The Queens Courier is proudly celebrating its 22nd year of serving the International borough of Queens. In celebration of this anniversary we bring you 22 great things about Queens!
Started as a single newspaper in 1985 by Victoria Schneps-Yunis, the company has grown to a chain of 11 publications, including The Courier Sun, The Sun, El Correo de Queens, Queens Business Today, Healthwise magazine, Courier Extra, Key To Queens and The North Shore Towers Courier. In addition, The Queens Courier sponsors several prominent events such as the Top 10 Women In Business and our upcoming Health Expo, employing over 80 people.
Our award-winning newspaper, whose motto is “We’re all about you,” strives to provide the most comprehensive grassroots local coverage of each neighborhood served.
QUEENS BOTANICAL GARDEN
With over 300,000 visitors every year, The Queens Botanical Garden is one of Queens’ most treasured cultural landmarks. The garden is located on 39 acres of city-owned land in the northeast corner of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. It opened in 1939 as part of the 1939 World’s Fair. After the fair, the garden expanded to take up a larger portion of the park. When work began on construction for the 1964 World’s Fair, the garden moved to its present location.
The Garden consists of four specialized green spaces for visitors to enjoy - the Rose, Bee, Herb and Perennial gardens. The Queens Botanical Garden is open year-round and admission is always free. It can be reached by public transportation on the No. 7 train or by taking the Long Island Rail Road to Main Street in Flushing, and by bus on the Q-44. The Garden is closed on Mondays. Parking is available. For more information call 718-886-3800, or visit their website, www.queensbotanical.org.
CITI FIELD
Shea Stadium, the current home of the New York Mets, was built for the National League baseball expansion franchise. The only major league ballpark in Queens, it has been the site of several unforgettable events including the 1969 World Series upset of the Orioles, the Beatles concert in 1965 and the Mets’ unlikely comeback in game six of the 1986 World Series.
Built for a mere $25.5 million, the stadium marked a new beginning for the young club that had played its first two years at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan. Opened on April 17, 1964, the Stadium was originally to be called Flushing Meadow Park but was later named for the popular attorney, William A. Shea, who spearheaded the drive to bring National League baseball back to New York following the departure of the Dodgers and Giants in 1957.
Shea Stadium, located in the geographic and population center of the city, has drawn over 73 million fans and is approaching its last year of usage as the Mets are currently constructing a smaller and modern baseball-only venue in the parking lot. The new ballpark, expected to open by the start of the 2009 season, will be called Citi Field and is designed to resemble the Brooklyn Dodgers’ old home, Ebbets Field.
THE NO. 7 LINE
The Metropolitan Transit Authority subway system is as vast and varied as the city itself. The crown jewel and most unique line is the No. 7 train that runs along eight miles of track from Times Square in Manhattan to Main Street in Flushing. Known as the “International Express,” it is so-named because of the great ethnic diversity of its riders who live along its route. Additionally, it is one of only two non-shuttle lines that carry a single service and does not share space with any other line. The No. 7 line is the best way to get to Shea Stadium for a Mets game.
In 1999, the Flushing line was designated a National Millennium Trail by a joint program of the White House and the United States Department of Transportation. It was selected as intrinsically representative of the immigrant experience and because the path of the Flushing line has been in continuous use as a transportation route since the 17th century.
With beautiful views of the city as the train rumbles towards Manhattan, the No. 7 line will be extended westward and southward in Manhattan beginning later this year. With an expected completion date of 2013, the line will ultimately end at 34th Street and 11th Avenue. Two new stations will be built serving Manhattan’s west side - one at 41st Street and 10th Avenue, and another at 34th and 11th Avenue for the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
FORT TOTTEN
Fort Totten, once a military base used to protect the city from attack through the East River, is today a park and historical site. The fort sits just north of the neighborhood of Bayside.
Much of the fort has become a public park. However, some parts are used by the New York Police Department and the New York Fire Department. Most of the buildings are dilapidated and unused. Fort Totten is also a sports complex, with baseball fields and three soccer fields used for youth soccer.
Construction began on Fort Totten in 1862 after the land was purchased by the U.S. Government in 1857 from the Willets family. The fort was named in 1898 after Joseph Gilbert Totten.
