Atlantic Avenue

Atlantic Avenue is a major 10.1-mile thoroughfare spanning the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. It serves as a critical commercial corridor and transportation artery, historically significant for its role in connecting Long Island to the East River waterfront. The avenue traverses diverse neighborhoods including Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Jamaica, Queens, and carries the designation of New York State Route 27.

History

The avenue's origins lie in the early 19th century, initially conceived as a route for the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad to transport goods from the farms of Long Island to the Wall Street ferry. Its development accelerated with the 1836 opening of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which originally ran down its center. A significant engineering project in the 1840s, led by the Brooklyn Common Council, lowered the railroad tracks into an open cut to reduce street-level hazards, a precursor to later subway construction. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became a bustling hub for commerce and industry, notably in the Atlantic Terminal area. The mid-20th century saw decline, but revitalization efforts, particularly in the Boerum Hill section from the 1970s onward, restored its vitality.

Geography and description

Beginning at the intersection of Columbia Street and Furman Street near Brooklyn Bridge Park, the avenue runs east-southeast across the length of Brooklyn. It forms a primary border between several neighborhoods, such as separating Boerum Hill from Cobble Hill and Fort Greene from Clinton Hill. After crossing into Queens at Van Wyck Expressway, it continues through the neighborhoods of Richmond Hill and Ozone Park before terminating at 149th Street in Jamaica, Queens. The character of the avenue shifts dramatically along its route, from boutique-lined blocks in western Brooklyn to large-scale retail and auto-centric stretches in eastern Queens.

Transportation

The avenue is a major multi-modal transit corridor. It is served by the BMT Fourth Avenue Line (B and Q trains) and the IRT Eastern Parkway Line (2, 3, 4, and 5 trains) at the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station, a key interchange and the third-busiest in the New York City Subway system. The Long Island Rail Road operates its Brooklyn Branch to Atlantic Terminal beneath the avenue. Major bus routes include the B41, B45, and B63. The avenue also intersects with several major highways, including the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) and the Jackie Robinson Parkway.

Notable sites and landmarks

The avenue is home to numerous significant landmarks. The Barclays Center arena, home to the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA and New York Liberty of the WNBA, anchors its western end. Historic sites include the 1869 Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the St. Andrew's Church (Brooklyn). The Atlantic Terminal Mall and the former Long Island Rail Road Bushwick Branch vaults are notable structures. Cultural institutions along the route include the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the Masonic Hall. The Middle Eastern restaurants and shops near Court Street reflect a vibrant cultural enclave.

In popular culture

The avenue has been featured in numerous films, television shows, and literary works. It served as a backdrop in movies such as *Saturday Night Fever* and *The French Connection*. The television series *Girls* and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel have also filmed scenes along its length. In literature, it appears in the works of Paula Fox and Jonathan Lethem, the latter setting part of his novel *The Fortress of Solitude* in the Boerum Hill area. The annual Atlantic Antic street festival has also been documented in various media.

Category:Streets in Brooklyn Category:Streets in Queens Category:Transportation in New York City