Flushing, Queens
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Image:WorldFairTower3.jpg Flushing is a section of the borough of Queens in New York City, New York.
Before the consolidation of New York City in 1898, Flushing was an independent town in Queens County. Today, it is a thriving business and residential area, with large Chinese and Korean communities (see Chinatown and Koreatown). Flushing is 55% Asian-American. The Chinese community in Flushing is in fact now the largest in the New York metropolitan area, having surpassed Manhattan Chinatown several years ago (disputed — see [[: talk:Flushing, Queens#{{{1|Disputed}}}|talk page]]). There are also Hispanic American, African American, Southeast Asian and Filipino American communities in the area. There have been recent reconstruction efforts in Downtown Flushing, and Corona from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some of this reconstruction was undertaken as part plans to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics in the city. New York City was not selected to host the games, but government funding for the reconstruction of the area continues.
Flushing is one of the most prominent neighborhoods of Queens, along with Jamaica, The Rockaways, Bayside and Long Island City.
Flushing now has many new residential and commercial buildings and is an area that is experiencing rapid development. Primary streets in Flushing include: Main Street, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard, Prince Street, Union Turnpike, Parsons Boulevard, Kissena Boulevard, and 164th Street.
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History
Flushing is named after the city of Vlissingen, found in the southwestern Netherlands, first named when New Netherland was settled by the Dutch in the 1620s. Traces of Dutch history can still be found in Flushing today, such as the John Bowne House on Bowne Street, The Bowne Street Community Church (of the Reformed Church in America), and the Flushing Quaker Meeting House. The Flushing Remonstrance was signed here on December 27, 1657.
The Flushing Cemetery is the final resting place for renowned musician and singer Louis Armstrong, Bohemian writer Hermann Grab, financier Bernard Baruch after whom Baruch College is named, jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., actress May Robson and Vincent Sardi, Sr., founder of the famous Sardi's restaurant.
There has been some street violence in the area recently. There have been several gang related stabbings, as well as shootings in the Downtown Flushing area. The most infamous shooting was in a Wendy's on Main Street in which several workers lost their lives. This violence mostly occurs in the public housing projects (Bland Houses) or in section 8 housing throughout the neighborhood. The crime rate has dropped however (city wide as well) because of the large amounts of police units distributed throughout the neighborhood.
Transportation
Flushing is a major transportation hub with major air, rail, and bus links located within a half-mile (800 m) radius of downtown. The New York City Subway IRT Flushing Line's (Template:NYCS Flushing) terminal is at Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, with the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road located one block away. Over a dozen local bus routes serve Flushing with destinations in Long Island, the Bronx, Jamaica, and other parts of Queens. La Guardia Airport is located 10 minutes away by car or bus.
Education
Queens College, a major branch campus of the City University of New York, is located in Flushing.
There are many public high schools in Flushing, such as John Bowne High School, Robert F. Kennedy High School, Francis Lewis High School, Flushing High School, and Townsend Harris High School as well as Holy Cross High School which is a private school.
Flushing High School is housed in a distinctive building in the Neo-Gothic style. It has been designated as an historic site by the city.(disputed — see [[: talk:Flushing, Queens#{{{1|Disputed}}}|talk page]])
Tourism
The intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue has many shops, many owned by Korean and Chinese immigrants. There is a large selection of restaurants, most of which feature Asian and Asian-American cuisine. Latin American cuisine can be found in College Point Boulevard with the intersection of Sanford Avenue. The Queens Borough Public Library is another attraction in Flushing, it is one of two large regional centers (the other is found in the neighborhood of Jamaica). The library has 3 floors, with an auditorium in the basement for many public events.
Flushing is also well-known when it comes to sporting events. Major League Baseball's New York Mets, who play in Shea Stadium, and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Tennis Center, home to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, are located in Flushing, near the border with another Queens neighborhood, Corona.
Flushing's historic Town Hall is located at Northern Boulevard and Main Street. Many small concerts, and cultural events take place in the recently renovated and restored Town Hall.
The Queens Botanical Gardens can be found in Flushing just adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Interesting facts
- Actress Fran Drescher, tennis player Sandy Mayer, animator Chris Wedge, and porn star Ron Jeremy were born in Flushing.
- Archie Bunker, the fictional character from the 1970s American television sitcom All in the Family, attended Flushing High School.
- Several reputable sources, including the The New York Times, note the birthplace of composer John Williams as Flushing. However, other equally reputable sources cite his birthplace as Floral Park.
- North Flushing, the area nearest to Bayside and Whitestone is predominately an area of older, single family homes, and centers upon Bowne Park which is between 29th Ave and 32nd Ave, and 155st and 161st St.
- It's also called Little China/Korea/India/Philippines by residents in south Flushing (after the Long Island Expressway/Horace Harding Expressway to Main Street and Queens Boulevard)(disputed — see [[: talk:Flushing, Queens#{{{1|Disputed}}}|talk page]])
- The great ash heap/valley of ashes of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby used to be the ash dumping grounds in what is now Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
- The 1964 New York World's Fair was held in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, remnants of which, such as the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion, are still standing.
External links
- A Journey Through Chinatown - Downtown Flushing map