CULTURAL LANDMARKS
Queens Theater in the Park (QTP) is one of several concert halls in the city, but the only such venue in our diverse borough. The theater is the premier venue for performing arts in Queens. It presents quality performances and cultural events year round as well as cultural festivals throughout the season. It is conveniently located near public transportation adjacent to the U.S. Open Tennis Center and the Queens Museum of Art.
QTP was officially established in 1989 and after a $4 million renovation, QTP officially opened to the public in 1993. The theater offers performances in its 464-seat main stage theater and its 99-seat studio theater. QTP stages over 400 performances annually and welcomes nearly 100,000 patrons each year.
The Queens Museum of Art (QMA) occupies a structure originally built for the 1939 World’s Fair, held in Flushing Meadows Park. The building then served as the first home of the United Nations General Assembly, and later housed the New York City exhibit at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. QMA holds several noteworthy and highly regarded works of art but is probably best known for being the site of a large panoramic model of New York City, built to scale and periodically updated to reflect the city’s ever-changing face.
QMA is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and is open year-round Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children and seniors. For more information on QMA call 718-592 9700 or visit on the web at www.queensmuseum.org.
Socrates Sculpture Park is located in Long Island City at the intersection of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard. It was created in 1986 by American sculptor Mark di Suvero out of an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite. In addition to exhibition space, the park offers an arts education program and job training.
Its mission is based on the belief that reclamation, revitalization and creative expression are essential to the survival, and improvement of the urban environment.
In recognition for its contributions to both the international art world and the local community in Queens, Socrates Sculpture Park has received many awards. Socrates Sculpture Park is open 365 days a year from 10 a.m. to sunset and admission is free. For more information call 718-956-1819 or visit them on the web at www.socratessculpturepark.org.
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is a non-profit organization that provides visual, performing and literary arts, arts education and artists’ programs to encourage participation in the arts. JCAL’s mission is to contribute to the cultural enrichment of Queens and the greater metropolitan area through art appreciation and arts education.
JCAL, opened in 1972, is located in the diverse community of Jamaica in southeast Queens. The center’s neo-Renaissance building features a 1,650 square foot visual arts gallery, a 99-seat theater, three painting and three dance studios, a ceramics studio, a computer lab, and a newly renovated, soundproof music studio. JCAL also offers arts education and provides a series of nearly 50 different arts workshops to children.
For more information on JCAL call 718-658-7400, send an email to info@jcal.org, or visit their website at www.jcal.org.
NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the epicenter for tennis in this country. It is located in Flushing and hosts the U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament every year at the end of August.
According to the United States Tennis Association, the center is the largest public tennis facility in the world with 22 courts inside the facility and 11 more in the adjoining park. The impetus to build a tennis center in Queens first came about in January 1977 when W. E. “Slew” Hester, the incoming president of the U.S.T.A., saw the underused Singer Bowl/Louis Armstrong Stadium on a flight into LaGuardia Airport. He asked the city to let him use Louis Armstrong Stadium and the adjoining land for a tennis facility to host the U.S. Open. The center opened in August 1978.
The current facility, Arthur Ashe Stadium, holds more than 22,000 spectators while Louis Armstrong Stadium was downsized to hold just 10,000 spectators. The center is located across from Shea Stadium in Flushing, and is open for play 11 months out of the year. For as little as $16, anyone with the proper shoes and a racket can play on the same courts as their heroes.
With rumors of a possible move to San Diego, a major upgrade and expansion began in 1995. More land was committed to the U.S.T.A. National Tennis Center, and Arthur Ashe Stadium replaced Louis Armstrong Stadium as the main court.
THE QUEENS ZOO
The Queens Zoo is located on five acres in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and is the place to see wildlife in the borough. The zoo was constructed on the site of the 1964 World’s Fair. The Queens Zoo opened in 1968 as the Flushing Meadows Zoo.
Exhibits at the zoo are designed to give the feel of traveling through a national park, with a pathway that leads to pockets of wild habitats, from the Great Plains to the rocky California coast to a Northeast forest.
