Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue

Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue is where five subway lines converge in one of the most genuinely multicultural neighbourhoods on the planet. The United Nations once recognised Jackson Heights as the most ethnically diverse urban area on Earth, and a single walk along 74th Street or Roosevelt Avenue makes that claim easy to believe. The station serves the 7, E, F, M and R trains and has done so since 1917, when the neighbourhood was a model planned community of garden apartments and cooperative housing.

Today, Jackson Heights is home to large Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Tibetan, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Mexican and Chinese communities, among others. The food scene is the main attraction for visitors, but the neighbourhood also has a remarkable historic district of 1920s garden apartments and co-operatives that is largely unknown outside Queens. Coming here for a meal is a New York experience that most tourists entirely miss.

Station Overview

Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue is a Zone 3 station serving the 7, E, F, M and R trains. It opened in 1917 and is fully wheelchair accessible. ATMs and shops are available near the station on Roosevelt Avenue and 74th Street below.

Lines and Connectivity

The 7 train (nicknamed the International Express) runs west to Times Square and Grand Central in Midtown, with stops through Sunnyside and Woodside. Eastbound, it continues to Flushing-Main Street. The E train runs through Midtown via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and terminates at Jamaica. The F train serves Manhattan from 34th Street through Greenwich Village and Brooklyn, ending at Coney Island. The M train provides local service through Midtown to Downtown Brooklyn. The R train connects to Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Station Layout and Facilities

The 7 train and E/F/M/R trains are on different levels and accessible via internal connections. Step-free lifts serve all levels. ATMs are located on the mezzanine. Street-level exits open onto Roosevelt Avenue, which runs under the elevated 7 train structure, and onto 74th Street. The neighbourhood immediately around the exits has shops, street food vendors and restaurants in all directions.

Travel Tips

• 74th Street between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue is the centre of the South Asian community, with outstanding Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants, sweet shops and jewellery stores.
• Roosevelt Avenue under the elevated 7 train has excellent late-night street food, particularly Colombian, Mexican and Ecuadorian vendors who set up in the evening.
• Little Colombia is centred around 82nd Street and Baxter Avenue, a short bus or walk west along Roosevelt. Outstanding Colombian bakeries, cafes and restaurants.
• The Jackson Heights Historic District (north of Roosevelt, roughly 76th to 88th Streets) has beautiful 1920s garden apartments and is free to walk through.
• The 7 train to Times Square takes about 20 minutes. The E train also reaches Midtown in around 20 to 25 minutes.

Nearby Attractions

74th Street Indian Food Row - at street level. The highest concentration of Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepali restaurants in New York outside of Manhattan. Sweet shops, grocers and jewellery stores line both sides of the street. Ideal for lunch or early dinner.

Roosevelt Avenue Food Scene - at street level. Running under the elevated 7 train structure, Roosevelt Avenue has one of the most varied street food scenes in the city, particularly active from evening into late night with Latin American vendors.

Jackson Heights Historic District - 5 minutes on foot north. A National Register historic district with some of the finest garden apartment complexes in New York, developed in the 1910s and 1920s as model cooperative housing.

Little Colombia - 10 minutes west along Roosevelt Avenue. The stretch around 82nd Street and Northern Boulevard is the heart of New York's Colombian community, with bakeries, cafes, restaurants and shops.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

The subway runs 24 hours. The 7 train is frequent during rush hours and on weekends but drops off overnight. The E, F, M and R trains provide good daytime service. The neighbourhood is most lively from late morning through evening. The food markets and restaurants on 74th Street are busy from lunchtime until around 9pm. Roosevelt Avenue street food vendors are at their best from around 6pm to midnight.