JACKSON HEIGHTS, LONG ISLAND

Jackson Heights, Long Island

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood located in the borough of Queens within the northwestern portion, Long Island, New York. It is part of Queens Community Board 3. Jackson Heights is a lively neighborhood which is famous for its diversity. It is mainly composed of private homes, co-op buildings, and rentals, with a small number of condominiums. The neighborhood is surrounded by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway on the west, Grand Central Expressway on the north, Junction Boulevard on the east, and Roosevelt Avenue on the south. East Elmhurst, the area immediately to the north, from Northern Boulevard to the Grand Central Parkway, though not part of the original development, is sometimes regarded as a northward extension of the neighborhood. Jackson Heights is a 20-minute commute on the 7 subway to Midtown Manhattan from the 82nd Street station. Or else take the E, F, G, R, or V trains from Roosevelt Avenue. E and F are express through Queens. Elevation is 79 feet.

In 1908, the area was purchased by a syndicate of bankers and realtors called the Queensboro Corporation, led by Edward A. MacDougall and following the arrival of the No. 7 elevated line between Manhattan and Flushing. The neighborhood was initially planned as a place for middle to upper-middle income workers from Manhattan to raise their families. After the Queensboro Bridge opened in 1909, they bought as many farms as possible along the planned subway route and created unique and popular garden co-ops that attracted middle-class professionals which were inspired by Britain's Garden City movement. These two-family houses and apartment bordered the streets on two sides and were separated from each other by a common inner courtyard garden. After World War II new developments were more densely populated, and an original golf course was covered. The neighborhood was named for Jackson Avenue a street that ran through it, now known as Northern Boulevard. Landmarking was a result of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group (JHBG)'s campaign to revitalize the neighborhood. In recent time, Jackson Heights has again become a hot neighborhood and real estate market.

Well-known people living in Jackson Heights include Lucy Liu (actress), Don Rickles (comedian), Tommy Rettig (actor), Alfred Eisenstaedt (photographer), and Eleanor Clift (regular panelist). Jackson Heights is an urban melting pot with many ethnic populations, but mainly comprises of Latin Americans, multi-generational European, and Asian Americans. There is also an older population of Europeans of multi-generational Italian, Jewish, Polish, and Irish descent that have remained in the area. Jackson Heights is known for having an amazingly wide selection of restaurants offering some of the most authentic and best ethnic cuisine available throughout New York City. Jackson Diner has long been a popular restaurant offering a buffet of Indian delicacies. Don Pepe is a casual Colombian coffee shop among a strip of Spanish-style restaurants on Northern Boulevard. The neighborhood is also home to several houses of worship from a wide selection of religions. Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church is located between 82nd and 83rd Street on 35th Avenue. The Jackson Heights Jewish Center is located on the corner of 77th Street and 37th Avenue.