Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located at the western end of Long Island, it is the largest of the five New York City boroughs by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn[5] and by Nassau County to its east, and shares maritime borders with the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, as well as with New Jersey.[6]
This article is about the New York City borough. For other uses, see Queen and Queens (disambiguation).
Queens
Queens County, New York
Queens (coterminous)
1683
Donovan Richards (D)
— (Borough of Queens)
Melinda Katz (D)
— (Queens County)
178 sq mi (460 km2)
109 sq mi (280 km2)
70 sq mi (200 km2) 39%
258.2 ft (78.7 m)
2,405,464
22,124.5/sq mi (8,542.3/km2)
Queensite[3]
US$103.325 billion (2022)
718/347/929 and 917
With a population of 2,405,464 as of the 2020 census,[2] Queens is the second-most populous county in New York state, behind Kings County (Brooklyn), and is therefore also the second-most populous of the five New York City boroughs. If Queens were its own city, it would be the fourth most-populous in the U.S. after New York City itself, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Queens is the fourth-most densely populated borough in New York City and the fourth-most densely populated U.S. county. About 47% of its residents are foreign-born.[7] Queens is the most linguistically and ethnically diverse place on Earth.[8][9][10]
Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of the Province of New York. The settlement was named after the English Queen and Portuguese royal princess Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705).[11] From 1683 to 1899, the County of Queens included what is now Nassau County. Queens became a borough during the consolidation of New York City in 1898, combining the towns of Long Island City, Newtown, Flushing, Jamaica, and western Hempstead.[12] All except Hempstead are today considered neighborhoods of Queens.
Queens has the most diversified economy of the five boroughs of New York City.[13] It is home to both of New York City's airports: John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. Among its landmarks are Flushing Meadows–Corona Park; Citi Field, home to the New York Mets baseball team; the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open tennis tournament; Kaufman Astoria Studios; Silvercup Studios; and the Aqueduct Racetrack. Flushing is undergoing rapid gentrification with investment by Chinese transnational entities,[14] while Long Island City is undergoing gentrification secondary to its proximity across the East River from Manhattan.
Many public figures have grown up or lived in Queens.[200] Donald Trump, a businessman who became the 45th President of the United States, was born in Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and raised at 81-15 Wareham Place in Jamaica Estates, later moving to Midland Parkway.[201][202][203] He was preceded in the White House by former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who lived in Flushing as a child.[204] Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, lived at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay from the mid-1880s until he died;[205] the area was considered part of Queens until the formation of neighboring Nassau County in 1899.
Musicians raised in the borough include
Jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Norman Mapp both resided in Corona, as well as folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel[210] and guitarists Scott Ian and Johnny Ramone.[211] K-pop rapper Mark Lee from the boy group NCT grew up in Queens before moving to Canada. Madonna, from 1979 to 1980, lived in Corona as a member of the band Breakfast Club.[212] Actors and actresses such as Adrien Brody,[213] Zoe Saldaña, Lucy Liu,[214] John Leguizamo, Susan Sarandon, and Idina Menzel[215] were born or raised in Queens. Actress Mae West also lived in Queens.[216] Writers from Queens include John Guare (The House of Blue Leaves) and Laura Z. Hobson (Gentleman's Agreement). Mafia boss John Gotti lived in Queens for many years.[217] Richard Feynman, a scientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, was born in Queens and grew up in Far Rockaway.[218] Lee "Q" O'Denat, founder of WorldStarHipHop was from Hollis.
Queens has also been home to athletes such as:
Tennis star John McEnroe[224] was born in Douglaston. Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Whitey Ford grew up in Astoria.[225] Journalist Marie Colvin was a native of Queens.
In popular culture[edit]
Queens has also served as a setting for various fictional characters, including Peter Parker / Spider-Man from Marvel Comics. He grew up in Forest Hills with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben,[226] and Archie Bunker of All in the Family, who lived at the fictional 704 Hauser Street in Astoria.[227]