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Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough
Borough (New York City)

New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and it is segmented into boroughs for various reasons. A borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the History of New York City ....
 of Queens
Queens

Queens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Borough which form the New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a Administrative divisions of New York#County of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States United States....
 in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. It was settled under Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 rule in 1656 in New Netherland
New Netherland

File:Seal of new netherland.jpgNew Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the seventeenth-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the Eastern Seaboard of North America....
 as Rustdorp. Under British rule, it became the center of the Town of Jamaica. Jamaica was the county seat of Queens County from the formation of the county in 1683 until March 7, 1788, when the town was reorganized by the state government and the county seat was moved to Mineola
Mineola, New York

Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, New York, United States. The population was 19,233 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a Native Americans in the United States word meaning a "pleasant place."...
 (now part of Nassau County).






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Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough
Borough (New York City)

New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and it is segmented into boroughs for various reasons. A borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the History of New York City ....
 of Queens
Queens

Queens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Borough which form the New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a Administrative divisions of New York#County of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States United States....
 in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. It was settled under Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 rule in 1656 in New Netherland
New Netherland

File:Seal of new netherland.jpgNew Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the seventeenth-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the Eastern Seaboard of North America....
 as Rustdorp. Under British rule, it became the center of the Town of Jamaica. Jamaica was the county seat of Queens County from the formation of the county in 1683 until March 7, 1788, when the town was reorganized by the state government and the county seat was moved to Mineola
Mineola, New York

Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, New York, United States. The population was 19,233 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a Native Americans in the United States word meaning a "pleasant place."...
 (now part of Nassau County). When Queens was incorporated into the City of Greater New York
City of Greater New York

The 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 Staten Island, Brooklyn, the western part of Queens, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx ....
 in 1898, both the Town of Jamaica and the Village of Jamaica were dissolved, but the neighborhood of Jamaica regained its role as county seat. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 12
Queens Community Board 12

The Queens Community Board 12 is a local government in the New York City borough of Queens, encompassing the List of Queens neighborhoods of Jamaica, Queens, Hollis, Queens, St....
. Jamaica is patrolled by the NYPD's 103rd Precinct.

Previously known as one of the predominantly African American
African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
 neighborhoods in the borough of Queens, Jamaica in recent years has been undergoing a sharp influx of other ethnicities. It has a substantial concentration of West Indian immigrants, India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
ns, Arabs, Russians
Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavs ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.The English language term Russians is used to refer to the citizens of Russia, regardless of their ethnicity ; in Russian language, the demonym Russian is translated as Rossiyanin ....
, Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans in the United States

Puerto Ricans in the United States They form the second largest Hispanic and Latino Americans group in the United States, and contain the second largest group of White Hispanic and Latino Americans....
, Dominicans as well as many long-established African American families. A few East Asian families are also known to have recently put down roots in Jamaica.

The neighborhood of Jamaica is completely unrelated to the Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
 nation of Jamaica
Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. It is about south of Cuba, and west of the island of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated....
 (although Jamaican immigrants do live in the area); the name similarity is a coincidence. The English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, who took it over in 1664, named the area "Jameco," for the Jameco Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
, who resided on the northern shores of Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay

Jamaica Bay is a lagoon that lies in the shadow of New York City's skyscrapers and is adjacent to John F. Kennedy International Airport....
, and whose name means "beaver" in Algonquian languages
Algonquian languages

The Algonquian languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic languages language family ....
.

Jamaica is the location of several government buildings including Queens Civil Court
New York City Civil Court

The New York City Civil Court is a court hearing civil cases within New York City. The court's jurisdiction includes civil actions for damages arising within the five counties of New York City involving claims of up to $25,000, as well as residential and commercial landlord-tenant disputes....
 and the civil branch of the Queens County Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the State of New York is New York's trial court, and is of general jurisdiction. There is a supreme court in each of List of New York counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties....
. Jamaica Center, the area around Jamaica Avenue
Jamaica Avenue

Jamaica Avenue or The Ave., as it is called by locals, is a major avenue in the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States....
 and 165th Street, is a major commercial center, as well as the home of the Central Library of the Queens Borough Public Library
Queens Borough Public Library

The Queens Library, also known as the Queens Borough Public Library, is the public library for the Borough of Queens, New York and one of three library systems serving New York, New York....
.

Some locals group Jamaica's surrounding neighborhoods into an unofficial Greater Jamaica, roughly corresponding to the former Town of Jamaica, including Woodhaven
Woodhaven, Queens

Woodhaven is a middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.Woodhaven is bordered on the north by a public park, Forest Park , and Park Lane South....
, St. Albans
St. Albans, Queens

St. Albans is a suburban community in the New York City borough of Queens around the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Farmers Boulevard, southeast of Jamaica, Queens, west of Cambria Heights, Queens and northwest of Springfield Gardens, Queens and Laurelton, Queens....
, Springfield Gardens
Springfield Gardens, Queens

Springfield Gardens is a neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St. Albans, Queens, to the east by Laurelton, Queens & Rosedale, Queens, to the south by John F....
, Hollis
Hollis, Queens

Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. A predominantly African American community, the boundaries are considered to be the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road to the west, Jamaica Avenue to the north, Francis Lewis Boulevard to the east and Murdock Avenue to the south....
, Laurelton
Laurelton, Queens

