Jackson Heights, Queens

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.^[1]

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 is located between 37th Avenue and Broadway primarily on 73rd and 74th Streets. ^[2]

Geography and Transportation

Jackson Heights is also where the IRT Flushing Line (7 and <7>) train meets the IND Queens Boulevard Line (E, F, <F>, M, and R) and numerous bus routes at the 74th Street-Broadway transportation hub, which has recently received a $100+ million renovation by the MTA. [1]. It includes one of the first green buildings by the MTA, the new "Victor Moore A. Bus Terminal" that is partially powered by solar panels built into the roof. It is the largest subway stop in Queens with six lines(E,F,V,R,7,G) 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 is a designated 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 1917, 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 parts of 87st Street through part of 76th Street. A former golf course located between 76th and 78th Streets and 34th and 37th Avenues was built upon during the 1940s.

Jackson Heights is among the first garden city communities 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.

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. There are no private high schools either, although Monsignor McClancy High School, technically in adjacent East Elmhurst, is in an area traditionally considered part of Jackson Heights.

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 will 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. [2]

Jackson Heights is often recognized for having an amazingly wide selection of restaurants offering some of the most authentic and and best ethnic cuisine available throughout New York City.

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.

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 larcery 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, and handball. Prior to expansion, the P.S. 69 School Yard was a popular play area offering Baseball fields, 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.
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 in 2004.)^[3]
Clift,Eleonor regular panelist on The Mclaughlin Group sundays on NBC
Chester Carlson invented Xerox copy machine in his Jackson Heights kitchen.^[4]
Alfred Eisenstaedt, photographer, lived in Jackson Heights for many years.^[5]
Lucy Liu (1968-), actress.^[6]
Joe Quesada, Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Comics
Tommy Rettig (1941-1996), actor who appeared on Lassie (1954 TV series).^[7]
Don Rickles, comedian.^[8]
Robert Tripp Ross (1903-1981), former assistant secretary of defense (1954-1957)
Gene Simmons of the rock group Kiss.^[9]
TV and Radio personality Howard Stern was born in Jackson Heights
Johnny Thunders 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.

Trivia

Colombian broadcaster RCN has its American headquarters there.

General Howe set up tent at corner of 73rd Street and 37th Ave during the Revolutionary War. His men gathered from today's Duane Reade to across
Jackson Heights had an air field(Holmes)at Bulova site up to Northern Blvd
Jackson Heights is geographical center of NYC at Broadway and Roosevelt Ave. This is also where Woodside, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights meet
The first radio commercial was for a Jackson Heights Coop. It was by the Queensboro Corp for Hawthorne Court August 22, 1922
On February 22, 2008 Jackson Heights opened it's first Starbucks.
The Bulova clock was the first on original NBC broadcast screens. Bulova is based in Jackson Heights and had a watchmaking school in Woodside
Fresh Direct currently delivers to the Historic Jackson Heights area.
The TV show Ugly Betty is set in Jackson Heights. The pilot was filmed on location at Jackson Heights but all other episodes were filmed in Los Angeles using a greenscreen background for Jackson Heights. The fictional title character played by America Ferrera currently resides at Jackson Heights, Queens.
The theme song to the 1960s sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? mentions Jackson Heights in the lyrics.
The NYC Mayor Micheal R. Bloomberg visits Jackson Heights every year during special parades.

