Corona, Queens : NYC Tourist Guide

Corona

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

Until recently, Corona was mostly an Italian American neighborhood (corona is Italian and Spanish for crown). The Italian American population has fallen greatly since the 1980's as Corona has become mostly Hispanic. Today, Corona's Hispanic community (composed of Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Bolivians, Peruvians and Ecuadorians) shares the neighborhood with smaller numbers of Asian Americans (Koreans, Filipinos and Chinese), African Americans, and the remnants of the original Italian American community.

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. Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose house is now a museum. Pop icon Madonna also lived in Corona from 1979-1980 as a member of the band Breakfast Club. Additionally, Estee Lauder was born in Corona at the turn of the 20th Century. The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue.

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 noted Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton's "Madonna" describes Madonna's brief stint as a Corona resident in the late 70's/early 80's.

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.