Jamaica Avenue

Jamaica Avenue is a major avenue in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York, in the United States. Jamaica Avenue's western end is at Broadway and Fulton Street, as a continuation of East New York Avenue, in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood. Physically, East New York Avenue connects westbound to New York Avenue, where East New York Avenue changes names another time to Lincoln Road; Lincoln Road continues to Ocean Avenue in the west, where it ends. Its eastern end is at the city line in Bellerose, Queens, where it becomes Jericho Turnpike to serve the rest of Long Island. The section of Jamaica Avenue designated as New York State Route 25 runs from Braddock Avenue to the city line, where Jamaica Avenue becomes Jericho Turnpike.

KML is from Wikidata
This article is about the section of NY 25 in Queens, New York City. For the entire route, see New York State Route 25.

New York State Route 25
Jamaica Avenue
Route information
Maintained by NYCDOT
Length10.8 mi[1] (17.4 km)
Component
highways		 NY 25 in Bellerose Manor
Major junctions
West endFulton Street / East New York Avenue in East New York
  Jackie Robinson Parkway in Cypress Hills
I-678 in Jamaica
Cross Island Parkway / NY 25 in Queens Village
East end NY 25 (Jericho Turnpike) in Floral Park
Highway system
East New York bus depot on Jamaica Avenue
Chase Bank at 161st St and Jamaica Avenue

History

Jamaica Avenue was part of a pre-Columbian trail for tribes from as far away as the Ohio River and the Great Lakes, coming to trade skins and furs for wampum. It was in 1655 that the first settlers paid the Native Americans with two guns, a coat, and some powder and lead, for the land lying between the old trail and "Beaver Pond", later Baisley Pond. Dutch Director-General Peter Stuyvesant dubbed the area "Rustdorp" in granting the 1656 land patent. The English, who took control of the colony in 1664, renamed the little settlement "Jameco", for the Jameco (or Yamecah) Native Americans.

During the early 19th century, the old road through Jamaica Pass was the Brooklyn Ferry Road; at mid-century this became the Brooklyn and Jamaica Plank Road, with toll booths.[2] Late in the century the portion west of Jamaica Pass became Fulton Street, and the eastern portion Jamaica Avenue.

Commerce

The part of Jamaica Avenue that runs through Jamaica, Queens is an important shopping street, and is on par with Brooklyn's Fulton Street. Prices are said to be low, in an exciting market place atmosphere. It is also the historic center of the former village with several city landmarks including the King Manor.

Jamaica Avenue is also the main shopping street for many other neighborhoods it runs through as well, including Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and Queens Village.

Transportation

Jamaica Avenue is the starting point of many newer streets in Queens, such as Myrtle Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Hempstead Avenue, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Farmers Boulevard, and Queens Boulevard. Many bus lines run down Jamaica Avenue, most notably the Q56,[3] Q110,[4] and Q36.[5] The New York City Subway's BMT Jamaica Line (J and ​Z trains) runs above Jamaica Avenue through the Cypress Hills section of Brooklyn along with Woodhaven and Richmond Hill. The Jamaica Bus Depot and East New York Bus Depot are located near the avenue.

Jamaica Avenue intersects with other former country roads in Queens which have become important urban streets, including Woodhaven Boulevard, Lefferts Boulevard, Sutphin Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard, and Springfield Boulevard. Jamaica Avenue, from Alabama Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn to the Nassau County line, is 10.9 miles (17.5 km) long.[1]

The Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station (E​, ​J, and ​Z trains) with its associated bus station is a major transport hub, a rival to the nearby Jamaica–179th Street station (F and <F>​ trains) on Hillside Avenue.

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
BrooklynEast New York0.00.0Fulton Street / Broadway / East New York Avenue westContinues west
0.20.32 Jackie Robinson Parkway west / Pennsylvania Avenue – Eastern Long IslandWestern terminus of J. Robinson Parkway
QueensWoodhaven2.84.5Woodhaven Boulevard
Richmond Hill4.06.4Hillside Avenue / Myrtle Avenue
4.77.6Metropolitan Avenue
4.87.7 To I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway)Access via service roads; exit 6 on I-678
Jamaica4.97.9Queens Boulevard westTo NY 25
6.19.8Merrick Boulevard
Hollis–Queens Village
line		8.313.4Francis Lewis Boulevard
Queens–Nassau
borough line		Bellerose Manor–
Bellerose Terrace line		10.016.1 Cross Island Parkway – Verrazano Bridge, Whitestone BridgeExit 27 on Cross Island Parkway
10.116.3 NY 25 west (Braddock Avenue)NY 25 continues west
Bellerose Manor–
Floral Park line		10.817.4 NY 25 east (Jericho Turnpike) / Little Neck ParkwayNY 25 continues east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Route transition

References
  1. Google (May 23, 2019). "Jamaica Avenue" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  2. "History of Jamaica Avenue: Richmond Hill Historical Society". www.richmondhillhistory.org. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  3. MTA Regional Bus Operations. "Q56 bus schedule" (PDF).
  4. MTA Regional Bus Operations. "Q110 bus schedule" (PDF).
  5. MTA Regional Bus Operations. "Q36 bus schedule" (PDF).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.