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Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in north-western portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3.^[1]

Jackson Heights is an urban melting pot with many ethnic populations, but mainly consists of Latin Americans, multi-generational European, and Asian Americans. It is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the United States and the entire world. The Hispanic American population consists of a various mix of Latinos from many Latin American countries, mainly Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay who followed the Cuban initial immigrants. There is also an older population of Europeans of multi-generational Italian, Jewish, Polish, Irish, and Russian descent that have remained in the area. The surging Asian American community includes immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Korea, and the Philippines. The commercial section of Jackson Heights known as "Little India" is located between 37th Avenue and Broadway primarily on 73rd and 74th Streets.

Contents 1 Geography and Transportation 2 History 3 Education 4 Community 5 Youth 6 Notable residents 7 Use as a film location 8 Trivia 9 References 10 External links 11 Sources

Jackson Heights is also where the IRT Flushing Line (7 <7>) train meets the IND Queens Boulevard Line (E F G R V) and numerous bus routes at the 74th Street-Broadway transportation hub, which has recently received a $100+ million renovation by the MTA. [1]. It includes one of the first green buildings by the MTA, the new "Victor Moore A. Bus Terminal" that is partially powered by solar panels built into the roof. It is the largest subway stop in Queens with six lines(E,F,V,R,7,G) and four buses (Q33, Q19B, Q45 and Q47). The Q33 bus goes to LaGuardia Airport's main terminals and operates 24 hours a day. The Q47 bus goes to the Marine Air Terminal. The Long Island Rail Road Woodside station is nearby on 61th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which is two stops on #7 train.

The community is bounded by Northern Boulevard to the north, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the west, Roosevelt Avenue to the south, and Junction Boulevard to the east. East Elmhurst, the area immediately to the north, from Northern Boulevard to the Grand Central Parkway, though not part of the original development, is sometimes regarded as a northward extension of the neighborhood. The Jackson Heights name comes from Jackson Avenue, the former name for Northern Boulevard (the Jackson Avenue name is retained by this major road in a short stretch between Queensboro Plaza and the Queens Midtown Tunnel approaches, in the Long Island City neighborhood).

Most of the neighborhood is a National Register Historic District and about half is a designated New York City Historic District by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. It comprises large Garden apartment buildings (the term was invented for buildings in Jackson Heights) and many groupings of private homes. It was a planned development laid out by Edward A. MacDougall's Queensboro Corporation beginning about 1917, and following the arrival of the No. 7 elevated line between Manhattan and Flushing. The community was initially planned as a place for middle to upper-middle income workers from Manhattan to raise their families. The Jackson Heights New York State and National Register Districts range from parts of 87st Street through part of 76th Street. A former golf course located between 76th and 78th Streets and 34th and 37th Avenues was built upon during the 1940s.

Jackson Heights is among the first garden city communities built in the United States, as part of the international Garden city movement at the turn of the last century. There are more private parks (historically called gardens by the residents) within walking distance of each other than in any other city in America. They are tucked in the mid-blocks, mostly hidden from view by the buildings surrounding them. Several approach the size of Gramercy Park in Manhattan, and one is slightly larger. As befits private parks, unless given an invitation, the key to gain entry is to own a co-op around its perimeter. The basis for the private ownership of the parks of Jackson Heights is derived from its founding principle; as a privately-owned little garden city, built largely under the oversight of one person. The private gardens help make the historic part of the neighborhood highly desirable. The Historic District of Jackson Heights is also tends to be the more affluent part of Jackson Heights.

Jackson Heights has a wide array of school choices within walking distance ( one of the largest in the country). Students attend P.S. 69 or P.S. 212or several other primary schools. Middle schools in the neighborhood include I.S. 145 and I.S. 230. There is also a well-regarded public Charter School (The Renaissance Charter School) as well as various private schools such as the well-known preparatory The Garden School and parochial schools such as St Joan of Arc, Our Lady of Fatima, and Blessed Sacrament School. Hebrew School is also offered at The Jewish Center of Jackson Heights.

