View source for Middle Village, Queens

{{Short description|Neighborhood in New York City}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Middle Village
| settlement_type         = [[Neighborhoods of Queens|Neighborhood of Queens]]
| image_skyline           = JuniperSouth2.JPG
| imagesize               =
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           = [[Juniper Valley Park]]
| image                   = <!-- other image (specify File: or Image: namespace) -->
| nickname                =
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| anthem                  =

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| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|New York}}
| subdivision_type2       = [[City]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[New York City]]
| subdivision_type3       = [[List of counties in New York|County]]/[[Borough (New York City)|Borough]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Queens]]
| subdivision_type4       = [[Community boards of Queens|Community District]]
| subdivision_name4       = [[Queens Community Board 5|Queens 5]]<ref name="NYCPlanning">{{cite web|title=NYC Planning {{!}} Community Profiles|url=https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/queens/5|website=communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of City Planning|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>

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| image_map  = {{maplink|frame=y|plain=yes|frame-align=center|zoom=12|type=shape|from=Neighbourhoods/New York City/Middle Village.map}}<!--{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-lat=40.705|frame-long=-73.975|zoom=9|type=point|coord={{coord|40.72|-73.88}}}}-->
| mapsize  = <!-- If used, px must be specified; default is 250px. -->
| map_caption   =  Location within New York City
| pushpin_map             = <!--USA New York City#USA New York#USA-->
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| coordinates             = {{coord|40.72|-73.88|display=inline,title}}

<!-- population ---------------->
| population_footnotes    = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total        = 37,929
| population_as_of        = 2010
| population_est          =
| pop_est_as_of           =
| population_demonym      = <!-- demonym, ie. Liverpudlian for someone from Liverpool -->
| population_note         =

<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Ethnicity
| demographics1_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| demographics1_title1    = White
| demographics1_info1     = 74.2%
| demographics1_title2    = Black
| demographics1_info2     = 0.7%
| demographics1_title3    = Hispanic
| demographics1_info3     = 15.8%
| demographics1_title4    = Asian
| demographics1_info4     = 8.1%
| demographics1_title5    = Other/Multiracial
| demographics1_info5     = 1.2%

<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = Economics
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/zip/11379|title=11379 Zip Code in Middle Village, NY - Neighborhoods, Schools, Real Estate, Demographics and Relocation Tools|work=neighborhoodlink.com}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1    = [[Median household income|Median income]]
| demographics2_info1     = $67,715

<!-- postal codes, area code --->
| timezone                = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]]
| utc_offset              = −5
| timezone_DST            = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST          = −4
| postal_code_type        = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code             = 11379
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbering plan|Area codes]]
| area_code               = [[Area codes 718, 347, and 929|718, 347, 929]], [[area code 917|917]]
}}
'''Middle Village''' is a neighborhood in the central section of the [[Borough (New York City)|borough]] of [[Queens]], [[New York City]], bounded to the north by the [[Long Island Expressway]], to the east by [[Woodhaven Boulevard]], to the south by Cooper Avenue and the former LIRR  [[Montauk Branch]] railroad tracks, and to the west by Mount Olivet Cemetery.<ref name="nyt 2008"/>  The small trapezoid-shaped area bounded by Mt. Olivet Crescent to the east, Fresh Pond Road to the west, Eliot Avenue to the north, and Metropolitan Avenue and Admiral Avenue to the south is often counted as part of Middle Village, but is sometimes considered part of nearby [[Ridgewood, Queens|Ridgewood]].

Middle Village is bordered by the neighborhoods of [[Elmhurst, Queens|Elmhurst]] to the north, [[Maspeth, Queens|Maspeth]] and Ridgewood to the west, [[Glendale, Queens|Glendale]] to the south, and [[Rego Park, Queens|Rego Park]] to the east. Housing in the neighborhood is largely single-family homes with many attached homes, and small apartment buildings.