Laurelton is a urban neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is now a largely African American and West Indian middle-class-upper-middle class neighborhood....
, Queens Village
Queens Village, Queens

Queens Village is a middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, covering the zip codes 11427 , 11428 , and 11429 . The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 13....
, Howard Beach
Howard Beach, Queens

Howard Beach is a middle class neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue, the south by Jamaica Bay, the east by 102nd-104th Streets and the west by 78th Street....
 and Ozone Park
Ozone Park, Queens

Ozone Park is a middle class neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens bordering Woodhaven, Queens, Richmond Hill, Queens, Howard Beach, Queens....
. The New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association

The New York Racing Association is the non-profit management group that runs the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the U.S. state of New York....
, based at Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack

Aqueduct Racetrack, known as the Big A, is a horse racetrack in the neighborhood of Ozone Park, Queens in the New York City borough of Queens....
 in South Ozone Park, lists its official address as Jamaica (Central Jamaica once housed NYRA's Jamaica Racetrack, now the massive Rochdale Village
Rochdale, Queens

Rochdale Village is a 20-building, 5,860-apartment residential cooperative designed by architect Herman Jessor and built by the United Housing Foundation, consisting of five circles of four buildings in the South Jamaica, Queens neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens....
 housing development).

History

Jamaica Avenue
Jamaica Avenue

Jamaica Avenue or The Ave., as it is called by locals, is a major avenue in the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States....
 was an ancient trail for tribes from as far away as the Ohio River
Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
 and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes

The St. Lawrence River Great Lakes are a chain of fresh water lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada ? United States border. Consisting of Lakes Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth....
, coming to trade skins and furs for wampum
Wampum

Wampum is a string of creamy white colored shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell, and is traditionally used by Indigenous Americans, First Nations peoples, Native Americans in the United States, hobbyists, business people, and Merchant, who regarded it as a sacred or trade representative of the value of the arti...
. It was in 1655 that the first settlers paid the Native Americans with two guns, a coat, and some powder and lead, for the land lying between the old trail and "Beaver Pond" (later Baisley Pond). Dutch Director-General
Director-General of New Netherland

This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch Republic province of New Netherland in North America....
 Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant

Peter Stuyvesant served as the last Netherlands Director-General of New Amsterdam of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664....
 dubbed the area "Rustdorp" in granting the 1656 land patent
Land patent

A land patent is evidence of right, Title , and/or interest to a wikt:tract of land, usually granted by a central government, Federal government, or state government to an individual or private company....
.

The English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 took over in 1664, renamed it "Jameco" for the Jameco (or Yamecah) Native Americans, and made it part of the county of Yorkshire
Yorkshire County, Province of New York

On 1664-08-29, The Duke of York?s forces captured New Amsterdam from the Dutch as part of their conquest of New Netherland. They renamed New Amsterdam as the Privince of New York, which included modern New York, New Jersey, Vermont, southeast Pennsylvania, and Delaware....
. In 1683, when the British divided the Province of New York
Province of New York

The Province of New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie New Netherland by the Kingdom of England, and included all of the present U.S....
 into counties, Jamaica became the county seat of Queens County, one of the original counties of New York.

Colonial Jamaica had a band of 56 Minutemen that played an active part in the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island

}|-||-||}The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the first battle in which...
, the outcome of which led to the occupation of the New York City area by British troops during most of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
. In Jamaica, "George Washington slept here" is indeed true — in 1790, in William Warner's tavern. Rufus King
Rufus King

Rufus King was an United States lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention....
, a signer of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
, relocated here in 1805. He added to a modest 18th-century farmhouse, creating the manor which stands on the site today. King Manor has recently been restored to its former glory, and now houses King Manor Museum.

By 1776, Jamaica had become a trading post for farmers and their produce. For more than a century, their horse-drawn carts plodded along Jamaica Avenue, then called King's Highway. The Jamaica Post Office opened September 25, 1794, and was the only post office in the present-day Boroughs of Queens or Brooklyn before 1803. The public school system started in 1813, funded for $125 and a year later, Jamaica Village was incorporated. By 1834, the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad company had completed a line to Jamaica.

In 1850, the former Kings Highway (now Jamaica Avenue) became the Brooklyn and Jamaica Plank Road
Plank road

A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or dirt road covered with a series of Boards, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie....
, complete with toll gate. In 1866, tracks were laid for a horsecar
Horsecar

A horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of transit developed out of industrial haulage routes or from the the bus that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly-invented iron or steel rail or 'Tramway '....
 line, and 20 years later it was electrified, the first in the state. On January 1, 1898, Queens became part of the City of New York
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, and Jamaica became the county seat.

The present Jamaica station of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York that has been classified as a Class II railroad by the Surface Transportation Board....
 was completed in 1913, and the BMT Jamaica Line
BMT Jamaica Line

The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States....
 arrived in 1918. The 1920s and 1930s saw the building of the Valencia Theatre (now restored by the Tabernacle of Prayer), the "futuristic" Kurtz furniture Store and the Roxanne Building.

