Big Apple Greeter welcomes you to New York City! bigapplegreeter.org The Big Apple Greeter Guide to Jackson Heightstext by deborah freeman. jackson heights is a diverse neighborhood with a large South Asian district, graphic design by gil fontimayor. photographs by paul katcher as well as many South and Central American stores and restaurants. Just blocks © 2012 Big Apple Greeter 1/2012 Big Apple Greeter from these busy lively shopping streets is the first planned garden community in 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 Phone: 212-669-8159 the U.S., with beautifully maintained homes and private gardens. Web: bigapplegreeter.org to arrange a visit with a big apple greeter, please go to: bigapplegreeter.org 1 4 7 9 11 13 2 5 8 10 12 14 The Big Apple Greeter Guide to 16 3 6 Jackson Heights 15 11 12 13 16 9 12 convenient subways apartment living Where is Jackson Heights? at Roosevelt Avenue. E, F, M or R trains to Jackson 17 Located in northwestern Queens, Jackson Heights Heights-Roosevelt14 Avenue. 15 stretches north from Roosevelt Avenue to Astoria by bus: Bus lines that service Jackson Heights include Boulevard, and east from the Brooklyn-Queens the Q32, Q33, Q45, Q47, Q49 and Q53. Expressway to Junction Boulevard. 10 13 Attractions 9 13 About Jackson Heights 1 If you arrive by way of4 the 74th street subway7 11 The area now called Jackson Heights consisted originally station, be sure to notice the trapezoidal-shaped 18 of farmland and open fields. In 1909, the Queensboro windows layered with a plasma composite19 material Bridge connected Queens to 59th Street in Manhattan; which breaks up the light into the colors of the this was followed shortly by real estate speculation. spectrum.2 The artist, Tom5 Patti, has said he was8 10 12 14 The Queensboro Corporation, led16 by Edward A. 17 influenced1 by the18 markets,4 flowers and colors7 on the 9 11 13 11 14MacDougall, wanted to avoid the dirt and congestion nearby streets. To learn more, see the website at often found in tenement-style urban housing. www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork_show?126. MacDougall was inspired by the British Garden City 56 15 16 movement. Wanting Jackson Heights to be a city 23 Jackson19 Heights was the first garden city8 21 10 12 14 within the city, he set the buildings back from the lot community built in the U.S. Most of20 its buildings lines and planted lawns. He carefully planned the main have been landmarked by the city and the area between commercial district along 37th Avenue, donated land 76th and 88th Street was designated the jackson 15 16for churches, and19 built tennis courts and a golf course. in 1993. 17 heights historic18 district 19 linden court 16 Many of the cooperative apartments are detached between3 84th and 85th Streets6 and Roosevelt and 15 buildings surrounding private interior gardens; 37th Avenues was one of the first buildings sold11 under 12 13 16 this innovative design creates many corner apartments, the cooperative ownership plan. A 1920 issue of maximizing light and air. With convenient Architectural Record featured a20 rave review of Linden transportation and good housing, 9 12 Court, highlighting its innovative Jackson Heights has always been a greeter’s secret: features, such as sunrooms, block- To learn more about the Jackson Heights 17 18stable residential20 neighborhood. Historic District and for maps and long interior gardens and garages.11 12 13 16 photos of landmarked buildings and To learn more about the history of 14 15 17 It’s Easy to Get to Jackson Heights points of interest, see the website at Jackson Heights, see the website at train to 74 nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/ M by subway: 7 reports/JACKSON_HEIGHTS_HISTORIC_9 12 mpcproperties.com/ Street-Broadway or 82 Street DISTRICT.pdf.10 13 jacksonheightshistory.php. 1519 1718 bigapplegreeter.org 2 jackson heights 14 16 17 18 1011 1314 19 18 19 20 21 16 17 18 1511 1614 19 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 1517 1618 2019 17 18 19 M 20 17 18 20 M The Big Apple Greeter Guide to J ackson Heights 1 4 7 9 11 13 2 5 8 10 12 14 1 4 7 9 11 13 private homes st. mark’s 6 garden apartments 515 16 3 the towers between 80th 2 st. mark’s episcopal8 church 10 12 14 and 81st Streets and Northern 1 at4 33-50 82nd Street near7 34th 9 11 13 Boulevard and 34th Avenue is Avenue was established in 1923. Note a complex of 8 buildings the lovely garden. the jackson surrounding a private park with heights art club, located at the 6 15 16 fountains and formal ornamental 23 parish5 house, offers drawing8 and 10 12 14 columns. Apartments with 11 12 painting13 classes for children16 and marble hallways and oak floors adults. To learn more, see the website cost between $18,000 to $25,000 at saintmarks.net. in9 1924—and considerably12 more today. 