Middle Village is located in [[Queens Community Board 5|Queens Community District 5]] and its ZIP Code is 11379.<ref name="NYCPlanning"/> It is patrolled by the [[New York City Police Department]]'s 104th Precinct.<ref name="NYPD 104th Precinct"/> Politically, Middle Village is represented by the [[New York City Council]]'s 29th and 30th Districts.<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/dc/downloads/pdf/queens.pdf Current City Council Districts for Queens County], [[New York City]]. Accessed May 5, 2017.</ref>

==History==
[[File:Fresh Pond new rowhouses jeh.JPG|thumb|left|New housing]]

The area was settled around 1816 by people of English descent and was named in the early nineteenth century for its location as the midpoint between the then-towns of [[Williamsburg, Brooklyn]], and [[Jamaica, Queens]], on the Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike (now [[Metropolitan Avenue]]), which opened in 1816.<ref name="nyt 2008">{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/realestate/05livi.html | title=A Halfway Point Where People Tend to Stay | work=The New York Times | date=October 5, 2008 | access-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="ENYC">{{cite enc-nyc}}</ref> It was generally sparsely populated because the large Juniper Swamp was in the area. The swamp, an area where the Americans hid from British in the [[American Revolutionary War]], was originally circumscribed by a "Juniper Round Swamp Road".<ref name="fny">{{cite web | url=http://forgotten-ny.com/2005/04/middlemarch-middle-village-queens/ | title=MIDDLE VILLAGE, Queens | work=Forgotten NY | date=April 2005 | access-date=June 5, 2015 | author=Walsh, Kevin}}</ref> In 1852, a Manhattan Lutheran church purchased the farmland on the western end of the hamlet.<ref name="ENYC"/>

After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the area became predominantly German.<ref name="ENYC"/> The Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike became an un-tolled road by 1873,<ref name="fny"/> and [[St. John Cemetery (Queens)|St. John Roman Catholic Cemetery]] was laid out on the eastern side of the town in 1879.<ref>Seyfried, V.F. and Asadorian, W. (1991). Old Queens, NY in Early Photographs, Mineola, NY: Dover.</ref>  Hotels and other services appeared to meet the needs of cemetery visitors.<ref name="nyt 2008"/> The western part of Middle Village was called "Metropolitan" until prior to [[World War I]].<ref name="fny"/>

The Juniper Swamp was filled in 1915.<ref name="ENYC"/><ref name="fny"/> In 1920, the area was renamed "Juniper Valley" as part of a revitalization project. Shortly after, gangster [[Arnold Rothstein]] bought {{convert|88|acre|ha}} of the land, erected facades of houses on that land, and tried to sell these houses, but not before he tried to sell the land to the city as an airport.<ref name="fny"/><ref name="jvp">[http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=229 Juniper Valley Park], [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]]. Accessed May 16, 2008.</ref>

A housing boom that began in the 1920s eventually consumed the surrounding farmland and became continuous with neighboring towns and neighborhoods.<ref name="ENYC"/> Originally, homes were built by two major builders—the Nansen Building Corporation, and Baier & Bauer. Charles Baier's first project in the area was the Parkville Homes in 1927, a group of 30 homes at Juniper Valley Road and 77th Place. With Ridgewood developer August Bauer, they built 150 [[Single-family detached home|single-family]] [[row houses]] by 1928. In 1931, Bauer, collaborating with builder Paul Stier, built some 7-room houses at 78th Street and Furmanville Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.junipercivic.com/juniperberryarticle.asp?nid=1642#.VYyz9VxViko | title=The development of Middle Village in the 1920s | work=Juniper Park Civic Association | date=June 2015 | access-date=June 25, 2015 | author=Christina Wilkinson}}</ref>

==Demographics==
Based on data from the [[2010 United States Census]], the population of Middle Village was 37,929, an increase of 300 (0.8%) from the 37,629 counted in 2000. Covering an area of {{convert|1329.29|acres}}, the neighborhood had a population density of {{convert|28.5|PD/acre|PD/sqmi}}.<ref>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p5_nta.pdf Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division - [[New York City]] Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed May 20, 2016.</ref>

The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 74.0% (28,071) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.9% (354) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% (31) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 8.1% (3,059) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.0% (7) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.2% (89) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.8% (314) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 15.8% (6,004) of the population.<ref>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p3a_nta.pdf Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division - [[New York City]] Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed May 20, 2016.</ref>

The entirety of Community Board 5, which comprises Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village, and Glendale, had 166,924 inhabitants as of [[New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene|NYC Health]]'s 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.4 years.<ref name="CHP2018">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/data/2018chp-qn5.pdf|title=Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth (Including Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village and Ridgewood)|date=2018|website=nyc.gov|publisher=NYC Health|access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref>{{Rp|2, 20}} This is about equal to the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/tcny/community-health-assessment-plan.pdf|title=2016-2018 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan: Take Care New York 2020|date=2016|website=[[government of New York City|nyc.gov]]|publisher=[[New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene]]|access-date=September 8, 2017}}</ref>{{Rp|53 (PDF p. 84)}}<ref>{{cite web | title=New Yorkers are living longer, happier and healthier lives | website=New York Post | date=June 4, 2017 | url=https://nypost.com/2017/06/04/new-yorkers-are-living-longer-happier-and-healthier-lives/ | access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 22% are between the ages of 0–17, 31% between 25–44, and 26% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 8% and 13% respectively.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|2}}