Demographics and neighborhoods


Jamaica is very large and expansive area with a wide array of diversity in its population. Although formerly predominantly African American, it is reported that 27.69% of the population is now Asian, 25.01% white, 24.34% other, and 22.14% black. While the corresponding figures represent a certain portion of Jamaica, official statistics differ by the area's numerous zip codes such as 11432, 11433, 11434, 11435, and 11436. The total population of Jamaica is estimated to be a bit over 90,000 with all neighborhoods taken into consideration.

Jamaica was not always as diverse as it is today. Throughout the 19th to early 20th centuries, Jamaica was mainly populated with whites as new Irish immigrants settled around the places known today as Downtown and Baisley Pond Park. However in the 1950s, what was later called white flight
White flight

White flight is a term for the demographics trend in which working class and middle-class white people move away from suburbs or urban area neighborhoods that are becoming racially desegregation to white suburbs and Commuter town....
 began and middle-income African Americans started taking their place. After the 1970s, as housing prices began to tumble, many Hispanic and west Indian immigrants moved in. These ethnic groups tended to stay more towards the Jamaica Avenue and South Jamaica areas. Yet it wasn't until the late 1990s and early 2000s that immigration from other countries became widespread. Gentrification
Gentrification

Gentrification, or urban gentrification, is the change in an urban area associated with the population mobility of more affluent individuals into a lower-class area....
 and decrease in crime attracted many families toward Jamaica's safe havens. Hillside Avenue is a complete reflection of this trend. Along 150th to 161st streets, much of the stores and restaurants are of South American and Caribbean culture. Heading further east is the rapidly growing East Indian community. Mainly spurred on by Jamaica Muslim Center, Bangladeshis have flocked to this area due to easy transit access and the numerous Bangladeshi stores and restaurants lining 167th and 168th streets. Neighborhood analysts have concluded that Bangladeshis are becoming the most rapidly growing group. Other areas where they are known to reside include Merrick Blvd. and Sutphin Blvd. in South Jamaica. Yet heading down this same direction, you will find numerous churches, stores, salons, and hair-braiding shops thriving in the hip-hop and African-American cultures. After 2002, crime rates went up due to young Bangladeshis and Hispanics forming street gangs. The two most rapidly growing street gangs in Jamaica are Bangladeshi gangs known as "BDP" and the "Jamaica Goons". Older gangs in this neighborhood are Hispanic and African-American street gangs known as the "Latin Kings", "LB", "MS 13" and the "Bloods". Other corruptions in the area have occurred because of local teens who call themselves "The Crew". The Crew consists of young African-Americans, Bangladeshi-Americans and Latino-Americans. Most of the vandalism done in this area have been "work pieces" of this group of teens.

Economy

Economic development was long neglected. In the 1960s and 1970s, many big box retailers moved into suburban areas where business was more profitable. Such retailers included brand name stores, commercial strips and movie theaters that once thrived in Jamaica's busiest areas. Macy's
Macy's

Macy's is a chain of mid to high range United States department stores. Its flagship store in Herald Square, New York City has been billed as the "world's largest store" since 1924, although today it ties with London's Harrods in vastness of selling space....
 and the Valencia theater were the last companies to move out in 1969. The 1980s brought in the crack epidemic
Crack Epidemic

The crack epidemic refers to the surge of crack houses and crack cocaine use in major cities in the United States between 1984 and 1990. Fallout from the crack epidemic included a huge surge in addiction, homelessness, murder, theft, robbery, and long-term imprisonment....
 which created even more hardship as well as crime. Prime real estate spaces were replaced by unsuccessful hair salons and 99 cents stores. Furthermore, existing zoning patterns and inadequate infrastructure did not anticipate future development. However since then, the government reaction towards fighting crime and the recent decrease of the crime rate have provided a positive reaction to potential entrepreneurs who plan to invest in the area. The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC) is a long-standing nonprofit organization that has done an excellent job in promoting development. They have acquired valuable real estate and sold them to national chains in order to expand neighborhood opportunities for advancement. As well they have completed underway proposals by allocating funds and providing loans to potential investors who have already established something in the area. One Jamaica Center is a mixed-use commercial complex that was built in 2002 housing Old Navy
Old Navy

Old Navy is a brand of clothing and chain of stores owned by Gap Old Navy Old Navy's corporate operations are within Gap in San Francisco and San Bruno, California, California....
, Bally Total Fitness
Bally Total Fitness

Bally Total Fitness is an United States Health club chain with four hundred gyms in seventy cities, and claims four million customers. At its peak, prior to filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2007, Bally operated nearly 440 facilities located in 29 states, Mexico, Canada, Korea, China and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness, Crunch Fitne...
, Gap, and a 15-screen multiplex theater. Banking has also made a strong revival as Bank of America
Bank of America

Bank of America Corporation , based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest financial services company in the world, largest bank by assets, second largest commercial bank by deposits, and third largest by market capitalization in the United States....
, Sterling National Bank, Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual

Washington Mutual, Inc. is a Bank holding company and the former owner of JPMorgan Chase#Washington Mutual, which was the United States' largest savings and loan association....
, and Carver Federal Savings Bank have each created at least one branch along various major streets: Jamaica Avenue, Parsons Boulevard, Merrick Boulevard, and Sutphin Boulevard. A $75 million deal with Home Depot cleared the way for a new location at 168th St. and Archer Ave. All approvals were obtained within three months of the application dates.

