Corona, Queens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Corona, Queens, (zip code 11368) is a neighborhood in the former Township of Flushing in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing, Jackson Heights, and Elmhurst. Corona's main thoroughfares include Corona Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard, Junction Boulevard, and 108th Street. The IRT Flushing Line (7) train runs through the neighborhood with stops at 111th Street, 103rd Street-Corona Plaza and Junction Boulevard. Corona was one of the old towns of Queens, which included Long Island City, Jamaica, Newtown, and Flushing.

Corona was mostly an Italian American neighborhood (corona is Italian for crown). The Italian American population has fallen greatly since the 1980's and Corona has seen an increase in non-Italian immigrants and residents. There is currently a predominant Hispanic community (Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan, Bolivian, Peruvian and Ecuadorian), an Asian American community (Korean, Filipinon and Chinese), and an African American community along with the original few Italian American immigrant community that stayed. Corona is generaly listed as a depressed area, with rampant gang activity, including the notorious MS-13.

Corona is bordered on the east by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, one of the largest parks in New York City and the site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Located within the park are Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, and the USTA National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open in tennis is held annually. Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose house is now a museum. The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue.

Paul Simon bade "goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona," in his song "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." F. Scott Fitzgerald referred to the Corona dumps as the "valley of ashes" in his novel The Great Gatsby.

Books about Corona's history and present include Roger Sanjek's The Future of Us All and Steven Gregory's Black Corona.

Rappers Kool G Rap and Noreaga come from Corona