At home in these naturalistic settings are some spectacular animal species including American bison, mountain lions, California sea lions, American bald eagles and Roosevelt elk. The Queens Zoo is also the only New York home to spectacled bears, endangered natives of the Andes Mountains.
The Queens Zoo is open year-round and admission is $6 for adults. For more information, call 718-271-1500.
AIRPORTS
Both of the city’s major commercial airports - LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) - are located in Queens.
JFK is the international gateway to New York City with nearly 100 airlines from over 50 countries operating regularly scheduled flights. JFK is also a major travel hub for outbound international travel. JFK handled 17 percent of all U.S. travelers who went overseas in 2004, the largest share of any U.S. airport. In 2000, JFK handled an average of about 50,000 passengers each day.
A major overseas shipping center for both imported and exported goods, JFK is the nation’s busiest international airfreight gateway judged by value of shipments and the second busiest overall by value including all air, land and sea U.S. freight gateways.
LaGuardia Airport is located on the waterfront at Flushing Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport after aviation pioneer Glenn Hammond Curtiss and was then renamed North Beach Airport. Later it was named for Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the extremely popular former mayor of New York. In 1960, it was voted the “greatest airport in the world” by the worldwide aviation community.
Most flights from LaGuardia go to destinations within the U.S. and Canada, as well as service to Aruba, the Bahamas and Bermuda. LaGuardia is the busiest airport in the U.S. without any non-stop service to and from Europe. In 2005, the airport handled 26 million passengers; JFK handled about 41 million making a total of 67 million travelers using Queens airports.
The AirTrain is an 8.1-mile people mover system in Queens that connects John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the city’s subway and commuter trains in Jamaica. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also operates JFK. AirTrain is free within the terminal area, but costs $5 when entering or leaving the Jamaica or Howard Beach stations.
About 11 percent of all air travelers arriving or departing from JFK use AirTrain according to the Port Authority. Daily paid ridership on the system has been steadily rising. Ridership increased from 7,700 per day in June 2004 to nearly 11,300 per day in June 2006.
Meanwhile, nearly four times as many people are taking AirTrain free each day to travel between JFK’s eight active terminals and parking lots. Nearly four million people rode the AirTrain to JFK in 2006, an increase of about 15 percent over 2005.
THE UNISPHERE
The Unisphere is a 12-story high, spherical stainless steel representation of the earth. Located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Unisphere is the Borough’s most iconic and everlasting symbol. The Unisphere was commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, and was conceived and constructed as the theme symbol of the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair, which was “Peace Through Understanding.” The Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence.
Designed by landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke, the Unisphere was donated by the United States Steel Corporation and constructed by that company’s American Bridge Division. It is the world’s largest global structure, rising 140 feet and weighing 700,000 pounds.
On May 10, 1995, the Unisphere was given official landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
THE NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE
The New York Hall of Science is the city’s premier hands-on science and technology center. It is located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park adjacent to many Queens museums and landmarks. The Hall features more than 400 interactive science related exhibits. A visit to the Hall to explore the wonder and excitement of biology, chemistry and physics is certain to be a memorable learning experience for kids of all ages.
The Hall of Science was built initially as a pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair. Since 1986, the Hall has helped to inform more than 5 million children, parents, and teachers about the world of science. It has attracted national and international attention as a leading innovator in exhibit technology and education programming. The New York Hall of Science also features the city’s largest collection of interactive exhibits. For more information, call the Hall at 718-699-0005.
QUEENS BRIDGES
Four bridges connect Queens to the rest of the city. These are the Triborough, Queensborough, the Throgs Neck and the Whitestone bridges.
The Queensborough Bridge or 59th Street Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River completed in 1909.
Serious proposals to build a bridge linking Manhattan and Queens were advanced as early as 1838 and attempts to finance such a bridge were made beginning in 1867. Successful plans were developed in 1903 under the city’s new Department of Bridges led by Gustav Lindenthal in collaboration with Leffert L. Buck and Henry Hornbostel, designers of the Williamsburg Bridge. Construction began soon thereafter, but took until 1909 to complete because of delays and labor unrest. The Queensborough Bridge was opened to the public on March 30, 1909 at a cost of $18 million. The bridge was originally called the Blackwell’s Island Bridge, after an earlier name for Roosevelt Island. After years of decay, an extensive renovation of the Queensborough Bridge was begun in 1987 and is still in progress, having cost over $300 million.