The most prominent piece of development has been the creation of the Sutphin Boulevard transit hub aka "Jamaica Station" which was fully completed in 2003. It includes the Sutphin Blvd. E, J, and Z subway subway station, LIRR
Lirr

Lirr or LIRR may refer to:*Long Island Rail Road, a railroad on Long Island, New York, USA*Lapeer Industrial Railroad*Leeds Inner Ring Road, a motorway and A-road circling Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, and the Airtrain JFK
AirTrain JFK

AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile people mover system in New York City that connects John F. Kennedy International Airport to the city's subway and commuter trains, and airport parking lots....
 which provides a 5-7 minute direct ride from Jamaica to John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located on Long Island, in Queens County, New York in southeastern New York City about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan....
. The Airtrain station remains the central figure for ongoing economic progress. With the growing number of riders each day passing through this station, the city is providing some major changes to the surrounding blocks of this massive hub of transport.

Currently Jamaica has great potential to be a premier business center in New York City following the examples of major redevelopment occurring in Long Island City, Flushing
Flushing, Queens

Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York City borough of Queens , ten miles east of Manhattan....
, and Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn

Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn....
. In 2005, the New York City Department of City Planning drafted a plan that would rezone 368 blocks of Jamaica in order to stimulate new development, relieve the overwhelming traffic situation, and shift upscale amenities away from low-density residential neighborhoods. The plan includes up-zoning the immediate areas around Jamaica Station to accommodate passengers traveling through the area. To improve infrastructure the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation has agreed to create more greenery and open spaces to allow pedestrians to enjoy the scenery. At the same time, the city has reserved the right to protect the suburban/residential charm of neighboring areas. Several blocks will be down-zoned to keep up with the existing neighborhood character. On September 10,2007 the City Council overwhelmingly approved the . Structures of up to 28 stories can be built around the main transit hub as well as residential buildings of up to 7 stories can be built on Hillside Ave. As of today, there are a few up and coming projects. The New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation

is a non-profit local development corporation that promotes economic growth across New York City's five boroughs. Over the corporation's lifetime, NYCEDC initiatives have brought the City billions of dollars in private investment and helped to create thousands of local jobs....
 has issued an RFP for redevelopment of a 45,000 sq. ft. abandoned garage located at 168th St. and 93rd Ave. Plans are underway to convert this space into retail and parking spots. "TechnoMart Queens" has been the first ever declared approved project. Located at Sutphin Blvd. and 94th Ave., Korean Based Prime Construction Corp., Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, and several other partners have signed a deal to create a 13-story Mega-mall. 9 floors will be dedicated towards wholesale electronics, 3 floors to retail space for shopping, and it is estimated to contain parking for up to 800 cars. Groundbreaking on this site will initiate in late 2008 and is slated for completion by mid-2011. The GJDC has announced in their newsletter that another site adjacent to the mall will be converted into a hotel for Airtrain passengers. Official groundbreaking information has not been released nor declared yet its completion is set for 2010.

Grupo TACA
Grupo TACA

TACA is an international airline headquartered in San Salvador, El Salvador. Its IATA two letter code is TA.TACA as the trade name "brand" is comprised by a group of five indepedently IATA coded and owned Central American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one and a number of other independently owned and IATA code...
 operates a Jamaica-area TACA Satellite at 149-16 Jamaica Avenue.

Transportation

Jamaica Station
Jamaica (LIRR station)

Jamaica Station is the major hub and headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road, and is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. It is the largest transit hub on Long Island and is one of the busiest railroad stations in the country with over 200,000 daily passengers....
 is a central transfer point on the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York that has been classified as a Class II railroad by the Surface Transportation Board....
 (LIRR), which is headquartered in a building adjoining the station; all but one of the commuter railroad's lines (the exception being the Port Washington Branch
Port Washington Branch

The 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....
) run through Jamaica.

The New York City Subway
New York City Subway

The 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....
's IND Queens Boulevard Line
IND Queens Boulevard Line

The 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....
  terminates at 179th Street, at the foot of Jamaica Estates, a neighborhood of mansions east of Jamaica's central business district. The Archer Avenue Line
Archer Avenue Line

The Archer Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the New York City Subway, mostly running under Archer Avenue in the Jamaica, Queens neighborhood of Queens....
, which opened in 1988 , terminates at Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer
Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer (Archer Avenue Line)

Jamaica Center?Parsons/Archer is the northern terminal station on the IND Archer Avenue Line and BMT Archer Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located at Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens....
. Jamaica Center is not just a transit hub; it is also the name of a business and government center that includes a federal office building, and a shopping mall and theater multiplex (One Jamaica Center), and is adjacent to various other businesses and agencies, such as the main forensic laboratory facility for the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department , established in 1844, is currently the largest police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within Borough of New York City....
.

