The "International Express" to Flushing and Beyond

According to Trouble on the "Immigrant Express" (by Larry Tung, Gotham Gazette, February '08), the #7 Train from Times Square to Flushing is known as the Immigrant" or "International Express" because of the diversity of its passengers and neighborhoods its serves.

Running along 19 miles from Times Square to Flushing, Queens, the 7 train serves 24 stations and nearly 400,000 riders a day. It is known as the "immigrant express" or "international express" because it goes through neighborhoods occupied by people representing more than 150 nations.

However, the diversity on the #7 is simply a clearest signal of the demographic transformation that is occuring throughout Long Island. Both Nassau and Suffolk counties have seen an ever expanding flow of immigrants--and anybody riding the LIRR knows that the diversity of passengers is at an all time high.

Historically, it's a quick change of habit from taking the #7 Flushing Local to the LIRR to Flushing and points beyond.