Jamaica, New York
Jamaica, New York is currently one of the fastest growing boroughs in New York City. After a period of decline approximately four decades ago, small business owners, local leaders and neighborhood residents took a stand to restore the buildings and commercial venues on Jamaica Avenue. The Queens Register of Titles and Deeds Building was one that was abandoned during the 1960s. Since then, it has been transformed into today’s Jamaica Center of the Arts & Learning. Downtown Jamaica has also been cultivated into something better and new. New York shoppers and out-of-towners come to Jamaica, Queens to shop and experience local art and cultural attractions. It is home base for many of the cities methods of transportation including numerous subway lines with connections to other boroughs, the Long Island Rail Road station where many people transfer to catch different lines home and a wide and efficient bus system. Outside of Manhattan, Downtown Jamaica is a healthy retail district that offers shoppers a different experience than that of the city with several smaller stores –in addition to bigger chains. With all of these exciting cultural attractions, it’s easy to see why more and more people are moving to Jamaica.
Economy:
Despite the reported growth and cultivation of Jamaica, New York, efforts to recreate this city to its full potential is an on-going effort. Many endeavors have been made to bring more high-density commercial and resident development in and around Jamaica Station. City officials are targeting the three million workers that live within 45 minutes of Downtown Jamaica and the 300,000 regional commuters that catch the train or transfer at this stop.
The city hopes to appeal to perspective movers with the advantage of being only eight minutes away from JFK International Airport and the convenience of having four convenient subway lines, nine LIRR connections, 49 bus lines and two major highways. This makes state-to-state moving or intrastate moving relatively easier. Jamaica, New York is definitely going to be a comeback city with various projects in place for the near future.
Tourism:
Jamaica is not only for shoppers and commuters. The Aqueduct on Rockaway Boulevard is still one of the most popular attractions in Jamaica since it opened in 1850. It was in South Ozone Park when it was first built, but it moved to Jamaica in 1941. It has since become one of the most successful horse tracks in the nation. Just mentioned before, the arts scene is very big in Jamaica as well. There is the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning which is now 37-years-old. It is still providing educational and performances opportunities to neighborhood children and their families. Another popular performing arts venue is the African Poetry Theatre that aims to spread the word about cultural hardships and the art that stems from that. These cultural amenities will quickly be at your fingertips as Jamaica moving companies relocate you to this thriving borough.
History:
Jamaica was once the home of Native Americans that hunted, gathered and traded with one another. The Dutch inhabited this land before the British took over the Village of Jamaica renaming it the Town of Jamaica. It eventually became one of the original colonies of New York. Minutemen that lived here participated in the Battle of Long Island that won the British the upper hand over New York City. After the Revolutionary War was over, Jamaica developed even further with banks, post offices and schools. This is similar to the building progress that the current city of Jamaica is going through.
Colleges/Universities:
• St. John’s University
• CUNY York College
• QC Queens College
Interesting Facts:
• The transit hub dubbed Jamaica Station was completed in 2003 and has become one of the central figures for on-going economic progress.
• Jamaica and the borough of Queens are known as an important incubator of rap and hip-hop artists including Run-D.M.C., A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J, and Nas.
• Jamaica, Queens is home to several government buildings including the Queens Civil Court, the civil branch of the Queen County Supreme Court, the Queens County Family Court, the Joseph P. Addabbo Federal Building, the Social Security Administration’s Northeastern Program Service Center, and the major commercial Jamaica Center.
Helpful Links:
• Jamaica – Discover Queens Website
• Jamaica Insurance
• Jamaica Moving Guide
• Jamaica Storage Facilities
• Jamaica Real Estate