In later years , Queens was the site of the 1939 New York World 's Fair and the 1964 New York World 's Fair . LaGuardia Airport , in northern Queens , opened in 1939 . Idlewild Airport , in southern Queens and now called JFK Airport , opened in 1948 . American Airlines Flight 587 took off from the latter airport on November 12 , 2001 , but ended up crashing in Queens ' Belle Harbor area , killing 265 people . In late October 2012 , much of Queens ' Breezy Point area was destroyed by a massive six-alarm fire caused by Hurricane Sandy
American Airlines Flight 587
American Airlines Flight 587
Queens