All aboard, the next stop on the MTA’s IBX (Interborough Express) is trendy and hoppin’ Myrtle Avenue in Glendale and Ridgewood, Queens.
As the IBX, a 14-mile light-rail line proposed by the MTA to connect Queens and Brooklyn, continues its southward journey, it arrives at Myrtle Avenue, the last stop in Queens and likely the first station to be located above street level.
The proposed station is square in the middle of a vivacious shopping district in Glendale and Ridgewood (the rail line borders both communities) that’s lined with thrift and antique stores, beauty salons and cafes and restaurants. In essence, it’s a delightful oasis where a New Yorker can spend an exciting afternoon antique hunting and end the day with a delicious dinner.
Some might call the area a hipster’s paradise.
Gentrification in Ridgewood and Glendale
Located on the Glendale-Ridgewood border, the Myrtle Avenue stop is in a neighborhood that has been experiencing gentrification for more than a decade. East and west of the proposed stop are local shops and restaurants offering international cuisine.
Neighborhood-goers can enjoy Latin American fare while dining al fresco or a cocktail at various spots, including the quaint Mon Cheri Italian bar and restaurant.
Fresh Pond Road, which starts right at the proposed IBX station, runs for several miles and offers almost any fare a foodie could imagine. The street is lined with ethnic restaurants that inspire a true sense of adventure. Polish, German, Thai, Cuban, Chinese and so much more is available to tantalize taste buds. Traditional Polish delis and Italian bakeries also offer food reminiscent of “the old country.”
Anyone looking forward to using the IBX to get to work would be in for a morning treat. Plenty of authentic New York coffee and bagel joints surround the area of the proposed Myrtle Avenue station.
The neighborhood has a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, hipster vibe. Gentrification has hit the area particularly hard — many real estate sites such as Zillow and Realtor.com have one-bedroom apartments in Ridgewood going for an average of about $3,000 a month these days — prompting some residents to lament losing their “neighborhood charm.”
The IBX has massive support from transit officials, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and MTA board members, who approved the project’s $166 million design contract on July 30.
Neighborhood character, City of Yes and real estate
But not everyone is on board with the massive project, which is right now expected to cost around $5.5 billion once it’s complete.
Queens City Council Member Robert Holden, whose district includes parts of the IBX route, told amNewYork in a recent interview that the plan leaves him with many unanswered questions.
“They essentially want to change the character of our neighborhood,” Holden said. “We love the fact that we can sit in our backyards and feel the sunshine on our faces. Anything that jeopardizes that, you really have to fight it.”
Gary Giordano, district manager of Queens Community Board 5, shared his thoughts on the IBX with amNewYork.
“If you are a public transit user, you probably like it because it gives you other options,” Giordano said. “In Queens and in a lot of New York City, it’s easy to get to Manhattan, but to get from one portion of the borough to another other than buses via train, there are not too many options.”
That is the good part, the Queens resident said.
“The difficult parts of it, I think, are just on a very simple level. How is the passenger train going to be able to coexist with the freight trains that are already there?” he asked.
The tracks for the current CSX freight train, which carries local trash, run along the planned route for the IBX. The tracks are located next to many stores and offices in Glendale and Ridgewood, including the community board’s headquarters on Myrtle Avenue.
Giordano posed a question: Will residents and workers in the area have more freight trains idling in front of their homes and businesses?
The freight trains already engage in a lot of activity on the tracks above Myrtle Avenue. This includes train coupling, when rail cars are joined together, which can be “a very noisy endeavor,” according to Giordano.
“And they are doing a lot of this after 11 p.m.,” he said.
amNewYork contacted the MTA to inquire about freight train activity and possible idling near Myrtle Avenue. An MTA spokesperson explained that the IBX will not be sharing or crossing with any freight tracks, so it will not impact freight service.
In the meantime, the agency’s design phase will include engineering surveys, geotechnical and environmental investigations and structure inspections that will set the foundation for moving to the next phase of the work.
Echoing some of Holden’s statements, Giordano said that there is concern about development.
“From the standpoint of neighborhood charm, it could be made nice,” he said. “But here’s the kicker. I think there is concern that with the City of Yes proposal for additional housing, that if you are in reasonable proximity to a train station, what is the risk of development that is out of character with the existing housing?”
The houses that fill the area include swaths of apartments and well-kept multi-family brownstones. City officials have said the City of Yes will spark the construction of 82,000 new housing units over the next 15 years. It is too early to estimate how many — or if any — additional homes will be built near IBX stops.
Meanwhile, as IBX plans continue to chug along, Ridgewood and Glendale are two New York neighborhood gems waiting to be explored.
Next week, amNewYork will bring readers to the next planned stop on the IBX: Wilson Avenue.
Previous IBX Stop by Stop stories
Exploring the future light rail line’s northern hub of Jackson Heights, a melting pot of flavors and traditions
Maspeth has small-town charm in America’s most crowded city
The proposed light rail rolls through Middle Village near a ‘crown jewel’ of Queens parks
NYC’s proposed light rail to roll under hallowed ground in Middle Village
