Queens
—  Borough of New York City  —
Queens County
The Unisphere, unofficial symbol of Queens. In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the consolidated city Unisphere, also known as the globitron is a 12-story high spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth.
Location of Queens shown in yellow.
Coordinates: 40°42′15.0″N 73°55′4.0″W / 40.704167, -73.917778
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Queens
City	New York City
Settled	1683
Government
- Borough president	Helen Marshall
Area
- Total	178. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The City of New York Borough President (informally BP, or Beep in slang is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City. Helen Marshall was elected Queens Borough President in 2001 succeeding the term-limited Claire Shulman. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 28 sq mi (461. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 7 km²)
- Land	109. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 24 sq mi (282. 9 km²)
- Water	69. 04 sq mi (178. 8 km²)
Population
- Total	2,229,379
- Density	20,409. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 0/sq mi (7,880/km²)
Website: Official Website of the Queens Borough President

Queens is the largest in area and the second most populous of the five boroughs of New York City, New York, USA. In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government which administers the five fundamental constituent parts that make up the consolidated city The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The borough is coterminous with Queens County, a county of New York State. Administrative divisions of New York State differ from those in certain other countries and most U

Located on the western portion of Long Island, Queens is home to New York City's two major airports (John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia), the New York Mets baseball team, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (home of the annual U.S. Open), Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and Queens Center (the most profitable per-square-foot mall in America). Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. The US Open Tennis tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world first contested in 1881 The Kaufman Astoria Studios is located in Queens New York, and home to productions like Sesame Street, Johnny and the Sprites, Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park or Flushing Meadows Park, is located in northern Queens, New York City Queens Center is an urban Shopping mall owned by The Macerich Company in the Elmhurst section of Queens, a Borough of New York

As of the 2005 American Community Survey, immigrants comprise 47. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 6% of Queens residents making queens the city's most diverse borough. ^[1] With a population of 2. 2 million it is the second most populous borough in New York City (behind Brooklyn) and the tenth most populous county in the United States. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. This is a list of the 100 largest counties in the United States by population. The 2. 2 million figure is the highest historical population for the borough. [1] Were each borough an independent city, Queens would be the fourth largest city in the United States.

Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of New York and was supposedly named for the then-queen consort, Catherine of Braganza, the Catholic wife of Charles II[2] [3] (this is not supported by contemporary documents). The Province of New York (1664-1776 (Provincie New York resulted from the capture of the Dutch Republic colony of Provincie Nieuw-Nederland by the A queen consort is the title given to the wife of a reigning king. Catherine Henrietta of Braganza (25 November 1638 &ndash 31 December 1705 was a Portuguese Infanta and the Queen consort of Charles II of Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The borough is often considered one of the more suburban boroughs of New York City. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Neighborhoods in central (except those situated along Queens Boulevard), southern, and eastern Queens have a look and feel similar to the bordering suburbs of western Nassau County. Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens, forming part of New York State Route 25. There is also a Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County. Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan In its northwestern section, however, Queens is home to many urban neighborhoods and several central business districts. Long Island City, on the Queens' waterfront across from Manhattan, is the site of the Citicorp Building, the tallest skyscraper in New York City outside of Manhattan. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York One Court Square is a 50-story (201 meters or 658 feet office tower in Long Island City, Queens just outside of Manhattan.

History

European colonization brought both Dutch and English settlers, as a part of the New Netherlands colony. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin Novum Belgium or Nova Belgica) 1614–1674 is the name of the former Dutch territory on the eastern coast First settlements occurred in 1635, with colonization at Maspeth in 1642,^[2] and Vlissingen (now Flushing) in 1643. Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Vlissingen ( or Flushing in English is a Municipality and a City in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren Flushing, founded in 1645 is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, ten miles (16 km east of Manhattan ^[3] Other early settlements included Newtown (now Elmhurst) and Jamaica. Elmhurst is a Neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. However, these towns were mostly inhabited by English settlers from New England via eastern Long Island (Suffolk County) subject to Dutch law. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches Suffolk County is a county located in the US state of New York. After the capture of the colony by the English and its renaming as New York in 1664, the area (and all of Long Island) became known as Yorkshire. Yorkshire County was an original county of the English Province of New York, established in 1664 soon after English control of the area was established

Originally, Queens County included the adjacent area now comprising Nassau County. There is also a Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County. Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan It was an original county of New York State, one of twelve created in 1683.

Queens played a minor role in the American Revolution, as compared to Brooklyn where the Battle of Long Island was largely fought. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Background On March 17 1776 the British fleet retreated to Halifax Nova Scotia to refit after the end of the year-long Siege of Boston. Queens, like the rest of Long Island, fell under British occupation after the Battle of Long Island in 1776 and remained occupied throughout most of the rest of the war. Under the Quartering Act, British soldiers used, as barracks, the public inns and uninhabited buildings belonging to Queens residents, against the will of many of the local people. Quartering Act is the name of at least two acts of the Parliament of Great Britain. The quartering of soldiers in private homes, except in times of war, was banned by the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Third Amendment to the United States Constitution (Amendment III is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. Nathan Hale was captured by the British on the shore of Flushing Bay in Queens before being executed in Manhattan. Nathan Hale ( June 6, 1755 &ndash September 22, 1776) was an officer for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York

