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The AirTrain to JFK Airport has been one of the city’s overlooked transit lines, functional but less than sexy, until this past weekend, as the Trump administration’s immigration orders spurred protests and activism at the country’s airports. Fort a short time, the AirTrain was shut down by the Port Authority, citing overcrowding issues, until Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the agency to reverse the decision, stating, “One of the fundamental rights that is granted to the people of this country is the right to peacefully protest. I have ordered the Port Authority to reverse its decision regarding the JFK AirTrain…The people of New York will have their voices heard.”
While the AirTrain had its fifteen minutes of fame, we’ve been rather obsessed with the transportation line for some time and thought it was appropriate time to share some of our favorite sights to see while taking a ride:
While aboard the AirTrain, one of the haunting sights you will see is an abandoned hotel just before arriving at Federal Circle Station. The building was most recently a Ramada hotel (before that, a Travelodge) and was nicknamed “Heartbreak Hotel” because of its noble service to the families of people who were victims of plane crashes, including TWA Flight 800 in 1996, SwissAir flight 111 in 1998, EgyptAir flight 990 in 1999, and American Airlines flight 587 in 2001. Citing a need for cost savings and renovation at the site, the Port Authority closed the Ramada in 2009. In 2014, it was reported that labor issues had stalled plans to redevelop the hotel but elsewhere on the JFK Airport property the conversion of the former TWA Flight Center into a hotel is now underway.
Much of the southern Queens waterfront is formed by landfill, which explains why the Jamaica Bay area was hit so hard by Hurricane Sandy. One of the spots that has somehow escaped development is right at the Howard Beach-JFK Airport AirTrain station. This marshy creek, surrounded by JFK Airport parking lots, is technically part of Hawtree Basin, one of the two basins in the Howard Beach neighborhood. The AirTrain glides over the northern end of Hawtree Basin, stopping first at Lefferts Boulevard, then Federal Circle.
Just south of Federal Circle near the Cargo Area A and JFK Airport Cell Phone Lot is a softball field that very few people have heard of. It is used by a small league formed of employees of the airlines and companies that service the airport, and not open to the public. Foursquare does has a check-in for the ballfield, with a single photograph. In the NYC Aviation forum, one user wrote that the ballfield is the same field Mickey Mantle hit his 1300th home run when the airport was Idlewild. We have not yet verified that claim.
Though most of the Jet Age terminals at JFK Airport have been demolished, The TWA Flight Center still stands and is viewable from the AirTrain between the stops for Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. The original view of the Flight Center out to the tarmac has been obstructed by the Jet Blue Terminals but the view of the front of the Eero Saarinen-designed terminal from the AirTrain is pretty great.
Currently, MCR Development is repurposing the landmarked TWA Flight Center into a 505 room hotel, with the guest rooms in two newly built buildings surrounding the original structure which will be used as a lobby and hospitality spaces. Though the TWA Flight Center has only been open on rare occasions in the last decade, the new hotel will make this landmark publicly accessible again.
If you look out southeast into the distance from the Lefferts Boulevard stop on the AirTrain, you will see the landing area for Air Force One at JFK Airport. In 2012, we were given the opportunity to greet then-President Barack Obama as he deplaned from the jet. See the photos here.
If you find yourself in need of sustenance while embarking or disembarking the AirTrain, look no further than the Air Bar located inside the Jamaica AirTrain station. Some travelers swear by it, calling it an “oasis in the desert,” and the staff generally get rave reviews. This bar is open until 3 and 4 in the morning, depending on the day, so it’s a reliable, almost anytime solution for a drink.
Renderings by FXFOWLE
Talks about turning Jamaica into a borough hub have been ongoing for more than a decade, with a rezoning completed in 2007 and the Jamaica Now Action Plan released in 2015. Now, as Curbed New York reports, BRP Companies has filed plans to build the Crossing at Jamaica Station. There will be two tall buildings designed by FXFOWLE: a 26-story building and a 14-story building, both mixed use with apartments, retail, community space and affordable housing.
One of the little known secrets of the AirTrain is the 10 pass Metrocard that offers 50% off the normal $5 rate. The 10-pass Metrocard costs just $25 (plus the $1 new Metrocard fee which can’t be avoided). Though most of the reports say it only lasts 6 months from time of first use, we’ve found that it actually expires after one year. Pro tip: You can only buy these 10 passes at the Metrocard machines at the AirTrain stations, not at regular machines.
This is a pretty obvious one but most people are usually completely ensnared in their cell phones these days, so we just want to offer the reminder that there is a pretty nice view of Queens from the AirTrain.
Next, read about the JFK AirTrain’s predecessor, “The Train to the Plane.” And read about the Top 10 Secrets of JFK Airport. Additional reporting by David Rafanan.
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