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Queens Center Mall
Queens Boulevard at 57th Avenue.jpg
Queens Center Mall in 2007
Location Elmhurst, New York
Coordinates 40°44′05″N 73°52′10″W / 40.734722°N 73.86944°W / 40.734722; -73.86944
Address 90-15 Queens Boulevard
Elmhurst, NY 11373
Opening date September 12, 1973; 51 years ago (1973-09-12)
Developer Taubman Centers
Management Macerich
Owner Macerich
No. of stores and services 198
No. of anchor tenants 2
Total retail floor area 966,499 square feet (89,790.7 m2)
No. of floors 4
Public transit access New York City Subway: Woodhaven Boulevard ("M" train"R" train)
New York City Bus: Q59, Q88
MTA Bus: Q11, Q21, Q29, Q38, Q52 SBS, Q53 SBS, Q60

Queens Center Mall is a large shopping mall located in Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. It sits on Queens Boulevard and is known as the biggest mall in Queens.

A company called The Macerich Company owns and manages the mall. They bought it in the 1990s. The mall has a huge space of about 966,499 square feet (89,790.7 m2) and nearly 200 different stores. It's one of the most successful malls in the United States!

You can easily get to Queens Center Mall. The Woodhaven Boulevard subway station is right next to it. Many city buses also stop nearby. It's also close to Exit 19 on the Long Island Expressway.

History of Queens Center Mall

Queens Center Mall first opened its doors on September 12, 1973. Before it was a mall, the land was used for a children's amusement park called Fairyland. There was also a supermarket and parking lots there.

When the mall first opened, its main big stores were Abraham & Straus and Ohrbach's. These large stores are often called "anchor tenants" because they attract many shoppers.

Mall Expansion and Changes

From 2002 to 2004, the mall went through a major expansion. It almost doubled in size! The original mall was updated, and a new section was added.

Today, the main anchor stores are Macy's and JCPenney. The mall also has a large food court in its basement, where you can find many different places to eat.

For a short time during the 2006 Christmas shopping season, the Macy's store at Queens Center stayed open 24 hours a day. It was the first Macy's to do this! Since then, it has continued to have all-day hours during the busy Christmas season.

On March 8, 2019, the mall had to be closed for a short time. This happened when a planned appearance by a rapper was canceled, and a large crowd caused some trouble. The mall reopened the very next day.

Anchor Stores

Anchor stores are the biggest stores in a mall. They are usually well-known brands that attract many shoppers.

Current Anchor Stores

Former Anchor Stores

  • Ohrbach's (Opened in 1973. It closed in 1987 and was replaced by Steinbach.)
  • Steinbach (Opened in 1987. It closed in 1990 and was replaced by JCPenney.)
  • Abraham & Straus (Opened in 1973. It closed in 1995 and was replaced by Macy's.)
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