As of 2017, the median [[household income]] in Community Board 5 was $71,234.<ref name="CB6PUMA">{{cite web|url=https://censusreporter.org/profiles/79500US3604110-nyc-queens-community-district-5-ridgewood-glendale-middle-village-puma-ny/|title=NYC-Queens Community District 5--Ridgewood, Glendale & Middle Village PUMA, NY|publisher=Census Reporter|access-date=July 17, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, an estimated 19% of Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. One in seventeen residents (6%) were unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 46% in Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth, lower than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, {{as of|2018|lc=y}}, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village, and Glendale are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not [[gentrification|gentrifying]].<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|7}}

The population in Middle Village has been historically [[German American]]. Later, it became [[Irish American]], [[Italian American]], and [[Yugoslavian-American]],<ref name="mvny hist">{{cite web | url=http://www.middlevillageny.com/middle-village-ny-history/ | title=Middle Village NY History | work=Middle Village NY | access-date=June 7, 2015 | archive-date=April 15, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415145046/http://www.middlevillageny.com/middle-village-ny-history/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> although Middle Village has seen an influx of [[Polish people]], [[Eastern European]]s, [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic Americans]], and [[Chinese American]]s (mostly in South Elmhurst, after a [[ZIP Code]] change in the early 2000s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://queens.about.com/od/neighborhoods/p/elmhurst-ny.htm|title=Neighborhood Profile of Elmhurst in Queens, NY|author=John Roleke|work=About.com Travel|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-date=July 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711041357/http://queens.about.com/od/neighborhoods/p/elmhurst-ny.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>). Many of the older families have left Middle Village but have not sold their homes but rather passed them down to their children; the result is many second and third generation residents.<ref>[http://www.city-data.com/zips/11379.html 11379 Zip Code Detailed Profile], City-data.com.</ref> The population of Middle Village has been relatively consistent: 28,984 in 2000, compared to 28,981 in 1990.<ref name="nyt 2008"/>

==Points of interest==
[[File:FreshPondMetro048.jpg|thumb|right|Metro Mall and Rentar Plaza pictured in 2007 ]]

Metro Mall is a tri-level [[shopping mall]] on [[Metropolitan Avenue]] just west of [[Middle Village – Metropolitan Avenue (BMT Myrtle Avenue Line)|the neighborhood's subway station]].<ref name="fny"/> In 1920, the C.B. French Company, which made [[telephone booth]]s for the [[American Telephone and Telegraph Company]] (now AT&T), built a factory on what is now the site of Metro Mall. After the C.B. French Company was acquired by the Turner-Armour Company, which was in turn acquired by the [[Western Electric Company]], Western Electric continued to operate the plant and make telephone booths for AT&T. The plant was closed by around 1965, after which United Merchants and Manufacturers Inc. acquired the land and built a three-story mall on the site between 1972 and 1974.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/Archives2002/Jul.-Sept.2002/082202/NewFiles/OURNEIGH.html | title=The Telephone Improved Communication, Changed The Face Of Middle Village | work=Times News Weekly | date=August 22, 2002 | access-date=June 7, 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030709230931/http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/Archives2002/Jul.-Sept.2002/082202/NewFiles/OURNEIGH.html | archive-date=July 9, 2003}}</ref> In the 2010s, most of its tenants departed, most notably [[Kmart]] and [[Toys "R" Us]] which were both located inside two of the mall's [[anchor tenant]] spaces on level 2 (referred separately as Rentar Plaza),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colangelo |first=Lisa L. |date=2019-01-09 |title=Kmart and Toys R Us gone, Middle Village's Rentar Plaza eyes improvements {{!}} amNewYork |url=https://www.amny.com/real-estate/rentar-plaza-queens-1-25750453/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.amny.com |language=en-US}}</ref> leaving [[BJ's Wholesale Club]] and [[Raymour & Flanigan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/future-of-rentar-plaza-in-question/article_b1129f1b-ea1e-581b-b74b-ad373c9b8de2.html|title=Future of Rentar Plaza in question|last=Russell|first=David|date=January 17, 2019|website=Queens Chronicle|language=en|access-date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> The now vacant level 2 was used as a storage facility by the [[New York City Department of Transportation]] (DOT) until 2023-2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=New York City Department Of Transportation - Middle Village, NY (Address, Phone, and Hours) |url=https://www.countyoffice.org/new-york-city-department-of-transportation-middle-village-ny-f15/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=www.countyoffice.org |language=en}}</ref> and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] leased space for a fulfillment center in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=Allie |date=2020-02-27 |title=Amazon Signs Lease for 300K-Sq-Foot Space in Middle Village |url=https://ridgewoodpost.com/amazon-signs-lease-for-300k-sq-foot-space-in-middle-village |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Ridgewood Post |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[New York City Department of Corrections]] also has a training academy there.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baird-Remba |first=Rebecca |title=DOC Renews Lease for Officer Training Academy in Middle Village, Queens |website=Commercial Observer |date=September 22, 2023 |url=https://commercialobserver.com/2023/09/nyc-doc-lease-renewal-middle-village-66-26-metropolitan-avenue/ |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, Rentar Development Corp., the owners of the mall, announced that it would be rebranded as the '''Shops at Rentar Plaza'''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Medina |first=Anthony |title=Middle Village Metro Mall to become The Shops at Rentar Plaza with renovation beginning this fall – QNS |website=QNS |date=September 12, 2024 |url=https://qns.com/2024/09/middle-village-metro-mall-shops-at-rentar-plaza-renovation-beginning-fall/ |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Frank T Lang bldg jeh.jpg|thumb|left|The Frank T. Lang Building at [[Metropolitan Avenue]] and 69th Street]]

