Richmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill is a commercial and residential neighborhood located in the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. The area borders Kew Gardens and Forest Park to the north, Jamaica and South Jamaica to the east, South Ozone Park to the south, and Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west. The neighborhood is split between Queens Community Board 9 and 10.[4]
Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill is known as Little Guyana for its large Indo-Caribbean American (especially Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Trinidadian) population.[5] It is also called Little Punjab due to its large Punjabi American population.[6][7] Richmond Hill is home to a density of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim places of worship.
Main commercial streets in the neighborhood include Jamaica Avenue, Atlantic Avenue and Liberty Avenue. The portion of the neighborhood south of Atlantic Avenue is also known as South Richmond Hill. The Long Island Rail Road provides freight access via the Montauk Branch, which runs diagonally through the neighborhood from northwest to southeast. Many residents own homes, though some also rent within small apartment buildings.
Richmond Hill is located in Queens Community District 9 and its ZIP Codes are 11418 and 11419.[1] It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 102nd Precinct.[8] Politically, Richmond Hill is represented by the New York City Council's 28th, 30th, and 32nd Districts.[9]
Geography[edit]
Richmond Hill is located between Kew Gardens and Forest Park to the north, Jamaica and South Jamaica to the east, South Ozone Park to the south, and Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west. Hillside Avenue forms its northern boundary with Kew Gardens east of Lefferts Boulevard, while Forest Park and the right-of-way of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)'s Montauk Branch form its northern edge west of Lefferts. Its western boundary north of Atlantic Avenue is formed by the LIRR's abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch; south of Atlantic, the western border lies between 104th and 107th Streets. The southern border extends to around 103rd Avenue or Liberty Avenue. The Van Wyck Expressway abuts the eastern end of the community.[10][11][12] The portion of the neighborhood south of Atlantic Avenue is also known as South Richmond Hill.[5]
The area is well known for its large-frame single-family houses, many of which have been preserved since the turn of the 20th century. Many of the Queen Anne Victorian homes of old Richmond Hill still stand in the area today.[5][10]
Points of interest[edit]
The Triangle Hofbrau, opened as a hotel in 1893 and as a restaurant in 1893, was a restaurant which was frequented by such stars as Mae West in the 1920s and 1930s. It sat on the triangular piece of land bordered by Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, and Myrtle Avenue.[20][26][37][39][40] The building has since been converted to medical offices.[37][41] Near the northwest corner of Hillside Avenue and Myrtle Avenue sat an old time ice cream parlor, Jahn's. It closed in late 2007.[37] Between Myrtle Avenue and the Montauk Line railroad is a former movie theatre, RKO Keith's Richmond Hill Theater, opened in 1929, functioning since 1968 as a bingo hall.[41][42][43] These and several other landmarks are located in the vicinity of the "Richmond Hill Triangle", bracketed by Jamaica Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, and 117th Street. This was historically the commercial center of Richmond Hill.[20][28][29][39][42][44] The intersection of Jamaica and Myrtle Avenues is also known as James J. Creegan Square.[39][45]
The northern edge of Richmond Hill contains the Church of the Resurrection. This Episcopalian church is an 1874 structure and is the oldest house of worship in Richmond Hill.[26] It was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.[46] Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are Public School 66 and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Parish.[47]
Police and crime[edit]
Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven are patrolled by the 102nd Precinct of the NYPD, located at 87-34 118th Street.[8] The 102nd Precinct ranked 22nd safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[48] As of 2018, with a non-fatal assault rate of 43 per 100,000 people, Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 345 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.[33]: 8
The 102nd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 90.2% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 2 murders, 24 rapes, 101 robberies, 184 felony assaults, 104 burglaries, 285 grand larcenies, and 99 grand larcenies auto in 2018.[49]
Richmond Hill contains three New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations:[50]
Health[edit]
As of 2018, preterm births are more common in Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens than in other places citywide, though births to teenage mothers are less common. In Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens, there were 92 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 15.7 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[33]: 11 Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens have a higher than average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 14%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%.[33]: 14
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens is 0.0073 milligrams per cubic metre (7.3×10−9 oz/cu ft), less than the city average.[33]: 9 Eleven percent of Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens residents are smokers, which is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[33]: 13 In Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens, 23% of residents are obese, 14% are diabetic, and 22% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23% respectively.[33]: 16 In addition, 22% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[33]: 12
Eighty-six percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is about the same as the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 78% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", equal to the city's average of 78%.[33]: 13 For every supermarket in Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens, there are 11 bodegas.[33]: 10
The nearest major hospitals are Long Island Jewish Forest Hills and Jamaica Hospital.[54]
Richmond Hill is covered by the ZIP Code 11418 as well as parts of 11416, 11419, and 11421.[55] The United States Post Office operates two post offices nearby:
Transportation[edit]
Richmond Hill is served by several New York City Subway stations.[10] The J and Z trains stops at 121st Street and Jamaica Avenue, and the J train stops at 111th Street and Jamaica Avenue. The Jamaica–Van Wyck station on the E train, and the 111th Street and Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard stations on the A train, are also located in Richmond Hill.[79]
There was a Long Island Rail Road station named Richmond Hill on Hillside Avenue and Babbage Street along the Montauk Branch. However, this station was closed in 1998 due to low ridership (this station had just one daily rider at the time of its closure).[80] The station and platform remain, though access via the staircase at Jamaica Avenue is gated off.[81][39] Today the Kew Gardens and Jamaica stations serve the area.[82]
The area is also served by MTA Regional Bus Operations routes.[10] These include the Q8, Q9, Q10, Q24, Q37, Q41, Q55, Q56 and Q112 local buses, as well as the QM18 express bus to Manhattan.[82]
Joe Solomon (1930-2023), West Indian cricketer famous for the Tied Test Match
Official government websites:
Historical societies:
40°41′42″N 73°49′48″W / 40.695°N 73.83°W