Springfield Gardens, Queens

Springfield Gardens is a neighborhood in the southeastern area of the New York City borough of Queens, bounded to the north by St. Albans, to the east by Laurelton and Rosedale, to the south by John F. Kennedy International Airport, and to the west by Farmers Boulevard. The neighborhood is served by Queens Community Board 12.^[2] The area, particularly east of Springfield Boulevard, is sometimes also referred to as Brookville.^[3]

Springfield Gardens
Neighborhood of Queens
Telephone exchange for southeastern Queens
Location within New York City
Coordinates: 40.66°N 73.77°W / 40.66; -73.77
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
County/Borough	Queens
Community District	Queens 13[1]
Population  (2000)
• Total	39,827
Ethnicity
• White	2.7%
• Black	91.5%
• Hispanic	4.4%
• Asian	0.6%
• Other	1.3%
Economics
• Median income	$56,726
ZIP Code	11413, 11434
Area code(s)	718, 347, 929, and 917

History

The area was first settled by Europeans in 1660, and was subsequently farmed until the mid nineteenth-century.^[4]

Major residential development came in the 1920s as Long Island Rail Road service was expanded to the area at the Springfield Gardens station (closed in 1979).^[5] Between 1920 and 1930 the population increased from 3,046 to 13,089, with a lot of the newcomers being people from Brooklyn seeking out suburban homes. In 1927, the name of the community was changed to the more elegant Springfield Gardens.^{[6][clarification needed]}

Farmers Boulevard, Merrick Boulevard, Springfield Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard, and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard all are major streets in the area.

Today the area maintains its low-rise suburban nature. It is home to majority Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean populations including immigrants from Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti and Guyana. Many homes have been torn down and remade for more families as more people move into the neighborhood. Part is in a Registered historic District.^[7] Springfield Gardens is located within ZIP Codes 11434 (western part) and 11413 (eastern part).

Recreation

A part of Springfield Lake in Springfield Park

Springfield Park consists of 23.54 acres (9.53 ha), including the sizable Springfield Lake at its center. It is located on the west side of Springfield Boulevard between 145th Road and 147th Avenue.^[8]

The 90-acre (36 ha) Brookville Park is located on the eastern border of Springfield Gardens (next to Rosedale). It is bounded by South Conduit Avenue, 149th Avenue, and 232nd and 235th Streets. It contains Conselyea's Pond.^[9]

Transportation

Brookville is served by the Rosedale and Laurelton Long Island Rail Road stations. Service is provided by the Far Rockaway Branch and Long Beach Branch. The CityTicket program is available at these stations.

The Q3 bus travels along Farmers Boulevard towards to the 165th Street Bus Terminal in Jamaica or JFK Airport. The Q6 bus travels along Rockaway Boulevard and Sutphin Boulevard to Jamaica-165th St Bus Terminal from the JFK Airport North Boundary Road. The Q85 bus travels along South Conduit Boulevard towards Rosedale or Green Acres Mall, and North Conduit Boulevard towards the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer subway station (E​, ​J, and ​Z trains). The Q111 travels to Rosedale and Jamaica via 147th Avenue along with the Q113 and Q114 via 147th Avenue to Jamaica and Far Rockaway. No express bus routes serve Brookville directly however the X63, provides rush hour only service to neighboring Rosedale. The Q77 bus travels along Springfield Boulevard and Francis Lewis Boulevard to Jamaica-165th Street Bus Terminal and terminates at the border of Brookville and Springfield Gardens on 145th Road and Springfield Boulevard.^[10]

Notable residents

• Khandi Alexander (born 1957), dancer, choreographer, and actress.^{[citation needed]}
• Frances Goldin (1924–2020), housing rights activist and literary agent in New York City.^[11]

• John Robert Grant (1729–1790), Loyalist who fought in the American Revolutionary War.^{[citation needed]}
• Cynthia Jenkins (1924–2001), librarian, community activist and politician who served in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1994.^[12]
• Anthony Mason (1966–2015), professional basketball player who played for 13 seasons in the NBA.^[13]
• Lil Tecca (born 2002), rapper, singer and songwriter.^[14]
• Eric Truvillion (born 1959), wide receiver who played in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits and in the NFL for the Detroit Lions.^{[citation needed]}

References

• New York City portal

1. "NYC Planning | Community Profiles". communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
2. Queens Boards, New York City. Accessed January 26, 2024.
3. "NYC Census FactFinder". nyc.gov.
4. "Real Estate Scene: A Tree-Lined City Oasis, Springfield Gardens Offers a Varied Mix". Daily News. New York. June 17, 1999. Retrieved July 15, 2008. Farmland once dominated southeast Queens. The area, which was settled by 1660, had farms that were built during the 18th century from the present-day Montefiore Cemetery to Rockaway Blvd.
5. Copquin, Claudia Gryvatz (January 1, 2007). The Neighborhoods of Queens. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300112993.
6. Seyfried, Vincent F.; Asadorian, William (August 28, 2012). Old Queens, N.Y., in Early Photographs: 261 Prints. Courier Corporation. ISBN 9780486136011.
7. Cardwell, Diane (October 30, 2007). "Action on Development in Brooklyn and Queens". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
8. "Springfield Park". NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
9. "Brookville Park : NYC Parks". New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. June 26, 1939. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
10. "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. August 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
11. Roberts, Sam. "Frances Goldin, a Crusader for the Lower East Side, Dies at 95; A neighborhood preservationist, she had significant victories as a protester, provocateur and voice for lost causes.", The New York Times, May 18, 2020. Accessed September 26, 2020. "She grew up in Springfield Gardens where, she said, she was bullied and the family was subjected to anti-Semitism that resulted in street brawls, including one with a girl from a German family next door."
12. Burks, Edward C. "Queens Residents Score Board Head", The New York Times, July 11, 1971. Accessed September 26, 2020. "Mrs. Cynthia Jenkins, a community leader from Springfield Gardens, accused the city and state of a hypocritical integration policy designed to meet standards for Federal aid."
13. Klein, Jeff Z. "Anthony Mason, a Former Knick and a Native Son of Queens, Is Mourned", The New York Times, March 5, 2015. Accessed September 26, 2020. "Family members, friends and mourners with ties to the National Basketball Association were scheduled to arrive in the evening. But in the afternoon there were mostly people from Mr. Mason’s old neighborhood, Springfield Gardens, Queens, and other parts of the borough."
14. Skelton, Eric. "Lil Tecca Is a 16-Year-Old Rapper Making Hits on the Weekends", Complex (website), June 6, 2019. Accessed September 26, 2020. "[Q] You grew up in Queens, right? [A] Yeah, I grew up in Springfield Gardens. Then in seventh grade I moved to Nassau County, Long Island."