Cambria Heights, Queens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cambria Heights
|
|
|---|---|
|
Neighborhood of Queens
|
|
.jpg) |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| County/Borough | Queens |
| Community District | Queens 13 |
| Named for | Cambria Construction Company |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population
(2010)
|
|
| • Total | 18,677 |
| Ethnicity | |
| • White | 1.4% |
| • Black | 90.3% |
| • Hispanic | 5.2% |
| • Asian | 0.8% |
| • Other | 2.3% |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $62,071 |
| ZIP Code |
11411
|
| Area code(s) | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Cambria Heights is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of Queens, a borough of New York City. It's mostly a place where people live in homes.
The neighborhood is bordered by Springfield Boulevard and Francis Lewis Boulevard to the west. To the east, it meets the border of Nassau County near Elmont. Queens Village is to the north, and St. Albans is to the west. To the south, you'll find Montefiore Cemetery, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, and Rosedale.
In 2010, about 18,677 people lived in Cambria Heights. This area is part of Queens Community Board 13.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Cambria Heights was created in the mid-1920s. A bank called Cambria Title Savings and Trust Company helped fund the early homes built here. This bank was from Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
The homes were built for families wanting to move from apartments in other parts of New York City. Cambria Heights is about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. This makes it one of the higher spots in Queens, like Jackson Heights and Richmond Hill.
Learning in Cambria Heights
Cambria Heights has public schools for younger students. These include PS 176 Cambria Heights for grades pre-kindergarten to 5. There is also PS/MS 147 Ronald McNair for students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade.
For high school students, there are four special high schools. They are all on the campus of Andrew Jackson High School. These schools focus on different subjects:
- Arts and humanities
- Business computer applications
- Mathematics, science, and technology
- Law, government, and community service
Places of Worship
Cambria Heights has many different churches. You can find many along Linden Boulevard. These churches belong to various Christian groups.
Some of the churches in the area include:
- Cambria Heights Community Church
- Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
- Holy Trinity Parish Church
- Queens Tabernacle Church
- First Faith Baptist Church
- Harvest Revival Christian Fellowship
- Good Life Deliverance Ministry
- Saint David's Episcopal Church
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church (which also has a school, Sacred Heart Catholic Academy)
The neighborhood is also home to the Ohel. This is a special resting place for two important leaders: Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. Many thousands of people from all over the world visit this site to pray.
Who Lives Here?
In 2010, the population of Cambria Heights was 18,677 people. This was a small decrease from the year 2000. The neighborhood covers about 772.01 acres (312.42 ha).
Most people living in Cambria Heights are of African American background (90.3%). There are also people of Hispanic or Latino (5.2%), White (1.4%), and Asian (0.8%) backgrounds.
Originally, many families from Italian, German, and Irish backgrounds lived here. Jewish families from Brooklyn also moved to the area. Today, many middle-class families of Caribbean and African American heritage live in Cambria Heights. The average cost for a home is around $450,600.
Special Historic Areas
In June 2022, two parts of Cambria Heights were named historic districts. This means they are special areas protected for their history and unique buildings. These districts are:
- The Cambria Heights–222nd Street Historic District
- The Cambria Heights–227th Street Historic District
These areas were first home to mostly white families. By the 1950s, African-American families started moving in. In the 1980s, Caribbean-American families also began to live there. Before these districts were created, Cambria Heights did not have any city-protected landmarks.
222nd Street Historic District
The Cambria Heights–222nd Street Historic District has 46 homes. These homes are built in a unique "Storybook" style. They are located on 222nd Street between 115th Road and 116th Avenue. They were finished in 1931.
These houses have brick fronts and special arched windows. They also feature different geometric designs and colorful roof tiles. Their chimneys have stucco and brick panels. The Monda & Bertolazzi firm designed these homes.
227th Street Historic District
The Cambria Heights–227th Street Historic District includes 50 Storybook-style houses. They are on 227th Street between 116th Avenue and Linden Boulevard. These homes were also completed in 1931.
The houses on 227th Street mostly have stone, brick, and stucco on their outside walls. They also have colorful roof tiles and rhombus-shaped windows. The Wolosoff Brothers firm designed these houses.
Getting Around
Several bus lines serve Cambria Heights. These include the Q4, Q27, Q77, Q83, Q84 local buses. They connect to the New York City Subway and other bus routes in Queens. There is also the X64 express bus for longer trips.
Famous People from Cambria Heights
Many interesting people have lived or still live in Cambria Heights. Here are a few:
- Michael Bentt (born 1964), a retired heavyweight boxer and actor.
- Kurt Boone (born 1959), an author who writes about street culture.
- Fred Cambria (born 1948), a former professional baseball player.
- Bob Cousy (born 1928), a famous basketball player who went to Andrew Jackson High School.
- Chick Corea (1941–2021), a well-known jazz musician.
- Lena Horne (1917–2010), a famous singer.
- Ivan Lee (born 1981), an Olympic saber fencer.
- Henry Petroski (born 1942), an engineer and author. His book Paperboy talks about his teenage years in Cambria Heights.
- Rick Pitino (born 1952), a well-known college basketball coach.
- Lillian Roberts (born 1928), a labor leader who led a large union in New York City.
- Jackie Robinson (1919–1972), a legendary baseball player.
- Barbara Rubin (1945–1980), a filmmaker.
- Tony Santiago (born 1950), a military historian.
- Clyde Vanel (born 1974), a lawyer and entrepreneur who serves in the New York State Assembly.
- Dennis Walcott (born 1951), a former Deputy Mayor for Education in New York City.
- Mary Weiss (1948–2024), the lead singer of the music group The Shangri-Las.
Images for kids
-
House of Tony Santiago at 117–39 220th Street
-
A street in Cambria Heights
In Spanish: Cambria Heights (Queens) para niños
