BAYSIDE, LONG ISLAND

Bayside, Long Island

Bayside is a neighborhood located in the borough of Queens on the North Shore, Long Island, New York. It is part of Queens Community Board 11 and considers an upper middle class neighborhood with many wealthy residents. Bayside is surrounded by Francis Lewis Boulevard to the west, 233rd Street to the east, Grand Central Parkway to the south, and Cross Island Parkway/Little Neck Bay to the north. The neighborhood is one of New York's most ethnically diverse commuter towns, though inside the City limits. As of the 2000 census, there were 29,206 people and contained 13,977 housing units. The estimated median household income as of 2005 is $62,611, and 88% of all households own at least one car.

The Matinecock Native American Tribe was the first people who lived there. In the late 17th century, the neighborhood was settled by English colonists. During the Revolutionary War, the Bayside-Little Neck area suffered from raids by whaleboatmen from the Connecticut shores. The miller was killed due to the massive attacked in Talman house. The rise of the Astoria Studios in the 1920s was the first impulsion for large numbers of people, especially performing artists, to choose Bayside for residence. Bayside was suburbanized in the middle of 20th century; it had large estates and beautiful homes which still exist today.

Notable people living in Bayside include Rolf Armstrong (painter), John Barrymore (actor), Irving Berlin (composer), Michael Chang (tennis player), Charlie Chaplin (actor), and Paul Newman (actor). Most of its resident’s ancestries were European American with Jewish, Italian, Greek, Irish, and Russian. A significant number of Chinese and Korean families began moving into the area in mid 1990s. The northern part of Bayside, including Bay Terrace, has a large concentration of Whites/Europeans, particularly people of Jewish and Italian heritage. The southern and eastern portions of Bayside have a more diverse population.

Bayside is served by New York City Department of Education’s district 26 which has 20 elementary schools and 5 middle schools. The School District has an outstanding academic record, with classes from Kindergarten all the way to Grade 9, and more than 17 thousand students. It is also home to a number of New York City high schools such as Bayside High School and Benjamin Cardozo High School. Bayside is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in Queens with only few crime rates committed base on their statistical records. In fact, the area was the site of alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a housewife named Veronica Leuken. Bayside is a perfect place for those people who love the outdoors and follow active lifestyles. It has a great selection of Parks, courts for games, hiking trails and of course, golf courses. There are many attractive places for picnics, which is another reason for children to love Bayside. The waterfront and inviting beaches are never far away, giving residents the opportunity to indulge in all water-sports and forms of marine recreation.