Jackson Heights, Queens Totally Explained

Everything about Jackson Heights Queens totally explained

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3.
Jackson Heights is an urban melting pot with many ethnic populations, but mainly consists of Latin Americans, multi-generational European, and Asian Americans. The Hispanic American population consists of a various mix of Latinos from many Latin American countries, mainly Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay who followed the Cuban initial immigrants. There is also an older population of Europeans of multi-generational Italian, Jewish, Polish, and Irish descent that have remained in the area. The surging Asian American community includes immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Korea, and the Philippines. An additional surge is also coming from newly arriving Eastern European nations and the former Soviet Union countries. There is a commercial section of Jackson Heights known as "Little India" that's located between 37th Avenue and Broadway primarily on 73rd and 74th Streets.

Geography and Transportation

Jackson Heights is also where the IRT Flushing Line train meets the IND Queens Boulevard Line and numerous bus routes at the 74th Street-Broadway transportation hub, which has recently received a $100+ million renovation by the MTA. (External Link

). It includes one of the first green buildings by the MTA, the new "Victor Moore A. Bus Terminal" that's partially powered by solar panels built into the roof. It is the largest subway stop in Queens with six lines (E, F, G, R, V and 7) and four buses (Q33, Q19B, Q45 and Q47). The Q33 bus goes to LaGuardia Airport's main terminals and operates 24 hours a day. The Q47 bus goes to the Marine Air Terminal. The Long Island Rail Road Woodside station is nearby on 61th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which is two stops on #7 train.
The community is bounded by Northern Boulevard to the north, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the west, Roosevelt Avenue to the south, and Junction Boulevard to the east. East Elmhurst, the area immediately to the north, from Northern Boulevard to the Grand Central Parkway, though not part of the original development, is sometimes regarded as a northward extension of the neighborhood. The Jackson Heights name comes from Jackson Avenue, the former name for Northern Boulevard (the Jackson Avenue name is retained by this major road in a short stretch between Queensboro Plaza and the Queens Midtown Tunnel approaches, in the Long Island City neighborhood).

History

Most of the neighborhood is a National Register Historic District and about half has been designated as a New York City Historic District by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. It comprises large Garden apartment buildings (the term was invented for buildings in Jackson Heights) and many groupings of private homes. It was a planned development laid out by Edward A. MacDougall's Queensboro Corporation beginning about 1916, and following the arrival of the No. 7 elevated line between Manhattan and Flushing. The community was initially planned as a place for middle to upper-middle income workers from Manhattan to raise their families. The Jackson Heights New York State and National Register Districts range from 93rd Street through 69th Street between Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue. Some property fronting on Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue, as well as some "cut-outs", are not inside the Register Districts. A former golf course located between 76th and 78th Streets and 34th and 37th Avenues was built upon during the 1940s.
Jackson Heights is believed to be the first garden city community built in the United States, as part of the international Garden city movement at the turn of the last century. There are many private parks (historically called gardens by the residents) within walking distance of each other. They are tucked in the mid-blocks, mostly hidden from view by the buildings surrounding them. Several approach the size of Gramercy Park in Manhattan, and one is slightly larger. Unless given an invitation, entry is restricted to those who own a co-op around its perimeter. The basis for the private ownership of the parks of Jackson Heights is derived from its founding principle; as a privately-owned little garden city, built largely under the oversight of one person. The historic section of Jackson Heights is the more affluent part of the neighborhood.

Education

Students attend P.S. 69

or P.S. 212

or several other primary schools. Middle schools in the neighborhood include I.S. 145

and I.S. 230

. There is also a public Charter School (The Renaissance Charter School) as well as various private schools such as the preparatory The Garden School and parochial schools such as St Joan of Arc, Our Lady of Fatima, and Blessed Sacrament School. Hebrew School is also offered at The Jewish Center of Jackson Heights (located right next to P.S. 69, Q). Catechism school is offered at St. Joan of Arc School as well as Our Lady of Fatima School.
Aside from grades 9-12 at The Renaissance School, there are no public high schools in Jackson Heights; residents attend high schools located throughout New York City. Some of the high schools attended by Jackson Heights alumni include Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Townsend Harris High School, Newtown High School and Bryant High School. The Garden School has a private high school program. Monsignor McClancy High School, technically in adjacent East Elmhurst, is in an area traditionally considered part of Jackson Heights.
Collectively, Jackson Heights has more school choice within walking distance than almost any other community in America, except some sections of Manhattan.