The Throgs Neck Bridge is one of three bridges in Queens that connects the borough to the Bronx, and northward to upstate New York and New England.
Opened in 1961, the Throgs Neck Bridge was built to ease congestion on the Whitestone Bridge. The name Throgs Neck was derived from that of John Throckmorton, who settled in the area in 1643.
Straddling the meeting place of the East River and Long Island Sound, the bridge serves as a vital link in the city’s interstate highway system. On the Bronx side, it feeds into the Cross Bronx and Bruckner expressways, the Hutchinson River Parkway, and the New England Thruway, providing access to New Jersey and points west, upstate New York, Westchester County, Connecticut and New England.
On the Queens side it feeds the Cross Island Parkway, the Clearview and Long Island expressways, and the Grand Central Parkway, which primarily lead to Long Island and points east.
The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge is one of the other two bridges linking Queens directly to the Bronx. Before the Whitestone Bridge opened on April 29, 1939, the Triborough Bridge, five miles to the west, provided the only vehicular connection between Queens and the Bronx. The Whitestone opened to traffic only 23 months after the awarding of its first construction contract so that drivers could cross it on April 30, the opening day of the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park.
Today, the bridge maintains the elegance it possessed when it served as the gateway to the fair’s “World of Tomorrow.”
The Triborough Bridge, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s flagship facility, opened in 1936. It consists of three bridges and 14 miles of approaching roads connecting Queens to Manhattan and the Bronx.
Construction on the bridge began in 1930, but was soon sidetracked by the Great Depression. Thanks to New Deal money, the project was resurrected in the early 1930s by Robert Moses and the bridge was opened to traffic on July 11, 1936. At that time its cost was greater than that of the Hoover Dam.
The longest span of the Triborough Bridge, the East River Suspension Bridge to Queens, connects with the Grand Central Parkway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and to Astoria’s residential areas, restaurants, and shops.
THE QUEENS LIBRARY
The Queens Borough Public Library (QBPL), also known as the Queens Library, is one of three library systems serving the city. It is the No. 1 library system in the United States by circulation, having loaned 21 million items in the 2007 fiscal year.
Dating back to the foundation of the first Queens library in Flushing in 1858, QBPL is comprised of 63 branches all open six days a week. Since 1994, it has had high annual circulation, and it is the second largest library in the country in terms of the size of its collection. QBPL serves a population of more than 2.2 million that is the most diverse in the nation. Consequently, a large percentage of QBPL’s collections are in non-English languages, particularly Spanish. QBPL is separate from the New York Public Library.
ROCKAWAY BEACHES
Possessing nearly all the city’s ocean front property Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula located on the south shore of Long Island. The community stretches between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay, running from approximately Beach 73rd Street to Beach 98th Street. The neighborhood is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west. It is named for Rockaway Beach, which is the largest urban beach in the United States, stretching for miles along the Rockaway Peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is run and operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Rockaway Beach was once known as the “Irish Riviera” because of the large Irish American population in the area.
CUNY COLLEGES
The City University of New York (CUNY) system is the largest urban college system in the United States. More than 450,000 degree-credit, adult, continuing and professional education students are enrolled at campuses located in all five New York City boroughs.
CUNY’s history dates back to the formation of the Free Academy in 1847 by Townsend Harris. From this grew a system of seven senior colleges, four hybrid schools, six community colleges, graduate schools and professional programs. CUNY was established in 1961 as the umbrella institution of the municipal colleges of New York City. CUNY has historically served a diverse student body, especially those unable to afford private universities. CUNY offered a tuition-free education until 1975 when the City’s fiscal crisis forced the imposition of tuition.
Five of the CUNY system’s schools are in Queens - Queens College, the CUNY School of Law, York College, Queensborough Community College and LaGuardia Community College.