From 1683 until 1784, Queens County consisted of five towns: Flushing, Hempstead, Jamaica, Newtown, and Oyster Bay. The Town of Hempstead is one of the three towns (otherwise known as Civil townships) in Nassau County, New York, United States. This article refers to the Town of Oyster Bay For the hamlet named Oyster Bay within the town see Oyster Bay (hamlet, New York. On April 6, 1784, a sixth town, the Town of North Hempstead, was formed through secession by the northern portions of the Town of Hempstead. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year North Hempstead is a town in Nassau County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census the town population was 222611 ^[4][5][6]

The seat of the county government was located first in Jamaica,^[7] but was moved about 1788 to Mineola,^{[8][9][10][11][12][13] [14][15]} (now part of Nassau County, it was called Clowesville until 1858^[16][17]). Mineola is a Village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 19233 at the 2000 census In 1870, Long Island City was incorporated as a city (consisting of what had been the Village of Astoria and some unincorporated areas in the Town of Newtown), and about 1874, the seat of county government was moved there from Mineola. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. Astoria is a Neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. ^[18][19][20]

The New York City Borough of Queens was formed on January 1, 1898, after an 1894 vote on consolidation. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[21][22][23] Long Island City, the towns of Newtown, Flushing, and Jamaica, and the Rockaway Peninsula portion of the Town of Hempstead were merged to form the new borough, dissolving all former municipal governments (Long Island City, the county government, all towns and all villages) within the new borough. 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 The areas of Queens County that were not part of the consolidation plan,^{[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]} consisting of the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the major remaining portion of the Town of Hempstead, remained part of Queens County until they seceded to form the new Nassau County on January 1, 1899, whereupon the boundaries of Queens County and the Borough of Queens became coterminous. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common With consolidation, Jamaica once again became the county seat, though county offices now extend to nearby Kew Gardens also. Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north and east by the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly Interborough Parkway) Queens ^[31][32]

From 1905 to 1908 the LIRR in Queens was electrified. Transportation to and from Manhattan, previously by ferry or via bridges in Brooklyn, opened up when the Queensboro Bridge was finished in 1909, and with railway tunnels under the East River in 1910. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a Cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in The 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 From 1915 onward, much of Queens was connected to the New York City subway system. ^[33][34] With the construction of the elevated IRT subway lines between Queens and Manhattan, and the emergent expansion of the use of the automobile, the population of Queens more than doubled in the 1920s, from 469,042 in 1920 to 1,079,129 in 1930. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT was the operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904 as well as earlier Elevated railways A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway ^[35]

See also: History of New York City

See also: List of streetcar lines in Queens

Geography

Queens County is in the western part of Long Island and includes a few smaller islands, most of which are in Jamaica Bay and form part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The history of New York City begins with its Lenape inhabitants prior to the arrival of Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 and continues with its founding The following Streetcar lines once operated in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. See also Geography and environment of New York City Jamaica Bay is a Lagoon that lies in the shadow of New York City 's skyscrapers and is adjacent Gateway National Recreation Area is a 26607 acre (10767 km² National Recreation Area in the New York City metropolitan area. The Rockaway Peninsula sits between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The tallest tree in the New York metropolitan area, called the Queens Giant, is also the oldest living thing in the New York metro area. The New York metropolitan area, often referred to as the Tri-State Area, is the most populous Metropolitan area in the United States and is also one The Queens Giant (also known as the Alley Pond Giant or Alley Pond Park Giant) is an old Tulip Poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera) located It is located in northeastern Queens, and is 450 years old and 132 feet (40 m) tall as of 2005. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 178. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 3 sq mi); 109. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 2 sq mi of it is land and 38. 73% of it is water.

Neighborhoods

A typical residential street in Jackson Heights. Jackson Heights is a Neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA.

Bayside

Station Square in Forest Hills

Industrial buildings in Long Island City with the Manhattan Skyline in background. Bayside is an upper Middle class suburban neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York in the United States Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City.

Main article: Neighborhoods of New York City

The United States Postal Service divides the borough into five "towns" based roughly on those in existence at the time of the consolidation of the five boroughs into New York City: Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing, Far Rockaway, and Floral Park. The Neighborhoods of New York City are located within "The Five Boroughs". Far Rockaway is one of the four neighborhoods on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens Floral Park is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. These ZIP codes do not necessarily reflect actual neighborhood names and boundaries; "East Elmhurst," for example, was largely coined by the USPS and is not an official community. East Elmhurst is a culturally diverse area in New York City, in the northwest of the borough of Queens. Most neighborhoods have no solid boundaries. The Forest Hills and Rego Park neighborhoods, for instance, overlap. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. Rego Park is a diverse neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Queens.

Residents of Queens often closely identify with their neighborhood rather than with the borough or city as a whole. Postal addresses are written with the neighborhood, state, and then zip code rather than the borough or city. The borough is a patchwork of dozens of unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct identity:

• Howard Beach, Middle Village, and Whitestone, are home to large Italian American populations. Howard Beach is a middle class neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Middle Village is a neighborhood in central Queens, a borough of New York City. Whitestone is a diverse neighborhood in the northernmost part of the New York City borough of Queens, located between the East River to the north An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship
• Rockaway Beach and Woodside have large Irish American populations. Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. Woodside is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland.
• Astoria, in the northwest, is traditionally home to one of the largest Greek populations outside of Greece, and is home to a growing population of young professionals from Manhattan. Astoria is a Neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. A Greek American (Ελληνοαμερικανοί Ellinoamerikani) is a citizen of the United States, who is of Greek heritage or origin Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Nearby Long Island City is a major commercial center and the home of the Queensbridge housing project. Queensbridge Houses is the largest Public housing development in North America.
• Maspeth and Ridgewood are home to many European immigrants, including large Romanian, Polish, and other Slavic populations. Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, that borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent Ridgewood also has a large Hispanic population. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically
• Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona make up an enormous conglomeration of Hispanic, Asian American and South Asian communities. Jackson Heights is a Neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. Elmhurst is a Neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Corona Queens (zip code 11368 is a neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian
• Flushing, one of the largest neighborhoods in Queens, is home to people of European, Asian, Hispanic and African-American descent. Flushing, founded in 1645 is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, ten miles (16 km east of Manhattan There are large South Asian, Korean and Chinese communities as well. The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world.
• Richmond Hill, in the south, is often thought of as "Little Guyana" for its large Indo-Caribbean community. Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, USA. Indo-Caribbean people or Indo-Caribbeans are people with roots in the Indian subcontinent who reside in the Caribbean. ^[36] It also has the largest population of Sikhs from the Indian state of Punjab. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India.
• Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens have traditionally large Jewish populations (many of these communities are Jewish immigrants from Israel, Iran and the former Soviet Union). Rego Park is a diverse neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north and east by the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly Interborough Parkway) Queens PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Also known for large and growing Hispanic/Latino community, mainly immigrants from South America. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a
• Jamaica Estates, Fresh Meadows, and Hollis Hills are also populated with many people of Jewish background. Jamaica Estates is located in the New York City borough of Queens and is a wealthy neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens Fresh Meadows is a residential Neighborhood in northeastern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Hollis Hills is an upper-middle class neighborhood in the north-east section of the borough of Queens in New York City. Many Asian families reside in parts of Fresh Meadows as well.
• Jamaica is home to large African American and Caribbean populations. Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting There are also middle-class African American and Caribbean neighborhoods such as Hollis, Saint Albans, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, and Laurelton along east and southeast Queens. Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. St Albans is a residential community in the New York City borough of Queens around the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Farmers Boulevard Cambria Heights ( Zip Code 11411 is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Springfield Gardens is a Neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St Rosedale – (Zip Code 11413 and 11422 is a neighborhood in New York City in the southeastern portion of the borough of Queens. Laurelton is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.
• Bellerose and Floral Park are home to a large South-Asian population, predominantly Indian-Americans from the north-Indian state of Punjab and the south-Indian state of Kerala. Bellerose, better known as Bellerose Manor is a neighborhood on the eastern edge of the New York City borough of Queens, near the border with Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; There are some less diverse, but still prosperous part of Queens, such as South Jamaica. South Jamaica, known Colloquially as Southside, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica

Together, these neighborhoods comprise the most diverse county in the United States. ^[37] Several of these neighborhoods are home to a diverse mix of many different ethnicities.

See also: List of Queens neighborhoods

Adjacent counties

• Bronx County, New York - north
• Nassau County, New York - east
• New York County, New York - west
• Kings County, New York - west and south
• Richmond County, New York- southwest
• Monmouth County, New Jersey - southwest

Government

Queens County Courthouse

Main article: Government of New York City

Since New York City's consolidation in 1898, Queens has been governed by the New York City Charter that provides for a strong mayor-council system. The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The Mayor-Council government system sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system is one of two variations of Government used for the most part in modern The centralized New York City government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services in Queens.

The office of Borough President was created in the consolidation of 1898 to balance centralization with local authority. Borough President (informally BP, or Beep in slang is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City. Each borough president had a powerful administrative role derived from having a vote on the New York City Board of Estimate, which was responsible for creating and approving the city's budget and proposals for land use. The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City, responsible for budget and land-use decisions In 1989 the Supreme Court of the United States declared the Board of Estimate unconstitutional on the grounds that Brooklyn, the most populous borough, had no greater effective representation on the Board than Staten Island, the least populous borough, a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause pursuant to the high court's 1964 "one man, one vote" decision. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. The Fourteenth Amendment ( Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution is one of the post- Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, first The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall… deny to any person ^[38]

Since 1990 the Borough President has acted as an advocate for the borough at the mayoral agencies, the City Council, the New York state government, and corporations. Queens' Borough President is Helen Marshall, elected as a Democrat in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. Helen Marshall was elected Queens Borough President in 2001 succeeding the term-limited Claire Shulman. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party.

The Democratic Party holds the majority of public offices. Sixty-three percent of registered Queens voters are Democrats. Local party platforms center on affordable housing, education and economic development. Controversial political issues in Queens include development, noise, and the cost of housing.

