Corona, Queens, (zip code 11368) is a neighborhood in the former Township of Flushing in the New York City borough of Queens surrounded by Flushing, Jackson Heights, and Elmhurst. Corona's main
thoroughfares include Corona Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard,
Junction Boulevard, and 108th Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community
Board 4.[1]
Community
Corona was one of the old towns of Queens, which included Long Island City, Jamaica, Newtown, and Flushing. The
LeFrak City housing development is located within the boundaries of Corona.
Until recently, Corona was mostly an Italian American neighborhood (corona is
Italian and Spanish for crown). The Italian American population has fallen greatly since the 1980's as Corona has become mostly
Hispanic. Today, Corona's Hispanic community consists of Mexicans, Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Bolivians, Peruvians and Ecuadorians. Significant numbers of Asian Americans,
(particularly Koreans, Filipinos and
Chinese) as well as African Americans and
Italian Americans also consider Corona as home.
Corona is bordered on the east by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, one of
the largest parks in New York City and the site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Located within the park are Shea Stadium, home of
the New York Mets, and the USTA National
Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open in tennis is held annually.
Popular culture
The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue.
Paul Simon bade "goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona," in his song "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." F. Scott
Fitzgerald referred to the Corona dumps as the "valley of ashes" in his novel The
Great Gatsby.
Books about Corona's history and present include Roger Sanjek's The Future of Us All and Steven Gregory's Black
Corona. Chapter 6 of Andrew Morton's Madonna describes Madonna's brief
stint as a Corona resident in the late 1970s/early 80s.
Transportation
The IRT Flushing Line (7
<7>) train runs through the neighborhood with stops at
111th Street, 103rd Street-Corona Plaza and Junction Boulevard.
Notable residents
Corona was the home of famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong, whose house is now a
museum.[2] Pop icon Madonna also lived in Corona from 1979-1980 as a member of the band Breakfast Club.
Estée Lauder was born in Corona at the turn of the 20th Century.
Rappers Kool G Rap, Noreaga and The Beatnuts come from Corona. Also of note is D-Block member
Styles P, though raised in Yonkers, was born in the neighborhood as well.
References
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