Rochdale Village, Queens facts for kids
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Rochdale Village is a large housing cooperative and neighborhood in the southeastern part of Queens, one of New York City's five main areas. It's located in an area called Greater Jamaica. Rochdale Village is close to other Queens neighborhoods like St. Albans, South Jamaica, Locust Manor, and Springfield Gardens. It's also not far from the border of Queens and Nassau County, and about a mile north of John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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History of Rochdale Village
Rochdale Village got its name from a town in England called Rochdale. In that town, a group called the Rochdale Pioneers created ideas for how cooperatives should work. These ideas are known as the Rochdale Principles.
The plan for Rochdale Village started in 1939. The goal was to create a nice community with a park-like feel, offering city living with some suburban benefits. It was designed to be like a "city within a city."
The land where Rochdale Village now stands used to be a horse racing track called Jamaica Race Course. This track was a popular spot for visitors. However, in 1959, the race track closed down and was taken apart.
Rochdale Village was built as part of the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program. This program helps create affordable homes for families with low to middle incomes. When it opened in 1963, Rochdale Village was the biggest private cooperative housing complex in the world. Later, Co-op City in the Bronx became even larger.
When Rochdale Village first opened, most of its residents were white, with a smaller number of African American families. The idea was for it to be a model for different races living together. Over time, more and more African American families moved into Rochdale Village. By the late 1990s, it became a very popular place for middle-class African American families to live. As of 2008, about 25,000 people live in Rochdale Village.
Facilities in Rochdale Village
Rochdale Village is sometimes called the "Jewel of Jamaica." It covers about 120 acres, which is like a big park. The community has 20 buildings, arranged in five circles. Each building has 13 floors and is divided into three sections, each with its own mailing address.
Rochdale Village has its own branch of the Queens Public Library. It also has a special power plant that creates all the electricity, heat, air conditioning, and hot water for the homes and two shopping centers. This means the community makes its own power and doesn't rely on outside power companies.
The Rochdale Village Department of Public Safety helps keep residents and visitors safe. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) also patrols the area.
Education in Rochdale Village
There are several schools in Rochdale Village. These include P.S. 354, P.S. 80, Catherine and Count Basie Junior High School 72, August Martin High School, and CCS Montessori. In 2011, a new school, P.S. 354, started opening to replace P.S. 30. P.S. 354 gradually added grades until P.S. 30 closed in 2014.
Transportation in Rochdale Village
Rochdale Village and nearby areas have good transportation options. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has a station called Locust Manor right next to the complex.
There are also several MTA buses that serve Rochdale, including the Q3, Q5, Q85, Q111, Q113, Q114, and QM21 routes. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a plan to extend the New York City Subway to the neighborhood. However, this plan was stopped due to money problems.
Images for kids
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Jamaica Race Course, around 1907
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Jamaica Racecourse, from a 1903 brochure
