Jamaica (Queens)
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Jamaica', a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, was settled as a town by the English under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland. It is one of the major predominantly black neighborhoods in the Borough of Queens. It has a substantial concentration of West Indian immigrants, as well as many long-established African American families. Jamaica in Queens is completely unrelated to Jamaica the Caribbean country, and the name similarity is a coincidence.
History and description
Under English rule it became part of the county of Yorkshire, and, in 1683, when the province was divided into counties it became part of Queens County, one of the original counties of New York. It was incorporated in the borough of Queens in New York City on January 1 1898. Jamaica is the county seat of Queens County, and as such is the location of courthouses and other administrative buildings for the County of Queens, but it is not the location of Queens Borough Hall, which is located in the neighborhood of Kew Gardens. Jamaica Center, the area around Jamaica Avenue and 165th Street, is home to shopping, movie theatres, restaurants, and the Central Library of the Queens Borough Public Library is located nearby.
Transportation
Jamaica is a major station and the central transfer point on the Long Island Rail Road. Jamaica also contains JFK International Airport. The New York City Subway's "E" (8th Avenue), "J" (Nassau St. Local) and "Z" (Nassau St. Express) trains terminate in Jamaica. Many of the bus routes in Queens terminate or pass through the Jamaica Center transit hub.
Education
Several colleges and universities make their home in Jamaica, most notably St. John's University, a private, Catholic 4 year college, and York College, a branch campus of the City University of New York.