There are currently four Democrats representing Queens in the U.S. Congress:

• Gary Ackerman represents the fifth district, which includes Corona, Flushing, Jamaica Estates, Bayside, and Little Neck;
• Joseph Crowley represents Woodside, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and College Point in seventh district, and also serves as head of the Queens Democratic Party;
• Gregory Meeks represents areas in the sixth district including Jamaica, Hollis, St. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Gary Leonard Ackerman (born November 19, 1942) is presently serving his thirteenth term in the United States House of Representatives. The 5th Congressional District of New York is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that lies along the North Shore Bayside is an upper Middle class suburban neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York in the United States Little Neck is a community in the New York City Borough (New York City of Queens. Joseph Crowley (born March 16, 1962) is a Democratic Politician from the U Woodside is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. East Elmhurst is a culturally diverse area in New York City, in the northwest of the borough of Queens. College Point is a diverse neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. New York's Seventh Congressional District is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953) American politician has been a liberal Democratic member of the United States House New York's Sixth Congressional District is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. Albans, Springfield Gardens, Laurelton, Queens Village and Far Rockaway;
• Anthony Weiner represents the ninth district, including Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Fresh Meadows, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Howard Beach and Rockaway Beach. Laurelton is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Anthony David Weiner ( "weener" born September 4, 1964) is a Democratic Politician from New York. New York's 9th Congressional District is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. Woodhaven is a mostly residential upper middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Ozone Park is a New York City neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the borough of Queens bordering Woodhaven, Richmond

In addition, portions of Woodside, Maspeth, and Ridgewoood are represented by Brooklyn's Nydia Velazquez, and Astoria and Long Island City are in the Manhattan-based 14th district of Carolyn Maloney. Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, that borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and Nydia Margarita Velázquez (born March 28, 1953) is a Puerto Rican politician who has represented New York 's 12th Congressional District New York's 14th Congressional District is a Congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. Carolyn Bosher Maloney (born February 19, 1948) is a New York Democrat serving in the United States House of Representatives

Each of the city's five counties has its own criminal court system and District Attorney, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote. A district attorney (DA is in some US jurisdictions the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of alleged criminals Richard A. Brown, a Democrat, has been the District Attorney of Queens County since 1991. Queens has 12 City Council members, the second largest number among the five boroughs. It also has 14 administrative districts, each served by a local Community Board. Community Boards are representative bodies that field complaints and serve as advocates for local residents.

Although it is heavily Democratic, Queens is considered a swing county in New York politics. Republican political candidates who do well in Queens usually win citywide or statewide elections. Republicans such as former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg won majorities in Queens. KBE Per, "Postnominal letters should be included when they are issued by a country or organization the subject has been closely associated with Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Republican State Senator Serphin Maltese represents a district in central and southern Queens. Serphin R Maltese (born December 7, 1932, Corona, Queens) is an American politician a member of the New York State Senate In 2002, Queens voted against incumbent Republican Governor of New York George Pataki in favor of his Democratic opponent, Carl McCall by a slim margin. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York serving three consecutive H Carl McCall (born October 17, 1935, in Boston Massachusetts) is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic

Queens has not voted for a Republican candidate in a presidential election since 1972, when Queens voters chose Richard Nixon over George McGovern. George Stanley McGovern In the 2004 presidential election Democrat John Kerry received 71. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator 7% of the vote in Queens and Republican George W. Bush received 27. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. 4%.

Economy

An aerial view of LaGuardia Airport

The economy of Queens is based on tourism, industry, and trade. LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. Because the New York metropolitan area effectually has three major airports, the airspace overhead is among the busiest and most controlled in the world. The New York metropolitan area, often referred to as the Tri-State Area, is the most populous Metropolitan area in the United States and is also one Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country on top of its territory and Territorial waters or more generally any specific three-dimensional John F. Kennedy International Airport, located in southern Queens is the busiest airport in the country in terms of international travelers. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Queens is also home to the more domestic La Guardia Airport, in Jackson Heights. LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. Queens is increasingly attracting film studios — a return of an industry that had departed decades earlier — notably the Kaufman Studios in Astoria and the Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, where a number of notable television shows are made, including Sesame Street. The Kaufman Astoria Studios is located in Queens New York, and home to productions like Sesame Street, Johnny and the Sprites, Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining

The Queens Museum of Art and the New York Hall of Science are further east, in Flushing Meadows Park — site of both the 1939 New York World's Fair, the 1964 New York World's Fair and the annual US Open tennis tournament. The Queens Museum of Art, better known as QMA is a major Art Museum and educational center in the Queens borough of New York City The New York Hall of Science occupies one of the few remaining structures of the 1964 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park in the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park or Flushing Meadows Park, is located in northern Queens, New York City The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair) was one of the largest The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major World's Fair to be held in New York City The US Open Tennis tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world first contested in 1881 Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets baseball team, is just north of the park. William A Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea (ʃeɪ̪ is a Stadium located in the New York City borough "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Citi Field, the future home of the Mets, is currently being constructed adjacent to Shea Stadium. Citi Field is the new Baseball park for the New York Mets that is being built in Willets Point in the New York City borough of The park is also the third largest park in New York City at 1,255 acres (5 km²), making it 412 acres (1. 7 km²) larger than Central Park in Manhattan. Central Park is a large public Urban park in New York City, with about twenty-five million visitors annually Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York

Several large companies have their headquarters in Queens, including watchmaker Bulova, based in East Elmhurst; Glacéau, the makers of Vitamin Water, headquartered in Whitestone; and JetBlue, the airliner based in John F. Bulova is a New York based corporation making Watches and Clocks. Glacéau is the Name of a line of products sold by Energy Brands Inc Kennedy Airport.

