Elmhurst is a neighborhood in the
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
boroughNew York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is segmented into five boroughs. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city...
of
QueensQueens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Five Boroughs which form New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a subdivision of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States.Located on...
. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue (
Jackson HeightsJackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
) on the north;
CoronaCorona, Queens is a highly dense neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills and Elmhurst....
to the northeast; Junction Boulevard on the east;
Rego ParkRego Park is a diverse neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, the east and south by Forest Hills and the west by Middle Village...
to the southeast; the Long Island Expressway on the south;
Middle VillageMiddle Village is a neighborhood in central Queens, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is located in the western central section of Queens, bounded to the north by Eliot Avenue, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue, and to the west by Lutheran Cemetery...
to the south and southwest; and
MaspethMaspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
and the
New York Connecting RailroadThe New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence and Worcester Railroad and New York and Atlantic Railway...
on the west; and
WoodsideWoodside is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Its ZIP code is 11377. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
on the northwest. The neighborhood is part of
Queens Community Board 4The Queens Community Board 4 is a local government in the New York City borough of Queens, encompassing the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Corona and Roosevelt Avenue, and also includes LeFrak City, Queens Center mall and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park...
.
The village was established in 1652 by the Dutch as Middenburgh (Middleburgh), and was a suburb of
New AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that later became the city now known as New York City.The town outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude of the Dutch Republic as of 1624...
(Nieuw Amsterdam) in
New NetherlandNew Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the seventeenth-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
(Nieuw Nederland).
Elmhurst is a neighborhood in the
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
boroughNew York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is segmented into five boroughs. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city...
of
QueensQueens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Five Boroughs which form New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a subdivision of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States.Located on...
. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue (
Jackson HeightsJackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
) on the north;
CoronaCorona, Queens is a highly dense neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills and Elmhurst....
to the northeast; Junction Boulevard on the east;
Rego ParkRego Park is a diverse neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, the east and south by Forest Hills and the west by Middle Village...
to the southeast; the Long Island Expressway on the south;
Middle VillageMiddle Village is a neighborhood in central Queens, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is located in the western central section of Queens, bounded to the north by Eliot Avenue, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue, and to the west by Lutheran Cemetery...
to the south and southwest; and
MaspethMaspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside and Sunnyside to the north, Long Island City to the northwest, Greenpoint to the west, East Williamsburg to the southwest, Fresh Pond and Ridgewood to the south, and...
and the
New York Connecting RailroadThe New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence and Worcester Railroad and New York and Atlantic Railway...
on the west; and
WoodsideWoodside is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Its ZIP code is 11377. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
on the northwest. The neighborhood is part of
Queens Community Board 4The Queens Community Board 4 is a local government in the New York City borough of Queens, encompassing the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Corona and Roosevelt Avenue, and also includes LeFrak City, Queens Center mall and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park...
.
The village was established in 1652 by the Dutch as Middenburgh (Middleburgh), and was a suburb of
New AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that later became the city now known as New York City.The town outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude of the Dutch Republic as of 1624...
(Nieuw Amsterdam) in
New NetherlandNew Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the seventeenth-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
(Nieuw Nederland). The original settlers of Elmhurst were from the nearby colony of Maspat (now called Maspeth), following threats and attacks by local Indians.
When the British took over New Netherland in 1664, they renamed Middleburgh as New Town (Nieuwe Stad) to maintain the Dutch heritage. This was eventually simplified to Newtown. Among the English settlers in the present Elmhurst section of Newtown was Gershom Moore, in whose orchard a
chance seedlingA chance seedling is a plant that is the product of unintentional breeding. A seedling that would come up in your flowerbed or garden is a chance seedling. Assigning the parental lines with a chance seedlings is often difficult but not impossible...
produced the
Newtown PippinThe Newtown Pippin apple is the most famous colonial American apple. It was cultivated by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and was exported to Great Britain in large quantities, and is still grown today for its superior flavor.-Characteristics:The Newtown Pippin is typically light...
