Mall 211 facts for kids

Mall 211 is a special series of nine green areas, like small parks, found on 211th Street in the Belleaire part of Queens Village, Queens. These green spaces stretch between 99th Avenue and Hollis Avenue. They were created in 1907 when the Belleaire neighborhood was first built. The idea was to make a wide road that connected to the Bellaire train station on the Long Island Rail Road. These green medians were meant to be a beautiful center for the new suburban community. Belleaire Boulevard, which is now 211th Street, linked two older roads: Jamaica Avenue and Hollis Avenue.

A Look Back: Before the Neighborhood

Before Belleaire became a place where people lived, the land around Mall 211 was part of a large area called Interstate Park. This park was used as a shooting range and had a casino. It was run by the National Trapshooting Association.

Shooting Competitions

At their big yearly event, called the Grand American tournament, trained shooters would aim at birds released from cages. The first tournament happened in 1900. However, the park went out of business just two years later. This was because the state passed a law that made pigeon-shooting competitions illegal.

From Park to Homes

Interstate Park was sold in 1906 so that homes could be built there. The developer, Parvin Harbaugh, asked for the Interstate Park train station to be renamed Bellaire. The whole neighborhood then took on the name Bellaire. Later, Bellaire Boulevard was officially named 211th Street. This change made it fit with the street plan used across all of Queens.

Bellaire Today

The Bellaire train station closed in 1968 because not many people were using it. Even so, the Bellaire community is still a popular place to live. People like its suburban feel, with lots of green spaces and homes. It's also easy to get to Midtown Manhattan from here. The nearby Queens Village station offers a train ride that takes about half an hour.