3 6 travers park on 34th Avenue 15 16 between 77th and 78th Streets11 is 12 13 16 1 4 In 1924, Queensboro7 9 1114 13a welcoming15 place to take17 a respite. Corporation began construction The park features a well-used of a number of private english 9 12 playground as well as facilities for garden10 homes13 called shuffleboard, softball, basketball, 2 5 10 12 14 “convertibles.” Their outward8 volleyball, paddle tennis 11and 12 13 16 appearance is of a one-family handball.19 It is also the site18 of 14 15 17 structure; the addition of an summer concerts and a large farmers 18 interior door and staircase meant market10 on Sundays. To learn more, 16 179 1812 9 that11 the upstairs14 could be a 10 13 see the website at nycgovparks.org/ 3 6 greeter’s secret:15 16 separate rental. To avoid 8parks/Q11303/highlights/12 13 219. Actor Montgomery Clift moved to Jackson 18 repetition, the houses were built Heights with his family in 193319 and lived in 20 21 14 1519 17 in groups of two to five, with The Chateau apartment building on Shopping 16 80th Street and 34th Avenue. 7 variation in roofing and 4 5 6 little india14 encompasses16 15 the 17 18 entrances.15 These16 English Garden19 17 1011 181314 area19 along and adjacent to 74th Street homes are on 70th through 73rd Streets between from Roosevelt Avenue to 37th Avenue. A large South Northern Boulevard and11 34th Avenue; 12on 83rd Asian13 population live16 here and many more visit from all 20 19 1920 1821 through 85th Streets between 34th and 35th Avenues; over the country to take advantage of the shopping and and on 86th through 88th Streets between 34th and services ranging from Indian-style 22 karat gold jewelry 17 17 18 14 15 1916 16 9 12 37th17 Avenues. 18 20 1115to the latest DVDs1416 of “Bollywood” musicals. 17 18 19 M bigapplegreeter.org 3 jackson heights 14 15 17 19 20 20 21 1517 1618 1920 17 18 19 10 13 19 M 18 20 16 17 18 17 18 20 11 14 M 19 20 21 15 16 19 17 18 19 20 17 18 20 M The Big Apple Greeter Guide to J ackson Heights 1 4 7 9 11 13 2 5 8 10 12 14 3 6 15 16 18 18 9 10 9 10 great shopping zapateria mexico 8 11 12 at 37-2713 74th Street8 near11 12 13 at 88-07 Roosevelt Avenue patel brothers 11 12 zapateria mexico13 16 37th Avenue is a large store with16 a huge selection of near 88th16 Street offers a wide selection of leather Mexican Indian spices, fresh bread and vegetables and cowboy boots at reasonable prices. 4 5 6 7 4 5 6 7 dozens of kinds of14 rice, as15 well as frozen samosas and 14 15 9 12 exotic desserts like cardamom-pistachio ice cream. When It’s Time to Eat Their website patelbrothersusa.com/newsite jackson diner at 37-47 74th Street near 37th offers plenty of recipes, so you can try your new 14 Avenue, despite its name,15 isn’t a diner,17 but possibly ingredients at home. the most famous Indian restaurant in Queens. 18 14 15 16 17 14 15 16 17 Be sure to try the bounteous all-you-can-eat buffet 9 10 10 butala emporium13 at 37-46 74th Street near available for lunch. To learn more, see the website at 37th Avenue features many South Asian newspapers, jacksondiner.com. magazines8 11 and books12 in English13 and Hindi; they 19 18 even have comic book renditions16 of the Hindu epics. You can also buy statues and religious charms, 4 5 6 incense,7 intricately 14carved 15wooden furniture,16 and 17 18 11 14 a large selection of Indian musical instruments, like table drums and sitars. 19 20 21 18 9 10 india sari palace at 37-07 74th Street near 37th Avenue has been in business for over 3 decades 14 1515 16 16 17 19 17 18 19 18 and11 offers exquisite saris and fabrics. There is also 8 10 12 13 9 a nice selection of authentic jewelry. 16 20 21 22 7 4 5 6 8 11 soccer1214 fanatic1315 at 84-28 Roosevelt Avenue near 18 85th Street sells soccer equipment and jerseys from around fun dining 9 10 17 18 16 20 the world with an emphasis on Latin American teams. 4 5 6 7 14 15 greeter’s secret: For those who seek out unusual street vendors, a 11 8 12 templo13 del indioM amazonico at 88-05 Roosevelt particular favorite is the Arepa Lady.