Jamaica's bus network provides extensive service across eastern Queens, as well as to destinations as distant as Hicksville
Hicksville, New York

Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, New York, United States. The population was 41,260 at the 2000 census....
 in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York

Nassau County is a suburban Political subdivisions of New York State#County in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S....
, Q44 serves to western Bronx
The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the Five Boroughs of New York City and the newest of the 62 Administrative divisions of New York#county of New York State....
, the Rockaways
Rockaway, Queens

The Rockaway Peninsula, also known as The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, most of which is located within the borough of Queens in New York City....
, and Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan

Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square....
. Nearly all bus lines serving Jamaica terminate there; most do so at the 165th Street Bus Terminal or the Jamaica Center subway station.

Jamaica, a large, sprawling neighborhood, is also home to John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located on Long Island, in Queens County, New York in southeastern New York City about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan....
—one of the busiest international airports in the United States and the world— public transportation passengers are connected to airline terminals by AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK

AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile people mover system in New York City that connects John F. Kennedy International Airport to the city's subway and commuter trains, and airport parking lots....
, which operates as both an airport terminal circulator and rail connection to central Jamaica at the integrated LIRR and bilevel subway station located at Sutphin Blvd and Archer Avenue.

Major streets include Archer Avenue, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Merrick Boulevard
Merrick Road

Merrick Road, named Merrick Boulevard inside New York City, is a road running from Jamaica, Queens, New York east through Merrick, New York to the line between Nassau County, New York and Suffolk County, New York Counties, where it becomes Montauk Highway....
, Parsons Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard (formerly known as New York Boulevard), and Sutphin Boulevard, as well as the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678)
Interstate 678

Interstate 678 is a north-south spur route in the Interstate Highway System that runs 14 miles entirely within two borough s of New York City: Queens and the Bronx....
 and the Grand Central Parkway
Grand Central Parkway

The Grand Central Parkway is a parkway that stretches from the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge in New York City to Nassau County, New York on Long Island....
.

Neighboring areas are Jamaica Estates
Jamaica Estates, Queens

Jamaica Estates is located in the New York City borough of Queens and is a wealthy neighborhood. Jamaica Estates is part of Queens Community Board 8 It is bounded by Union Turnpike to the North, New York State Route 25B to the South, Utopia Parkway and Homelawn Street to the West and 188th Street to the East....
, Jamaica Hills
Jamaica Hills

Jamaica Hills is a small neighborhood in the east central portion of the former Township of Jamaica, Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is surrounded by the Grand Central Parkway , Jamaica Estates, Queens , Hillside Avenue , and Briarwood, Queens ....
, Briarwood
Briarwood, Queens

Briarwood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located northwest of Jamaica, Queens and roughly bounded by Queens Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Union Turnpike , and Hillside Avenue....
, Cambria Heights, St. Albans
St. Albans, Queens

St. Albans is a suburban community in the New York City borough of Queens around the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Farmers Boulevard, southeast of Jamaica, Queens, west of Cambria Heights, Queens and northwest of Springfield Gardens, Queens and Laurelton, Queens....
, Hollis
Hollis, Queens

Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. A predominantly African American community, the boundaries are considered to be the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road to the west, Jamaica Avenue to the north, Francis Lewis Boulevard to the east and Murdock Avenue to the south....
, Queens Village
Queens Village, Queens

Queens Village is a middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, covering the zip codes 11427 , 11428 , and 11429 . The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 13....
, South Ozone Park
South Ozone Park, Queens

South Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens. It was originally developed as low-cost housing in the early 1900s....
, Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens, Queens

Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north by the Jackie Robinson Parkway , to the east by Van Wyck Expressway and 131st Street, to the south by Hillside Avenue , and to the west by Park Lane, Abingdon Road and 118th Street....
, Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Queens

Richmond Hill is a middle class neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, United States. It is bordered by Kew Gardens, Queens to the north, Woodhaven, Queens and Ozone Park to the west, South Ozone Park, Queens to the south and South Jamaica to the east....
, Laurelton
Laurelton, Queens

Laurelton is a urban neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is now a largely African American and West Indian middle-class-upper-middle class neighborhood....
, Rosedale
Rosedale, Queens

Rosedale is a neighborhood in Queens. The neighborhood is on the Nassau County, New York - Queens border and is part of Queens Community Board 13....
, Brookville, Rochdale
Rochdale, Queens

Rochdale Village is a 20-building, 5,860-apartment residential cooperative designed by architect Herman Jessor and built by the United Housing Foundation, consisting of five circles of four buildings in the South Jamaica, Queens neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens....
, South Jamaica
South Jamaica, Queens

South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, Queens, the Long Island Rail Road tracks and Liberty Avenue....
, Springfield Gardens
Springfield Gardens, Queens

Springfield Gardens is a neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St. Albans, Queens, to the east by Laurelton, Queens & Rosedale, Queens, to the south by John F....
, Hillcrest
Hillcrest, Queens

Hillcrest is a small residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is located between Flushing, Queens and Jamaica, Queens....
,Kew Gardens Hills, Fresh Meadows. South Flushing, and Woodhaven
Woodhaven, Queens

Woodhaven is a middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.Woodhaven is bordered on the north by a public park, Forest Park , and Park Lane South....
.

