry or via bridges in Brooklyn, opened up when the Queensboro Bridge was finished in 1909, and with railway tunnels under the East River in 1910. From 1915 onward, much of Queens was connected to the New York City subway system. With the 1915 construction of the Steinway Tunnel carrying the IRT Flushing Line between Queens and Manhattan, and the emergent expansion of the use of the automobile, the population of Queens more than doubled in the 1920s, from 469,042 in 1920 to 1,079,129 in 1930. Queens was the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair. LaGuardia Airport, in northern Queens, opened in 1939. Idlewild Airport, in southern Queens and now called JFK Airport, opened in 1948. Geography Queens County is in the western part of Long Island and includes a few smaller islands, most of which are in Jamaica Bay and form part of Gateway National Recreation Area, which is in turn one of the National Parks of New York Harbor.The Rockaway Peninsula sits between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The western and northern edge of the borough is defined a watery continuum made up of Newtown Creek which flows into the tidal estuary known as the East River, which includes the associated Flushing Bay and Flushing River. The East River opens into Long Island Sound. The mid-section of Queens is crossed by the Long Island straddling terminal moraine created by the Wisconsin Glacier. This feature evolved into a land use pun due to the siting of many cemeteries.The tallest tree in the New York metropolitan area, called the Queens Giant, is also the oldest living thing in the New York metro area. It is located in northeastern Queens, and is 450 years old and 132 feet (40 m) tall as of 2005.According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 178.3 square miles (462 km2); 109.2 square miles (283 km2) of this is land and 38.7% is water. Landmarks of Queens Queens is home to many historical landmarks. The Unisphere, shown often during the U.S. Open, sits adjacent to the Queens Museum of Art. P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center is a museum devoted to contemporary art. Housed in a former public high school, P.S.1 has managed to keep cutting the cutting edge even as it has matured as an institution. Adjacent Counties Bronx County(Borough ofThe Bronx) Nassau County Kings County(Borough ofBrooklyn) New York County(Borough ofManhattan) Richmond County(Borough ofStaten Island) Neighborhoods The United States Postal Service divides the borough into five 'towns' based roughly on those in existence at the consolidation of the five boroughs into New York City: Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing, Far Rockaway, and Floral Park. These ZIP codes do not necessarily reflect neighborhood names and boundaries; 'East Elmhurst', for example, was largely coined by the USPS and is not an official community. Most neighborhoods have no solid boundaries. The Forest Hills and Rego Park neighborhoods, for instance, overlap.Residents of Queens often closely identify with their neighborhood rather than with the borough or city. Unlike the situation in other boroughs, postal addresses are usually written with the neighborhood, state, and then zip code rather than the borough or city. The borough is a patchwork of dozens of unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct identity:Howard Beach,Ozone Park, andMiddle Village, are home to largeItalian Americanpopulations. Ozone Park also has a largeHispanicpopulation. Rockaway BeachandWoodsidehave largeIrish Americanpopulations. Astoria, in the northwest, is traditionally home to one of the largestGreekpopulations outside ofGreece, it also has a largeCroatiancommunity, and is also home to a growing population ofArabs,South Asiansandyoung professionalsfromManhattan. Nearby Long Island City is a major commercial center and the home of theQueensbridgehousing project. MaspethandRidgewoodare home to many European immigrants, including largePolish,Albanianand otherSlavicpopulations. Ridgewood also has a largeRomanianandHispanicpopulation. Jackson Heights,Elmhurst, andCoronamake up an enormous conglomeration ofHispanic,Asian AmericanandSouth Asiancommunities.Woodsideis also home to a largeFilipino Americancommunity and has a 'Little Manila'. Flushing, one of the largest neighborhoods in Queens that has a large Asian community. The community consists ofChinese,Koreans, Hispanics, Italians and Greeks. Richmond Hill, in the south, is often thought of as 'Little Guyana' for its largeGuyanesecommunity. Rego Park,Forest Hills,Kew Gardens, andKew Gardens Hillshave traditionally largeJewishpopulations (many of these communities are Jewish immigrants from Israel, Iran and the former Soviet Union). Also known for large and growingIndianandHispanic/Latinocommunities, mainly immigrants