College Point, Queens
Encyclopedia
College Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...

 of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

. It is located north of Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...

 on Flushing Bay and the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...

 and is part of the Queens Community Board 7
Queens Community Board 7
The Queens Community Board 7 is a local governmental advisory board in New York City, encompassing the neighborhoods of Flushing, Bay Terrace, College Point, Whitestone, Malba, Murray Hill, Linden Hill, Beechhurst, Queensboro Hill and Willets Point, in the borough of Queens...

. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's approximate boundaries with Flushing and Whitestone
Whitestone, Queens
Whitestone is a residential neighborhood in the northernmost part of the City of New York borough of Queens. Located between the East River to the north and 25th Avenue to the south. Whitestone is surrounded by College Point, Flushing, Bayside, Auburndale, Linden Hill, and Murray Hill...

. The 109th precinct NYPD serves College Point. College Point is a diverse community, mostly residential with some industrial areas.

History

College Point was named for St. Paul's College, a seminary founded in 1835 by the Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg. The college closed around 1850. Former names include Lawrence's Neck, Tew's Neck, Flammersberg, and Strattonsport.

The original European settler of this area was Captain William Lawrence. He was also the largest land holder of the original incorporators of of the Town of Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...

, now in Queens. He arrived in America on the ship Planter in the 1630s. He married the oldest daughter of Richard "Bull Rider" Smith who founded Smithtown L.I.
Smithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...

  With his first wife he had a son, William Jr., who married the Smiths' youngest daughter.
In 1854 the German-American industrialist, Conrad Poppenhusen
Conrad Poppenhusen
Conrad Poppenhusen was a German American philanthropist, entrepreneur, founder of College Point, Queens, and founder of the first free kindergarten in the United States....

 arrived, already a prosperous manufacturer in Brooklyn
History of Brooklyn
The history of Brooklyn, a present-day borough of New York City, spans more than 350 years. The settlement began in the 17th century as the small Dutch-founded town of "Breuckelen" on the East River shore of Long Island, grew to be a sizable city in the 19th century, and was consolidated in 1898...

 of hard rubber goods, expanded his operation to this small farming community. College Point became a factory town primarily for his workers, most of them German immigrants like himself, and the tycoon became a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

 contributing to churches, libraries, and the Poppenhusen Institute
Poppenhusen Institute
Poppenhusen Institute is a historic building at 114—04 14th Road in College Point, Queens that housed the first free kindergarten in America. Currently, the Institute operates as a community cultural center....

, an educational beacon of College Point. He is responsible for the first free kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 in America. He connected College Point to Flushing by the Flushing and North Side Railroad, later called Whitestone Branch
Whitestone Branch
The Whitestone Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road, running north and east along the left bank of the Flushing River from the Port Washington Branch near the modern Willets Point, Flushing. It crossed the river on one of the three bridges later torn down for the Van Wyck Expressway,...

. A monument on College Point Boulevard, one of the main streets in College Point, stands testament to Poppenhusen.

College Point became a center for breweries and day trip resorts, and in the 1920s shifted towards airplane parts manufacturing.

In 1997, the Queens Historical Society
Queens Historical Society
The Queens Historical Society, which was founded in 1968 after a merger with the Kingsland Preservation Commission, is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of Queens, New York and interpreting the history of the borough as it relates to various historical periods...

 bestowed a "Queensmark" award on College Point, in hopes of encouraging historical preservation of local landmark architecture.

Transportation

New York City provides public bus service to College Point via the Q20A/B, Q65, Q25 and Q76 lines.
No subway service is available.

Notable structures

The First Reformed Church — A church built in 1873 in the small town New England style. The church is on a large lot, has a bell tower, and is adorned with "gingerbread" trim. On June 6, 2008 a fire caused damage in the steeple. The damage has been repaired and the congregation is hoping to be worshiping in the sanctuary soon. (up on 119th ST)

Flessel's Restaurant — Recently demolished in the construction boom, Flessel's stood as a testament to the summer resorts and beer gardens that once marked College Point.

Flushing Airport
Flushing Airport
Flushing Airport is a decommissioned airfield in northern Queens in New York City. It is located in the neighborhood of College Point, near Flushing. The airfield was in operation from 1927 to 1984. It was originally called Speed's Airport and was one of the busiest airports in New York City before...

- Opened in 1927 along the shore of Flushing Bay, the airport had been a busy aviation hub before LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...

 was built in 1939 about one mile away. It carried the IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...

 code FLU. In 1977, a Piper Twin Comanche crashed shortly after taking off from the airport. The incident eventually led to the closing of this airport in 1984. The site remains abandoned, although plans have been proposed over the years to convert it into a blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...

-port or office park. Given natural deterioration of the hangars and concrete runways, however, it is likely that the site will simply return to being natural wetlands.

Poppenhusen Institute
Poppenhusen Institute
Poppenhusen Institute is a historic building at 114—04 14th Road in College Point, Queens that housed the first free kindergarten in America. Currently, the Institute operates as a community cultural center....

— Built in 1868 by Conrad Poppenhusen, the founder of College Point. The architecture features a French Second Empire Mansard roof topping off the three Italianate style stories. Originally a town hall, this City Landmark
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...

 now serves as a cultural and historical center and offers a variety of classes and activities.

Schleicher Court — A mansion built in 1853 that also operated as the Grand View Hotel. The house was divided into apartments and literally sits in the center of 123rd street. The house suffered an electrical fire on July 9, 2008 and was forcibly vacated by the Department of Buildings.