Long Island City is a major manufacturing and commercial center. Flushing is a major commercial hub for Chinese American and Korean American businesses, while Jamaica is a major business and transportation hub for the borough. Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent Korean Americans ( Korean: ko 한국계 미국인 Hanja: ko 韓國系美國人 hangukgye migugin) are Americans of Korean origin

See also: Economy of New York City

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Queens

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,229,379 people, 782,664 households, and 537,690 families residing in the county. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The population density was 7,879. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 6/km² (20,409. 0/sq mi). There were 817,250 housing units at an average density of 2,888. 5/km² (7,481. 6/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 44. 08% White, 20. 01% Black or African American, 0. 50% Native American, 17. 56% Asian, 0. 06% Pacific Islander, 11. 68% from other races, and 6. 11% from two or more races. 24. 97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Some main European ancestry in Queens, 2000:

• Italian: 8. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship 99%
• Irish: 7. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. 05%
• German: 4. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 74%
• English: 1. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry 32%

The 2000 census show also that the borough is home to one of the largest concentrations of Indian-Americans in the nation, with a total population of 129,715 (5. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U 79% of the borough population) ([4], as well as Pakistani-Americans who number 15,604[5]. A Pakistani American is someone who trace their roots to Pakistan Queens has the second largest Sikh population in the nation after California. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. According to a 2002 UJA-Federation of New York study, Queens is home to 186,000 Jewish Americans. American Jews, or Jewish Americans [6]

According to a Census Bureau estimate, the population increased to 2,241,600 in 2005.

There were 782,664 households out of which 31. 5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46. 9% were married couples living together, 16. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31. 3% were non-families. 25. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 81 and the average family size was 3. 39.

In the county the population was spread out with 22. 8% under the age of 18, 9. 6% from 18 to 24, 33. 1% from 25 to 44, 21. 7% from 45 to 64, and 12. 7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92. 9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89. 6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,439, and the median income for a family was $42,608. Males had a median income of $30,576 versus $26,628 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,222. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 16. 9% of families and 21. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 8% of those under age 18 and 13. 0% of those age 65 or over. In Queens the black population earns more than whites on average. ^[41] Many of these African-Americans live in quiet middle class suburban neighborhoods near the Nassau County border, such as Laurelton and Cambria Heights which have large black populations who's family income is higher than average. There is also a Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County. Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Laurelton is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Cambria Heights ( Zip Code 11411 is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Those areas are known for their well kept homes and suburban feel. The migration of whites from parts of Queens has been long ongoing with departures from Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Bellerose, Floral Park, and Flushing. etc (most of the outgoing population has been replaced with Asian Americans). Neighborhoods such as Whitestone, College Point, North Flushing, Auburndale, Bayside, Middle Village, Little Neck, and Douglaston have not had a substantial exodus of white residents, but have seen an increase of Asian population (mostly South Korean). Queens has recently experienced a real estate boom making most of its neighborhoods very desirable for people who want to reside near Manhattan in a less urban setting. Queens is a diverse county in which people from many races and cultures live in both close proximity as well as in harmony. There are 138 languages spoken in the borough. ^[42] The top languages include:^[43]

1. English
2. Spanish
3. Chinese
4. Korean
5. Italian
6. Greek
7. Russian
8. Tagalog (Filipino)
9. French
10. Urdu
11. Guarani
12. Arabic

Culture

P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City, is one of New York City's largest art museums. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Guaraní are a group of culturally related indigenous peoples of South America, distinguished from the related Tupi by their use of the Guaraní language Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City.

Queens was an epicenter of jazz in the 1940s. Jazz greats likes Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald found refuge from segregation in the mixed communities of the borough, while a younger generation — Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and others — were developing bebop in the clubs of Harlem. Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25 1917 &ndash June 15 1996 also known as " Lady Ella " and the "First Lady of Song" is considered one of the most influential Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7 1930 in New York City) is an American Jazz tenor Saxophonist Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( October 21 1917 &ndash January 6 1993) was an American Jazz Trumpeter

Western Queens is becoming an artistic hub, including SculptureCenter, the Flux Factory, the Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, Museum for African Art, and the American Museum of the Moving Image. SculptureCenter is a contemporary art museum that is located in Long Island City in the borough of Queens in New York City. The Noguchi Museum – chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum – is the first museum in America to be founded curated and initially funded by an artist Socrates Sculpture Park is located in the neighborhood Long Island City, Queens ( New York City, USA) at the intersection of Broadway and The Museum for African Art is located in the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens in New York City ( USA) The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum located in Astoria Queens on the former site of the Kaufman Astoria Studios. The P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in the neighborhood of Long Island City is one of the largest and oldest institutions in the United States dedicated solely to contemporary art. Long Island City (often abbreviated LIC) is the western-most neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. In addition to its renowned exhibitions, the institution also organizes the prestigious International and National Projects series, the Warm Up summer music series, and the Young Architects Program with The Museum of Modern Art. The current poet laureate of Queens is Ishle Yi Park.

Queens is home to many cultural institutions, including among others:

• SculptureCenter
• American Museum of the Moving Image
• Jamaica Performing Arts Center
• New York Hall of Science
• Noguchi Museum
• Queens Botanical Garden
• Queens Theatre in the Park

See also: Culture of New York City, Music of New York City, and List of people from Queens

Queens is also featured in the Spider-Man comics and films as the home of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. SculptureCenter is a contemporary art museum that is located in Long Island City in the borough of Queens in New York City. The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum located in Astoria Queens on the former site of the Kaufman Astoria Studios. The New York Hall of Science occupies one of the few remaining structures of the 1964 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park in the The Noguchi Museum – chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum – is the first museum in America to be founded curated and initially funded by an artist The Queens Botanical Garden began as part of the 1939 New York World's Fair in Queens. The culture of New York City is shaped by centuries of immigration the city's size and variety and its status as the cultural capital of the United States The music of New York City is a diverse and important field in the world of music no American city has as central a place in music history as New York City Spider-Man is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Spider-Man is a Fictional character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Mary Jane Watson is a fictional Supporting character appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics.

