When New York Was Long Island: The Past and Present of the Long Island Railroad

In the early years after Pennsylvania Station opened, Brooklyn and Queens residents still considered themselves Long Islanders, and the Long Island Rail Road was stretched to capacity serving commuters in rapidly growing city suburbs, especially in Queens, that were not yet served by subways. Nobody thought it strange when New York City Mayor John Francis Hylan in 1924 promised a "fight to the finish" to protect "the traveling public of Long Island" from increased LIRR fares. After all, almost two thirds of them were his constituents. Join Gotham Center Writing Fellow and journalist Elizabeth Moore along with author and former LIRR Manager, Andrew Sparberg, for an in-depth look at how the LIRR helped to define Greater New York. 

• Learn about the rich history of one of America’s busiest commuter rail services
• Discover the bygone LIRR service to Whitestone, the Rockaways, Bay Ridge, Manhattan Beach, Bushwick and more
• See the ways historic LIRR development still influences the shape of the city today