Maspeth
Maspeth is a small middle-class neighborhood located at the edge of western Queens. It is surrounded by the neighboring towns of Sunnyside, Elmhurst, Middle Village, Ridgewood, and the borough of Brooklyn. Maspeth is mostly made up of multi-family attached houses, single family homes, and there are a few small apartment buildings and co-ops on 65th Place known as The Plateau. The area of Maspeth was first settled upon by Native Americans of the Mespeatches tribe before the Dutch settlers who came in the 1600s. “Mespeatches” translates into “at the bad waterplace” because early Maspeth was an area known for its stagnant swamps. In 1642, Maspeth became the first European settlement in Queens County. Twenty-eight English Quakers erected the village of Maspeth and it later became the focal point of the water trade with New Amsterdam and the center for milling grain into flour. It officially became part of New York City in 1898.
Maspeth is an area full of families, local eateries, shops, and local businesses. The Clinton Diner located on Maspeth Avenue was a location for a scene in the 1990 movie Goodfellas directed by Martin Scorsese. Additionally, the hit television HBO drama The Sopranos filmed a car chase scene around Grand Avenue. On 69th Street and Grand Avenue a September 11th Memorial was erected to commemorate the local firefighters who perished at the World Trade Center. The Metropolitan Oval, or more commonly known as the Met Oval, is 4.2 acres of soccer turf in Maspeth and has been dubbed the “best full soccer field in the middle of a residential neighborhood” by the local New York newspaper The Village Voice. In addition to a soccer field, The Metropolitan Oval is also a U.S. Soccer Development Academy. According to their official website they are, “dedicated to developing the highest-quality soccer talent in New York City while offering youth of all backgrounds the opportunity to play soccer in a committed environment through specialized training, team play, camps and clinics.”
Furthermore, since Maspeth is close to the neighboring towns of Elmhurst and Middle Village The Queens Center Mall located on Queens Boulevard and The Metro Mall located on Metropolitan Avenue are only a short drive away. When the weather is nice, Juniper Valley Park, which is 55 acres of track fields, sports fields and courts, and playgrounds located in Middle Village is a great place to walk your dog, go for a run, or take your kids out for some fresh air and to play. It is also a great area to take your kids out to go sledding during the colder months. In nearby Sunnyside, on Skillman Ave between 42st Street and 43rd Street,lies the local Sunnyside Greenmarket where people can go every Saturday between 8 a.m. through 3 p.m. to purchase fresh produce from farms located in New York state and New Jersey.
Maspeth is part of the NYC Geographic District #24. District #24 has over 60 schools located within the area. Unfortunately Maspeth does not house any subway lines but offers many bus routes to make those connections.
