North Corona

North Corona is a lower middle-class neighborhood that is located in Central Queens, near Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. It is extremely diverse; it has a predominately Hispanic population with small percentages of African Americans, Italians, and Asians. While the neighborhood has improved dramatically over the past few decade, it still has a reputation of being unsafe. Still, it definitely has gotten better and more young professionals are turning to North Corona and its neighboring towns because of its low housing prices and convenient access to the subway. The 7 train runs right through the heart of North Corona, which isn't always a good thing as the noise from the overhead subway can often be annoying.

The Langston Hughes Library and the Black Heritage Reference Center are two great places to visit for some educational entertainment. North Corona is also close to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, one of the biggest parks in New York City. This gigantic park includes Citi Field (formerly Shea Stadium), the tennis center where the U. S. Open is held, the Hall of Science, a museum, an ice skating rink, and a wildlife center. North Corona is also a culturally important neighborhood because famous musicians such as Louis Armstrong and the Beatnuts used to live here.

Like the neighboring Corona, North Corona isn’t much to behold. It’s extremely close to Shea Stadium, which may or may not be a good thing – good if you love the Mets, bad if you moved way out in Queens to not be constantly surrounded by tourists, which you will be during the baseball season (at least, if you take the train you will be, as the fans pack into the cars in hoards). 103rd Street in the neighborhood offers the standard shopping district for the poor – 99 cents stores, Chinese restaurants with Spanish names, pizza parlors. This isn’t exactly the city’s most appealing neighborhood – it’s not too close to Manhattan, and there just isn’t anything to do here for tourists.

North Corona is a neighborhood in north central Queens and is surrounded by Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing Meadow Corona Park, and East Elmhurst. The main thoroughfare’s in the area include Corona Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard, and 108th Street. The 7 train runs through the neighborhood and provides transportation to the residents. Stops at 111th Street, 103rd Street-Corona Plaza, and Junction Boulevard make getting around efficient and simpler.

In the 1980s the area was heavily populated with Italian Americans, but present day North Corona is very diverse. Due in part to the community’s diversity, Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong.

The neighborhood is bordered on the east by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, one of the largest parks in New York City proper and has been the site of the World’s Fair in 1939 and 1964. The Shea Stadium is located within the park, and is the home of the New York Mets, as well as the USTA National Tennis Center where the US Open is held annually. Also of note, the neighborhood is home to the popular Lemon Ice King, located at the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue.