Corona, Queens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Corona, Queens, (zip code 11368) is a neighborhood in the former Township of Flushing in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing, Jackson Heights, and Elmhurst. Corona's main thoroughfares include Corona Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard, Junction Boulevard, and 108th Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 4.^[1]

1 Community
2 Popular culture
3 Transportation
4 Notable residents
5 References

Corona was one of the old towns of Queens, which included Long Island City, Jamaica, Newtown, and Flushing. The LeFrak City housing development is located within the boundaries of Corona.

Over the last 30 years corona has seen a few ethnic demographic turnovers. In 70's what was prodomintly an Italian American neighborhood began to give way to a very large influx of Dominicans. Some parts of Corona, However remained a strong hold for italians, (South East Corona). Only until the late 90's did a new wave of hispanics from Mexico and to some extent from equador almost entirely poppullate Corona. Today, Corona's Hispanic community consists of Mexicans, Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Bolivians, Peruvians and Ecuadorians. Significant numbers of Asian Americans, (particularly Koreans, Filipinos and Chinese) as well as African Americans and Italian Americans also consider Corona as home.

Corona is bordered on the east by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, one of the largest parks in New York City and the site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Located within the park are Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, and the USTA National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open in tennis is held annually.

The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue. Angelo's pizzaria, on 103rd and 39th Avenue, you have La Cabana a typical Dominican eatery 5 stores down from Angelos. Each of these establishments have become staples of the community, with people traveling from their new neighborhoods across the tristate area, for some taste of home again in Corona.

Paul Simon bade "goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona," in his song "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." F. Scott Fitzgerald referred to the Corona dumps as the "valley of ashes" in his novel The Great Gatsby.

Books about Corona's history and present include Roger Sanjek's The Future of Us All and Steven Gregory's Black Corona. Chapter 6 of Andrew Morton's Madonna describes Madonna's brief stint as a Corona resident in the late 1970s/early 80s.

The IRT Flushing Line (7 <7>) train runs through the neighborhood with stops at 111th Street, 103rd Street-Corona Plaza and Junction Boulevard.

Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose house is now a museum.^[2] Pop icon Madonna also lived in Corona from 1979-1980 as a member of the band Breakfast Club. Estée Lauder was born in Corona at the turn of the 20th Century.

Omar Minaya, the Current [2007]General Manager of the NY Mets, is a home grown product of Corona having, attended and played Baseball at Newtonw High school in neighboing Elmhurst.

Rappers Kool G Rap, Noreaga and The Beatnuts come from Corona. Also of note is D-Block member Styles P, though raised in Yonkers, was born in the neighborhood as well.