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 neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 4.While the northern most part is included in Community Board 3.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Community
Corona was one of the old towns of Queens, which included Long Island City, Jamaica, Newtown, and Flushing. The LeFrak City housing development is located within the southwest ending boundaries of Corona.
Over the last 30 years Corona has seen a few ethnic demographic turnovers.[citation needed] In the 1970s what was predominately an Italian American neighborhood began to give way to a very large influx of Dominicans, though some parts of Corona, including the southeast, have a small amount of Italian families. In the late 1990s, Corona saw a new wave of immigrants from Latin America.
Today, Corona is now around 65-70% Hispanic. Corona's Hispanic community consists of Mexicans, Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Bolivians, Peruvians and Ecuadorians. There is also a small number of Asian Americans, (particularly Koreans, Filipinos Chinese) and Pakistanis, as well as Italian Americans and African Americans.[2]
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.
[edit] Popular culture
The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue. Tony's Pizzaria on 104th and 43rd Avenue, Angelo's pizzaria, on 103rd and 39th Avenue, La Cabaña a typical Dominican eatery five stores down from Angelos, Jardin De China located on Junction Boulevard between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt. Each of these establishments have become staples of the community, with people traveling from their new neighborhoods across the tristate area, for some taste of home again in Corona.
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. Chapter 6 of Andrew Morton's Madonna describes Madonna's brief stint as a Corona resident in the late 1970s/early 80s.
A mistake has been made with regard to the eastern border of Corona. First there are three sections of Corona, Corona North, Corona Station and Corona Heights, the eastern border of coroha heights, which houses 90% of the physilities in Flushing Meadows Corona Park such as Shea Stadium (Citi Field), Willets Point, USTA, Queens Theater, Zoo, Museum, Terrace in the Park, park for all children, pool, golf, tennis etc., is the creek that runs parriel to College Point Boulrvard.
[edit] Transportation
The IRT Flushing Line (7 <7>) train runs through the neighborhood with stops at 111th Street, 103rd Street-Corona Plaza and Junction Boulevard.
[edit] Notable residents
Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose house is now a museum, the Louis Armstrong House & Archives.[3] Pop icon Madonna also lived in Corona from 1979-1980 as a member of the band Breakfast Club.
Omar Minaya, General Manager of the New York Mets, is a home grown product of Corona having, attended and played Baseball at Newtown High School in neighboring Elmhurst.
Hollywood actor and comedian John Leguizamo.
Hip-hop musicians Kool G Rap, DJ Polo, Styles P, Noreaga and The Beatnuts come from Corona.
Estée Lauder (1906-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ 11368 Zip Code Detailed Profile, City-Data.com. Accessed April 18, 2008.
- ^ The House, Louis Armstrong House Museum. Accessed September 17, 2007.
- ^ Severo, Richard. "Estée Lauder, Pursuer of Beauty And Cosmetics Titan, Dies at 97", The New York Times, April 26, 2004. Accessed February 25, 2008. "Josephine Esther Mentzer was born at home in Corona, Queens, on July 1, 1908, according to several biographies, although her family believes it may have been two years earlier."
