Kew Gardens, Long Island
The Kew Gardens neighborhood is surrounded by the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly Interborough Parkway) to the north and east, and Queens Boulevard, also to the east by 127th Street, to the south by 85th Avenue, and to the west by Babbage Street and Park Lane South. Forest Park as well as Forest Hills lies to the west. Jamaica lies to some extreme parts of the South East and Briarwood along the south. Main Street, Parsons Boulevard and Union Turnpike are the main zones in Kew Gardens where most stores are located. The latitude of Kew Gardens is 40.714N. The longitude is -73.831W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 92 feet. In 1875, the Maple Grove Cemetery was opened and made it as an alternative to the overcrowded Prospect Cemetery in Jamaica. The Long Island Rail Road Station was constructed in July of the same year and named Hopedale, after Hopedale Hall, a hotel at what is now Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike. In later years, many establishments were also opened in the neighborhood. But before 1910, there were no East River tunnels to Manhattan and the commuters had a difficult time to travel. Probably, the greatest change was formed by the opening of the Independent subway along Queens Boulevard to Union Turnpike on December 31, 1936; four months later, the subway was extended to Jamaica, Queens. It helps the residents now to have an easy access going to Manhattan and Brooklyn. Today, Kew Gardens is considered as one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the country. Well-known residents living in Kew Gardens include Ralph Bunche (diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner), Jerry Springer (talk show host), Charlie Chaplin (comedian), Will Rogers (humorist), and Dorothy Parker (American writer and poet). The neighborhood has a growing African American and Latino population, as well as Bukharian Jews from Uzbekistan, alongside an important Orthodox Jewish community. However the Jewish community continues to dominate in terms of numbers and the area shows clear signs of their distinctive culture and lifestyle. Kew Gardens is also an economically diverse neighborhood which is predominantly lower class to upper middle class, but also sees residents at the more extreme ends of the range. The Corona Park and the Queens College are within easy reach for people who live in Kew Gardens. Families can look forward to active outdoor activities and plenty of culturally-rich recreation. Aside from it, shopping is a past time routine for the residents in Kew Gardens with plentiful stores along the Main Street and Parsons Boulevard. There is also lots of fine dining and most of the restaurants there reassure the main community of residents with kosher menus. |
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Kew Gardens is a neighborhood located in the central of 