One bridge and one tunnel from Midtown East
Long Island City is the western edge of Queens, right across the East River from Midtown East, and the part of Queens closest to Manhattan. Four crossings serve it. The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge comes out at Queens Plaza, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel near 21st Street and Borden Avenue. The Pulaski Bridge crosses Newtown Creek into Greenpoint, and the Kosciuszko Bridge carries the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) over the same creek a little farther east. Astoria is north across Broadway, Sunnyside is east past the rail yard, and the river is to the west.
The Queensboro Bridge has no toll, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel does. So on a Manhattan trip, the choice depends on traffic and on the toll. At the end of the workday the bridge is usually the slower of the two, because the Queens Plaza ramps fill up from both directions.
Neighborhoods in Long Island City
Hunters Point is the waterfront along Center Boulevard and 2nd Street, with the towers, the ferry landing at Hunters Point South and two parks. Gantry Plaza State Park has the old rail gantries and the Pepsi-Cola sign, and Hunters Point South Park is just south of it. Court Square is the office area around One Court Square, the tallest building in Queens. Queens Plaza has the hotels and the bridge ramps. Dutch Kills is between Queens Plaza and Sunnyside Yard, and Ravenswood runs north up Vernon Boulevard toward Astoria, the Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park.
Queens numbers most of its roads and uses each number several times. 44th Drive, 44th Road and 44th Avenue are three different streets a few hundred feet apart. Give us the cross street with the number. Vernon Boulevard, Jackson Avenue, Thomson Avenue and 21st Street are the main roads. The bridge and tunnel ramps take up much of the curb around Queens Plaza and Borden Avenue.
Getting to the airports from Long Island City
LaGuardia is the closest airport, and one of the shortest airport trips in the city. The usual route is the BQE north to the Grand Central Parkway, or 21st Street and Astoria Boulevard when the expressway is slow. JFK is about 13 miles away, by the Long Island Expressway east and then the Van Wyck Expressway south.
Newark Liberty and Teterboro are the other way. You go through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, across Manhattan, then the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel. That's two river crossings with the whole island in between. For a Newark flight, leave extra time. An early morning pickup misses the worst of both tunnels.
Offices and studios
The offices are on Jackson Avenue and around Court Square, and the hotels are on Queens Plaza and Jackson Avenue. Silvercup Studios has call times before dawn, and MoMA PS1 on Jackson Avenue brings evening visitors. On weekends, people come to the event spaces on Center Boulevard and the restaurants on Vernon Boulevard.
Long Island City station on the Long Island Rail Road and the Court Square subway hub bring a lot of people to the same few blocks at rush hour. That's when a cross street helps your chauffeur find you.
Ferries and the waterfront
The NYC Ferry at Hunters Point South goes to East 34th Street and Wall Street, and on a bad traffic day it can be faster than any road. Long Island City and Hunters Point Avenue stations are on the Long Island Rail Road, and several subway lines meet at Court Square. The Roosevelt Island Bridge starts at 36th Avenue in Astoria, just north of here.
Parts of the waterfront are still industrial. Anable Basin cuts in next to 44th Drive, and Newtown Creek and the Dutch Kills basin are on the south side. The Greenpoint Avenue Bridge crosses the creek next to the Pulaski. Center Boulevard, 5th Street and 11th Street run behind the towers, and Skillman Avenue and Queens Plaza North and South carry traffic inland. With the bridge ramps, the rail yard and the creek, there are only a few ways through. Your cross street tells us how to reach you.
Airport routes from Long Island City
Here are the usual routes from Long Island City to each airport. For arrivals, see LaGuardia terminal pickups and JFK terminal pickups.
- Long Island City to LaGuardia ratesBrooklyn-Queens Expressway north to the Grand Central Parkway, or 21st Street and Astoria Boulevard
- Long Island City to JFK ratesLong Island Expressway east from Van Dam Street, then the Van Wyck Expressway south to the terminals
- Long Island City to Newark Liberty ratesQueens-Midtown Tunnel, then the Lincoln Tunnel
- Long Island City to Teterboro ratesAcross Manhattan, then Route 3
Airport rides from Long Island City have a flat rate, set when you book. See all rates.
Other trips from Long Island City
- Court Square to Midtown EastQueens Plaza onto the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and off at East 59th Street.
- Hunters Point to Wall StreetQueens-Midtown Tunnel to the FDR Drive, then south along the East River to the Battery.
- Long Island City to WilliamsburgPulaski Bridge over Newtown Creek into Greenpoint, then Kent Avenue or Bedford Avenue south.
By the hour
Long Island City by the hour
You can book any class by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum. See hourly rates. For offices around Court Square and Jackson Avenue, we can set up a car at the same time each week. When a car is free, we can also send one for an airport ride at short notice. We can send a vehicle for a crew and its cases at 5:00 AM. A corporate account puts the month's rides on one invoice.
- Monthly billingCompany rides on one invoice each month
- Business SUV5 seats, 3 large and 3 small bags
- Early call timesPickups at any hour, before dawn included
Questions
Questions about Long Island City pickups
How far is LaGuardia from Long Island City?
About 5 miles by the BQE and the Grand Central Parkway, one of the shortest airport trips in the city. The fare is one flat rate, set when you book. The travel time depends on traffic on the Grand Central Parkway. Because the trip is short, you have more room if you're running late than from Brooklyn or the Bronx.
Why do you ask for a cross street here?
Because the street numbers repeat. 44th Avenue, 44th Road and 44th Drive are all a short walk apart, and so are several other numbers here. A cross street clears that up. Also tell us if your entrance faces the water, the plaza or a side street, because several newer towers on Center Boulevard have more than one.
Can my company open an account?
Yes. We bill corporate accounts monthly, with no payment per ride. That suits offices that book the same trips every week. We price hourly bookings by vehicle class, with a 3-hour minimum, and airport rides keep their flat rates. Airport transfer prices include tolls, airport fees and taxes. Hourly rates and rates by distance and time are before NYC sales tax, the Black Car Fund, tolls and parking, and the gratuity is optional.
Which neighborhoods count as Long Island City?
Nearby areas
Areas next to Long Island City
-
LaGuardia Airport
About 5 miles up the BQE and the Grand Central Parkway to Terminals B and C.
-
Manhattan
Across the East River by the Queensboro Bridge or the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, both landing in Midtown East.
-
Queens
The rest of the borough, from Astoria and Sunnyside east to Flushing, Jamaica and the Rockaways.
Book
Book a car in Long Island City
We answer calls and messages 24 hours a day, every day. Send us the cross street and the entrance.