The Spangelberg Mansion — A yellow and white mansion circa 1860 now also divided into apartments.

Poppenhusen Library — An Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...

 library, built in 1904 featuring a copper roof, is still active as a branch in the Queens Library system.

Academy Mailbox & Intercom Company - a gray warehouse on 15th Ave. circa 1870. The building was originally used as an ice house to chill beer from a local brewery.

Schools and churches

Public elementary schools, defined as kindergarten through 5th grades, include PS 29 and PS 129. College Point is home to St. Fidelis, a Catholic school for nursery through 8th grades. It is also home to St. Agnes Academic High School and St. John's Lutheran School, another elementary program.

St. Fidelis Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul's Episcopal, St. John's Lutheran, and The First Reformed Church of College Point host the community's four largest congregations.

Parks

McNeil Park, formerly known and still affectionately called Chisholm's by many locals (after the family that owned the mansion that once stood in the park), features a water front view, full playground, basketball and handball courts, and baseball fields.

Poppenhusen Playground is a park for primary school aged children.

College Point Park, the former location of P.S. 27, is located across the street from Poppenhusen Library.It is called "27" by many locals. It has basketball and handball courts as well as an adjacent municipal parking lot. A hot-dog vendor is often in the park on days with good weather and has handballs available for sale.

Powell's Cove Park, an environmental waterfront park, lies on the border of College Point and Malba
Malba, Queens
Malba is an upper middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. A small area on the waterfront home to some of the largest and most expensive private houses in New York City, Malba is bounded to the north by the East River, to the east by the Whitestone Expressway, to the south...

 and affords a great view of the Bronx Whitestone Bridge
Bronx Whitestone Bridge
The Bronx–Whitestone Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City that crosses the East River and connects the boroughs of Queens on Long Island and The Bronx via Interstate 678...



Frank Golden Memorial Park, located behind the strip mall on 14th Avenue, features 4 baseball diamonds and is used by local softball leagues.

Sports

College Point Sports Park
College Point is home to a newly reconstructed hockey rink
Hockey rink
An ice hockey rink is an ice rink that is specifically designed for ice hockey, a team sport. It is rectangular with rounded corners and surrounded by a wall approximately 40 inches high called the boards.- Name origins :...

 on Ulmer Street complete with floodlights and bleachers, which was part of a larger reconstruction of the College Point Fields. The baseball fields and hockey rink are now New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...

 Fields, but the entire property used to belong to the College Sports Association, which leased the fields from the City for $1 a day. The fields were to be rebuilt in the late 1990s, but due to complications due to the EnViroFill dumping construction debris, in 1999, the construction was stopped, the fields closed and the lease revoked. The local leagues nearly collapsed due to the closure of the fields, but under the leadership of Jerry Castro, President of the Little League until 2006, and Tony Mongeluzzi, President of the Roller Hockey League, the leagues survived and are now thriving.

College Point Little League
The College Point Little League is chartered by Little League Baseball in Williamsport, and serves the College Point, Flushing, and Whitestone areas of Queens. The College Point Little League is an all volunteer organization dedicated to providing boys and girls, ages 5 through 18, a place where they can build their baseball skills while learning good sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, and most of all, having fun.

College Point Stars
The College Point Stars (not affiliated with the College Point Little League) are a youth baseball team that advanced to the 2007 Cal Ripken Babe Ruth League Division World Series, coached by Nelson Santiago, who was involved with the Little League for several years, including managing a team of 11 year olds to a second place finish in New York State in the summer of 2006.

Shopping and entertainment

Empire Market on College Point Boulevard has sold German meats and groceries since 1920 and is owned by a third-generation German family. The store also offers a wide variety of candy in glass jars and is a favorite among children.

College Meat Center, family owned and operated since 1963, has been serving local residents for over 40 years, surviving a fire in the 1980s.

Shopping centers on 20th Avenue include Target, TJ Maxx, BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. , commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well as in the state of Ohio...

, Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...

, Babies R' Us, and Waldbaum's
Waldbaum's
Waldbaum's is a supermarket chain with stores on Long Island, in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, and one store in Connecticut. It began in 1904 as a shop run by Sam and Wolf Waldbaum in Brooklyn. Their nephew, Izzy, emigrated to America and joined the business....

 supermarket.

The College Point Multiplex Cinemas offers 12 screens of movies, as well as a mini-arcade.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of College Point include:
  • David Gallagher
    David Gallagher
    David Lee Gallagher is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor and model at the age of two, Gallagher is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner, best known for his role as Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven, as well as...

     - Actor that portrayed 'Simon Camden' on the show 7th Heaven
    7th Heaven
    7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...

    .
  • Steve Karsay
    Steve Karsay
    Stefan Andrew Karsay is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics , Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees , and Texas Rangers .Karsay grew up in the College Point neighborhood in Queens, New York City, just a few miles from Shea...

     - Major League Baseball pitcher.
  • Conrad Poppenhusen
    Conrad Poppenhusen
    Conrad Poppenhusen was a German American philanthropist, entrepreneur, founder of College Point, Queens, and founder of the first free kindergarten in the United States....

     - Founder of College Point, education innovator, hard rubber manufacturer, railroad tycoon
    Southern Railroad of Long Island
    The South Side Railroad of Long Island was a railroad company in the U.S. state of New York. Chartered in 1860 and first opened in 1867 as a competitor to the Long Island Rail Road, it was reorganized in 1874 as the Southern Railroad of Long Island and leased in 1876 to the LIRR...

    , and philanthropist from Germany
    German American
    German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...

    .

External links

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