WELCOME
TO THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS
The Ancestral Home of the
Matinecock and Shinnecock People
Queens, with a population
of more than 2 million, has a rich musical heritage. Among the
various artists who lived here at one time or another are Louis
Armstrong, Bix Baederbecke, Harry Belafonte, Perry Como, Michael
Cooney, Al Cooper, Rev. Gary Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Garfunkle,
Dizzy Gillespie, Arlo Guthrie, Woody Guthrie, Judy Holliday, Kid &
Play, the Kossoy Sisters, Darryl McDaniels, Ethel Merman, Jason
Mizell, Phil Ochs, Tito Puente, Chita Rivera, Joseph Simmons, Russell
Simmons, Paul Simon, and Rudy Vallee. James Bland, the first
commercially successful African-American songwriter, was born and
grew up in Queens, and it was here that he wrote Carry Me Back to
Old Virginny and Oh Them Golden Slippers.
Along
with the Borough of Brooklyn and the Borough of Richmond (Staten
Island), Queens became part of the City of New York on January 1,
1898. Prior to that date, the city comprised only Manhattan and parts
of the Bronx. The remainder of what is now the Borough of the Bronx
also joined the City of New York on January 1, 1898.
During
the past 40 or more years, Queens has seen enormous growth, mostly
through immigration. Once unfairly stereotyped as "Archie Bunker
land," Queens now has one of the most diverse populations of
anywhere in North America. Many of the newcomers in the 1960s were
from Cuba, and they were quickly joined by immigrants from throughout
Latin America and the Caribbean. By the 1970s, Queens saw the
beginning of vast immigration from China, Korea, the Philippines,
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In the 1980s, many Irish, Iranian,
Afghani, Israeli, Arab, Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Portuguese, and
West African immigrants came to Queens. The 1990s saw an influx of
immigrants from Romania and other countries of Eastern Europe. Most
recently, many immigrants from Mexico and from the Central Asian
republics of the former Soviet Union have come to Queens.
If
you get the chance, please do some exploring. Walk the streets, ride
the buses and trains (especially the No. 7 Flushing Line), visit the
shops and restaurants, and spend some time in the parks. In
particular, we invite you to enjoy Jackson Heights, the neighborhood
where the Renaissance Charter School is located, and the adjoining
neighborhoods of Woodside, East Elmhurst, Corona, and Elmhurst.
You'll like what you find.
SERVICES
NEAR THE RENAISSANCE CHARTER SCHOOL • JACKSON HEIGHTS,
QUEENS
School address: 35-59 81st Street. That's
between 35th & 37th Avenues. There is no 36th Avenue in this part
of Queens.
US Post Office: ZIP Code 11372. On 37th Avenue
between 78th & 79th Streets.
Queensborough Public Library:
Jackson Heights branch is on 81st Street between 35th & 37th
Avenues, next door to the Renaissance Charter School.
Pharmacies:
The closest is Rite Aid on the corner of 83rd Street & 37th
Avenue. There are a Duane Reade and an Eckerd on 82nd Street between
37th & Roosevelt Avenues.
Banks (with ATMs): The closest
is the North Fork Bank on the corner of 82nd Street & 37th
Avenue. There is a Chase Bank on 82nd Street near 37th Avenue. There
are several other banks along 37th Avenue between the school and 74th
Street.
Medical services: Western Queens Health Associates has
a walk-in center at 82-11 37th Avenue, between 82nd & 83rd
Street. In an emergency, Elmhurst Hospital at 79-01 Broadway has an
ER. There are numerous dentists and opticians along 37th
Avenue.
Parking garage: There is a commercial parking garage
on 82nd Street just north of 37th Avenue. If you are driving along
82nd Street (one way) the entrance will be on your left just before
you reach 37th Avenue.
Car services in the Jackson Heights
area: Phone: 718-591-1111, 718-672-2222, 718-424-4444, 718-424-9300,
or 718-446-8700.
Subway (elevated railway) station: 82nd
Street & Roosevelt Avenue (No. 7 Flushing Line local).
NYC
public transit information: Phone: 718-330-1234. Website:
www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/
Other NYC municipal information:
Phone: 311.
Emergencies: For ambulance, police, fire
department, etc.: Phone: 911.