63rd Drive-Rego Park

63rd Drive-Rego Park sits at the edge of one of Queens's most distinctly planned neighbourhoods. Rego Park was laid out in the 1920s by the Real Good Construction Company (the name is where "Rego" comes from), and the station has served its brick apartment blocks and the nearby shopping strip along Queens Boulevard for close to a century.

Above ground, this stretch of Queens Boulevard is wide, busy and a little unglamorous, dominated by the elevated tracks and heavy traffic. But step a block in either direction and you find quiet residential streets, a major mall, and one of the borough's better-known food streets nearby in neighbouring Forest Hills. It is a station built for commuters first, but it works fine for visitors heading to Rego Center or exploring central Queens.

Station Overview

63rd Drive-Rego Park opened in 1937 as part of the IND Queens Boulevard Line and is served by the M and R trains. The station is in Zone 1 and sits above Queens Boulevard, one of the borough's main commercial corridors.

Lines and Connectivity

The M train runs a more limited weekday schedule, connecting Rego Park to Middle Village in one direction and through Manhattan to Brooklyn in the other. The R train runs more consistently, including nights and weekends, linking this station to Forest Hills and Jamaica to the east and Manhattan and Brooklyn to the west, with a stop at Union Square along the way.

Station Layout and Structure

The station is elevated above Queens Boulevard, with island platforms serving both directions. Stairs lead down to street level at several points along the boulevard, and the entrances are close to the Rego Center shopping complex just to the north.

Accessibility

63rd Drive-Rego Park is ADA accessible, with elevators connecting the street to the platform level, which is helpful given how wide and traffic-heavy Queens Boulevard is at this point.

Travel Tips

• Check whether the M train is running before you plan a trip around it, since service is reduced on evenings, nights and weekends.
• The R train is the more reliable option for late travel or weekend trips.
• Rego Center, a large shopping mall, is directly accessible from the station exits.
• Queens Boulevard is wide and can take several minutes to cross at street level, so budget extra time if your destination is on the far side.

Nearby Attractions

Rego Center - directly adjacent. A large shopping complex with major retailers, useful for a quick stop between train connections.

Forest Hills - about 10 minutes on foot or one stop on the R train. A leafy, historic planned neighbourhood with the West Side Tennis Stadium and Austin Street's restaurant row.

Rego Park Center for the Arts - a short walk from the station, a small community venue reflecting the neighbourhood's mid-century roots.

Alexander's Site - the former department store site redeveloped into Rego Center, now home to big-box retail along the boulevard.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

The R train runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while the M train operates on a more limited schedule with no late-night or weekend service. Weekday mornings and evenings bring the heaviest commuter crowds along Queens Boulevard, while midday is noticeably quieter.