Jamaica

Jamaica is a vivid tapestry of a neighborhood located on the eastern side of the New York City borough of Queens. Downtown Jamaica, or Jamaica Center, hosts a dense concentration of government, commercial and retail buildings. To the south and east of downtown, residential communities feature single-family homes and low-rise apartment blocks. The name “Jamaica” dates from the colonial period, not called after the Caribbean island, as might be expected, but from a corruption of a Native American word for “beaver.” The area has a long history as a crossroads, stretching back to times when bands of local Lenape bartered with other tribes from as far away as the Ohio River Valley. Jamaica still serves as a major transportation hub: the Grand Central Parkway bisects the neighborhood, the Long Island Rail Road intersects with subway lines, and the JFK AirTrain connects to nearby John F. Kennedy Airport. Queens qualifies as one of the most diverse counties in the country, and Jamaica mirrors its home borough in that respect. You need only to witness the spirited weekend cricket matches in South Jamaica’s Baisley Pond Park to appreciate the variety of communities in the area. Former president Donald Trump was born in Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and grew up in Jamaica Estates. Ease of access to the employment and entertainment offerings of Manhattan allow Jamaica residents to enjoy the attractions of both urban and suburban environments.

With approximately one hundred transactions per quarter, the real estate market in Jamaica, Queens, averages a median sales price of $500,000. One bedroom homes are rare but average in price around $190,000, while homes of five bedrooms or more can approach $1M. Average price per square foot registers at around $250. Stand-alone homes make up ninety percent of sales, with coops representing most of the rest, along with a tiny percentage of condominiums. The rental market is very tight, with the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment averaging $2,000.

Jamaica fits into the grand mosaic of neighborhoods in the borough of Queens, surrounded most immediately by South Jamaica, Jamaica Estates and Jamaica Hills. Neighborhoods notably nearby are Kew Gardens, Hollis, Richmond Hills, Ozone Park and Little Guyana. For international getaways JFK Airport is located a mile to the south. The borough of Brooklyn lies to the southeast, while the numerous attractions of Manhattan are less than ten miles away, easily accessible by several public transportation lines.

King Manor Museum is a colonial heritage house that is worth a visit any time, and the facility holds events throughout the year. The most popular is King Manor's annual Fall Festival, where events range from a pumpkin patch for kiddies to a rum tasting for adults. A hallmark of the summer is always the two-day Jamaica JAMS (Jamaica arts and music summer festival), a massive street fair paired with nightly concerts under the stars. The Jamaica Jerk Festival in Roy Wilkins Park features Caribbean food, while the downtown strip of Jamaica Center hosts an annual Jamaica Jazz Festival.

The far north-western corner of Jamaica, Queens touches upon the far south-western corner of Flushing Meadows Park, one of the largest public facilities in New York City, offering copious opportunities for relaxation and recreation. Within the boundaries of Jamacia itself are smaller neighborhood parks, including Captain Tilly Park, Roy Wilkins Park, St. Albans Park, and Detective Keith L. Williams Park. In South Jamaica there is the hundred-acre Baisley Pond Park, which features three cricket fields among its many recreational offerings.

Over a dozen public high schools lie within the vicinity of Jamaica, including several co-located on Jamaica Campus and those on the nearby Springfield Gardens Educational Campus, as well as Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical High School, and the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety. Fourteen public elementary and middle schools also call the neighborhood home. Several private schools enroll students, such as the United Nations International School in Jamaica Estates and a number of religion-based institutions, from an array of Catholic schools to Al-Iman School, an Islamic PK-12 school.

The commercial and retail outlets of Jamaica Center present local employment opportunities, as do the hotels serving travelers from nearby JFK Airport. Government offices related to borough administration offer public sector jobs. Jamaica’s abundant public transportation facilities allow for access to an incredible array of employment opportunities beyond the neighborhood’s borders. Alternately, many residents must feel there’s no place like home, preferring the quiet residential blocks of Jamaica’s suburban southern and eastern areas to the hustle and bustle of downtown or Manhattan.

Jamaica, Queens serves as a transportation hub for the entire vicinity. A pair of subway lines place Manhattan and the other boroughs of New York City within reach of commuters. The Long Island Railroad offers an alternative method of connecting to Manhattan’s Penn Station and Grand Central Station. The JFK AirTrain links to the international airport. Major highways include the north-south Van Wyck Expressway on the neighborhood western border, and the east-west Grand Central Parkway.

Photography Contributed By

Perez Folds

Video By

Matt Ferguson