Geographic Center of New York City

Located flat on the pavement of a traffic median is a marker claiming to be the Geographic Center of New York City. It’s hardly noticed by passersby. Even long-time residents who have walked over it countless times have never looked down to notice it.

Those who have seen the marker may feel a sense of local pride that the center of New York is located right in their Woodside, Queens neighborhood. But what’s most unusual is that the marker is far from where the actual center of the city is.

While the marker is located right on Queens Boulevard, the true center of New York City is miles away, in another borough. According to city officials, the city’s true geographic center is somewhere in Bushwick, Brooklyn. That point incidentally has no special marker honoring it.

It’s unclear why or how the Queens marker appeared. There seemingly is no evidence that the city government ever approved of its installation. As such, it seems like whoever placed the marker down took it upon themselves to construct it without city approval or real geographic knowledge. 

For now, the city has no plans to remove the marker, nor does it intend to build a new one to honor the true geographic center. The marker will continue to puzzle pedestrians and infuriate geographers.