Douglaston, Queens

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Douglaston, population 14,168 (2000 Census), is a community in the New York City borough of Queens. Douglaston is comprised of six distinct neighborhoods: Doug Bay, Douglas Manor, and Douglaston Hill, all located north of Northern Boulevard on the peninsula abutting Little Neck Bay; Douglaston Park, located between Northern Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway; and two areas south of the Expressway, Winchester Estates and an area simply known as Douglaston.

Douglaston is located on the North Shore of Long Island, bordered to the east by Little Neck, and to the west by Bayside. Douglaston's two ZIP Codes are 11362 and 11363.

Douglaston represents one of the least traditionally urban communities in New York City, with many areas (particularly those north of Northern Boulevard) having a distinctly upscale suburban feel, similar to that of wealthy Nassau County towns located nearby (such as Great Neck).

Demographically, Douglaston is approximately 70 percent white, 23 percent Asian (predominantly of Korean origin),^{[citation needed]} and also is home to a small number of Hispanics and African Americans. Over the past 15 years, the number of Asian Americans in the area has more than doubled, and persons of Korean origin make up the fastest-growing sector of Douglaston's population.^[1]

1 History
2 Community activities
3 Schools
4 Local economy
5 Transportation
6 Local media
7 Famous residents
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

The earliest known residents of the area that would become Douglaston were the Matinecock Native Americans. Early Dutch settlers were drawn to the area by the rich land and abundant fishing. Thomas Hicks settled the area in 1656 on a peninsula first called Little Madman's Neck. In 1796, his estate passed to Thomas Wickes, and in 1819, to Wyant Van Zandt, a wealthy merchant, who built a large Greek Revival mansion in the area. (Today, this mansion houses the Douglaston Yacht Club.)^[2] In 1835, George Douglas bought 240 acres of land along with Van Zandt's mansion. Upon Douglas' death in 1862, the land was inherited by his son, William Douglas. Four years later, the North Shore Railroad extended its service to the area. William Douglas donated an outbuilding for use as the station house, and in thanks, the railroad named its new stop "Douglaston", which soon was taken on as the name of the community.

Douglaston Hill is the oldest area of the community, and is characterized by turn-of-the-20th-century homes in Queen Anne and Victorian styles. It was laid out with very large lots in 1853, at the very beginning of a movement in the United States to create suburban gardens. The area was recognized as an Historic District of New York City in December 2004 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.^[3]

In the early 20th century, the Rickert-Finlay Realty Company of Manhattan purchased 175 acres of the Douglas' family holdings, and formed the Douglas Manor Association, creating a planned community. Many of the houses in this area were built in architectural styles popular at the time, such as Tudor, Mediterranean, Colonial Revival, and Arts and Crafts. In 1997, New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Douglas Manor as the Douglaston Historic District, ensuring that no new buildings or external alterations could be made without the commission's approval.^{[citation needed]}

Other areas of Douglaston were developed during the latter half of the 20th Century. Douglaston Park contains a mixture of large, older homes as well as Capes, Tudors, and ranch-style homes dating from the 1960s. The areas adjacent to the Douglaston Shopping Center are comprised mainly of attached single-family homes built in the early-1970s, as well as four-story condominiums added in the mid-1980s.^[4]

[edit] Community activities

Because northern Douglaston is surrounded by water many residents take advantage of the waterfront. The Douglaston Yacht Squadron^[5] is the local yacht club. It is a part of the Douglaston Club, a country club based in Van Zandt's original mansion in Douglas Manor. The Douglaston Club is also site of various community events, such as the Douglaston Chess Congress' annual championships, which decides the community's best players.

Douglaston also boasts an 18-hole, par 67 golf course. Formerly known as the North Hills Country Club, the 104-acre course opened in 1927 and became a municipal course in the 1960s. The Douglaston Golf Course underwent significant renovations in 2004. The course is situated at the highest point in the borough of Queens, providing picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline, and also boasts a restaurant.

This area is also has several parks under the administration of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. To the west of Douglaston along the waterfront is Alley Pond Park, a 635-acre wildlife and bird sanctuary, and home to the Queens Giant, one of the oldest known trees in New York City. To the east along the water is Udalls Cove, a 90-acre wildlife sanctuary.

There are numerous other community activities that take place in Douglaston, including Theater á la Cartè, which provides live theater at the Douglaston Community Church, and the Douglaston Community Theater players, who perform at the Zion Episcopal Church. The 74-year-old National Art League on Douglaston Parkway offers classes and provides a place for artists to show and sell their work. Monthly concerts are held at the Douglaston Community Church.

The Immaculate Conception Center,^[6] owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, is located in southern Douglaston. It is a large conference center, hosting Diocese events and activities including language immersion classes, lay ministry preparation, adult continuing education, seminarian instruction, parish retreats and also hosts community civic conferences.

Every year Douglaston also hosts a Memorial Day Parade which runs from Little Neck towards the St. Anastasia School.

[edit] Schools

Douglaston is regarded as having the some of the best schools in New York City. Its two public elementary schools are P.S. 98 The Douglaston School and P.S. 221 North Hills School, which both offer classes from kindergarten through 5th grade. These schools feed into J.H.S. 67 Louis Pasteur Middle School, which hosts children in grades 6 through 9. After middle school, Douglaston's public school students are zoned for Benjamin Cardozo High School, in neighboring Bayside. St. Anastasia School is a private Catholic school, with classes from the pre-school level to 8th grade.

[edit] Local economy

Douglaston boasts a number of independently-owned and operated restaurants and shops, many of which are located in the area around the intersection of Douglaston Parkway and Northern Boulevard. This area is home to a distinct cultural presence and traditional New York City style delis and pizzerias.

The Douglaston Plaza Shopping Center is a major hub of the community's economic activity. It contains a Waldbaum's supermarket, Toys 'R' Us, Modell's sporting goods store, Starbucks, Macy's, Burger King, and a MovieWorld theater. Until 2004, the Shopping Center was owned by Yale University. In August of 2004, however, it was purchased by Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corporation, a Manhattan real estate company, for $60 million.^[7]

[edit] Transportation

Many residents of Douglaston are daily commuters to Manhattan.

The Douglaston Long Island Rail Road station, is located at 235th Street and 41st Avenue, off Douglaston Parkway and Wainscott Avenue. Situated on LIRR's Port Washington Branch, a trip from Douglaston to Penn Station takes 30 minutes on a local train, and just over 20 minutes by express train.

Douglaston is served by several buses, the main being the Q12, which connects to the subway in Flushing, the Q30, which connects to the subway in Jamaica, and the QM1a, an express bus which takes passengers directly to the East Side of Manhattan.

Three major Long Island highways all pass through Douglaston: the Long Island Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, and Cross Island Parkway.

[edit] Local media

The area is served by the Little Neck Ledger, owned by the TimesLedger Newspapers.^[8], a chain of 16 weekly newspapers spread throughout Queens.

[edit] Famous residents

World famous pianist Claudio Arrau lived in Douglaston.
Composer James Conlin grew up in Douglaston.
Angela Lansbury lived in Douglaston.^[9]
Tennis greats John McEnroe and Mary Carillo grew up in Douglaston.
The grandparents of notable Trappist monk and theologian Thomas Merton had a home in Douglaston.
Pop singer and actor Gregory Raposo grew up in Douglaston.
Actress and dancer Ginger Rogers lived in Douglaston.
Composer Gitta Steiner lived in Douglaston.
Arthur Treacher lived in Douglaston.
Actress Liu Yi Fei lived in Douglaston
Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich currently lives in Douglaston.