Even though most of the children from Kindergarten to Grade 8 stay in the wide array of schools in the neighborhood for elementary school , The majority of older students in Jackson Heights go to high schools through out the five boroughs primarily in Manhattan & Queens via subway. From public high schools — such as Stuyvesant High School , Academy of American Studies, Townsend Harris High School at Queens College, & Bronx High School of Science — to private high schools, such as Archbishop Molloy High School, Holy Cross High School, Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, Xavier High School,and St. Francis Preparatory School.

Many residents commute to nearby Manhattan, ten to fifteen minutes to 51st Street and Lexington Avenue via the express E train or 63rd Street and Lexington via the F train. The main retail thoroughfare is located on 37th Avenue from 72nd Street to Junction Boulevard, with more retail on 82nd,73rd and 74th Streets on the blocks between 37th and Roosevelt Avenues. Roosevelt Avenue is also lined with various mainly Latino retail stores. The majority of 35th and 34th Avenues and most side streets between 37th Avenue and Northern Boulevard are residential.

The community is home to various houses of worship from a wide array of religions. Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church is located between 82nd and 83rd Street on 35th Avenue. The Jackson Heights Jewish Center is located on the corner of 77th Street and 37th Avenue.

The Jackson Heights Historic District has the largest density of sidewalk trees and greenery in New York City along its lush residential streets.

The prices of private homes, co-ops, & condos within Jackson Heights have risen rapidly in recent years given the exodus of young professionals seeking more affordable homes with easy access to midtown Manhattan, especially within the Historic Districts.

Jackson Heights is mainly composed of private homes, co-op buildings, and rentals, with a small number of condominiums. Rentals in the Jackson Heights Historic District range from about the low $1,000s to the $2,000s depending on size. Co-ops and condos range from $150,000s for studios to $700,000 and up for "classic seven" apartments. Houses range from $650,000 to the mid $1,000,000s.

Jackson Heights is known for its wide array of multi-cultural restaurants and establishments.

There is a greenmarket every Sunday morning during summer at Travers Park, as well as various family-oriented spring & summer concerts.

The first and only gallery is named Y Gallery located on 85th st and Northern Blvd, the space was created by community activist, Agusto Yayiko. [2]

Colombian broadcaster RCN TV has its US-American headquarters in the neighborhood, reflecting the large Colombian population in the area.

The Jackson Heights Beautification Group is a community-based 501(C)3 nonprofit group with about 500 members. There is no paid staff. Volunteers organize concerts in Travers Park and an annual children's Halloween parade, clean graffiti, plant flowers all along 37th Avenue, and otherwise work to continue to improve the community.

The Western Jackson Heights Alliance is a newer organization focusing on community issues west of 82nd Street. Traffic congestion, noise, sanitation and overdevelopment concerns prompted residents to form the group in 2006. The group has been successful in drawing attention to the lack of city planning and the absence of local leadership in dealing with these urgent 'quality of life' issues. The Alliance is committed to bringing city agencies, business interests, non-profit organizations and elected officials together to form and enact a coherent plan for Jackson Heights' future survival.

Jackson Heights has followed the general patterns of New York City when it comes to crime. After spikes in the 1980s into the 1990s, crime has declined significantly. According to New York City CompStat statistics, measured crime has declined more than 70% in the last 13 years (1993 to 2006). As of August 2006, the two-year decline was 11% and the one-year decline was 8%.

Jackson Heights has an active LGBT community in New York City.^[2]

With the great diversity of this neighborhood, the young people in Jackson Heights come from a wide array of backgrounds. Travers Park is the main local playground. It has a wide variety of sports, including basketball, tennis, baseball, and handball.

