Laurelton, Queens

228th Street at 138th Avenue in Laurelton

Laurelton is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is a largely middle class neighborhood. Laurelton is part of the former town of Jamaica. Merrick Boulevard, which bisects the community in a generally east-west direction, forms its commercial spine. It is bounded by Springfield Boulevard, 130th Avenue, Laurelton Parkway, and Conduit Avenue. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 13.[1]

Description

Laurelton derives its name from the Laurelton station on the Long Island Rail Road, which was named for the laurels that grew there over 100 years ago. It was modeled after an English village, with stately Tudor-style homes, both attached and detached. There are co-ops in converted garden apartment complexes and some new construction with more modern designs, but no high-rise buildings, which has enabled Laurelton to keep its small town feel. The area of Laurelton closest to Rosedale and Cambria Heights is mostly made up of single-family homes. The area abutting Springfield Gardens contains many two-family homes. The area south of Merrick Boulevard contains many large, individually designed houses while many of the blocks to the north, running westward from Francis Lewis Boulevard, have attached, Tudor-style rowhouses. The eastern part of Laurelton contains a series of streets with planted center malls.[2]

Demographics

In the 1930s through 1970s and beyond, the neighborhood was populated by many Jewish Americans, but succeeding generations have been made up of people of diverse backgrounds, including African-Americans who moved up from the South.[3][4]

According to the Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights, the demographics of ZIP code 11413 are 91.5% Black or African American, 2.7% White, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.5% two or more races and 1.3% some other race.[5] A vast majority of the people living in Laurelton are of African American or West Indian descent, however up until the late 1970s, Laurelton was a predominantly Jewish community.

Private school education

Transportation

Welcome to Laurelton sign, sponsored by Burger King

The Belt Parkway's exits 24 A/B, 23A, and 22 all service Laurelton. The section known as the Laurelton Parkway was the subject of a master plan[6] as part of the city's emerging system of greenways and bikeways. The restoration of this 1.5 miles (2.4 km) link was completed in 2006.

Additionally, the Laurelton Long Island Rail Road station serve the area. The station is located at 225th Street and 141st Road and offers service to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan by both the Far Rockaway and Long Beach branches. The ZIP code of Laurelton is 11413.

Notable residents

Anthony George Douglas Mason (born December 14, 1966) is a retired American professional basketball player. In his 13-year career he played with the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in his 13-year NBA career. During the prime of his career in the mid-1990s, he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1995 and then led the NBA in minutes played in the subsequent two seasons. In 1997, he earned All-NBA (3rd team) and NBA All-Defensive Team (2nd team). He was selected to the 2001 NBA All-Star Game

References

  1. ↑ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
  2. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/realestate/26livi.html?pagewanted=1
  3. ↑ Prosperous Area Seeks Shops to Match
  4. ↑ Black Incomes Surpass Whites in Queens
  5. ↑ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=11413&_cityTown=11413&_state=&_zip=11413&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y
  6. ↑ http://prtl-prd-web.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/transportation/conduit_10.pdf
  7. ↑ Segal, David; and Cowan, Alison Leigh. "Madoffs Shared Much; Question Is How Much", The New York Times, January 14, 2009. Accessed February 9, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laurelton, Queens.

Coordinates: 40°40′26.69″N 73°44′41.37″W / 40.6740806°N 73.7448250°W