, Colonial America's most famous apple. Newtown was established as the Town Seat for the Township of the same name when it was established in 1683. The village was renamed Elmhurst (Lep Hurst) in 1896 to identify the area with a new housing development, avoid association with the larger Township, and the Creek, and maintain the Dutch heritage.
Once
QueensQueens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Five Boroughs which form New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a subdivision of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States.Located on...
joined the
City of Greater New YorkThe City of Greater New York was a term commonly used originally to refer to the expanded city created on January 1, 1898 by the incorporation into the city of Richmond County, Kings County, the western part of Queens County, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx...
in 1898, it developed into a fashionable district due to a housing development that was built in Elmhurst by the Cord Meyer Development Company between 1896 and 1910, north of the
Port Washington BranchThe Port Washington Branch is an electrified two-track rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York...
railroad Station. They expanded their holdings between 1905 and 1930, including Elmhurst Square, Elmhurst South, Elmhurst Heights, and New Elmhurst.
Prior to World War II, Elmhurst was an almost exclusively Jewish and Italian neighborhood. Following the war, Elmhurst evolved into what has been considered one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in New York City. By the 1980s, there were persons from 112 nations in residence.
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census people living the 11373(Elmhurst) zip code were:
| Race |
Number |
Percent |
| Hispanic Hispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
/LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American or Spanish-speaking descent."* "A Latin American."...
|
45,529 |
43.1 |
| Asian Asian people or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia...
|
41,175 |
38.9 |
| White White is a color, the perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
|
35,598 |
33.7 |
| Some other race |
19,960 |
18.9 |
| Two or more races |
6,096 |
5.8 |
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
|
2,114 |
2.0 |
American IndianNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
and Alaska Native |
705 |
0.7 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander |
75 |
0.1 |
Historic churches
Five churches of historic vintage are still extant and in use, two of which have historical graveyards.
- First Presbyterian Church of Newtown (Queens Boulevard and 54th Avenue) which was built in 1893 and whose congregation was established in 1652.
- St. James Parish Hall (Originally St. James Episcopal Church, at Broadway and 51st Avenue), which was built in 1734.
- St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church (52-29 83rd St.), which was founded in 1832.
- Reformed Dutch Church of Newtown (85-15 Broadway at Corona Avenue), founded 1731, present structure built in 1834.
- Elmhurst Baptist Church (87-37 Whitney Avenue at the corner of Judge Street and Whitney Avenue), founded 1900 and built in 1902.
Shopping
Elmhurst is home to two urban shopping malls. The recently expanded
Queens CenterQueens Center is an urban shopping mall owned by The Macerich Company in the Elmhurst section of Queens, a borough of New York City. It is located at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard, two of the borough's busiest streets. It is adjacent to the Woodhaven Boulevard ...
, the most profitable mall per square foot in the United States, and the recently renovated and expanded
Queens Place MallQueens Place Mall is an urban shopping mall in New York City, New York, USA. Just northwest of the larger Queens Center, it is located on Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Elmhurst, Queens. The building originally contained a Stern's and before that a Macy's, until it was bought out and...
, a smaller round shopping center originally built as a
Macy'sMacy's is a chain of mid-to-high range American department stores. Its selection of merchandise can vary significantly from location to location, resulting in the exclusive availability of certain brands in only higher-end stores...
branch. It also has many furniture stores adjacent to Grand Avenue on
Queens BoulevardQueens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens, connecting communities from Long Island City to Jamaica. It forms part of New York State Route 25.-Location:...
.
Education
Elmhurst is part of New York City's Department of Education Region 4. . Schools in Elmhurst include:
Transportation
Accessible
subwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
stations are
Woodhaven BoulevardWoodhaven Boulevard is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. The "Slattery Plaza" label is now out of date. Slattery Plaza is the old name of the area where four main Queens thoroughfares met...
, Grand Avenue–Newtown and
Elmhurst AvenueElmhurst Avenue is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Elmhurst Avenue and Broadway in Elmhurst, Queens, it is served by the ' train , by the ' train , by the ' train , and by the ' train .The mezzanine...
, all served by the trains of the
IND Queens Boulevard LineThe Queens Boulevard Line is a fully underground line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line provides crosstown service across Manhattan under 53rd Street and east through Queens to Jamaica. The two-track section in Manhattan is...