Queens College, one of the most respected CUNY colleges is located on Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. It opened in 1937, and was recently chosen as one the top ten hottest colleges in the nation. In its 2006 edition of “America’s Best Value Colleges,” The Princeton Review ranked Queens College eighth in the United States.
In 2006, Queens College had an enrollment of 18,107 including 13,662 undergraduates and 4,445 graduate students. Students from 120 different countries speaking 66 different languages are enrolled at the school. While it is widely known as a liberal arts college, Queens College actually offers a comprehensive college academic program of over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Adjoining it is the City University of New York School of Law, which operates a pro bono law firm that serves Flushing’s immigrant and working-class communities.
York College is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Located in Jamaica it has an enrollment of more than 6,000. Opened in 1966, York was the first college founded under the newly formed CUNY system, which united several previously independent public colleges into a single public university system in 1961.
York serves as one of CUNY’s leading general-purpose liberal arts colleges, granting bachelors’ degrees in more than 40 fields, as well as a combined BS/MS degree in Occupational Therapy.
Queensborough Community College is one of six community colleges in the CUNY system. Queensborough is located in Bayside and has more than 12,000 students enrolled in associates or certificate degree programs. The college was originally part of the State University of New York system but was transferred to CUNY in 1965. Its aim is to prepare students to attend senior colleges, mainly in the CUNY system.
LaGuardia Community College is named for Fiorello H. LaGuardia, New York’s New Deal mayor, and is located in Long Island City. It calls itself “The World’s Community College” since its student body comes from over 150 countries. LaGuardia has the third largest graduating class of Business majors in the country, the largest graduating class of Health Sciences majors in the city, as well as the second largest graduating class of Computer & Information Systems majors.
DOWNTOWN FLUSHING
Flushing is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the entire world. The neighborhood is 55 percent Asian-American, with the largest ethnic Chinese community in the city, larger than Manhattan’s Chinatown and is also home to significant Hispanic American, African-American, Indian-American and Southeast-Asian populations.
The neighborhood is also a major transportation hub, boasts a major league baseball franchise and is home to many landmark buildings and several museums. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park hosted the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs. Remnants include the Unisphere and the Queens Museum of Art.
Several construction projects, including the transformation of the Willets Point area into a fabulous new area of recreation, housing, stores, a hotel and a convention center that will link directly with downtown Flushing, will make downtown Flushing a shining new gateway to New York City.
DIVERSITY
Queens is the largest and the second most populous borough in New York City. With 2.2 million residents, it is a vast and varied landscape as diverse as any in the world.
The 2005 American Community Survey found that immigrants comprise 47.6 percent of Queens’ population.
The 2000 census recorded the racial makeup of the county as 44.08 percent White; 20.01 percent Black or African American; 0.50 percent Native American; 17.56 percent Asian; 0.06 percent Pacific Islander; 11.68 percent from other races; and 6.11 percent from two or more races. In addition, 24.97 percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Queens has the second largest Sikh population in the nation after California. And according to a 2002 UJA-Federation of New York study, the borough is home to 186,000 Jewish Americans. The population has grown considerably with a population increase of 2,241,600 in 2005.
LITTLE LEAGUES
Most neighborhoods in Queens have Little League teams that compete against each other.
The Bayside Little League fosters a sense of sportsmanship in its members.
Recently, the organization presented its most resplendent prize, the Richard Rollins Sportsperson of the Year Award, to 12-year-old Christopher Wren of Bayside, who attends Sacred Heart School.
But the league is not all about winning.
“The winning aspect is secondary,” said Bob Reid, who heads the Bayside Little League. “That’s why we always let tie scores stand. Having fun while trying your hardest and doing the best you can do is what really counts.”
The notion of good sportsmanship extends beyond borders for the group, which sponsored a team from Buff Bay, from the island of Jamaica.
This is the third year the Bayside group has sponsored a foreign team, with the assistance of nearby North Shore Baptist Church, under the direction of Pastor Ed Moore.
The College Point Little League is chartered by Little League Baseball and serves the College Point, Flushing, and Whitestone areas The College Point Stars are a youth baseball team that has advanced to the 2007 Cal Ripken Babe Ruth Division World Series. The team is coached by Nelson Santiago, formerly of the College Point Little League, and has more than a dozen 11-12 year olds, eight of whom played for the College Point Little League in the 2007 season.