Community

Many residents commute to nearby Manhattan, ten to fifteen minutes to 51st Street and Lexington Avenue via the express E train or 63rd Street and Lexington via the F train. The main retail thoroughfare is located on 37th Avenue from 72nd Street to Junction Boulevard, with more retail on 82nd, 73rd and 74th Streets on the blocks between 37th and Roosevelt Avenues. Roosevelt Avenue is also lined with various mainly Hispanic retail stores. The majority of 35th and 34th Avenues and most side streets between 37th Avenue and Northern Boulevard are residential. The community is home to various houses of worship from a wide array of religions. Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church is located between 82nd and 83rd Street on 35th Avenue. The Jackson Heights Jewish Center is located on the corner of 77th Street and 37th Avenue.
   Jackson Heights is mainly composed of private homes, co-op buildings, and rentals, with a small number of condominiums.
   There is a greenmarket every Sunday morning during summer at Travers Park, as well as various family-oriented spring & summer concerts. Additionally, you'll find sidewalk flea-markets on 34th Avenue and 80-81st Streets during the spring and summer.
   The first and only gallery is named Y Gallery located on 85th st and Northern Blvd, the space was created by community activist, Agusto Yayiko. (External Link

) Jackson Heights is often recognized for having a wide selection of restaurants offering authentic ethnic cuisine. Colombian broadcaster RCN TV has its US-American headquarters in the neighborhood, reflecting the sizable Colombian population in the area.
The Jackson Heights Beautification Group

is a community-based 501(C)3 nonprofit group with about 500 members. There is no paid staff. Volunteers organize concerts in Travers Park and an annual children's Halloween parade, clean graffiti, plant flowers all along 37th Avenue, and otherwise work to continue to improve the community.
The Western Jackson Heights Alliance

is a newer organization focusing on community issues west of 82nd Street. Traffic congestion, noise, sanitation and overdevelopment concerns prompted residents to form the group in 2006. The group aims at drawing attention to the lack of city planning and the absence of local leadership in dealing with these urgent 'quality of life' issues. The Alliance is committed to bringing city agencies, business interests, non-profit organizations and elected officials together to form and enact a coherent plan for Jackson Heights' future survival.
The Jackson Heights Garden City Society is a historical society, whose founders include local historians, the Queens Borough Historian and local activists. They created and oversee the Jackson Heights Garden City Trail and publish a walking guidebook to Jackson Heights. They also collect artifacts of the community. Periodically the Society testifies before the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission on issues of concern to the community. Jackson Heights has followed the general patterns of New York City when it comes to crime. After spikes in the 1980s into the 1990s, crime has declined significantly. According to New York City CompStat statistics, measured crime has declined more than 79% in the last 15 years (1993 to 2008). As of January 2008, the murder rate is down over 82% and grand larceny auto down is down 90% from 1990.

Youth Recreation Sites

With the great diversity of this neighborhood, the young people in Jackson Heights come from a wide array of backgrounds. Travers Park is the main local playground. It has a wide variety of sports, including basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer, and handball. Prior to expansion, the P.S. 69 School Yard was a popular play area offering Baseball fields, a stickball field, a handball court and three tennis courts. Con Edison sponsored several summer tennis camps at P.S. 69's school yard from 1982-1992. In 1998, P.S. 69 decided to build an annex to compensate for the booming population of children in Jackson Heights and the public access to the school yard was removed.

Notable residents

Reflective of the tremendous diversity of the neighborhood, actors John Leguizamo, Charlie Chaplin, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Dobson, and Carroll O'Connor grew up in Jackson Heights, as did film critic Jami Bernard, playwright John Guare.
Both Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington lived in the neighboorhood.
Alfred Mosher Butts invented Scrabble in 1938, and perfected it at Community Methodist Church. (A commemorative street sign at the corner of 35th Ave and 81st St, where the church still stands, was erected by the city.)
Chester Carlson invented Xerox copy machine in his Jackson Heights kitchen.
Alfred Eisenstaedt, photographer, lived in Jackson Heights for many years.'
Eleanor Clift (1940-), regular panelist on The McLaughlin Group
Richard Kline (1944-), went to IS 145. He was Jack's friend Larry on Three's Company
Lucy Liu (1968-), actress.
Joe Quesada (1962-), Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Comics
Tommy Rettig (1941-1996), actor who appeared on Lassie (1954 TV series).
Don Rickles (1926-), comedian.
Robert Tripp Ross (1903-1981), former assistant secretary of defense (1954-1957)
Gene Simmons (1949-), of the rock group Kiss.
TV and Radio personality Howard Stern was born in Jackson Heights
Johnny Thunders (1952-1991), of The New York Dolls grew up in Jackson Heights.

Use as a film location

Major portions of the Academy Award nominated¹ film 'Maria Full of Grace' (2004) were filmed on location in Jackson Heights. Minor portions of the movie Random Hearts (1999) were filmed in Jackson Heights on 35th avenue between 76th and 77th street. A brief part of The Usual Suspects was filmed in Jackson Heights around 34th avenue and 82nd street.

Much of the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Wrong Man, takes place within a few blocks of the intersection of Broadway and 74th Street. The former Victor Moore Arcade and the connecting subway station, were prominently featured in the movie. The arcade was demolished and rebuilt from 1998 to 2005 and is now known as the Victor A. Moore Bus Terminal. It was named after Jackson Heights resident, Victor Moore, who was a famous Broadway and film actor from the era of silent film to the 1950s.Further Information

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