Queensbridge Houses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Queensbridge Houses
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NYCHA property
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| Nickname(s):
Queensbridge, QB
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Queens |
| ZIP Code |
11101
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| Area code(s) | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Queensbridge Houses, often called just Queensbridge, is a large public housing community in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. It is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. This huge complex has 96 buildings and 3,142 apartments. About 7,000 people live here in two separate areas, North and South. Queensbridge opened in 1939 and is the biggest housing project in North America.
Queensbridge is located in Queens Community District 1. Its ZIP Code is 11101.
Contents
Exploring Queensbridge Houses
Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in Queens. It sits between Vernon Boulevard, which is next to the East River, and 21st Street. The complex is just south of the Ravenswood power plant. It is also north of the Queensboro Bridge, which is where the name "Queensbridge" comes from.
The development is split into two parts: the North Houses on 40th Avenue and the South Houses on 41st Avenue. The New York City Subway's IND 63rd Street Line (F <F> trains) has a station called 21st Street – Queensbridge. This station is right on the eastern side of the complex.
Unique Building Designs
The buildings at Queensbridge Houses are six stories tall and have 96 apartments each. They have a special shape, like two "Y" letters joined at the bottom. Architects chose this "Y" shape to let more sunlight into the apartments. This design was also thought to save money. To save even more, the original elevators only stopped on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th floors.
W.F.R. Ballard, Henry S. Churchill, Frederick G. Frost, and Burnett Turner were the architects who designed Queensbridge Houses. The buildings are a grayish-brown color. Each building has a red painted base about four feet high. This red band makes the whole complex look connected. Signs at each corner show the project's name, like "Queensbridge North Houses NYCHA."
Today, you need a key or an intercom system to get into the buildings. The hallways inside are lined with light blue tiles. The apartments are painted white and are quite small. In recent years, the elevators have been updated to stop on all floors (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). Kitchens have also been renovated with new refrigerators. Many bathrooms were updated in 2000 with new tubs, toilets, and tiles.
Fun Places to Go
When Queensbridge Houses was first planned, it included some cool features. There was a central shopping area, a nursery for kids, and six courtyards for playing. In the 1950s, there were also three playschool rooms and a library. A community center had an auditorium for shows and a gym that was used for roller skating. There were activity rooms for things like tap dancing, art, and playing music. Kids could also join Girl Scout and Boy Scout meetings.
During summer, residents enjoyed live concerts in the central shopping area. The Fresh Air Fund helped send children to the mountains for a break from city life.
The buildings are separated by paths and small grassy areas. There are also basketball courts and play areas with benches. Across Vernon Boulevard is Queensbridge Park. This park has a lit baseball field, running paths, and places for picnics. Queensbridge Park is where the Queensbridge Little League plays. It also hosts many summer concerts with different types of music. From the 1950s to 1970, this park was called "River Park." There was also a smaller "Baby Park" under the Queensboro Bridge, but it closed. A new playground for young children was built inside Queensbridge Park instead.
A Musical History
Queensbridge has a rich history with hip hop music and rap. Many famous artists have come from "The Bridge." Marlon “Marley Marl” Williams was one of the first big names. His group, the Juice Crew, was very important in the 1980s. It included Queensbridge rappers like Kool G Rap, MC Shan, Roxanne Shanté, and Craig G.
One of the most famous hip hop artists from Queensbridge today is Nas. Since the 1990s, he has often talked about Queensbridge and its hip hop history in his songs. Other well-known artists from Queensbridge include Blaq Poet, Prodigy and Havoc from Mobb Deep, Cormega, Tragedy Khadafi, Nature, Screwball, Capone from Capone-N-Noreaga, and Big Noyd.
A writer named Brendan Frederick once said that Queensbridge has produced more hip hop talent per person than almost any other neighborhood.
Who Lives Here?
In 2013, Queensbridge had a total population of 6,105 people.
- 61.4% were black
- 2.3% were white
- 1.9% were Asian
- 1.0% were American Indian
- 2.4% were multiracial
- 30.1% were Hispanics and Latinos (of any race)
Notable People from Queensbridge
Many talented people have lived in Queensbridge Houses, including:
- Big Noyd (born 1975), rapper
- Blaq Poet (born 1969), rapper
- Bravehearts, rap group
- Capone (born 1976), rapper, part of the group Capone-N-Noreaga
- Cormega (born 1970), rapper
- Craig G (born 1973), rapper
- Havoc (born 1974), rapper
- Julie Dash (born 1952), filmmaker and writer
- Lou Del Valle (born 1968), professional boxer
- Vern Fleming (born 1962), former NBA basketball player
- Bernard Fowler (born 1960), background singer for the Rolling Stones
- Sean Green (born 1970), former NBA basketball player
- Infamous Mobb, rap group
- Marley Marl (born 1962), music producer
- MC Shan (born 1965), rapper
- Mel Johnson Jr., actor and film producer
- Mobb Deep, rap group
- Nas (born 1973), rapper
- Jungle (Jabari Fret) (born 1974), rapper
- Nature (born 1973), rapper
- Metta Sandiford-Artest (born 1979), NBA basketball player and rapper
- Keechant Sewell (born 1972), former New York City Police Commissioner
- Roxanne Shante (born 1969), rapper
- Screwball, hip-hop group
- Tragedy Khadafi (born 1971), rapper
- Andy Walker (born 1955), former NBA basketball player