QUEENS PARKS
When Queens became part of New York City in 1898 the borough had few parks, it was mostly farmland. Today there are 7,106 acres of parkland spread out in more than 400 parks, playgrounds, triangles and malls throughout the borough’s 14 Community Boards.
Queens parks include large open spaces such as the 1,255 acre Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. This is the second largest park in the city and hosts the U.S.T.A. U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is also home to the New York Mets, the Queens Hall of Science, the Queens Museum of Art, Queens Theatre in the Park, Queens Zoo, an 18-hole “pitch & putt” golf course and the lovely Queens Botanical Garden. It was created on the site of the 1939/1940 New York World’s Fair and also hosted the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair.
Forest Park is an urban forest and is one of the natural treasures of Queens. Forest Park consists of 538 acres with a 150-year-old oak forest and 3 nature trails, the newly renovated Seuffert Bandshell with its free concerts, the famous Daniel C. Mueller Carousel and the Track and Field Center.
Alley Pond Park is the second-largest park in Queens. It occupies 624.78 acres, most of it acquired and cleared by the city in 1929. The park is bordered to the east by Douglaston, to the west by Bayside, to the north by Little Neck Bay, and to the south by Union Turnpike. Alley Pond Park has baseball diamonds, football fields, handball courts, tennis courts, wooded trails and a new Urban Park Ranger Station. For conservation purposes, the city acquired over $10.9 million worth of new land for the park, and in 1993, almost $1 million was spent to restore the Picnic Grove, renovate two stone buildings, and reconstruct the playground and soccer field.
Cunningham Park is a 358-acre park that lies between the Grand Central Parkway to the south and the Long Island Expressway, and is separated by the Clearview Expressway. The land for the park was acquired by the city starting in the 1920s, and was originally named Hillside Park. The park was renamed for New York City Comptroller W. Arthur Cunningham. Cunningham Park, offers tennis, baseball, bocce, picnic areas, playgrounds, a concert oval, annual performances by the Big Apple Circus and a play school/summer camp program run by the Parks Department.
CEMETERIES
Queens has more cemeteries by land-used than any other borough in the city. Among the most famous residents buried in Queens are Jazz great Louis Armstrong, interred at Flushing Cemetery and the famed magician Harry Houdini at Machpelah Cemetery.
The Bayside Acacia Cemetery in Queens is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the city. It was founded in the mid-nineteenth century, and among those buried there are many military veterans from the Civil War onward.
In the last several decades, the cemetery has fallen into extensive disrepair. It is maintained by Congregation Shaare Zedek, which is located several miles away on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The cost of maintaining the cemetery is, to a large extent, more than the congregation can bear.
Calvary Cemetery is located at 4902 Laurel Hill Boulevard in Sunnyside. The cemetery is managed by the Trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York. It is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the United States.
In 1847, faced with cholera epidemics and a shortage of burial grounds in Manhattan, the New York State Legislature passed the Rural Cemetery Act authorizing nonprofit corporations to operate commercial cemeteries. Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral trustees had purchased land in Maspeth in 1846, and the first burial in Calvary Cemetery was in 1848. By 1852 there were 50 burials a day, half of them the Irish poor under seven years of age. By the 1990s there were nearly 3 million graves in Calvary Cemetery.
Maple Grove Cemetery is a lovely and historic, 65-acre rural cemetery located in Kew Gardens. Maple Grove is a vital, active cemetery that offers many options for burial of your loved ones. The not-for-profit, non-sectarian Maple Grove Cemetery Association, which operates the cemetery, was organized in 1875. Their new Lakeview Memorial Garden serves as a place of comfort and inspiration and offers new ways for meeting the needs of present and future generations. Recently, Maple Grove Cemetery started construction of an 18,000-square-feet Center at Maple Grove, which will embody the notion of paying tribute to life, inspiration and remembrance.
More than 90 years ago, Mount Lebanon Cemetery was founded in Glendale with the goal of serving the needs of the Jewish community.
