Springfield Gardens South, Queens

Located close to JFK International Airport, Springfield Gardens South is a middle class community. It is generally considered to be better than Springfield Gardens North, but in all honesty, none of the neighborhoods that are close to the airport are very good. The population is very diverse with a pretty good mix of African American, Caucasian, Haitian, Hispanic, and Guyanese residents. There is a very wide range of housing options in very different price ranges, which accounts for the community's economic diversity, but most of the homes are pretty cheap (at least by New York City standards). Most of the action in Springfield Gardens South takes place on Merrick Boulevard or Farmers Boulevard, but there isn't great diversity in the shops and restaurants, and there certainly aren't too many trendy or upscale stores. The town is reasonably safe but doesn't have a very good reputation because of Springfield Gardens North's reputation. The school district is okay. The town's proximity to JFK International Airport can be good or bad. While people seem to like the restaurants at JFK, they also complain because of the heavy air traffic noise. Overall, it's a fairly typical suburban community, but it isn't one of the better towns in Queens.

I've grown up in Springfield Gardens. It is a suburb, not New York City, so any comparisons to Manhattan aren't completely fair. This is an area of Queens predominantly populated with Caribbean immigrants, but a lot of people, like me, have just grown up in Springfield Gardens. There has been active gentrification throughout the years - 2, and 3+ family homes have been quickly built into tight spaces, slowly attracting Hispanics, Asians, and Caucasians into a predominantly Black neighborhood. The area has its share of crime, but every place in the greater New York City area does. Farmers, Springfield and Merrick Boulevard have most of the food, gas, hair (etc.) stores. Noise is only an issue on my street when the summer party season is underway.

This neighborhood, which borders directly on John F. Kennedy International Airport (as opposed to Springfield Gardens South, which allows a bit of space between residents and the massive airport), isn’t the nicest neighborhood around. Not only is it a difficult distance from the city (leaving residents to be lucky if they have a car, instead of the NYC stereotype of just the opposite), but the neighborhood doesn’t offer a whole lot in the way of commodities, and is not ideal for tourist interaction at all. The area is mostly populated by one-story family homes, and there are many Caribbean immigrants who currently call this neighborhood home.

Springfield Gardens South is a southeastern neighborhood of Queens. The community of St. Albans lies to the north, South Jamaica to the northwest, South Ozone to the west, and John F. Kennedy International Airport to the south.

Many homes in the area have been torn down and larger ones built due to more and more families moving into the neighborhood. The area is filled with low-rise suburbanesque buildings, with part of the neighborhood being registered as a Historic District. Today Springfield Gardens South is home to many immigrants including Caribbean, Jamaican, Haitian, and Guyanese.

Major streets in the neighborhood include Farmers Boulevard, Merrick Boulevard, Springfield Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard, and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard. Here you will find most of the area’s retail stores, restaurants, delis, and commercial services.

Since the are is so close to JFK International Airport, there is quite a bit of air noise that residents must contend with. Aside from the air traffic travel (and it is quite loud) this is a nice suburban area.