Corona, New York: Crown of Queens

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History of Corona, NY

Corona is located in the borough of Queens, New York, and is broken down into two subsections; Corona and North Corona. The section of Corona is south of Roosevelt Avenue and ten miles southeast of Manhattan.

Early History

This 462.74-acre area was once known as West Flushing. It was founded by Thomas Waite Howard, a real estate developer, in 1872. He would go on to become the postmaster and eventually have the name changed to Corona in 1870. The name is derived from the Spanish or Italian word for crown, as it sits near the top of Queens, hence the nickname Crown of Queens. Corona was home to the first all-star baseball game at the Fashion Race Course and is considered baseball's birthplace.

During the 1950s, Corona consisted mainly of Italian-Americans and African Americans. However, this would change with a surge in Latin American immigrants in the 1990s. This diverse area has been the home to many African American athletes, civil rights activists, and musicians; some of these include:

• Louis Armstrong - American Jazz musician
• Jimmy Heath - "Little Bird" - American Jazz musician
• Hamidou Diallo - basketball player for the Detroit Pistons
• Wendell Timothy Fite - "DJ Hurrican" - American Hip Hop musician
• Reverend Gardner C. Taylor - former pastor at the First Baptist Church of Corona and Civil Rights activist

Historical Landmarks

Thanks to the show King of Queens, one of the more recognizable landmarks is the Lemon Ice King of Corona, located on 108th Street. It has been serving Italian ice to the residents of Corona for over 60 years. Other historical points of interest are as follows:

• William F. Moore Park
• Louis Simeone Park
• House of Edward E. Sanford built in 1871 on 47th Avenue
• the old trolley house on 43rd Avenue and National Street
• Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center

Places of Worship

Due to the ethnic diversity, there are many different denominations of religion in the area. The first church in Corona, The Union Evangelical Church, was built in 1870 and is located on 102nd Street and National Street. An affluent landowner, Charles Leverich, donated the land and was responsible for its success. Over the years, more places of worship would be built in Corona, including the following:

• 1872 - Our Lady of Sorrows  - the first Roman Catholic Church
• 1887 - Methodist Episcopal Church
• 1887 - The Emanuel German Lutheran Church
• 1906 - Grace Episcopal Church
• 1911 - Congregation Tifereth Isreal of Corona
• 1957 - Shaw AME Zion Church

Demographics

In 2010, the population of Corona was 57,658. This is an increase of 5,576 since 2000. The income median for each household as of 2017 was 51,992 and considered a high-income neighborhood. Crime has decreased by 83.2% since 1990. The majority of the population is of Hispanic or Latino descent, but the community breakdown is as follows:

• 63.3% Hispanic or Latino
• 13.6% African American
• 12.7% Asian
• 8.4% White
• 0.2% Native American
• <0.1% Pacific Islander
• 0.5% other
• 1.3% two or more races

Interested in learning more about the surrounding areas of Corona? Check out our next blog on the New York Legend, Louis Armstong.

Our Local Office

The Corona, NY personal injury attorneys at Banville Law office has been assisting with auto-accident claims for years. Call our office today for a free consultation.