The nearly 80-acre site, located in central Queens, offers family plots, single grave sites, two outdoor mausoleums and an indoor Sanctuary Mausoleum.
In addition, more than 240 benevolent society, family circle and congregation sections are located within the grounds. Full-time office staff and field personnel are available to assist individuals and families with their needs.
The cemetery, which operates according to the not-for-profit laws of New York State, accepts arrangements with all funeral chapels and monument firms.
St. Michael’s Cemetery, located in East Elmhurst at 72-02 Astoria Boulevard, has been a staple in the community since its 1852 establishment and is now “one of the oldest religious, nonprofit cemeteries in the New York City metropolitan area which is open to people of all faiths.”
When it was first created, it was on seven acres of land that had been bought by Reverend Thomas McClure Peters. During its many years, it continued to grow and now occupies approximately 88 acres.
Along with offering cremation services after opening a crematory in 2005, St. Michael’s has community mausoleums, which it first started building in the late 1980s.
QUEENS SHOPPING
The Queens Center Mall is the biggest shopping destination in Queens. Anchored by Macy’s and JC Penney, the mall is home to some 150 shops and restaurants.
Queens Center has been ranked as the mall where the most money is spent per square foot in the U.S. A major renovation and expansion in 2004 added more indoor parking and more retail space, as well as atriums that bring sunlight into its four levels.
The Bay Terrace Shopping Center, located at 26th Avenue and Bell Boulevard in Bayside, is a unique family destination. It is home to national brand retailers from The Gap to Bath & Body Works to Victoria’s Secret to Steve Madden and The Children’s Place. The Bay Terrace also offers great independently-owned retail and specialty shops such as Alicia’s Jewelers and Christie & Co. Salon Spa de Beaut/.
Families can enjoy dinner and a movie all at The Bay Terrace. There is a Loew’s Theatre and several great eateries including an Applebee’s, Ben’s Kosher Deli and an Outback Steakhouse. The mall boasts a FedEx Kinko’s, Duane Reade, Waldbaum’s and even a U.S. Post Office.
The indoor Downtown Flushing Mall has many small shops, carrying everything from fashion and jewelry to art, toys, and cell phones. In addition, there is a great food court and the offices of some community organizations. There are bargains to be found at the Flushing Mall, though the real appeal of the mall is convenience. With so many retailers in one location, it is easy to shop and browse with friends and family and get a lot done in a short time. Although people from all over come to the mall, the main clientele are locals, especially Chinese, and the mall caters to their tastes and needs.
The Shops at Atlas Park opened in April 2006 at 8000 Cooper Avenue in Glendale, between Middle Village and Forest Hills. With more high-end stores and an outdoor oval layout, the mall is the most unique shopping experience in all of Queens. It has plenty of parking and attractions and promotions to capture the imaginations of adults and children alike. With plenty of restaurants to choose from, it is definitely a family destination for a wonderful day of bargains and adventures.
The New York Times recently published an article about the increasingly popular shopping destination of Downtown Jamaica. Bargain hunters come from as far as Maryland and Detroit to shop for the latest fashions, especially hip-hop clothing lines, at some of the best prices in the Northeast. Shoppers seek the latest in clothes, jewelry, footwear, and more from the 300 independent shops in the area.
There is an Old Navy a short walk away in Jamaica Center at Parsons Boulevard. Get ready to search out bargains on brands like Baby Phat and Kangol.
The shopping area in Jamaica is centered at the intersection of 164th Street and Jamaica Avenue, just a short walk from the LIRR and AirTrain station as well as the E, J, and Z subways. Cookie’s Department Store at 166-21 Jamaica Avenue is one of the biggest discount shops in the downtown.
QUEENS RESTAURANTS
Queens has some of the best restaurants in the entire world. Palates are certain to be pleased by a variety of international cuisines. Some of the best restaurants in the entire city are nestled in Queens’ ethnic enclaves. From Greek food in Astoria to South American specialties in Jackson Heights, Queens is not short on food options, and boasts “restaurant rows,” such as Bell Boulevard in Bayside and Northern Boulevard in Little Neck.
