Jamaica Estates, Queens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jamaica Estates World War II Memorial

Jamaica Estates is a wealthy neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The area is part of Queens Community Board 8. It is bounded by Union Turnpike to the North, Hillside Avenue to the South, Utopia Parkway and Homelawn Street to the West and 188th Street to the East. Although technically in the Hollis zip code, many consider the neighborhood bounded by Union Turnpike, 188th Street, Cunningham Park and Grand Central Parkway to be part of Jamaica Estates as well.

Jamaica Estates was created at the turn of the century by the Jamaica Estates Company, which developed the area's hilly 503 acres, while preserving many of the trees that had occupied the site. Jamaica Estates now has significant Jewish American, Italian-American and Asian-American populations. It is considered one of the most expensive and exclusive residential areas in Queens.

The only apartments and multi-family housing lie on the edges along Hillside Avenue. The main shopping corridors include Hillside Avenue and Union Turnpike.

1 Education
2 Transportation
3 Popular culture
4 Noted natives
5 External link

[edit] Education

The neighborhood is served by two public elementary schools. Residents in the eastern part of Jamaica Estates are served by The Holliswood School (PS 178) on Radnor Road at 189th Street in School District 26, and residents in the western part of the neighborhood are served by The Abigail Adams School (PS 131) in School District 29. The Mary Louis Academy, an all-girls Catholic college-prep school, is also located in this neighborhood, on the corner of Edgerton Street and Wexford Terrace.

[edit] Transportation

The northern terminus of the New York City Subway's IND Queens Boulevard Line (F), 179th Street station, is located at the entrance of Jamaica Estates at Midland Parkway and Hillside Avenue. The neighborhood is also served by the Q17 and Q46 bus lines. Numerous express buses to Manhattan also stop on Union Turnpike. The commute to Midtown Manhattan takes 30 to 45 minutes.

In contrast to much of Queens, most streets in Jamaica Estates do not conform to the rectangular street grid and follow topographic lines, the most notable example being Midland Parkway. Many of the named streets have Anglo-Saxon origins, such as Aberdeen, Avon, Barrington, Chelsea, and Chevy Chase Street. Most of the homes are large single-family homes in the tudor and colonial styles, many on substantial lots, sited on hilly winding streets lined with old-growth trees.