Vestiges of Old Railroad Tracks In NYC

In my travels through the industrial areas of southwestern Queens and northwestern Brooklyn I have come across the traces of old railroad tracks - either for freight delivery or for public transportation (i.e., trolleys). This page will continue to evolve. Initially it will contain just a table of locations where I have discovered these tracks. Later I intend to produce a map of those locations. Lastly I hope to supplement the map with actual photographs of the tracks.

Borough Community Specific Location Comments

Brooklyn Carroll Gardens Intersection of Columbia Street and Woodhull Street trolley tracks?

Brooklyn East Williamsburg Meeker Avenue, just north of Gardner Avenue trolley tracks?

Brooklyn East Williamsburg West of intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and Grand Street is a short, unnamed street might be a trace of an old rail

Brooklyn Greenpoint Commercial Street and Box Street

Brooklyn Greenpoint Along the north side of Commercial Street, between Clay Street and Box Street

Brooklyn Williamsburg East side of Kent Avenue, between N. 3rd Street and N. 4th Street? two locations

Brooklyn Williamsburg West side of Kent Avenue, just north of N. 5th Street

Brooklyn Williamsburg Intersection of Kent Avenue and N. 5th Street, to the north side of the southeast corner

Brooklyn Williamsburg West side of Kent Avenue, between N. 9th Street and N. 10th Street

Queens Long Island City North side of Greenpoint Avenue, west of Review Avenue shape of building hints at former tracks

Queens Long Island City Northwest corner of Borden Avenue and 30th Street

Queens Long Island City Review Avenue, between 29th Street and 35th Street two locations

Queens Long Island City 2nd Street, between 50th Avenue and 51st Avenue

Queens Long Island City In Gantry Plaza State Park

Queens Long Island City Vernon Boulevard (?), south of 54th Avenue trolley tracks?

Queens Long Island City East side of Vernon Boulevard, between 50th Avenue and 51st Avenue

Queens Long Island City West side of Vernon Boulevard, just north of 50th Avenue

Queens Long Island City Intersection of 27th Street and 51st Avenue, below the Long Island Expressway

Queens Long Island City 27th Street , between 47th Avenue and 49th Avenue

Queens Long Island City Skillman Avenue, from west of Pearson Place to 47th Avenue

Queens Long Island City South side of 47th Avenue, between 27th Street and 31st Place

Queens Long Island City North side of Hunters Point Avenue, between 30th Street and 31st Place

Queens Long Island City South of Hunters Point Avenue, between 30th Street and 31st Street (31st Place?)

Queens Long Island City North side of 51st Avenue, between 21st Street and 23rd Street shape of building hints at former tracks

Queens Long Island City South side of 51st Avenue, east of 21st Street just one rail of pair

Queens Maspeth East of 50th Street, near what used to be 56th Avenue is what appears might have been a spur behind buildings

Queens Maspeth Spur behind buildings on the east side of Page Place, between Maspeth Avenue and Grand Avenue active (Did this spur at one time extend across Grand Avenue?)

Queens Maspeth 58th Street, between 55th Avenue and 55th Drive

Queens Maspeth 56th Road, west of 56th Street

Queens Maspeth Intersection of 48th Street and Maspeth Avenue

Queens Maspeth 54th Street, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue active

Queens Maspeth 55th Street, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue active

Queens Maspeth Flushing Avenue and 56th Street active

Queens Maspeth Metropolitan Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue active

Queens Maspeth Woodward Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue active

Queens Maspeth Along Grand Avenue, west of 54th Street Probably trolley tracks, which were uncovered by road work in March 2003.

Queens Maspeth Along Grand Avenue, west of 47th Street Probably trolley tracks.

Queens Maspeth Meserole Street, between Gardner Avenue and Stewart Avenue

Queens Ridgewood Along Flushing Avenue, westward from around St. Nicholas Avenue Probably trolley tracks, which were covered by asphalt in March 2002. Unless they were removed, they will eventually reappear, as they must have done many times over the years. (As of July 2003, traces of those tracks have reappeared at Stewart Avenue and at Gardner Avenue.)

Queens Sunnyside 43rd Street (42nd Place?), between Northern Boulevard and 37th Avenue

Queens Woodside 48th Street, between Northern Boulevard and 37th Avenue active

Brooklyn East Williamsburg Flushing Avenue, near its intersection with Stewart Street

Brooklyn East Williamsburg Along Wilson Avenue, at its intersection with Flushing Avenue

Brooklyn East Williamsburg Along Flushing Avenue, at its intersection with Bushwick Avenue

Brooklyn East Williamsburg Meserole Street, between Waterbury Street and Bogart Street

Brooklyn Williamsburg Lorimer Street, just south of Metropolitan Avenue trolley track?

Queens Ridgewood Center of intersection of Palmetto Street and St. Nicholas Avenue trolley track?

Queens Ridgewood Intersection of Palmetto Street and Onderdonk Avenue (east side only?) trolley track?

Queens Ridgewood East side of Forest Avenue, a short distance south of Putnam Avenue trolley track?

Queens Ridgewood East and west sides of 60th Street, between Putnam and 67th Avenues trolley track?