. In addition, the
IRT Flushing LineThe Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
, served by the train, runs along Roosevelt Avenue, the north border of Elmhurst, with stations at 74th Street–Broadway, 82nd Street–Jackson Heights and 90th Street–Elmhurst Avenue. Buses include the Q53, Q58, Q59, Q29, and Q60.
Popular culture
McDowell's, the fictional restaurant depicted in the
1988-Top grossing films :source: http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm- Awards :Academy Awards:* Alice * Alien Nation, starring James Caan and Mandy Patinkin* Amsterdamned...
film
Coming to AmericaComing to America is a 1988 comedy film, directed by John Landis. The screenplay was written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, from a story by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the film. Murphy plays an African prince, who heads to the United States in hopes of finding a woman he can marry...
, is located in Elmhurst. The filmmakers cosmetically altered an existing
Wendy'sWendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers is an international chain of fast food restaurants founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. As of December 2006, Wendy's was the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,700 locations following McDonald's 31,000...
restaurant for the week-long location shoot.
Elmhurst has also produced a number of NBA basketball players, including
Smush ParkerWilliam Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player, who until recently, was on the Denver Nuggets training camp roster, where he was competing for a spot on the roster, but was ultimately cut. Parker played shooting guard in college, but moved to point guard in the NBA...
(Guard for L.A. Clippers) and
Charlie VillanuevaCharlie Alexander Villanueva is an American-Dominican National Basketball Association player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons....
(Forward for
Milwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They play in the National Basketball Association . The current franchise owner is Herb Kohl.- Early years :...
).
For many years Elmhurst was a familiar name due to the Elmhurst Gas Tanks (officially the Newtown Holder Station), a pair of large
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
storage
structuresA gas holder is a large container where natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressure coming from the weight of a movable cap...
built in 1910 and 1921. Because the Long Island Expressway (LIE) frequently became congested in that area, "backup at the Elmhurst Gas Tanks" became a familiar phrase heard in radio traffic reports. Being literal rather than legal
landmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
s, the gas holders were removed in 2001.
ECWECW may refer to:Professional wrestling*Extreme Championship Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001* ECW on TNN, a professional wrestling television program produced by the original promotion from 1999 to 2000...
and other Wrestling groups like Usa Pro Wrestling The Long Island Wrestling Federation and Ulimate Championship Wrestling/Impact Championship Wrestling ran Wrestling Shows at the Elks Lodge on Queens Blvd in Elmhurst from 1997-2003. the Elks Lodge is now a Korean Church
Notable residents
- Omar Minaya
Omar Teodoro Antonio Minaya y Sanchez , best known as Omar Minaya, is a baseball executive who is currently the General Manager of the New York Mets.-Early life:...
, General Manager of the New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
, former Elmhurst resident and Newtown High SchoolNewtown High School is a high school in Elmhurst, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Its multinational student body consists of approximately 4,030 students.-Academics:...
Alumnus. He remains active in the community today.
- Carroll O'Connor
John Carroll O'Connor , best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
, actor, best known for his role as Archie BunkerArchibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional character in the long-running and top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place. He is a reactionary, bigoted, conservative blue-collar worker and family man, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor...
on All in the FamilyAll in the Family is an American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker's Place...
.
- Antonin Scalia
is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan having previously served on the D.C. Circuit and in the Nixon and Ford administrations, and teaching law at the Universities of Virginia and Chicago...
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- Julissa Bermudez
Julissa Bermudez is a Dominican actress. She is best known for her work as co-host on BET's most popular music video countdown show 106 & Park.- Early life :...
, actress who was raised in the community best known for her work as co-host for BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
's highest rated countdown show 106 & Park106 & Park is a music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays on BET. Currently, it is the network's number one rated show.-History:...
.
Sources
- AIA Guide to New York City, 3rd Edition (1988) ISBN 0-15-104040-0 (Hardcover); ISBN 0-15-603600-2 (Paperback)
- The Encyclopedia of New York City (1995) ISBN 0-300-05536-6 .
External links