South Jamaica, Queens

South Jamaica, known colloquially as Southside, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located south of downtown Jamaica, the Long Island Rail Road tracks and Liberty Avenue. The western border is the Van Wyck Expressway, and it continues in the east towards the neighboring community of St. Albans and to Merrick Boulevard. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 12. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/cau/html/cb/cb_queens.shtml Queens Community Boards] , New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.]

South Jamaica is largely African American, with increasing numbers of Latin American and West Indies immigrants moving into the community in recent decades. Also, a small population of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Guyanese, Haitians, Trinidadians and Russians live in this area. The area is largely a working-class community consisting primarily of one and two-family houses and a number of smaller apartment buildings, along with some public housing projects. The national real estate boom has provided for a haven of newly constructed multi-family homes. Currently, most of the homes that are for sale in the area were recently built.

York College, part of the City University of New York system, is now located in the community. The new AirTrain JFK route starts at the Jamaica station and continues towards JFK International Airport on its route elevated high over the Van Wyck Expressway.

The Rochdale Village complex in the Locust Manor neighborhood is part of South Jamaica.

Notable residents

*Bob Beamon, Olympic Athlete and world record holder in the long jump for 23 years. [Williams, Lena. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE7D91338F932A35752C0A9669C8B63 "TRACK AND FIELD; Soothing an Old Ache"] , "The New York Times", January 1, 2000. Accessed November 7, 2007. "Neither the outpouring of affection from an adoring public nor the love he finally found after four failed marriages could make up for the neglect and physical abuse he suffered as a child growing up in South Jamaica, Queens."]
*Ali Vegas
*The Inc (Murder Inc) members Ja Rule, Caddillac Tah, and Black Child
*J-Zone
*Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr of the rap group Onyx.
*G-Unit members 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks
*Lamar Odom NBA Basketball Player
*The Lost Boyz members Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah, Spigg Nice, and Pretty Lou
*Mario Cuomo former governor of New York
*Nicki Minaj
*O.C. (rapper), rapper formerly of the rap group D.I.T.C.-Diggin' in the Crates Crew
*Pharoahe Monch rapper formerly of the rap group Organized Konfusion
*Rafer Alston, NBA Basketball Player. [Litsky, Frank. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E0DD1E38F936A15750C0A96E958260 " BASKETBALL: N.I.T.; Minnesota Will Meet Penn State for the Title"] , "The New York Times", March 25, 1998. Accessed October 18, 2007. "Rafer Alston, the junior point guard from South Jamaica, Queens, explained it this way..."]
*Sha Money XL
*Silverback Guerillaz (Bang Em Smurf and Domination)
*Terrence J
*Yummy Bingham

References

External links

* [http://www.progressivesouthside.blogspot.com The Progressive Southside]