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Historical Jackson Heights |
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When the nation's first garden apartment community was designed in Jackson Heights in the early 1900s, the goal was to create a completely planned and self-contained garden community filled with amenities to lure the middle class out of Manhattan. The apartments were built with fireplaces, self service elevators, and a room in the basement for drying clothes. The architecturally significant buildings like the MacDougal's "garden apartment courts," located on 37th Avenue, were built around the perimeter of the city blocks creating a street wall. Within these "walls," beautifully landscaped gardens were grown and the ends of each apartment block remained opened creating a continuous greenbelt. Historic Jackson Heights is a 36 block area in the heart of Jackson Heights and is a New York City Landmark Historic District. A walk around the neighborhood serves as a reminder of what city living should be. Latinos make up more than 50% of the population of Jackson Heights with Argentineans, Columbians, Mexicans and Ecuadorians being the largest ethnic groups. Roosevelt Avenue boasts a large and diverse Latino population with music stores, medical and legal offices, bakeries, and restaurants, run by and catering to Latinos. Additionally, a substantial number of Indians live in Jackson Heights along 74th Street between Roosevelt and 37th Avenues. "Little India," as it is known, is a vibrant Southeast Asian commercial center, lined with Sari shops, jewelry stores, groceries, and restaurants.  |
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