How should I tackle a large scale map project.

Ok. So let me give you some small info.

I'm a novice graphic designer, I haven't done it in a while though I actually have a different job and i'm doing this as a side job for money.

Now I have a pretty big client i'm working for, however i'm doing it through a broker, negotiator, whatever you want to call it a middleman. Now this middle man is asking for a map about a little under half the size of queens to fit in a 11x7 area and still be visible. For those of you that live in New York or familiar with I have to include an area from Long Island City/Astoria, all the way to Jackson Heights/Corona and include a little of Flushing Meadows and Citi Field. The other half of the 11X7 when you turn it around has to be of the other part of citi field and Flushing Meadows where I left off and include Flushing.

I'm terrible at math, unless it's basic remedial stuff. Is it even possible to map an area that big on a canvas that small and yet still have it be readable as far as streets. The person doesn't really care about detailing the other areas outside of Astoria/ LIC and Flushing meaning I can shrink the other areas on the map, but include street numbers every 5 blocks.

Should I do this thing like a puzzle town by town, or try and do the whole thing? P.S. I'm using Illustrator and Inkscape which has to be the slowest application on earth.