• Reflective of the tremendous diversity of the neighborhood, actors John Leguizamo, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Dobson, and Carroll O'Connor grew up in Jackson Heights, as did writer/director Peter Hoffman, film critic Jami Bernard, playwright John Guare.
• Alfred Mosher Butts invented Scrabble in 1938, and perfected it at Community Methodist Church. (A commemorative street sign at the corner of 35th Ave and 81st St, where the church still stands, was erected by the city in 2004.)^[3]
• Chester Carlson invented Xerox copy machine in his Jackson Heights kitchen.^[4]
• Charles Chaplin had an apartment in the building The Towers in Historical Jackson Heights
• Alfred Eisenstaedt, photographer, lived in Jackson Heights for many years.^[5]
• Paula Garcés, actress, lives in an apartment in Jackson Heights.
• Michael Gonsalves, American short story writer, lived in Jackson Heights for most of his formative years.
• Lucy Liu (1968-), actress.^[6]
• Joe Quesada, Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Comics
• Tommy Rettig (1941-1996), actor who appeared on Lassie (1954 TV series).^[7]
• Don Rickles, comedian.^[8]
• Robert Tripp Ross (1903-1981), former assistant secretary of defense (1954-1957)
• Gene Simmons of the rock group Kiss.^[9]
• TV and Radio personality Howard Stern was born in Jackson Heights
• Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls grew up in Jackson Heights.

• Major portions of the Academy Award nominated¹ film 'Maria Full of Grace' (2004) were filmed on location in Jackson Heights. Minor portions of the movie Random Hearts (1999) were filmed in Jackson Heights on 35th avenue between 76th and 77th street. A brief part of The Usual Suspects was filmed in Jackson Heights around 34th avenue and 82nd street.
• Much of the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Wrong Man, takes place within a few blocks of the intersection of Broadway and 74th Street. The former Victor Moore Arcade and the connecting subway station, were prominently featured in the movie. The arcade was demolished and rebuilt from 1998 to 2005 and is now known as the Victor A. Moore Bus Terminal. It was named after Jackson Heights resident, Victor Moore, who was a famous Broadway and film actor from the era of silent film to the 1950s.

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Colombian broadcaster RCN has its American headquarters there.

• Jackson Heights is the site of the annual Queens Gay Pride Parade, which is held on 37th Avenue, (a lavender line is painted down the center of the avenue for the event,) on the first Sunday in June of every year. There is a street festival held on 37th Road, off Roosevelt Avenue, following the parade and lasts all day.
• General Howe set up tent at corner of 73rd Street and 37th Ave during the Revolutionary War
• Jackson Heights had an air field(Holmes)at Bulova site up to Northern Blvd
• Jackson Heights is geographical center of NYC at Broadway and Roosevelt Ave. This is also where Woodside, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights meet
• The first radio commercial was for a Jackson Heights Coop. It was by the Queensboro Corp for Hawthorne Court August 22, 1922
• The Bulova clock was the first on original NBC broadcast screens. Bulova is based in Jackson Heights and had a watchmaking school in Woodside

• http://jacksonheightslife.com
• http://jacksonheightsnyc.blogspot.com
• http://www.jhbg.org
• http://www.wjha.org
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jhcommunity
• http://www.ygallerynewyork.com/
• http://www.jhfff.org
• http://www.jacksonheightsnyc.com
• http://www.mpcproperties.com
• http://www.beaudoinrealtor.com
• http://www.seveninternationalartsexpress.org
• http://queens.about.com/od/photogalleries/ss/jh_coops.htm
• http://newyork.citysearch.com/feature/37418/history.html
• http://www.communitygreens.org/ExistingGreens/jacksonheights/jacksonheights.htm
• http://www.nyc.gov/html/nextstopnyc/html/neighborhoods/jackson_heights_main.shtml

• Jackson, Kenneth (1995). Encyclopedia of New York City. Yale University Press. 
• Roleke, John. Scrabble Avenue: Scrabble Invented in Jackson Heights. About.com.
• Jackson Heights Indian community guide

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