Queensbridge Houses is the largest
public housingPublic housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
development in
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is located in
Long Island CityLong Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
in
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the
New York City Housing AuthorityThe New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
. The complex is located in
Community Board 1The Queens Community Board 1 is a local advisory group in New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Astoria, Old Astoria, Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ditmars, Ravenswood, Steinway, Garden Bay, and Woodside, in the Borough of Queens...
. Although the Queensbridge Houses house approximately 6,907 people it is technically two separate complexes (North and South Houses) consisting of roughly 3,450 each.
Location
Long Island City is located in the western part of the
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
boroughNew York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Queens, with Newtown Creek and East River waterfronts.It is the largest housing project in North America.The Queensbridge Houses, the largest of Queens' twenty-two developments, is located between Vernon Boulevard (which runs along the East River) and 21st Street, immediately south of Ravenswood power plant. Queensbridge gets its name from the
Queensboro (59th Street) BridgeThe Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge – because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets – or simply the Queensboro Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909...
, which is just south of the complex. The development is separated into two complexes, the North Houses on 40th Avenue and the South Houses on 41st Avenue.
Subway commuters will recognize the complex's name from its
21st Street–Queensbridge21st Street – Queensbridge is a station on the IND 63rd Street Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 21st Street and 41st Avenue in the Queens neighborhood of Queensbridge, it is served by the F train at all times....
station along the
IND 63rd Street LineThe IND 63rd Street Line is a rapid transit line of the IND division of the New York City Subway system. It runs from the IND Sixth Avenue Line at 57th Street east under 63rd Street and the East River through the 63rd Street Tunnel to the IND Queens Boulevard Line in Queens...
. The entrance to the station is on the eastern side of the complex on 21st Street.
Buildings
The 96-unit six-story buildings are distinctive due to their shape - two Y's connecting at the base. This shape was used as the architects hoped it would give residents more access to sunlight than the traditional cross-shape. The design was said to be cost-efficient, and they reduced the cost even further by using elevators that only stopped at the 1st, 3rd and 5th floors. Political pressure to keep costs down was a key reason for the use of cheap designs. W.F.R Ballard, Henry S. Churchill, Frederick G. Frost and Burnett Turner designed Queensbridge Houses.
In many aspects the buildings of Queensbridge are very similar to most government-built housing projects of the era. They are a worn grayish brown which now suffers noticeable deterioration and weathering. Each building is painted red to about four feet up from the ground, giving a united feel to the entire complex because a uniform red "layer" is always close, throughout the complex.
On each of the corners in Queensbridge, the New York City Housing Authority has posted signs indicating the project's name and management: "Queensbridge North (or South) Houses NYCHA." These signs come in several varieties depending on their age. The oldest signs, erected in the early nineties, are simply orange and blue, with the newer signs featuring graphics, like those of many other projects.
Access to buildings in the complex is by key or via a new intercom system. The halls of Queensbridge’s buildings are comparable to most municipal buildings, and are dilapidated and lined with worn light blue tiles. Apartments are painted white and are fairly small, even by New York City standards.
Within the last few years, the elevators have been rebuilt and now stop at floors 1-2-3-4-5 and kitchens have been completely renovated and now have frost-free refrigerators. Three thousand bathrooms were renovated with new tubs, toilets, vanities, floor tile and lighting in 2000. This followed a renovation in 1986 when 1000 of the bathrooms were renovated by Arc Plumbing, a firm for which the salesman to NYCHA was
John GottiJohn Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
.
During the 1950s, the management changed the racial balance of Queensbridge by transferring all families whose income was more than $3,000/year, a majority of whom were White, to middle-income housing projects, and replacing most of these tenants with
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
families. In addition to providing safe and sanitary housing to many low income African American and Latino families, this policy also promulgated racial segregation in public housing.
Amenities and parks
As a result of the
1937 Wagner Housing ActThe Housing Act of 1937, sometimes called the Wagner-Steagall Act, provided for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies to improve living conditions for low-income families....
