Middle Village, Queens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Middle Village is a neighborhood in central Queens, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is located in the western central section of Queens, bounded to the north by Eliot Avenue, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue, and to the west by Lutheran Cemetery[1]. Middle Village borders Elmhurst to the North, Maspeth and Ridgewood to the West, Glendale to the South, and Rego Park to the East. In 2003, "South Elmhurst", an area between Eliot Avenue and the LIE, was added to Middle Village's ZIP code (11379) but it is not generally considered part of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community District 5, served by Queens Community Board 5.[2] Housing in the neighborhood is largely single-family homes with many attached homes, and small apartment buildings.
The neighborhood is served by the M train of the New York City Subway which terminates at Metropolitan Ave. Three buses also service Middle Village including the Q29, the Q38, and the Q54.
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[edit] History
The area was settled around 1816 by people of English descent and was named in the early nineteenth-century for its location as the mid-point between the then towns of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens on the Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike (now Metropolitan Ave.) which opened in 1816[1]. In 1852, a Manhattan Lutheran church purchased the farmland on the western end of the hamlet that would become the Lutheran Cemetery[1]. The St. John's Roman Catholic Cemetery was laid out on the eastern side of the town in 1879[3]. After the Civil War, the area became predominantly German[1]. Hotels and other services appeared to meet the needs of cemetery visitors. A housing boom which began in the 1920's eventually consumed the surrounding farmland and became continuous with neighboring towns and neighborhoods[1]).
Middle Village is served by Juniper Valley Park, which is a large public park built on what was once called Juniper Swamp (filled in 1915[1]). Subsequent settlement was by those of Italian and Irish descent with more recent arrivals from Eastern Europe.
Atlas Park shopping center also opened up recently and it serves as a place for the towns' youth to hang out, and also provides a nice atmosphere to walk around in. It has a few chain restaurants including Chilis and California Pizza Kitchen. There is also a movie theatre, Borders Book Store, Cold Stone Creamery, and a few clothing stores.
[edit] Famous dead
St. John's Cemetery, Queens, a cemetery located in Middle Village, holds many famed mobsters, including John Gotti and Lucky Luciano. Fitness guru Charles Atlas and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe are also interred there. The General Slocum Steamboat Fire Mass Memorial, commemorating one of the worst disasters in NYC's history, is at Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery (67-29 Metropolitan Avenue).
[edit] Crime and safety
In the 1970s and early 1980s, as in other parts of the US, drug trafficking held a high presence in this neighborhood. There has always been a widely held belief that low level organized crime maintained control of the neighborhood. The early 1990s brought about a major urban renewal of all its parks and green spaces. This has created a safer more inviting place to live. These days burglary and car theft are rare, and the area is relatively safe.[citation needed]
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 28,984 people residing in Middle Village. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 89.5% White, 4.0% Asian, 0.7% African American, 3.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. 9.8% of the population were Hispanic of any race. The estimated medium household income as of 2005 is $55,622.
A large portion of the population in Middle Village is Italian American, although Middle Village has seen an influx of Polish, Irish, and Slavic residents over the recent years.[4]
[edit] Schools
PS 49 and PS 128 are elementary schools in Middle Village with grades K to 5. PS 87 is an elementary and junior high school with grades K to 8. However, PS 128 is currently in the process of becoming an elementary and junior high school with grades K to 8.[5] Our Lady of Hope and St. Margaret are two Catholic K-8 schools in the area.
Christ The King Regional High School is a private school. It is also nationally-known as the home of the Royals Boy's and Girl's basketball teams, with a total of 13 Federation Championships spanning the last 16 years. Christ The King Regional High School is also the home of one of the City's best forensics teams, sending students to the National Forensics Championships annually. Over the past five years, the team has gone through several coaching changes, though the current team is headed by veteran coach Anton Jans.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Middle Village include:
- Anthony Aiello, reputed mobster.[6]
- Nicole Bass, professional female bodybuilder
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Jackson, K.T. (ed.) (1995). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven, CT: Yale.
- ^ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ Seyfried, V.F. and Asadorian, W. (1991). Old Queens, NY in Early Photographs, Mineola, NY: Dover.
- ^ 11379 Zip Code (New York) Detailed Profile - residents and real estate info
- ^ AMCC CORP. http://www.amcccorp.com/. Retrieved on 2008-3-23.
- ^ Raab, Selwyn."A SECOND 'PIZZA' DRUG RING IS BROKEN UP BY AUTHORITIES", The New York Times, November 16, 1984. Accessed October 7, 2007. "The reputed head of the group was identified in court papers as Anthony Aiello, 46 years old, of 75-21 Caldwell Avenue, Middle Village, Queens."
[edit] External links
- Middle Village Online
- Photographs of Middle Village
- Photographs of Middle Village at Forgotten New York site
