Rego Park | |
---|---|
Neighborhood in Queens | |
Nickname(s): Bukharlem/Buharlem, Real Good Park | |
Location in New York City | |
Coordinates: 40°43′25″N 73°51′36″W / 40.72369°N 73.86009°WCoordinates: 40°43′25″N 73°51′36″W / 40.72369°N 73.86009°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Queens |
Settled | 1653 |
Developed | 1920s |
Founded by | English and Dutch settlers |
Named for | The Real Good Construction Company |
Area | |
• Total | 5.04 km2 (1.945 sq mi) |
Elevation | 27.8 m (91.3 ft) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 28,260 |
Ethnicity | |
• White | 46.2% |
• Asian | 31.7% |
• Hispanic | 16.6% |
• Other | 3.0% |
• Black | 2.5% |
Time zone | UTC-5 |
ZIP code | 11374 |
Area code(s) | 718 |
Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, the east and south by Forest Hills and the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queens Boulevard, the Long Island Expressway, Woodhaven Boulevard, and Yellowstone Boulevard. There is a large Jewish population in the neighborhood, which features high-rise apartment buildings and detached houses, as well as a large commercial zone.
Rego Park is represented by Queens Community Board 6 (CB 6).
Rego Park is built on a swamp called the Hempstead Swamp, which once extended to St. John's Cemetery in Middle Village. By 1653, though, English and Dutch farmers moved into the area and founded a community called Whitepot, which was a part of the Township of Newtown. Whitepot is believed to be so named because the original Dutch settlers named the area "Whiteput", or "hollow creek"; later, English settlers Anglicized the name. The Remsen family created a burial ground, which is still located on Alderton Street near Metropolitan Avenue. The colonists also founded the Whitepot School, which operated until the late 19th century.
In the Hempstead Swamp, which turned out to be good for farming, the colonists cultivated hay, straw, rye, corn, oats, and vegetables. The original Dutch, English, and German farmers sold their produce in Manhattan; by the end of the 19th century, though, Chinese farmers moved in and sold their goods exclusively to Chinatown.
The settlement was renamed Rego Park after the Real Good Construction Company, which began development of the area in 1925. "Rego" comes from the first two letters of the first two words of the company's name. The company built 525 eight-room houses costing $8,000 each. Stores were built in 1926 on Queens Boulevard and 63rd Drive, and apartment buildings were built in 1927–1928. In 1930, the Independent Subway System began work on eight IND Queens Boulevard Line stations in the area, at a cost of $5 million. The subway extension was concurrent with the Real Good Construction Company's completion of apartment buildings near Queens Boulevard and one-family homes throughout the rest of the neighborhood.