Major throughfares


Jamaica Avenue


Jamaica Avenue
Jamaica Avenue

Jamaica Avenue or The Ave., as it is called by locals, is a major avenue in the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States....
 or sometimes known as the "Ave" is Jamaica's busiest thoroughfare. The route actually begins at Broadway Junction
Broadway Junction (Brooklyn)

Broadway Junction is a multi-use neighborhood in East New York, Brooklyn, defined by Broadway to the north, Atlantic Avenue to the south, Rockaway Avenue to the west, and Van Sinderen Avenue to the east....
 in Brooklyn, near the boundary of the East New York neighborhood. The Avenue enters Jamaica east of the Van Wyck Expressway, and it brings the traveler to the Joseph Addabbo
Joseph Patrick Addabbo

Joseph Patrick Addabbo was a New York City politician who served as a Democratic Party in the United States House of Representatives from 1961 to 1986....
 Social Security Administration Building, courthouses and the main building of the Queens Library, along with many discount stores offering a variety of goods. Jamaica Avenue also sets the tone for historical and cultural amenities. The 200-year-old King Manor Museum
King Manor

King Manor, also known as Rufus King House, is in Jamaica, Queens. It was the home of Rufus King, a signer of the United States Constitution, a Senator from New York, and Ambassador to Great Britain immediately after the American Revolution....
, once home to Rufus King
Rufus King

Rufus King was an United States lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention....
, a founding father of America, is located at the corner of 153rd St. and Jamaica Ave. It includes a 2-story museum with over an acre of land and a public park. Directly across from the Museum is the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, part of the , represents a long sought adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse

Adaptive reuse is the process of adapting old structures for purposes other than those initially intended.When the original use of a structure changes or is no longer required, as with older buildings from the industrial revolution, architects have the opportunity to change the primary function of the structure, while retaining some of the...
 of the landmark, 150 year old former Dutch Reformed Church. It was completed in 2007.

Hillside Avenue

Hillside Avenue is located along the northern boundary of Jamaica. It is served by the , which runs all the way from Sutphin Boulevard
Sutphin Boulevard (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Sutphin Boulevard is a local metro station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Full time fare control is at Sutphin Boulevard and contains three street stairs....
 to 179th Street, where it terminates. Hillside Avenue starts off in the Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill may refer to:...
 area and runs east bypassing Ozone Park, running throughout Jamaica, and into Queens Village and Long Island. It consists of a wide 6 lane street with numerous commercial activity. The Q43 Bus runs its entire length starting off in Sutphin Boulevard. Today, Hillside Avenue. is recognized to be a neighborhood within itself with respect to Jamaica known simply as "Hillside", "Hills", or "Jamaica Hills". The enormous cultural diversity is well foreseeable in this region. Within every couple or so blocks, there is a unique transition of one ethnic group to another. From 148th Street to 150th Street, one will find numerous wholesale and merchandise shops with a well amount of family oriented restaurants of South American descent. From 151st Street and into 164th Street, there is an unprecedented amount of groceries and restaurants pertaining to the West Indies. Mainly of Guyanese and Trinidadian origin, these stores serve their respective population living in and around the Jamaica Center area. Lastly, advancing east from 167th Street to 171st Street, there is an enormous amount of East Indian shops. Mainly invested by the evergrowing Bangladeshi population, hundreds of South Asians come here to shop for Eastern goods not found anywhere else in Queens. Also restaurants such as "Sagar", "Ghoroa", "Desi Shaad" and countless more resemble the Bangladeshi stronghold here. Some people actually refer to this area as being another "Little South Asia" similar to that of Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3....
.

Sutphin Boulevard

Sutphin Boulevard is Jamaica's second busiest throughfare. It is home to the , , and trains, the LIRR
Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York that has been classified as a Class II railroad by the Surface Transportation Board....
,AirTrain JFK
AirTrain JFK

AirTrain JFK is an 8.1-mile people mover system in New York City that connects John F. Kennedy International Airport to the city's subway and commuter trains, and airport parking lots....
, and two Queens Courthouses. It begins at Hillside Avenue and 147th Place in the north and works its way downward connecting with Jamaica Avenue, Archer Avenue, Liberty Ave., South Road, Linden Boulevard, and finally terminates at Baisley Boulevard. At first it is a small four-lane street, but when reaching the downtown area it curves into a complete six-lane passageway. At 95th Avenue, it reemerges from the LIRR underpass and becomes a four-lane street once more until its endpoint.

Education


Colleges and universities

Several colleges and universities make their home in Jamaica proper or in its close vicinity, most notably:
  • York College, a Senior College of the City University of New York
    City University of New York

    Not to be confused with New York University formerly known as the University of the City of New York.For similar uses see University of New York...
  • St. John's University
    St. John's University (New York City)

    St. John's University is a private university, Catholicism, coeducational university located in New York City, United States. Founded by the Vincentian Fathers in 1870, the school was originally located in the borough of Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant....
     (Queens Campus), A private, Roman Catholic University founded by the Vincentian Fathers (Lazarists
    Lazarists

    Lazarites are the popular names of the members of the Congregation of the Mission in the Roman Catholic Church. They are a vowed Roman Catholic religious order of priests and brothers associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations who claim St....
    )


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools
Jamaica's public schools are operated by the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. These schools form the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,400 separate schools....
.

