Douglaston, Queens

Douglaston, population 17,823 (2010 Census), is an upper middle class community in the New York City borough of Queens. Douglaston comprises six distinct neighborhoods: Douglas Bay,^[1] Douglas Manor,^[2] 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. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 11^[3] and New York City school district 26.

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 Nassau County towns located nearby (such as Great Neck).

The area is also known for its historical society and other civic groups, notably the Douglaston Civic Association and the Douglas Manor Association.

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 Madnan's Neck. In 1796, his estate passed to Thomas Wickes (1770–1854), 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 Club, a private club with tennis courts, social activities and swimming pools. In 1835, George Douglas bought 240 acres (0.97 km²) 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.^[4]

FDNY Engine 313/Ladder 164 Firehouse on 244th Street

In the early 20th century, the Rickert-Finlay Realty Company of Manhattan purchased 175 acres (0.71 km²) 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.^[5][6]

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 occupied mainly by attached single-family homes built in the early-1970s, as well as four-story condominiums added in the mid-1980s.^[7]

Community activities

Because northern Douglaston is surrounded by water many residents take advantage of the waterfront. The Douglaston Yacht Squadron^[8] 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. Sailing is also a popular sport in the community.

Southern Douglaston has an 18-hole, par 67 golf course. Formerly known as the North Hills Country Club, the 104-acre (0.42 km²) 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 one of the highest points in the borough of Queens, providing picturesque views of the Manhattan skyline, and has a restaurant.

Several parks are 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 (2.57 km²) wildlife and bird sanctuary, and home to the Queens Giant, the oldest known tree (and living thing) in New York City. To the east along the water is Udalls Cove, a 90-acre (360,000 m²) wildlife sanctuary.

National Art League

Other community activities include 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,^[9] formerly a college-level seminary named Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception and 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. For the Fall of 2011, all administrative offices will be relocated and the building will be host to eighty undergraduate seminarians studying at nearby St. John's University, in addition to retired priests from the Diocese of Brooklyn.

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

A local Volunteer ambulance corps, the Little Neck - Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps is supported and run by people in the community. It also hosts blood drives and classes to teach the community CPR for free.

Schools

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 Louis Pasteur Middle School, which hosts children in grades 6 through 8. After middle school, Douglaston's public school students are zoned for Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, in neighboring Bayside. St. Anastasia School is a private Catholic school, with classes from the pre-school level to 8th grade. PS 811—the Multiple Handicap School of Queens, is devoted to students with physical and mental disabilities. It is an elementary school, for grades 1-6. Before it was designated The Multiple Handicap School of Queens, it was known as PS 187, and served as an elementary school for mainstream children in grades 1-6.

Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston

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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 Fairway Market supermarket (which opened in November 2011), Toys 'R' Us, Modell's sporting goods store, Macy's, Burger King, the pizza restaurant Grimaldi's, and a MovieWorld theater.

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 34 minutes on a local train, and approximately 30 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, the QM5, an express bus which directly to the East Side of Manhattan, the QM8, an express bus directly to Downtown Manhattan, and the QM3, another express bus 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.

Local media

The area is served by the Little Neck Ledger, owned by the TimesLedger Newspapers,^[10] a chain of 14 weekly newspapers spread throughout Queens. Media giant News Corporation, which also owns the New York Post, bought TimesLedger in October 2006.

Notable residents

• Claudio Arrau, pianist^[11]
• Ruth Benedict, (1887–1948), anthropologist lived here after her marriage in 1914.
• Lidia Bastianich, celebrity chef (current resident)^[12]
• Mary Carillo, tennis player^[13]
• Alex Corbisiero, international/pro rugby player^[14]
• Hedda Hopper, gossip columnist, actress^[15][16]
• Philip LaFollette, three-term Governor of Wisconsin
• Angela Lansbury^[17]
• Harold McCracken, explorer and author of books on Frederic Remington and George Catlin
• John McEnroe, tennis player^[18]
• Patrick McEnroe, tennis player^[18]
• Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and author^[19]
• Ginger Rogers, actress and dancer^[11]
• Arthur Treacher^[20]

Popular culture

• Scenes from the movies Black Rain, American Gangster, Little Children, The Arrangement, I Never Sang for My Father, Cops and Robbers, Mona Lisa Smile (2003 film), Rabbit Hole and After-Life were filmed in the community.
• In the 30 Rock episode "Hiatus", the community stood in for Needmore, Pennsylvania.
• Mary Hudson, a character in "The Laughing Man", a short story by J. D. Salinger, is from this community.
• The 2010 Nicole Kidman film 'Rabbit Hole' was shot in Douglaston.
• The 2011 film "Son of No One" starring Channing Tatum and Katie Holmes was shot in Douglaston in April 2010
• "Machine" the masked character from the 1999 film 8mm lived with his mother in Douglaston.
• The 2014 film "Run All Night" starring Liam Neeson, Ed Harris and Joel Kinnaman was shot in Douglaston in Winter 2013
• An exit to the Douglastown Parkway is seen in the opening minutes of the 1971 film "A New Leaf"

References

External links

• Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society
• Douglaston Yacht Squadron
• Douglaston Golf Course
• Douglaston Community website and Social Network
• Community website
• Forgotten New York

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Coordinates: 40°45′54″N 73°44′38″W / 40.76500°N 73.74389°W / 40.76500; -73.74389