East Elmhurst, Queens

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History

For decades after the early 1940's, East Elmhurst was an oasis of relative black privilege that included police officers and schoolteachers as well as entertainers. They moved to the area because it was one of the few neighborhoods in the New York City area where blacks could buy homes. Neighborhood Blacks pressed for jobs at the nearby 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs and at LaGuardia Airport, and higher incomes broke the color bar in East Elmhurst. Ditmars Boulevard soon became known as the "Black gold coast."

East Elmhurst developed a bourgeoisie and a strong network of churches and fraternal organizations like the Knights of Pythias. There were tennis and riding clubs and Boy Scout troops. Black families lived alongside white families, a situation that assured better schools and garbage collection, and that a visit by friends of a different race was not an occasion for intense curiosity.

Despite crime peaks during the crack epidmeic of the 1980's, violent crime is no longer a problem in East Elmhurst [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs115pct.pdf 115th Precinct CompStat Report] ] The exact borders are somewhat arguable. The neighborhood is often thought to include the entire area north of Northern Boulevard to LaGuardia Airport, between the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Shea Stadium.

Economy

In 1987 British Airways moved its United States corporate offices to the Bulova Corporate Center, a converted watch factory in the East Elmhurst/Jackson Heights area. [Oser, Alan S. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DE153DF934A25756C0A961948260 Perspectives: Offices in Queens; British Airways Lands in Jackson Heights] ." "The New York Times". May 17, 1987.] In 1999 British Airways said it would close its headquarters in the watch factory and move to a new headquarters building in a location in the New York City area by 2002, when the airline's lease would run out. [Toy, Vivian S. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A06E3D71538F93AA35757C0A96F958260 British Airways Will Close Base in Queens] ." "The New York Times". April 9, 1999.] By 2001 the airline said it would keep 80,000 square feet of office space in the watch building, but that its telephone operations would move to Jacksonville, Florida. [Siwolop, Sana. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E2D81E3DF932A15750C0A9679C8B63 Commercial Real Estate; Major Changes in Works At Bulova Site in Queens] ." "The New York Times". March 21, 2001.] As of 2008 British Airways maintains offices in the Bulova building. [" [http://www.britishairways.com/travel/premholpackterms/public/en_us London in Style - Terms and Conditions] ." "British Airways". Accessed September 20, 2003.] [" [http://www.bdg.net/properties/1/ Bulova Corporate Center] ." "Blumenfeld Development Group". Accessed September 20, 2008.]

Demographics

In recent years, the population has become increasingly Latino, with Dominicans, Mexicans, and other immigrants fresh to the middle class buying houses there. Although this area still has a great African -American and Carribean-American population, many of the Black residents have died, retired or relocated. In the East Elmhurst 11369 ZIP code, almost 30 percent of the 36,000 residents were born abroad.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

New York City Department of Education operates public schools in the area. P.S. 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School, an elementary school for grades PK-8, and I.S. 227 Louis Armstrong Middle School for grades 5-8 are in the neighborhood.

Private schools in the neighborhood include Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, an all-boys catholic school for grades 9-12, St. Gabriel School, a co-ed catholic school for grades PK-8.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents include:
*Malcolm X
*Langston Hughes
*Louis Armstrong
*Ella Fitzgerald
*Dizzie Gillespie
*Harry Belafonte
*Charles "Honi" Coles
*Jackie Robinson
*Willie Mays
*Tommie Agee
*Steve Henderson
*P. J. Hill, Jr.
*Christopher "Kid" Reid
*Christopher "Play" Martin
*Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor
*Mark "Wizard ME" Eastmond
*Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence
*Louis Eric "Eric B." Barrier
*Kwamé

References

External links

* [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pct/pct115.html Government site]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/28/nyregion/28elmhurst.html?_r=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/M/Mays,%20Willie&position=&pagewanted=all&position=&oref=slogin New York Times "They Were Famous, Admired and (Finally) Welcome"]