Public high schools in Jamaica include:
  • Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School
    Thomas A. Edison High School (New York City)

    Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School is a public secondary school in Queens's Jamaica community in New York City. The school is rather distinctive in that it is one of the few public high schools in New York City to offer Vocational-technical school and well known for its large male population....
  • Hillcrest High School
    Hillcrest High School (New York City)

    Hillcrest High School is a four-year public high school located in Jamaica , in the New York City borough of Queens. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Education....
  • Jamaica High School
    Jamaica High School (New York City)

    Jamaica High School is a secondary school in New York City, United States. The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education....
  • Queens High School for the Sciences
    Queens High School for the Sciences

    The Queens High School for the Sciences at York College is one of the nine specialized high schools in New York City that admit students based on their scores on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test....
     at York College
  • Andrew Jackson High School
  • Queens Gateway for the Health Sciences High School
  • High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety


Public Elementary Schools in Jamaica include:


Private schools
Private schools in Jamaica include:
  • Al-Iman School
    Al-Iman School

    The Al-Iman School is an islamic school catering for muslim students. The school, located in Jamaica, Queens, Queens, New York, United States, was established in September 1990....
    , an islam
    Islam

    Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
    ic PK-12 school.
  • Archbishop Molloy High School
    Archbishop Molloy High School

    Archbishop Molloy High School is a co-educational Catholic school for grades 9-12, located on in the Briarwood, Queens section of Queens in New York City, thirty minutes east of Manhattan....
    .
  • Immaculate Conception School
    Immaculate Conception School

    There are multiple schools with the name Immaculate Conception School:Canada*Immaculate Conception School , Delta, British ColumbiaUnited States...
    , a co-ed Catholic school from Pre-K to 8th grade. The school is a local landmark located on the property of Immaculate Conception Church and Monastery, run by The Passionist Congregation of Priests.
  • The Mary Louis Academy
    The Mary Louis Academy

    The Mary Louis Academy, also known as TMLA, is an elite, highly selective, Catholic academy offering the most comprehensive course of secondary college preparatory education, restricting admission solely to young women....
    , a private, Catholic, girls' high school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph
    Sisters of St. Joseph

    The Sisters of St. Joseph are a Roman Catholic Holy Orders of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. The order has approximately 14,000 members worldwide: about 7,000 in the United States; 2,000 in France; and are active in fifty other countries....
    .


The Catholic schools are administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes territory that was previously part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, was established as a separate diocese in 1853 when Brooklyn was a separate city from New York City....
.

Libraries
The Central Library of the Queens Borough Public Library
Queens Borough Public Library

The Queens Library, also known as the Queens Borough Public Library, is the public library for the Borough of Queens, New York and one of three library systems serving New York, New York....
, the nation's highest circulation public library system, is in Jamaica. The Baisley Park Branch and the South Jamaica Branch are also located in Jamaica.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Jamaica include:
  • Cecily Adams
    Cecily Adams

    Cecily April Adams was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, the daughter of comic actor Don Adams and singer Adelaide Efantis, and the sister of actress/TV executive Stacey Adams....
    , actress
  • Rafer Alston
    Rafer Alston

    Rafer Jamel Alston is an United States professional basketball player currently with the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic....
    , basketball player
  • Lloyd Banks
    Lloyd Banks

    Christopher Charles Lloyd , better known by his stage name, Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit....
    , rapper from South Jamaica
  • Bob Beamon
    Bob Beamon

    Robert "Bob" Beamon is an United States former track and field athlete, best known for his long-standing world record in the long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics, which remained the world record for 23 years....
    , Olympic gold medalist.
  • Yummy Bingham
    Yummy Bingham

    Elizabeth T. Wyce Bingham a.k.a. Yummy is an United States R&B/hip hop singer, songwriter. She sings soprano with a 4 octave range....
    , singer
  • Paul Bowles
    Paul Bowles

    Paul Frederic Bowles was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator.Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making various trips to Paris in the 1930s....
    , writer and composer
  • Jimmy Breslin
    Jimmy Breslin

    Jimmy Breslin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning United States columnist and author. He has written numerous novels, and columns of his have appeared regularly in various newspapers in his hometown of New York City....
    , author and columnist
  • Mike Bruhert, New York Mets pitcher in the late 1970s
  • Sri Chinmoy
    Sri Chinmoy

    Chinmoy Kumar Ghose was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher who emigrated to the U.S. in 1964. An author, composer, artist and athlete, he was perhaps best known for holding public events on the theme of inner peace and world harmony ....
    , philosopher and spiritual teacher
  • Mario Cuomo
    Mario Cuomo

    Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994. Cuomo became nationally known for his keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention and the subsequent speculation over the next decade that he might run for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States....
    , former governor of New York 1983-1995
  • Nelson DeMille
    Nelson DeMille

    Nelson Richard DeMille is an United States author. DeMille was born in Jamaica, Queens and resides in Garden City, New York, a village on Long Island....
     (1943-), author.
  • Rocco DiSpirito
    Rocco DiSpirito

    Rocco DiSpirito is an US chef based in New York City. He is a 1986 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and a 1990 graduate of Boston University with a bachelor's degree in business....
    , chef
  • Alan Dugan
    Alan Dugan

    Alan Dugan was an United States poet. His poetry is known for its plain and direct language, though it is supported by technical skill; it is generally trenchant and ironic in its criticism of American life and received ideas, and in its frank sensuality alike....
    , poet
  • Ann Flood
    Ann Flood