, Congress would only approve funds for public housing if the housing was unattractive to middle-class families who would otherwise buy or rent homes in the private housing market. The original plans nonetheless included some basic amenities, like a central shopping center, a nursery and six inner courtyards for play. In the 1950s, there were also three playschool rooms, a library, a community center with an auditorium where shows were put on, a gymnasium with a wooden floor that doubled as a wooden-wheels roller skating rink, activity rooms downstairs, and a cafeteria upstairs where the playschool children ate their lunches. Some of the downstairs activities included tap dancing, ballet, art, playing the recorder and singing, pool, knock hockey and table tennis, as well as
Girl ScoutThe Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
and
Boy ScoutScouting in New York has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live...
meetings. Residents enjoyed concerts during the hot summer months in the square central shopping area, and the Fresh Air Fund sent under-privileged youth out to the Peekskill mountains to release them from the crime and grit plagued streets.
The buildings in the complex are divided by a series of paths and small lawns. Also in the complex are several basketball courts and play areas lined with benches. Across Vernon Boulevard lies Queensbridge Park, which has a fully lit
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
diamond, running paths, lawns and areas for picnicking. That park, home to the Queensbridge
Little LeagueLittle League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
, is the primary place of recreation for tenants of the project. Queensbridge Park is the venue for numerous summer-time live concerts with music ranging from R&B to Latin.
During the 1950s and up through 1970 Queensbridge Park was called "River Park," after the
East RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
that runs next to it. There was also a smaller park placed conveniently right under the 59th street bridge called "Baby Park". Baby Park was closed due to debris falling from the bridge during maintenance work which is ongoing in 2007. Baby Park was replaced by a new playground for same age range between 40-41 Avenues within Queensbridge Park itself.
Illegal drug trade
For many years Queensbridge has had a problem with drug dealers and drug users. An 11-month police investigation led to the arrest of 37 people during a drugs bust In February 2005. Another raid in February 2009, following a seven-month investigation, resulted in 59 arrests.
Music
Queensbridge has historically proven to be a hotbed of
hip hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
musical talent. Famed producer Marlon “
Marley MarlMarlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
” Williams was the first in a long succession of acclaimed artists from “The Bridge”, which became one of the most prolific hip hop-producing neighborhoods in the country. Marley's
Juice CrewThe Juice Crew was a hip hop collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr. Magic and housed by Tyrone William's Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew would introduce New School artists Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie,...
collective, hugely influential in the 1980s, featured among its members Queensbridge rappers
MC ShanMC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
,
Roxanne ShantéRoxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....
, and
Craig GCraig G is an American rapper. He is known as one of the members of hip hop producer Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' Records group the Juice Crew....
, each noted names in their own right.
Most notable of today's Queensbridge hip hop artists is the well acclaimed rapper
NasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, who has since the 1990s frequently used his music and lyricism to reference Queensbridge and its hip hop history.
Other noted artists associated with Queensbridge include Blaq Poet,
ProdigyLance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
and Havoc of
Mobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
,
CormegaCory Mckay , better known as Cormega, is an American emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.- Early life :...
,
Tragedy KhadafiPercy Chapman IV, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, and formerly known as Intelligent Hoodlum, is an American rapper and producer who hails from the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, which has spawned other hip hop artists such as Nas, Cormega, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga,...
,
NatureJermain Baxter , better known as Nature, is an American rapper, best known for his association with fellow Queensbridge-born rapper Nas.-Career:...
,
ScrewballScrewball is a New York City hip hop group, with members Hostyle, KL, Blaq Poet, & Solo. Their debut Y2K The Album was released in 2000 on Tommy Boy Records. The album yielded two singles; "H-O-S-T-Y-L-E" and the surprising and virtually unbroadcastable "F.A.Y.B.A.N."...
, Capone of
Capone-N-NoreagaCapone-N-Noreaga was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Capone and Noreaga.-History:In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it also appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column...
and
Big NoydTaJuan Perry, better known as Big Noyd, is an American emcee from the Queensbridge projects in the New York City borough of Queens. He is closely affiliated with Mobb Deep, and he is featured on all of their albums...