On Ugly Betty it is also home to Betty and her family. Ugly Betty is an American television Comedy-drama series starring America Ferrera in the title role along with Eric Mabius

Sports

Bronze Statue at the USTA National Tennis Center.

Queens is the home of the New York Mets baseball team, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, and Aqueduct Racetrack. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. The US Open Tennis tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world first contested in 1881 History The racetrack opened in 1894 and was rebuilt in 1959 the 1959 design was by noted racetrack architect Arthur Froehlich of the architecture firm Arthur Froehlich Just over the Queens line (in Nassau County) is Belmont Park Race Track, the home of the Belmont Stakes. There is also a Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County. Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan History and Information It is world-famous as the home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious American Grade I stakes race held yearly in June at Belmont Park in Elmont New York. In the past, Extreme Championship Wrestling has been held at an Elks lodge in Elmhurst. Extreme Championship Wrestling ( ECW) was a Professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1992 by The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ( BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American Fraternal order and Elmhurst is a Neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.

See also: Sports in New York City

Food

Being the most diverse county in the nation Queens is home to restaurants from all cultures. Sports in New York City have a long and distinguished history A wide variety of foods from all different cultures, particularly Chinese, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Mexican restaurants, along Roosevelt Avenue; Dominican food in Corona; African-American cuisine in Jamaica; and many Chinese, Korean restaurants in Flushing. Other cultures, such as Greek, Arab, Latin American, and Southeast Asian, have very prominent standings in Astoria.

Transportation

An A train is about to enter the Broad Channel station. The A Eighth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. Broad Channel is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway.

Queensboro Bridge facing the neighborhood of Long Island City.

MTA #5949 operates in Forest Hills on the Q60. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens.

Twelve New York City Subway routes traverse Queens, serving 81 stations on seven main lines. 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 The A, G, J, and M routes connect Queens to Brooklyn without going through Manhattan first. The A Eighth Avenue Express is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The G Brooklyn–Queens Crosstown Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The J Nassau Street Express and Z Nassau Street Express (earlier Jamaica Express) are two Rapid transit services of the B Division of the The M Nassau Street Local is a Rapid transit service of the B Division of the New York City Subway. The F, N, and R trains connect Queens and Brooklyn via Manhattan, while the E, V, W, and 7 connect Queens to Manhattan only. The F Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The N Broadway Express is a service of the New York City Subway. The R Broadway Local is a service of the New York City Subway. The E Eighth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The V Sixth Avenue Local is a Rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. The W Broadway Local is a Rapid transit service of B Division of the New York City Subway. The 7 Flushing Local and 7 Flushing Express are Rapid transit services of the New York City Subway, providing local and express services along the full

About 100 local bus routes move people around within Queens, and another 15 express routes shuttle commuters between Queens and Manhattan, under the MTA New York City Bus and MTA Bus brands. New York City Transit buses, operating under the MTA New York City Bus brand is a service of MTA Regional Bus Operations that operates in all five boroughs employing MTA Bus Company is a service of MTA Regional Bus Operations used on routes previously controlled by the New York City Department of Transportation

A commuter train system, the Long Island Rail Road, operates 20 stations in Queens with service to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island. Jamaica Station is a hub station where all the lines in the system but one (the Port Washington Branch) converge. Jamaica Station (often referred to simply as Jamaica) is the major hub and headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road, and is located in Jamaica Queens 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 It is the busiest commuter rail hub in the United States. Sunnyside Yard is used as a staging area by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit for intercity and commuter trains from Penn Station in Manhattan. Sunnyside Yard is a large railroad yard in Sunnyside Queens in New York City. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The New Jersey Transit Corporation (usually shortened to New Jersey Transit, NJ Transit or NJT) is a statewide Public transportation system serving

Queens has crucial importance in international and interstate air traffic. Two of New York City's three major airports are located there; LaGuardia Airport is in northern Queens, while John F. Kennedy International Airport is to the south on the shores of Jamaica Bay. LaGuardia Airport (ləˈɡwɑɹdiə is an airport located in Queens County on Long Island in the The City of New York. John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 See also Geography and environment of New York City Jamaica Bay is a Lagoon that lies in the shadow of New York City 's skyscrapers and is adjacent AirTrain JFK provides a rail link between JFK and local rail lines. AirTrain JFK is an 81- Mile (13- km) People mover system in New York City that connects John F

Queens is traversed by three trunk east-west highways. The Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) runs from the Queens Midtown Tunnel on the west through the borough to Nassau County on the east. Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495, better known as the Long Island Expressway or L Interstate 495 (abbreviated I-495, better known as the Long Island Expressway or L The Queens-Midtown Tunnel (sometimes simply Midtown Tunnel) is a Toll road in New York City. The Grand Central Parkway, whose western terminus is the Triborough Bridge, extends east to the Queens/Nassau border, where its name changes to the Northern State Parkway. The Grand Central Parkway is a Parkway that stretches from the Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. The Triborough Bridge, often simply referred to as the Triboro; officially named the Robert F The Northern State Parkway (also known as The Northern State) is a long limited-access state Parkway on Long Island in the U The Belt Parkway begins at the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn, and extends east into Queens, past Aqueduct Racetrack and JFK Airport. The Belt Parkway, also known as the Belt System or Circumferential Parkway, is a series of Limited-access highways that form a complete circle around the The Gowanus Expressway is an Expressway in the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York. History The racetrack opened in 1894 and was rebuilt in 1959 the 1959 design was by noted racetrack architect Arthur Froehlich of the architecture firm Arthur Froehlich On its eastern end at the Queens/Nassau border, it splits into the Southern State Parkway which continues east, and the Cross Island Parkway which turns north. The Southern State Parkway (also known as the Southern State or the Southern Parkway) is a long east-west Limited-access highway on Long Island Cross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a Parkway within New York State.