HOSPITALS
The New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) is located at 56-45 Main Street in Flushing. The hospital complex is home to a large variety of medical and community services. Recent improvements to the physical plant and ongoing expansion of clinical facilities have equipped the hospital to provide patients with state-of-the-art care in the high technology world of medicine.
NYHQ is a teaching hospital affiliated with Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University. It is a member of the New York Presbyterian Healthcare System. NYHQ is a state designated AIDS, Perinatal, trauma, and stroke center. The hospital has 439 available beds.
The New Parkway Hospital is located at 70-35 113th Street in Forest Hills. The hospital has recently emerged from reorganization under bankruptcy. The New Parkway Hospital is a state designated stroke center. It has 251 available hospital beds.
Serving primarily southeastern and central Queens, the Queens Hospital Center (QHC) is located at 82-70 164th Street in Jamaica. QHC is a state designated AIDS, Perinatal, and SAFE center. The QHC is managed by the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC).
Officially open to the public in January 2007, the new $53 million, 142,000-square-foot Pavilion was built to accommodate various medical specialties and deliver quality patient care. Encompassing 360,000 square feet, it is comprised of 200 inpatient beds and features both primary and specialty ambulatory care services. Last year, QHC received 338,319 ambulatory care visits - the most in the region. QHC also received 72,915 Emergency Room visits offering Queens patients the finest medical care when they need it the most.
Established in 1891 in a rented, four-bedroom home, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is a not-for-profit teaching hospital. JHMC serves a population greater than 1.2 million, in Queens and eastern Brooklyn. It is a state designated Perinatal, trauma and stroke center. Jamaica Hospital is a teaching hospital affiliated with Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and St. George’s, Grenada. JHMC has 387 beds and is located at 89th Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway.
Founded in 1884, Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) was Queens’ first hospital. The hospital today is a 293-bed not-for-profit facility located in the prosperous and culturally diverse Flushing community. The hospital is a state designated Perinatal and stroke center. FHMC is a teaching hospital affiliated with SUNY Downstate Medical Center and a member of the Medisys Health Network.
To meet the needs of the Chinese community that it serves, FHMC recently opened a brand new, state-of-the-art Medical Service Center in the Sanford Towers conveniently located in busy downtown Flushing.
The concept behind the medical center is to combine the traditional medicine of the East with the technology of Western medicine. The entire staff is culturally sensitive to the traditions and practices of their patients and they recognize those beliefs while providing treatment. All of the staff, including physicians, nurses, and administrative personnel are multi-lingual, speaking both the Cantonese and Mandarin dialects of Chinese, as well as English.
Forest Hills Hospital, which has been a member of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System since 1995, offers its patients the rich tradition and compassionate care of a community hospital with the resources of the third-largest secular, non-profit health care system in the U.S.
With nearly 700 physicians on its medical staff, the hospital is proud to provide quality health care to the residents of Queens and employment to more than 1,000 personnel.
The hospital has a multi-lingual staff, financial assistance program and community outreach to provide top-notch health care to its patients.
Mt. Sinai Hospital, a 235-bed community hospital at 25-10 30th Avenue in Long Island City, boasts nearly 400 physicians covering 36 different medical and surgical specialties. Employees at the hospital speak 24 languages - fitting for Queens, the country’s most diverse community.
October is a busy month at Mt. Sinai, where multiple health and wellness events will take place. On Wednesday, October 17, attend a lecture by Elizabeth Reynolds, MD, entitled “Geriatric Medicine: Enhancing Your Quality of Life.” On Friday, October 26, listen to Rodrigo Sequeira’s bilingual lecture on “Minimally Invasive Gallbladder Surgery.”
Elmhurst Hospital, located at 79-01 Broadway in Elmhurst, is known for its excellent coverage in the areas of maternal and child health care. Having established the country’s first child health center in 1918, Elmhurst Hospital delivered more than 4,000 babies in 2006. For women, a broad range of specialty care services are available, and its obstetrics and neonatal intensive care services are the most comprehensive in the borough of Queens.
Recently, the hospital opened its new, state-of-the-art cancer center. Providing the newest, most innovative equipment in cancer care technology - including a 64-slice CAT scan - the new building also includes a child daycare center open to employees and patients.