. In regards to the Queensbridge music scene,
XXLXXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
columnist Brendan Frederick wrote:
At a time when you can buy screwed & chopped albums at Circuit CityCircuit City Stores, Inc. was an American retailer in brand-name consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software, and large appliances. The company opened its first store in 1949 and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s...
in BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that hip-hop was once a local phenomenon. More than just a voice of the ghetto, hip-hop at its best is the voice of specific blocks, capturing the distinct tone and timbre of an artist’s environment. Since the 1980s, New York City’s Queensbridge Housing Projects has been documented perhaps better than any other geographic location. Starting with super producer Marley Marl’s dominant Juice Crew in the ’80s all the way through ’90s mainstays like Nas, Cormega and Capone, the Bridge has produced the highest per-capita talent of any ’hood.
Notable former residents
- Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, rapper
- Metta World Peace, NBA basketball player, rapper
- Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
, NBA basketball player
- Havoc from Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
, rapper & producer
- Bravehearts, rap group
- Cormega
Cory Mckay , better known as Cormega, is an American emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.- Early life :...
, rapper
- Juice Crew
The Juice Crew was a hip hop collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr. Magic and housed by Tyrone William's Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew would introduce New School artists Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie,...
, rap group
- Lou Del Valle
Louis Del Valle is an American boxer and the formner WBA light heavyweight title holder. He received some of his training at the Morris Park Boxing Club in the Van Nest section of the Bronx...
, professional boxer
- Vern Fleming
Vern Fleming is a former professional basketball player in the NBA who played twelve seasons from 1984 until 1996...
, NBA player
- Big Noyd
TaJuan Perry, better known as Big Noyd, is an American emcee from the Queensbridge projects in the New York City borough of Queens. He is closely affiliated with Mobb Deep, and he is featured on all of their albums...
, rapper
- Roxanne Shante
Roxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....
, rapper
- Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, music producer
- MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
, rapper
- Capone from Capone-n-Noreaga
Capone-N-Noreaga was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Capone and Noreaga.-History:In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it also appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column...
, rapper
- Nature
Jermain Baxter , better known as Nature, is an American rapper, best known for his association with fellow Queensbridge-born rapper Nas.-Career:...
, rapper
- Infamous Mobb
Infamous Mobb, also known as IM3, is a hip hop group from Queensbridge in Queens, New York, composed of members Ty Nitty, Twin Gambino and Godfather Pt.III. They are an integral part of the Queensbridge hip hop scene, which includes rappers like Nas, Cormega and Mobb Deep, and began with the Juice...
, rap group
- Tragedy Khadafi
Percy Chapman IV, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, and formerly known as Intelligent Hoodlum, is an American rapper and producer who hails from the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, which has spawned other hip hop artists such as Nas, Cormega, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga,...
, rapper
- Craig G
Craig G is an American rapper. He is known as one of the members of hip hop producer Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' Records group the Juice Crew....
, rapper
- Screwball
Screwball is a New York City hip hop group, with members Hostyle, KL, Blaq Poet, & Solo. Their debut Y2K The Album was released in 2000 on Tommy Boy Records. The album yielded two singles; "H-O-S-T-Y-L-E" and the surprising and virtually unbroadcastable "F.A.Y.B.A.N."...
, hip-hop group
- Blaq Poet
Wilbur Bass , better known as Blaq Poet is an American rapper from Queensbridge, New York, USA.Blaq Poet was first heard in the track "Beat You Down" from the Bridge Wars during 1987, a diss song towards KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. At that time Poet was at least 17 years old, as stated in...
, rapper
- Suga Ray, philanthropist and rapper
External links
Sources
- “Queensbridge, New York, N.Y.,” Architectural Forum 72 (Jan. 1940), pp. 13–15.
- Samantha Henry, “A Good Rap: Residents of the Queensbridge Houses Make Their Claim To Fame,” Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, August 5, 2001.
- New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
, “Factsheet”, April 19, 2004. http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/about/factsheet.shtml
- Ron Artest: The Next MC Outta Queensbridge?
- Gail Radford, “The Federal Government and Housing During the Great Depression” in John F. Bauman, ed., From Tenements to the *Taylor Homes: In Search of an Urban Housing Policy in Twentieth Century America (University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), pp. 102–120.
Henry S. Churchill. The City is the People. New York. Norton. 1945