Rego Park
Rego Park is an upper-middle class/middle class neighborhood located in central Queens. It neighbors Forest Hills, Corona, Elmhurst, and Middle Village. Like the rest of New York, its population is very diverse and houses a large display of different ethnic groups. Typically, big apartment buildings dominate the area, but there is also a range of multi-family and single-family homes within the neighborhood. In the area known as the “Crescents” which stretch from Alderton Street, between Woodhaven Boulevard and the Long Island Rail Road, there are rare houses in the colonial and Tudor style.
Rego Park was originally part of a township called Newtown in the 1600s and was known as Whitepot. The area was settled by English and Dutch farmers who sold their produce in nearby Manhattan. By the mid 1800s, it converted to a neighborhood of mostly Chinese farmers who marketed their produce in Chinatown in Manhattan. Later, the Real Good Construction Company began developing within the area in 1923, and this was how Rego Park was dubbed its name. Rego was derived from combining the names “real” and “good” from Real Good Construction Company. Eight-room houses and stores were first built by the company on Queens Boulevard and on 63rd Drive in 1926. Apartment buildings were later built in 1927 and in 1928. They laid out the foundation of Rego Park in long semi-circled streets named alphabetically; today this is what makes up the “crescents” area.
Rego Park is a great neighborhood to shop at. Within Rego Park there is a large variety of local shops and restaurants making it a really enjoyable and convenient place to live. Main Streets such as 63rd Drive, Queens Boulevard, Woodhaven Boulevard, Metropolitan Avenue, and 108th Street are always alive with local shoppers. Many shopping malls are also nearby Rego Park such as Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst and Metro Mall in Middle Village. Rego Park Center is also located within Rego Park on Junction Boulevard. It opened in 2010. Also, Rego Park is conveniently located near Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is the fourth largest park in the whole New York City area. The park includes the Queens Theater, the Queens Zoo, and the Queens Museum of Art, a gigantic ice rink, a golf course, and a skate park. Flushing Meadows- Corona Park is also home to Citi Field Stadium where the MLB baseball team The Mets competes. Additionally, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is where the US Open Tennis Championships are held annually every summer. The park also has a 93-acre man-made lake that has boating and fishing. Juniper Valley Park, located in nearby Middle Village, is also another option to visit. Juniper Valley Park is 55 acres of track fields, sports fields and courts, and playgrounds.
Furthermore, in Corona, which is one of the bordering neighborhoods of Rego Park, there is the New York Hall of Science that you can visit. It was opened in 1963 and is New York City’s remaining hands-on scientific center. With over 400 exhibits delving into the subjects of biology, chemistry, and physics, the New York Hall of Science is a great venue to take out the family! The Louis Armstrong House located on 107th Street is in Corona as well. Louis Armstrong, the famed jazz trumpeter, moved to Queens in 1943 and stayed here until his death in 1971. The house that he shared with his wife was turned into a museum and was declared a national historic landmark in 1976. Louis Armstrong even has an elementary school in North Corona named after him. During the hot summer months, make sure to visit the famed Corona Ice King located on 108th Street in Corona for delicious Italian ice; it is featured in the opening credits of the hit sitcom King of Queens.
Rego Park is part of the NYC Geographic District #28. District #28 has over 45 schools within the area. The Long Island Expressway (I-495) borders the Rego Park, making it convenient to travel to the Midtown Tunnel and Manhattan. Also close by is the Van Wyck Expressway, Grand Central Parkway, and Jackie Robinson Parkway. The M and R subways run locally along Queens Boulevard, and the E and F subways have an express stop at 71st Avenue and Queens Boulevard.
