The mighty Q69 bus was one of the original routes created by Triboro Coach Corporation in 1933. It was originally known as the Q19A and was an offshoot of Triboro's original Q19 route. This specific route is the second version of the Q69 name. The original ran for a short time until 2002. That version of the Q69 was run by Queens Surface Corporation as a free, weekday shuttle between Queens Plaza and the Hunters Point-East River ferry. It was discontinued for lack of usage.
The Q69 runs from Queens Plaza along 21st Street and Ditmars Boulevard to Jackson Heights at 82nd Street and Astoria Boulevard. It services the Ditmars Blvd shopping district and meets the N/Q and F trains along its route. This cache is located near Astoria Park. When opened in the 1930's it was not much more than empty field surrounded by newly built tenements. The background picture shows this very corner when the bus route began. Soon the Astoria Pool was built along with all sorts of recreation facilities in the park, making the park one of the most heavily used in the city. It is also a good jumping off point for a number of other caches in the park and nearby.