    Ann Flood is an United States actor.She is most known for her work as journalist/author Nancy Pollock Karr on the soap opera The Edge of Night, a role she played from 1962 to 1984....
    , actress
  • Grafh
    Grafh

    Phillip Bernard, better known as Grafh, is an United States rapper.*1 it was recently announced as news on hiphopgame.com that his album will be released on July 24, 2007 on his Blackhand label through EMI/Virgin http://www.hiphopgame.com/news.php3?id=1593...
    , rapper
  • Milford Graves
    Milford Graves

    Milford Graves is an United States Jazz drumming and percussionist, most noteworthy for his early avant-garde jazz contributions in the early 1960s with Paul Bley and the New York Art Quartet....
    , free-jazz drummer
  • Marc Iavaroni
    Marc Iavaroni

    Marcus John Iavaroni is a retired American professional basketball player, and former head coach of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.Iavaroni, who joined the NBA at age 26, was an important role player on the successful Philadelphia 76ers teams in the early and middle 80s....
    , basketball player, head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies
    Memphis Grizzlies

    The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
  • 50 Cent
    50 Cent

    Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre ....
     (Curtis James Jackson III), rapper from South Jamaica
  • James P. Johnson
    James P. Johnson

    James Price Johnson [A.K.A. "Jimmy Johnson"] was an African-American pianist and composer. With Luckey Roberts, Johnson was one of the originators of the Stride piano style of jazz piano playing....
    , pianist and composer
  • William T. Kane
    William T. Kane

    William T. Kane was a physicist for Corning Incorporated, formerly Corning Glass Works, Inc., in Corning, New York, who held three patents in crystallography and heat-sensing technology?developments which contributed to the early processing and manufacture of fiber optics....
    , physicist; born in Jamaica in 1932
  • Crad Kilodney
    Crad Kilodney

    Crad Kilodney is a Canada writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario.Kilodney obtained a degree in astronomy, but instead of working in that field he took a job at Exposition Press, a vanity publishing company....
    , writer
  • Rufus King
    Rufus King

    Rufus King was an United States lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention....
    , signer of the United States Constitution
    United States Constitution

    The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
  • Nyce
    NYCE

    The New York Cash Exchange is an interbank network connecting the Automatic teller machines of various financial institutions in the United States and Canada....
    , rapper
  • O.C. (rapper)
    O.C. (rapper)

    Omar Credle , known by his stage name, O.C., is an United States Hip hop music who has been involved with several renowned Alternative hip hop groups and also released many solo albums....
    ,
  • Lamar Odom
    Lamar Odom

    Lamar Joseph Odom is an United States professional basketball player who currently plays at power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association....
    , basketball player
  • Letty Cottin Pogrebin
    Letty Cottin Pogrebin

    Letty Cottin Pogrebin is an American writer and journalist. She graduated from Brandeis University and became a writer and feminist advocate in the early 1970s....
    , writer/journalist
  • Freddie Roman
    Freddie Roman

    Freddie Roman Jewish-American Stand-up comedian, and king of one-liners, best known for his frequent appearances at "Borscht Belt" hotels. He is currently the Dean of the New York Friars' Club in New York City....
    , comedian
  • Heathcliff Slocumb
    Heathcliff Slocumb

    Heath "Heathcliff" Slocumb is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed.In a 10-year career, Slocumb played with the Chicago Cubs , Cleveland Indians , Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox , Seattle Mariners , Baltimore Orioles , St....
    , former pitcher
  • Nuttin' But Stringz
    Nuttin' But Stringz

    Nuttin' But Stringz, also known as N.B.S., consists of brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar who both play violin. The young musicians from Jamaica, Queens play a blend of classical music, hip-hop, jazz and R&B....
    , violinists
  • - Photographer and visual artist.
  • Donald Trump
    Donald Trump

    Donald John Trump is an United States business magnate, socialite, television personality, and author. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, a US-based real-estate developer....
    , real estate developer
  • Marinus Willett
    Marinus Willett

    Marinus Willett was an United States soldier and political leader from New York City. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
    , mayor of New York 1807-08
  • The Lost Boyz
    The Lost Boyz

    The Lost Boyz was a Hip hop music group from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. The original group members were lead MC Mr. Cheeks, backup MC and promoter Freaky Tah , DJ Spigg Nice, and Pretty Lou....
    , rap group
  • Kenneth McGriff
    Kenneth McGriff

    Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff is a convicted United States Illegal drug trade and organized crime figure.McGriff came to prominence in the early 1980s when he formed his own Crack cocaine distributing organization which he called the Supreme Team based in the South Jamaica, Queens section of Queens, New York....
    , gangster
  • Ashrita Furman
    Ashrita Furman

    Ashrita Furman has set 216 official Guinness records since 1979 and currently holds 89 records. He has set records in all 7 continents and in more than 30 different countries and he has the official record for "The most current Guinness world records held at the same time by an individual." ...
    , Most Guiness World Record Holder, 88 Guiness World Records


External links

  • (the source of much of the historical information in this article)
  • JAMS sponsor
  • NY Times City Section, April 15, 2007