There are also several major north-south highways in Queens, including the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (Interstate 278), the Van Wyck Expressway (Interstate 678), the Clearview Expressway (Interstate 295), and the Cross Island Parkway. The Brooklyn Queens Expressway ( BQE) is an Expressway which runs from southern Brooklyn, New York to the Grand Central Parkway Interstate 278 (abbreviated I-278) is an Interstate Highway in the U Interstate 678 (abbreviated I-678) is a north-south Spur route in the Interstate Highway System that runs 14 miles (23 km entirely within two boroughs Interstate 678 (abbreviated I-678) is a north-south Spur route in the Interstate Highway System that runs 14 miles (23 km entirely within two boroughs Interstate 295 (abbreviated I-295) is a connector route within New York City. Interstate 295 (abbreviated I-295) is a connector route within New York City.

Streets

Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the borough. Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens, forming part of New York State Route 25.

The streets of Queens are laid out in a semi-grid system, with a numerical system of street names (similar to Manhattan and the Bronx). The grid plan or gridiron plan is a type of City plan in which Streets run at right angles to each other forming a grid. A street name or odonym is an identifying name given to a Street. Nearly all roadways oriented north-south are "Streets", while east-west roadways are "Avenues", beginning with the number 1 in the west for Streets and in the north for Avenues. In some parts of the borough, several consecutive streets may share numbers (for instance, 72nd Street followed by 72nd Place, or 52nd Avenue followed by 52nd Road, 52nd Drive, and 52nd Court), often causing confusion for non-residents. In addition, incongruous alignments of street grids, unusual street paths due to geography, or other circumstances often lead to the skipping of numbers (for instance, on Ditmars Boulevard, 70th Street is followed by Hazen Street which is followed by 49th Street).

This confusion stems from the fact that many of the village street grids of Queens had only worded names, some were numbered according to local numbering schemes, and some had a mix of words and numbers. In the early 1920s a "Philadelphia Plan" was instituted to overlay one numbered system upon the whole borough. Train stations were only partly renamed, thus now share dual names after the original street names. On the number 7 line in Sunnyside, there are 40th-Lowery St., 46th-Bliss St., 52nd St.-Lincoln Ave. and so forth. 40th Street–Lowery Street is a local station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. 46th Street–Bliss Street is a station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. 52nd Street (also 52nd Street–Lincoln Avenue) a station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. Numbered roads tend to be residential, although numbered commercial streets are not rare.

A fair number of streets that were country roads in the 18th and 19th centuries, (especially major thoroughfares such as Northern Boulevard, Queens Boulevard, Hillside Avenue, and Jamaica Avenue) carry names rather than numbers, typically though not uniformly called "Boulevards" or "Parkways". New York State Route 25A is a New York State highway and the main East-West route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running from the Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens, forming part of New York State Route 25. 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

The Rockaway Peninsula does not follow the same system as the rest of the borough and has its own numbering system. Streets are numbered in ascending order heading west from near the Nassau County border, and are prefixed with the word "Beach. " Streets at the easternmost end, however, are nearly all named. Another deviance from the norm is Broad Channel; it maintains the north-south numbering progression but uses only the suffix "Road," as well as the prefixes "West" and "East," depending on location relative to Cross Bay Boulevard, the neighborhood's major through street. Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Cross Bay Boulevard is the main north-south road in Howard Beach, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.

The other exception is the neighborhood of Ridgewood, which for the most part shares a grid and house numbering system with the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The grid runs east-west from the LIRR Bay Ridge Branch right-of-way to Flushing Avenue; and north-south from Forest Avenue in Ridgewood to Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn before adjusting to meet up correctly with the Bedford-Stuyvesant grid at Broadway. The Bay Ridge Branch is a Rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in the U A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted – through an Easement or other mechanism – for Transportation purposes such as for a Rail line or Bedford-Stuyvesant (pron \ˈstī-və-sənt\ (also known as Bed-Stuy) is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City, USA, borough All streets on the grid have names.

Waterways

Queens is connected to the Bronx by the Bronx Whitestone Bridge, the Throgs Neck Bridge, the Triborough Bridge and the Hell Gate Bridge. The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, colloquially referred to as the Whitestone Bridge or simply the Whitestone is a Suspension bridge that crosses the East River and connects The Throgs Neck Bridge is a Suspension bridge opened on January 11, 1961 carrying Interstate 295 over the East River where it meets the The Triborough Bridge, often simply referred to as the Triboro; officially named the Robert F The Hell Gate Bridge (originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or The East River Arch Bridge) is a 1017-foot (310 m steel arch railroad Queens is connected to Manhattan by the Triborough Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, and the Queens Midtown Tunnel. The Triborough Bridge, often simply referred to as the Triboro; officially named the Robert F The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, is a Cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in The Queens-Midtown Tunnel (sometimes simply Midtown Tunnel) is a Toll road in New York City.