References

^ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
^ Kilgannon, Corey. "Trouble in Queens as Lentil Prices Rise", The New York Times, September 29, 2006. Accessed January 18, 2008. "There is little that disrupts the rhythm of Little India in Jackson Heights, Queens. Fabrics flutter outside sari shops along 74th Street, and gold glitters in jewelry store windows."
^ Kershaw, Sarah. "INSIDE QUEENS;A Criss-Crossed Quest", The New York Times, October 1, 1995. Accessed October 19, 2007. "JEFFREY A. SAUNDERS knew that Scrabble was born on 79th Street in Jackson Heights. He knew that Alfred Mosher Butts lived there when he invented the game."
^ Abadjian, Nick. "Inventors of Queens", Queens Tribune, May 22, 2003. Accessed December 17, 2007. "Carlson, a Jackson Heights resident, worked as a lab researcher for a year and got laid off."
^ Grundberg, Andy. "Alfred Eisenstaedt, 90: The Image of Activity", The New York Times, November 12, 1998. Accessed September 25, 2007. "Until a year ago, he would walk daily from his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, to his office on the Avenue of the Americas and 51st Street, he said."
^ Ogunnaike, Lola. "The Perks and Pitfalls Of a Ruthless-Killer Role; Lucy Liu Boosts the Body Count in New Film", The New York Times, October 13, 2003. Accessed October 25, 2007. "Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, Ms. Liu, the daughter of working-class Chinese immigrants, recalled many an afternoon spent parked in front of a television set."
^ "TOMMY RETTIG, PLAYED JEFF IN ORIGINAL CAST OF TELEVISION'S 'LASSIE'", Rocky Mountain News, February 18, 1996. Accessed December 10, 2007.
^ Witchel, Alex. " I'm No Howard Stern, You Dummy", The New York Times, August 25, 1996. Accessed October 8, 2007. "DONALD JAY RICKLES, WHO WAS BORN in New York City on May 8, 1926, grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens."
^ Van Riper, Tom. "First Job: Gene Simmons", Forbes, May 23, 2006. "I delivered the Long Island Star Journal in Jackson Heights, Queens, known as the Long Island Press on Sundays."

External links

Sources

Jackson, Kenneth (1995). Encyclopedia of New York City. Yale University Press.
Roleke, John. "Scrabble Avenue: Scrabble Invented in Jackson Heights". About.com.
Jackson Heights Indian community guide

[1] Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.

[2] Kilgannon, Corey. "Trouble in Queens as Lentil Prices Rise", The New York Times, September 29, 2006. Accessed January 18, 2008. "There is little that disrupts the rhythm of Little India in Jackson Heights, Queens. Fabrics flutter outside sari shops along 74th Street, and gold glitters in jewelry store windows."

[3] Kershaw, Sarah. "INSIDE QUEENS;A Criss-Crossed Quest", The New York Times, October 1, 1995. Accessed October 19, 2007. "JEFFREY A. SAUNDERS knew that Scrabble was born on 79th Street in Jackson Heights. He knew that Alfred Mosher Butts lived there when he invented the game."

[4] Abadjian, Nick. "Inventors of Queens", Queens Tribune, May 22, 2003. Accessed December 17, 2007. "Carlson, a Jackson Heights resident, worked as a lab researcher for a year and got laid off."

[5] Grundberg, Andy. "Alfred Eisenstaedt, 90: The Image of Activity", The New York Times, November 12, 1998. Accessed September 25, 2007. "Until a year ago, he would walk daily from his home in Jackson Heights, Queens, to his office on the Avenue of the Americas and 51st Street, he said."

[6] Ogunnaike, Lola. "The Perks and Pitfalls Of a Ruthless-Killer Role; Lucy Liu Boosts the Body Count in New Film", The New York Times, October 13, 2003. Accessed October 25, 2007. "Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, Ms. Liu, the daughter of working-class Chinese immigrants, recalled many an afternoon spent parked in front of a television set."

[7] "TOMMY RETTIG, PLAYED JEFF IN ORIGINAL CAST OF TELEVISION'S 'LASSIE'", Rocky Mountain News, February 18, 1996. Accessed December 10, 2007.

[8] Witchel, Alex. " I'm No Howard Stern, You Dummy", The New York Times, August 25, 1996. Accessed October 8, 2007. "DONALD JAY RICKLES, WHO WAS BORN in New York City on May 8, 1926, grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens."

[9] Van Riper, Tom. "First Job: Gene Simmons", Forbes, May 23, 2006. "I delivered the Long Island Star Journal in Jackson Heights, Queens, known as the Long Island Press on Sundays."

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