Queens is the easternmost and has the largest area of the five boroughs of New York City. Geographically, it is found next to the borough of Brooklyn at the southwestern end of Long Island, and further east on Long Island to Nassau County. In addition, Queens shares water borders with the boroughs of Manhattan NYC, and the Bronx. The borough of Queens is the second-largest in population, with an estimated census of 2,339,150 residents in 2015, with approximately 48% of them foreign-born.
Also, Queens County is the second-most populated county in the U.s state of New York, coming after the adjacent borough of Brooklyn, which is coterminous with Kings County. Among New York City’s boroughs as well as in the United States, Queens is considered to be the fourth-most densely populated county.
If each New York City borough were an independent city, Queens would also be the nation’s fourth most populous city, after Chicago, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn. Queens is considered to be the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.
In1683, Queens was established as one of the original 12 counties of New York and was named for the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In 1898, Queens became a borough of New York City, and from 1683 until 1899, the County of Queens included what is now Nassau County.
From the five boroughs of New York City, Queens has the most diversified economy and is home to JFK International Airport and La Guardia Airport. These airports are among the busiest in the world, which causes the airspace above Queens to be the most congested in the country.
There are many attractions in Queens, namely Flushing Meadows Park, whose Citi Field athletic stadium is home to the New York Mets baseball team and the Us Open tennis tournament. Together with Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, and Aqueduct Racetrack.
The borough has diverse housing, which ranges from high-rise apartment buildings in the urban areas of western and central Queens. Namely Jackson Heights, Flushing Astoria, and Long Island City, to suburban neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the borough such as Little Neck, Douglaston, and Bayside.
Article Provided by michela@welovenyc.com