While most of the Queens/Brooklyn border is on land, the Kosciuszko Bridge crosses the Newtown Creek connecting Maspeth to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The Kosciuszko Bridge is a truss bridge that spans Newtown Creek between the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, connecting Newtown Creek, is a Estuary that forms part of the border between the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, in New York City, Greenpoint is the northernmost Neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Pulaski Bridge connects McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint to 11th Street, Jackson Avenue, and Hunters Point Avenue in Long Island City. The Pulaski Bridge in New York City connects Long Island City in Queens The Greenpoint Avenue Bridge connects Greenpoint and Long Island City avenues of the same name, which, east of Queens Boulevard (NY-25), becomes Roosevelt Avenue. New York State Route 25 is a major east-west road running from east midtown Manhattan, New York City, to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point A lesser bridge connect Grand Avenue in Queens to Grand Street in Brooklyn.

The Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge connects the Rockaway Peninsula to the rest of Queens. The Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge (originally Cross Bay Bridge or Cross Bay Parkway Bridge) in New York City, is a Toll bridge that crosses

One year-round scheduled ferry service connects Queens and Manhattan. New York Water Taxi operates service across the East River from Hunters Point in Long Island City to Manhattan at 34th Street and south to Pier 11 at Wall Street. See also Transportation in New York City New York Water Taxi is a Water taxi service offering commuter and sightseeing service mainly to points along the The 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 Hunters Point is a neighborhood on the south side of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. 34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. During baseball season, New York Waterway ferries operate to Shea Stadium for New York Mets weekend home games. See also Transportation in New York City NY Waterway is a private Ferry system that provides commuter service and tourist excursions in New York Harbor ^[44]

See also: Transportation in New York City

Education

Queens College is part of the City University of New York. The transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior Colleges of the City University of New York. The City University of New York (CUNY Acronym ˈkjuːni is the public University system of New York City.

Education in Queens is provided by a vast number of public and private institutions. Public schools in the borough are managed by the New York City Department of Education, the largest public school system in the United States. The New York City Department of Education ( NYCDOE) is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system

LaGuardia Community College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), is known as "The World's Community College" for its diverse international student body representing more than 150 countries and speaking over 100 languages. LaGuardia Community College is a City University of New York (CUNY Community college located in Long Island City in Queens New York. The City University of New York (CUNY Acronym ˈkjuːni is the public University system of New York City. The college has been named a National Institution of Excellence by the Policy Center on the First Year of College and one of the top three large community colleges in the United States. ^[45]

Queensborough Community College, originally part of the State University of New York, is in Bayside and is now part of CUNY. Queensborough Community College (QCC, is one of six Community colleges within the City University of New York (CUNY system It prepares students to attend senior colleges mainly in the CUNY system.

Queens College is one of the elite colleges in the CUNY system. Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior Colleges of the City University of New York. Established in 1937 to offer a strong liberal arts education to the residents of the borough, Queens College has over 16,000 students including more than 12,000 undergraduates and over 4,000 graduate students. Students from 120 different countries speaking 66 different languages are enrolled at the school, which is located in Flushing. Queens College is also the host of CUNY's law school. The City University of New York School of Law is a law school operated by the City University of New York (CUNY The Queens College Campus is also the home of Townsend Harris High School.

York College is one of CUNY's leading general-purpose liberal arts colleges, granting bachelor's degrees in more than 40 fields, as well as a combined BS/MS degree in Occupational Therapy. York College of The City University of New York is one of several senior colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY system Noted for its Health Sciences Programs York College is also home to the Northeast Regional Office of the Food and Drug Administration.

St. John's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic university founded in 1870 by the Vincentian Fathers. Lazarites ( Lazarists, Lazarians, or in English -speaking countries Vincentians) are the popular names of the members of the Congregation With over 19,000 students, St. John's is known for its medical, pharmacy, business and law programs as well as its men's basketball and soccer teams.

The Queens Borough Public Library is the public library system for the borough and one of three library systems serving New York City. The Queens Borough Public Library, also known as the Queens Library is the Public library for the Borough of Queens and one of three library Dating back to the foundation of the first Queens library in Flushing in 1858, the Queens Borough Public Library is one of the largest public library systems in the United States. Separate from the New York Public Library, it is composed of 63 branches throughout the borough. The New York Public Library ( NYPL) is one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of America's most significant Research libraries. In fiscal year 2001, the Library achieved a circulation of 16. 8 million. First in circulation in New York State since 1985, the Library has maintained the highest circulation of any city library in the country since 1985 and the highest circulation of any library in the nation since 1987. The Library maintains collections in many languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Haitian Creole, Polish, and six Indic languages, as well as smaller collections in 19 other languages.

Bramson ORT College is an undergraduate college in New York City operated by the American branch of the Jewish charity World ORT. Bramson ORT College is an Undergraduate college in New York City operated by ORT America and US ORT Operations the American branch of the Jewish charity In some Educational systems undergraduate education is Post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. The City of New York PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ World ORT is a Non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish people through training and education with past and present activities in over 100 countries Its main campus is in Forest Hills, Queens, with a satellite campus in Brooklyn. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City.

See also: Education in New York City

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