fromIndiaandSouth America. Jamaica Estates,HillcrestFresh Meadows, andHollis Hillsare also populated with many people of Jewish background. Many Asian families reside in parts of Fresh Meadows as well. Jamaicais home to largeAfrican AmericanandCaribbeanpopulations. There are also middle-class African American and Caribbean neighborhoods such asSaint Albans,Queens Village,Cambria Heights,Springfield Gardens,Rosedale,LaureltonandBriarwoodalong east and southeast Queens. BelleroseandFloral Parkare home to a largeSouth-Asianpopulation, predominantlyIndian-Americansfrom the north-Indian state ofPunjaband the south-Indian state ofKerala. There are some less diverse, but still prosperous part of Queens, such asSouth Jamaica. Together, these neighborhoods comprise the most diverse county in the United States. Several of these neighborhoods are home to a diverse mix of many different ethnicities. Government Since New York City's consolidation in 1898, Queens has been governed by the New York City Charter that provides for a strong mayor-council system. The centralized New York City government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services in Queens.The office of Borough President was created in the consolidation of 1898 to balance centralization with local authority. Each borough president had a powerful administrative role derived from having a vote on the New York City Board of Estimate, which was responsible for creating and approving the city's budget and proposals for land use. In 1989 the Supreme Court of the United States declared the Board of Estimate unconstitutional because Brooklyn, the most populous borough, had no greater effective representation on the Board than Staten Island, the least populous borough, a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause following the high court's 1964 'one man, one vote' decision.Since 1990 the Borough President has acted as an advocate for the borough at the mayoral agencies, the City Council, the New York state government, and corporations. Queens' Borough President is Helen Marshall, elected as a Democrat in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. Queens Borough Hall is the seat of government and is located in Kew Gardens.The Democratic Party holds most public offices. Sixty-three percent of registered Queens voters are Democrats. Local party platforms center on affordable housing, education and economic development. Controversial political issues in Queens include development, noise, and the cost of housing.There are currently six Democrats representing Queens in the U.S. Congress:Gary Ackermanrepresents thefifth district, which includes Corona,Flushing, Jamaica Estates,Bayside, andLittle Neck, as well as northwestNassau Countycommunities from Great Neck east to Roslyn; Joseph CrowleyrepresentsWoodside, Jackson Heights,East ElmhurstandCollege Pointinseventh district, as well as the eastBronxfromSoundviewtoCity Island, also serves as head of the Queens Democratic Party; Gregory Meeksrepresents areas in thesixth districtincludingJamaica, Hollis,St. Albans, Springfield Gardens,Laurelton, Queens Village andFar Rockaway– his is the only congressional district entirely within Queens County; Anthony Weinerrepresents theninth district, includingForest Hills,Rego Park,Middle Village,Fresh Meadows,Woodhaven,Ozone Park,Howard BeachandRockaway Beach, plus such southeastBrooklyncommunities as Midwood, Manhattan Beach and Mill Island; Portions ofWoodside,Maspeth, andRidgewoodare represented byNydia Velazquez, whose largely Brooklyn-based district stretches from Red Hook to Bushwick and includes part of Manhattan's Lower East Side; AstoriaandLong Island Cityare roughly geographically half and demographically a third of the14th districtofCarolyn Maloney, the rest of whose district extends across the east side of Manhattan from the East Village through Carnegie Hill. Each of the city's five counties has its own criminal court system and District Attorney, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote. Richard A. Brown, a Democrat, has been the District Attorney of Queens County since 1991. Queens has 12 seats on the New York City Council, the second largest number among the five boroughs. It also has 14 administrative districts, each served by a local Community Board. Community Boards are representative bodies that field complaints and serve as advocates for local residents.Although it is heavily Democratic, Queens is considered a swing county in New York politics. Republican political candidates who do well in Queens usually win citywide or statewide elections. Republicans such as former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg won majorities in Queens. Republican State Senator Serphin Maltese represented a district in central and southern Queens for twenty years until his defeat in 