Forest Hills (LIRR station)

Forest Hills is a commuter rail station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road in Forest HIlls. Like other LIRR stations within New York City apart from Mets-Willets Point, it is part of Zone 1 and the City Terminal Zone, and as a result, passengers may take advantage of the CityTicket program on weekends. It is lightly used compared to other stations in the city, with only 1,116 weekday riders; many residents opt for the subway because of its increased service and direct express trains to Midtown Manhattan.

Location

Located in the neighborhood of Queens of the same name, Forest Hills is situated on Continental Avenue (also known as 71st Avenue) between Austin and Burns Streets. It is also the northern boundary of Station Square, a historic Tudor town center. Two blocks to the north along 71st Avenue is the Forest Hills – 71st Avenue subway station, one of the busiest in Queens.

History

Opened in 1906, Forest Hills is one of the oldest operating railway stations in New York City, predating subway expansion to the area by thirty years. Rebuilt in 1911 and subsequently remodelled for handicapped accessibility, it is curiously the only LIRR station without standard blue and white signage. Instead there are plaques and antique signs that complement the surrounding area. On July 4, 1917, former President Theodore Roosevelt made his "Unification Speech" from the steps of this station.

Station layout

A local station, Forest Hills has...
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