DEFINING THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS, NY THROUGH ITS PEOPLE
2.3 million people. As many as 138 languages spoken here. Over 125 different neighborhoods.
Southeastern Queens: Cambria Heights
Cambria Heights is a largely suburban middle class neighborhood, in Southeastern Queens. The name of the town came from the Cambria Construction Company of Philadelphia sometime in the 1920’s. Today Cambria Heights is a melting pot of Caribbean neighborhoods. Linden Boulevard is lined with foods from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic & Haiti.
Pictured is Campus Magnet High School located on Francis Lewis Blvd. Campus Magnet was originally the notorious violent and drug infested Andrew Jackson High. It was broken up in an effort to get more control of the facility. In 1970, the NYPD shut down Andrew Jackson H.S. after finding a heroin producing factory in the school’s basement.
The original Andrew Jackson High produced notables like NYC H.S. basketball legend Lloyd “Swee’Pea” Daniels who suffered a short NBA career due to crack cocaine addiction and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson whose keen crack cocaine dealing, eventually helped him create a successful rap & multimedia empire.
The History section is in collaboration with Steve Vazquez of Queenscapes.