2008 by Democratic City Councilman Joseph Addabbo. In 2002, Queens voted against incumbent Republican Governor of New York George Pataki in favor of his Democratic opponent, Carl McCall by a slim margin.Queens has not voted for a Republican candidate in a presidential election since 1972, when Queens voters chose Richard Nixon over George McGovern. Since the 1996 presidential election, Democratic presidential candidates have received over 70% of the popular vote in Queens. Economy The economy of Queens is based on tourism, industry, and trade. Because the New York metropolitan area has three major airports, the airspace overhead is among the busiest and most regulated in the world. John F. Kennedy International Airport, alongside Jamaica Bay, is the country's busiest airport in terms of international travelers. La Guardia Airport, on the East River, mostly serves eastern North America. Queens has witnessed the rebirth of film production — the return of an industry that had departed decades earlier — notably the Kaufman Studios in Astoria and the Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, where many notable television shows are made, including Sesame Street.The Queens Museum of Art and the New York Hall of Science are further east, in Flushing Meadows Park — site of both the 1939 New York World's Fair, the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair and the annual US Open tennis tournament at the USTA National Tennis Center. Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets baseball team, is located north of the USTA National Tennis Center. The park is the third largest in New York City at 1,255 acres (5 km2), making it 412 acres (1.7 km2) larger than Central Park in Manhattan.Several large companies have their headquarters in Queens, including watchmaker Bulova, based in East Elmhurst; internationally renowned piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons in Long Island City; Glacéau, the makers of Vitamin Water, headquartered in Whitestone; and JetBlue Airways, the low-cost airline based in John F. Kennedy Airport, is located in Forest Hills.Long Island City is a major manufacturing and back office center. Flushing is a major commercial hub for Chinese American and Korean American businesses, while Jamaica is the major civic and transportation hub for the borough Demographics According to the 2009 American Community Survey, White Americans made up 46.1% of Queens' population, of which 30.2% were non-Hispanic whites. Black Americans made up 18.8% of Queens' population, of which 17.6% were non-Hispanic blacks. Native Americans represented 0.5% of the population. Asian Americans represented 22.0% of the population. Multiracial Americans comprised 2.4% of the population. Hispanic and Latino Americans made up 26.9% of Queens' population.Approximately 46.6% of the population is foreign-born. Roughly 2.1% of the population was born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, or abroad to American parents. In addition, 51.2% of the population was born in the United States. Approximately 44.2% of the population over 5 years of age speak English at home; 23.8% speak Spanish at home. Also, 16.8% of the populace speak other Indo-European languages at home. Another 13.5% speak an Asian language at home.As of the census of 2000[update], there were 2,229,379 people, 782,664 households, and 537,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 7,879.6/km² (20,409.0/sq mi). There were 817,250 housing units at an average density of 2,888.5/km² (7,481.6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 44.08% White, 20.01% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 17.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 11.68% from other races, and 6.11% from two or more races. 24.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.According to a Census Bureau estimate, the population increased to 2,293,007 in 2008.[citation needed]Some main European ancestries in Queens, 2000:Italian: 8.4% Irish: 5.5% German: 3.5% Polish: 2.7% Russian: 2.3% Greek: 2.0% In Queens, 48.5% of the population are foreign-born. Of that, 49.5% were born in Latin America, 33.5% in Asia, 14.8% in Europe, 1.8% in Africa, and 0.4% in North America. The Hispanic or Latino population increased by 61% to 597,773 between 1990 and 2006 and now accounts for 26.5% of the borough’s population.Queens has the largestColombianpopulation inNYC, accounting for 76.6% of the city’s total Colombian population, for a total of 80,116. Queens has the largestEcuadorianpopulation inNYC, accounting for 62.2% of the city’s total Ecuadorian population, for a total of 101,339. Queens has the largestPeruvianpopulation inNYC, accounting for 69.9% of the city’s total Peruvian population, for a total of 30,825 TheMexicanpopulation in Queens has increased 457% to 