LONG ISLAND CITY STREET NECROLOGY

Long Island City, Queens, which once encompassed all of western Queens west of Woodside from the East River south to Newtown Creek, was once a city on its own (beginning in 1870) before Queens was absorbed by Greater New York in 1898. Even after the coagulation, LIC loomed large in Queens affairs, as its first Borough Hall was housed in the Long Island City Courthouse (finished in 1876, rebuilt 1904 at Jackson and Thomson Avenues. That courthouse is still used frequently for hearings.

Like the rest of Queens, Long Island City’s streets were once named, not numbered, except for 30th through 50th Streets, which were once 1st through 20th Avenues. And even they had names before they became numbered avenues. A second set of numbered avenues was in Hunter’s Point, and have since been renumbered. On this page, we’ll cover most, but not all, of LIC’s former named streets — and places where the old names are still in evidence.

Present Name: 30th Street between Queens Plaza and 30th Avenue
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 29th Street between Newtown Avenue and Astoria Boulevard
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 39th Avenue between 21st Street and Northern Boulevard
Modern Remnant: Lives on in station signage on the BMT Astoria branch 39th Ave.

Present Name: 43rd Road between Vernon Blvd. and 12th Street
Modern Remnant:  None

Present Name:Vernon Boulevard betwen Main Avenue and Broadway; 11th Street from Broadway to 43rd Avenue
Modern Remnant: Chiseled sign at old Sohmer Piano Factory, Vernon Boulevard and 31st Avenue

Present Name: 29th Street between 30th and Newtown Avenues
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 31st Drive from Vernon Boulevard to Crescent Street
Modern Remnant: None

  Present Name:  30th Street between Newtown Avenue and Astoria Boulevard
Modern Remnant: Carver Arms Apartments, 30th Street north of Newtown

Present Name: 28th Avenue between 14th and Crescent Streets
Modern Remnant: None

Debevoise Avenue: 31st Street from Northern Boulevard (Jackson Avenue) to today’s 20th Avenue)

 Present Name: 33rd Road from 21st to Crescent Streets
Modern Remnant: None

Elm Towers

 Present Name: 30th Drive between Vernon Boulevard and 31st Street
Modern Remnant: Elm Towers, 29th Street and 30th Drive

Present Name: 23rd Street between Jackson and Newtown Avenues
Modern Remnant: a number of places. Click on above gallery photos for information.

Present Name: 38th Avenue from Vernon Boulevard to Northern Boulevard
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 34th Avenue from Vernon Boulevard to Northern Boulevard
Modern Remnant:  None

  Present Name:  30th Avenue from Vernon Boulevard to 51st Street
Modern Remnant: Station signage, BMT Astoria Line 30th Avenue station.  Also: Grand Court, apartment building at 30th Avenue and Newtown Road; Grand Wine and Liquor, 31st Street near 30th Avenue; Grand Court, 23-15 30th Avenue

 Present Name: 9th Street from Vernon Blvd. and 44th Rd. to Vernon Blvd. and 33rd Rd.
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 10th Street from Vernon Blvd. and 44th Drive to Vernon Blvd. and Broadway
Modern Remnant: None

  Present Name: 43rd Avenue from Vernon Blvd. to Jackson Avenue
Modern Remnant: Chiseled sign, 43rd Avenue and Vernon Boulevard

Present Name: 42nd Road from 22nd Street to Jackson Avenue
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 14th Street between 21st Street and 37th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 24th Street from Hoyt Avenue North to 20th Avenue
Modern Remnant: None

Present Name: 31st Avenue from Vernon Blvd. to Hobart Street; later Patterson Avenue

Modern Remnant: Chiseled sign at old Sohmer Piano Factory, Vernon Boulevard and 31st Avenue