South Jamaica, Queens

South Jamaica is a residential neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, located south of downtown Jamaica. It is part of Queens Community Board 12. Although a proper border has not been established, the neighborhood is an overall subset of the greater Jamaica area that faces the Long Island Rail Road Main Line tracks, Jamaica Avenue or Liberty Avenue to the north; the Van Wyck Expressway on the west; and Merrick Boulevard toward the east, adjoining the neighboring community of St. Albans. Other primary thoroughfares of South Jamaica include Baisley, Foch, Linden, Guy R. Brewer, Sutphin, and Rockaway Boulevards.

Considered a slum in the early 20th century, the neighborhood now consists of working-class and middle-class residents.

South Jamaica is generally considered to be the area south of Downtown Jamaica (Jamaica Center), with the Van Wyck Expressway to the west, and Merrick Boulevard to the east. The eastern border extends as far as the LIRR Montauk Branch tracks in the northern part of the neighborhood. John F. Kennedy International Airport lies to the south across the Belt Parkway. This area overlaps with the neighborhoods of St. Albans to the east, and Rochdale and Springfield Gardens to the south. Many maps however consider South Jamaica to be bounded by Linden Boulevard to the north, and Rockaway Boulevard and Baisley Boulevard to the south, with the northern section (including the South Jamaica Houses) defined as part of Jamaica. Other maps consider the area between Linden Boulevard and Baisley/Rockaway Boulevards to be a southern subsection of South Jamaica called Baisley Park;Baisley Pond Park, the Baisley Park Houses, the Baisley Park Branch of Queens Library, and the Baisley Park Bus Depot are located in this area. The neighborhood south of Rockaway and Baisley Boulevards to the Belt Parkway (including Rochdale Village) historically has been considered part of South Jamaica, but is now often mapped as Springfield Gardens North or Rochdale. The three sections constitute the western half of Queens Community Board 12.