71,283, the second highest inNYC, after Brooklyn. Queens is home to 49.6% of NYC's Asian population. Among the five boroughs, Queens has the largest population of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Filipino, Bangladeshi and Pakistani Americans. Queens has the largest Asian American population by county outside of the Western United States: According to the 2006 American Community Survey, Queens ranks 5th among US counties with 477,772 (21.18%) Asian Americans, behind Los Angeles County, California, Honolulu County, Hawaii, Santa Clara County, California, and Orange County, California. The 2000 census showed that the borough is home to the largest concentration of Indian Americans in the nation, with a total population of 129,715 (5.79% of the borough population), as well as Pakistani Americans, who number at 15,604. Queens has the second largest Sikh population in the nation after California.Chinese: 173,123; 39.8% of the city’s total Chinese population. Indian: 147,525; 64% Asian Indian population. Korean: 65,131; 66.4% of the city’s total Korean population. Filipino: 41,784; 61.3% of the city’s total Filipino population. Bangladeshi: 18,310; 66% of the city’s total Bangladeshi population. Pakistani: 10,884; 39.5% of the city’s total Pakistani population. According to author Mordecai Plaut[who?], a 2002 UJA/Federation of New York study found that Queens was home to 186,000 Jewish Americans at the time.[verification needed]There were 782,664 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.39.In the county the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.The median income for a household in the county was $37,439, and the median income for a family was $42,608. Males had a median income of $30,576 versus $26,628 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,222. About 16.9% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over. In Queens, the black population earns more than whites on average. Many of these African Americans live in quiet, middle class suburban neighborhoods near the Nassau County border, such as Laurelton and Cambria Heights which have large black populations whose family income is higher than average. Those areas are known for their well kept homes, suburban feel, and low crime rate. The migration of European Americans from parts of Queens has been long ongoing with departures from Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Bellerose, Floral Park, and Flushing, etc (most of the outgoing population has been replaced with Asian Americans). Neighborhoods such as Whitestone, College Point, North Flushing, Auburndale, Bayside, Middle Village, Little Neck, and Douglaston have not had a substantial exodus of white residents, but have seen an increase of Asian population (mostly Korean). Queens has recently experienced a real estate boom making most of its neighborhoods very desirable for people who want to reside near Manhattan in a less urban setting. According to a 2001 Claritas study, Queens is the most diverse county in the United States among counties of 100,000+ population. There are 138 languages spoken in the borough. The top languages include:English Spanish Chinese Korean Italian Greek Russian Tagalog (Filipino) French Punjabi Gujarati Arabic Culture Queens was an important center of jazz in the 1940s. Such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald found refuge from segregation in the mixed communities of the borough, while a younger generation — Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and others — were developing bebop in the clubs of Harlem. In Jamaica Queens The Afrikan Poetry Theatre has also been a staple of Legendary Jazz Musicians & Poets dating back to 1976.Queens is also an important incubator of rap and hip-hop for artists including Run-D.M.C., A Tribe Called Quest and LL Cool J to Nas, Salt-N-Pepa and Mobb Deep. Folk duo Simon and Garfunkel were raised in Queens, as were most members of punk rock band The Ramones.Western Queens is becoming an artistic hub, including SculptureCenter, the Flux Factory, the Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, Fisher Landau Center, Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs , and the Museum of the Moving Image. The P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City is one of the largest and oldest institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. In addition to its renowned exhibitions, the institution also organizes the prestigious International and National Projects series, the Warm Up summer music series, and the Young Architects Program with The Museum of Modern Art. The current poet laureate of Queens is Ishle Yi Park.Queens is home to many other cultural institutions, including among others:Queens Museum of Art Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) Jamaica Performing