Queens Ridgewood East side of 60th Place, at its intersection with Kluepfel Court, between Putnam and 67th Avenues trolley track?

Borough	Community	Specific Location	Comments
Brooklyn	Carroll Gardens	Intersection of Columbia Street and Woodhull Street	trolley tracks?
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	Meeker Avenue, just north of Gardner Avenue	trolley tracks?
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	West of intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and Grand Street is a short, unnamed street	might be a trace of an old rail
Brooklyn	Greenpoint	Commercial Street and Box Street
Brooklyn	Greenpoint	Along the north side of Commercial Street, between Clay Street and Box Street
Brooklyn	Williamsburg	East side of Kent Avenue, between N. 3rd Street and N. 4th Street?	two locations
Brooklyn	Williamsburg	West side of Kent Avenue, just north of N. 5th Street
Brooklyn	Williamsburg	Intersection of Kent Avenue and N. 5th Street, to the north side of the southeast corner
Brooklyn	Williamsburg	West side of Kent Avenue, between N. 9th Street and N. 10th Street
Queens	Long Island City	North side of Greenpoint Avenue, west of Review Avenue	shape of building hints at former tracks
Queens	Long Island City	Northwest corner of Borden Avenue and 30th Street
Queens	Long Island City	Review Avenue, between 29th Street and 35th Street	two locations
Queens	Long Island City	2nd Street, between 50th Avenue and 51st Avenue
Queens	Long Island City	In Gantry Plaza State Park
Queens	Long Island City	Vernon Boulevard (?), south of 54th Avenue	trolley tracks?
Queens	Long Island City	East side of Vernon Boulevard, between 50th Avenue and 51st Avenue
Queens	Long Island City	West side of Vernon Boulevard, just north of 50th Avenue
Queens	Long Island City	Intersection of 27th Street and 51st Avenue, below the Long Island Expressway
Queens	Long Island City	27th Street , between 47th Avenue and 49th Avenue
Queens	Long Island City	Skillman Avenue, from west of Pearson Place to 47th Avenue
Queens	Long Island City	South side of 47th Avenue, between 27th Street and 31st Place
Queens	Long Island City	North side of Hunters Point Avenue, between 30th Street and 31st Place
Queens	Long Island City	South of Hunters Point Avenue, between 30th Street and 31st Street (31st Place?)
Queens	Long Island City	North side of 51st Avenue, between 21st Street and 23rd Street	shape of building hints at former tracks
Queens	Long Island City	South side of 51st Avenue, east of 21st Street	just one rail of pair
Queens	Maspeth	East of 50th Street, near what used to be 56th Avenue is what appears might have been a spur behind buildings
Queens	Maspeth	Spur behind buildings on the east side of Page Place, between Maspeth Avenue and Grand Avenue	active (Did this spur at one time extend across Grand Avenue?)
Queens	Maspeth	58th Street, between 55th Avenue and 55th Drive
Queens	Maspeth	56th Road, west of 56th Street
Queens	Maspeth	Intersection of 48th Street and Maspeth Avenue
Queens	Maspeth	54th Street, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue	active
Queens	Maspeth	55th Street, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue	active
Queens	Maspeth	Flushing Avenue and 56th Street	active
Queens	Maspeth	Metropolitan Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue	active
Queens	Maspeth	Woodward Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Flushing Avenue	active
Queens	Maspeth	Along Grand Avenue, west of 54th Street	Probably trolley tracks, which were uncovered by road work in March 2003.
Queens	Maspeth	Along Grand Avenue, west of 47th Street	Probably trolley tracks.
Queens	Maspeth	Meserole Street, between Gardner Avenue and Stewart Avenue
Queens	Ridgewood	Along Flushing Avenue, westward from around St. Nicholas Avenue	Probably trolley tracks, which were covered by asphalt in March 2002. Unless they were removed, they will eventually reappear, as they must have done many times over the years. (As of July 2003, traces of those tracks have reappeared at Stewart Avenue and at Gardner Avenue.)
Queens	Sunnyside	43rd Street (42nd Place?), between Northern Boulevard and 37th Avenue
Queens	Woodside	48th Street, between Northern Boulevard and 37th Avenue	active
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	Flushing Avenue, near its intersection with Stewart Street
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	Along Wilson Avenue, at its intersection with Flushing Avenue
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	Along Flushing Avenue, at its intersection with Bushwick Avenue
Brooklyn	East Williamsburg	Meserole Street, between Waterbury Street and Bogart Street
Brooklyn	Williamsburg	Lorimer Street, just south of Metropolitan Avenue	trolley track?
Queens	Ridgewood	Center of intersection of Palmetto Street and St. Nicholas Avenue	trolley track?
Queens	Ridgewood	Intersection of Palmetto Street and Onderdonk Avenue (east side only?)	trolley track?
Queens	Ridgewood	East side of Forest Avenue, a short distance south of Putnam Avenue	trolley track?
Queens	Ridgewood	East and west sides of 60th Street, between Putnam and 67th Avenues	trolley track?
Queens	Ridgewood	East side of 60th Place, at its intersection with Kluepfel Court, between Putnam and 67th Avenues	trolley track?

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