A Major Renovation on the Doorstep of Queens

Created in 1909, Queens Plaza in Long Island City was intended as an attractive gateway to the borough for which it was named. But in more recent decades it became known as a haven for drug-dealing and prostitution and as a filthy, noisy eyesore where pedestrians risked their lives as they tried to cope with multiple lanes of traffic.

But Queens Plaza — just across the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan — has recently undergone a $45 million face-lift, shepherded by the city department of planning and financed mainly with federal funds.

Streetscape improvements extending from Northern Boulevard to 21st Street include new crosswalks, bike paths, sidewalks, a pedestrian walkway, timed traffic signals and a 1.5-acre park at the eastern end, which replaced a commuter parking lot. The long-neglected salmon-colored elevated subway train trestles have been repainted a less conspicuous dark green.