Arts Center Bowne House King Manor Kupferberg Center for the Arts New York Hall of Science Noguchi Museum Queens Botanical Garden Queens Theatre in the Park Flushing Town HallHome of jazz in Queens Thalia Spanish Theater The Afrikan Poetry Theatre Queens was the setting for groundbreaking 1970s sitcom, All in the Family. It is featured in the Spider-Man comics and films as the home of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. On Ugly Betty it is also home to Betty and her family. TV shows shot in Queens include Sesame Street (at Kaufman Astoria Studios) and 30 Rock (at Silvercup Studios, although the show's fictional setting is across the East River in Manhattan). The two studios have also served as the site for many movies, music videos and commercials. Sports Queens was the home of Shea Stadium, the former home of New York Mets of Major League Baseball and the New York Jets of the National Football League, as well as the temporary home of the New York Yankees and the New York Football Giants. Citi Field, the Mets' current home, is located adjacent to where Shea once stood. The US Open tennis tournament is played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, located just south of Citi Field in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The US Open was formerly played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. Queens is also the home of Aqueduct Racetrack, located in Ozone Park. Just over the Queens line (in Nassau County) is Belmont Park Race Track, the home of the Belmont Stakes. Extreme Championship Wrestling has been held at an Elks lodge in Elmhurst. Food Queens is home to restaurants representing the cuisine of many cultures, particularly Chinese, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Filipino, Indian, Haitian, Korean, Mexican restaurants, along Roosevelt Avenue; Dominican food in Corona and African-American cuisine in Jamaica. Other cultures, such as Greek, Arab, Latin American, and Southeast Asian, have prominent standings in Astoria. There are several Bukharian restaurants serving Central Asian food Forest Hills and Rego Park. Transportation Queens has crucial importance in international and interstate air traffic. Two of the New York metropolitan area's three major airports are located there; LaGuardia Airport is in northern Queens, while John F. Kennedy International Airport is to the south on the shores of Jamaica Bay. AirTrain JFK provides a rail link between JFK and local rail lines.A commuter train system, the Long Island Rail Road, operates 20 stations in Queens with service to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island. Jamaica Station is a hub station where all the lines in the system but one (the Port Washington Branch) converge. It is the busiest commuter rail hub in the United States. Sunnyside Yard is used as a staging area by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit for intercity and commuter trains from Penn Station in Manhattan.Twelve New York City Subway routes traverse Queens, serving 81 stations on seven main lines. The A, G, J and Z routes connect Queens to Brooklyn without going through Manhattan first. The F, N, Q and R trains connect Queens and Brooklyn via Manhattan, while the E, 7 and <7> trains connect Queens to Manhattan only. M trains travel through Queens twice in the same trip.About 100 local bus routes move people around within Queens, and another 15 express routes shuttle commuters between Queens and Manhattan, under the MTA New York City Bus and MTA Bus brands.Queens is traversed by three trunk east-west highways. The Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) runs from the Queens Midtown Tunnel on the west through the borough to Nassau County on the east. The Grand Central Parkway, whose western terminus is the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, extends east to the Queens/Nassau border, where its name changes to the Northern State Parkway. The Belt Parkway begins at the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn, and extends east into Queens, past Aqueduct Racetrack and JFK Airport. On its eastern end at the Queens/Nassau border, it splits into the Southern State Parkway which continues east, and the Cross Island Parkway which turns north.There are also several major north-south highways in Queens, including the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (Interstate 278), the Van Wyck Expressway (Interstate 678), the Clearview Expressway (Interstate 295), and the Cross Island Parkway. Streets The streets of Queens are laid out in a semi-grid system, with a numerical system of street names (similar to Manhattan and the Bronx). Nearly all roadways oriented north-south are 'Streets', while east-west roadways are 'Avenues', beginning with the number 1 in the west for Streets and in the nort