22 NOVEMBER 2 0 2 0
Legends of LIC
The Queensboro
Bridge
BY GREATER ASTORIA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
It is described as a five-span, two-level cantilever
bridge having a total length of 7,449 feet, including approaches,
making it the longest of the lower East River
bridges. The 1,182-foot span over the west channel of
the East River was the longest cantilever span in North
America when built. A shorter 984-foot span crosses
the east channel.
When it opened to traffic on March 30, 1909, the
bridge had two elevated railway tracks flanked by two
16-foot-4-inch-wide foot walks on the upper level, a
53-foot-3-inch-wide, five-lane roadway with two trolley
tracks inside the trusses and two trolley tracks outside
the trusses. Today, the bridge carries nine lanes of vehicular
traffic — four lanes on the upper level, four lanes
on the lower level inside the trusses and one lane outside
the trusses on the south side. The outer roadway
on the north side is currently used as a pedestrian/bicycle
path.
The Queensboro Bridge is the busiest of the four lower
East River bridges carrying about 185,000 vehicles
daily. In April 2009, the Queensboro Bridge was named
a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Queens Eats
New food hall set to open in Long Island City
A host of new dining options becomes available in Long Island
City this month with the opening of JACX&CO, a new
food hall located on the plaza level of The JACX, a 1.2-millionsquare
foot creative office campus developed, owned and operated
by Tishman Speyer.
The food hall will debut Wednesday, Nov. 11, featuring versatile
culinary options from celebrated chefs, available for indoor
dining at 25 percent capacity, pickup and delivery with a fullservice
bar and outdoor dining to come.
The opening eateries include Beebe’s, Crif Dogs, FIELDTRIP,
Ghaya, Lotus + Clever, Méxology and Taïm. The soon-to-open
full-service bar will feature cocktails created to complement the
vendors’ culinary menus, along with beer and wine. The food
hall will facilitate orders via Bbot, an order-and-pay platform,
which allows guests to order from multiple eateries for dine-in,
delivery or pickup.
Collaboratively designed by INC Architecture & Design and
Tishman Speyer, JACX&CO features an expansive dining room
reminiscent of a modern courtyard. The space is grounded in its
Long Island City locale, recalling the neighborhood’s industrial
past but elevated with modern refinements. The seating area
is surrounded by a black steel mesh scrim forming a series of
arches that frame the vendors’ booths, lining the perimeter of
the space.
The design, incorporating a mix of influences, uses materials
like terra cotta, reclaimed wood flooring, and exposed
concrete, to tell the story of an emerging Long Island City as a
space worthy of destination in its own right. JACX&CO has 215
indoor seats at full capacity and will be following CDC guidelines
for socially distanced hospitality.
“In designing and curating JACX&CO, we took our inspiration
from the vibrant culture of the surrounding neighborhood with
its diverse people, forward-looking art museums, and versatile
dining experiences,” General Manager Daniel Cabrera said.
“We’re honored to partner with these eateries and chefs to
bring amazing food and an inviting gathering space for friends,
families, co-workers and visitors in Long Island City.”
JACX&CO will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through
Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with weekend hours to come.
JACX&CO is located at 28 Jackson Ave. For more information,
visit www.thejacx.com.
FOOD
Greater Astoria Historical Society
44-02 23RD ST. #219
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101
INFO@ASTORIALIC.ORG / WWW.ASTORIALIC.ORG
718-278-0700
FROM
LIC
COURIER
BY BILL PARRY
/www.thejacx.com
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/www.thejacx.com
/WWW.ASTORIALIC.ORG
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