Hollis, Queens

Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. A predominantly African American community, the boundaries are considered to be the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road to the west, Jamaica Avenue to the north, Francis Lewis Boulevard to the east (although parts of Queens Village are addressed as Hollis on Jamaica water bills) and Murdock Avenue to the south. However, much of this area is considered to be within the St. Albans postal district. Hollis is close to Jamaica and Queens Village,Queens. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 12. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/cb/cb_queens.shtml Queens Community Boards] , New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.]

It was originally settled by the Dutch homesteaders in the 17th century. It was also a site for part of the Battle of Long Island during the American Revolutionary War when Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Woodhull was captured at a tavern on what is now Jamaica Avenue. Woodhull Avenue in Hollis is named for him.

The area remained rural until 1885, when developers turned 136 acres (558,000 m²) into houses, and the area is still developed primarily with single family houses. In 1898, it became a part of New York City with the rest of the borough of Queens. Since the end of the Korean War, the neighborhood has been settled primarily by African-American middle class families. In recent years, the area has seen a large influx of South Asians and West Indians. The area has a majority of working parents which explains many early childhood schools in Hollis.

Transportation

Long Island Rail Road service is available at the Hollis station, located at 193rd Street and Woodhull Avenue. The station is served exclusively by Hempstead Branch trains.The Q2 bus pass from Jamaica into Hollis and out to Queens Village.

Notable residents

Since the rise of hip-hop, the neighborhood has been a hotbed of rap talent, sparked primarily by the fact that hip-hop producer and icon Russell Simmons is from this community, as is his brother Joseph, who along with two other neighborhood residents, formed the rap group Run-D.M.C. (who had a hit with the seasonal song "Christmas in Hollis"). LL Cool J, Young MC (winner of the second and final Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance) and Ja Rule are also from Hollis.

Other notable residents include:
*Mario Cuomo (b. 1932), former Governor of New York
*Stephen A. Smith (b. 1967), ESPN sports personality
*Rev. Al Sharpton (b. 1954), civil rights activist
*Art Buchwald (1925 - 2007), political humorist
*Bianca Golden, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9.
*Ja Rule, (b. 1976), rapper
*Black Child, rapper

References