Queens

I

Introduction

Queens, borough of New York, New York State, United States. The largest borough in New York, it has a land area of about 282 sq km (109 sq mi). Predominantly a residential area, Queens has numerous well-defined ethnic communities, several of which originated in colonial times. Population 2,225,486 (2003 estimate).

II

Economy

Transport, distribution, and manufacturing are important industries in Queens. Many of the factories are in Long Island City and Maspeth, making food products, electronic equipment, textiles, shoes, office supplies, metal products, paint, furniture, pianos, and cut stone and marble.

Queens is linked to extensive transport facilities that connect it with Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island. It is connected to Manhattan by the Queensboro Bridge; the Queens-Midtown Tunnel; and the Triborough Bridge, which also links Queens with the Bronx. Two of the busiest airline terminals in the world are in Queens: La Guardia Airport and John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.

III

Places of Interest

A number of historic landmarks are in Queens, including the Bowne House, built in 1661, and the Society of Friends (Quakers) Meeting House, used almost continuously by the Friends since 1696. Also of interest are the First Presbyterian Church (1662) and the Reformed Church of Newtown (1731). The Onderdonk Farmhouse (1731), in Maspeth is one of the best-preserved examples of colonial architecture. Flushing Meadow-Corona Park was the site of World's Fairs in 1939 to 1940 and in 1964 to 1965, and the Stadium of the West Side Tennis Club is in Forest Hills. Shea Stadium is the home of the New York Mets major league baseball team, and the National Tennis Center is the site of the annual United States Open tennis tournament. Higher education facilities in Queens include Queens College (1937) and York College (1967), which are affiliated to the City University of New York; St John's University (1870); the Academy of Aeronautics (1932); and a number of rabbinical colleges. Also here is the Queens Museum, the New York Hall of Science, and the American Museum of the Moving Image.

IV

History

The region now comprising Queens was originally inhabited by Native Americans of the Rockaway tribe. Willem Kieft, governor of New Netherland, bought large sections of the region from the Rockaways in 1639. In 1642, Dutch colonists established Maspeth (Mespat), and English settlers founded Flushing (Vlissingen). The English also helped to establish Jamaica in 1656. By 1664, when England seized control of New Netherland, English settlers were numerous in the territory.

Queens County was organized in 1683 as an administrative division of the English province of New York and was named after Catherine of Braganza, queen consort of Charles II. Largely an agrarian area, Queens grew very slowly until the late 19th century. The Rockaway Peninsula and the North Shore became popular resort areas in the 1890s, and the industrial development of the area around Newtown Creek began about the same time. For subsequent history, see New York.