The Frank T. Lang Building, at Metropolitan Avenue and 69th Street, was constructed in 1904.<ref name="fny"/> It is named after Frank Lang, who built mausoleums and monuments. The building, which sold [[mausoleum]]s and [[monument]]s until 1946, also used to have an "H.C. Bohack" gas station, operated by the same man who also headed the [[Bohack]] grocery store chain. The two-story [[art deco]] building is notable for imposing [[gargoyle]]s and finely chiseled faces on its roof.<ref name="fny"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.qchron.com/qboro/i_have_often_walked/frank-t-lang-building-middle-village/article_a21fc55d-8b15-5691-b2ff-4b79e4361f75.html | title=Frank T. Lang Building, Middle Village | work=Queens Chronicle | date=October 22, 2008 | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Ron Marzlock}}</ref>

Niederstein's, a renowned local restaurant, was located at 69-16 Metropolitan Avenue until it was demolished in 2005. The site, located near present-day 69th Street, was prime real estate in the early 19th century. Isaac Ferguson, who owned {{convert|7/12|acre|ha}} of land at the site, sold {{convert|1/3|acre|ha}} of his land to John Heuss, having been loath to give his land to the Geissenhainers of Lutheran Cemetery due to Ferguson's concerns that the tract was worth more than what the Geissenhainers would have paid for it. Huess later sold the land to Henry Schumacher, a then-27-year-old [[Württemberg]] native.<ref name="niederstein1">{{cite web | url=http://www.junipercivic.com/historyArticle.asp?nid=7#.VXRvuFxViko | title=History of Niederstein's | publisher=Juniper Civic Association | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Dorothy Speer}}</ref> In 1850, Schumacher built a 2-story wooden roadside lodge, called the Schumacher's Lager Beer Saloon and Hotel, on the Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike.<ref name="niederstein2">{{cite web | url=http://forgotten-ny.com/2008/09/remembering-niedersteins/ | title=REMEMBERING NIEDERSTEIN'S | work=Forgotten NY | date=September 2008 | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Walsh, Kevin}}</ref> Ferguson sold the remaining {{convert|1/4|acre|ha}} to Schumacher in 1864, by which time the area's hotels were booming in popularity. In 1888, Schumacher was dead and his wife, Catharina Sutter, sold the building and the business to John Niederstein, a German cook. Niederstein built 32 rooms with two wings and operated the lodge as a hotel. Henrietta Gabriel, John Niederstein's granddaughter, bought the business from Grace, Niederstein's daughter-in-law, in 1920.<ref name="niederstein1"/> In 1969, Gabriel sold the hotel to Reiner and Horst Herink, who operated the structure as a restaurant.<ref name="niederstein2"/> Once patronized by 130 thousand annual diners, the restaurant became less popular by the 1990s. Because of its many modifications, the building was ineligible for landmarking by the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]. The property was sold in the early 2000s and demolished in September 2005 to make way for an [[Arby's]] restaurant.<ref name="mvny hist"/><ref name="niederstein1"/><ref name="niederstein2"/>

The Arion Theater, a one-screen, 970-seat theater at Metropolitan Avenue and 74th Street, was built in 1921 and was the first theater in Queens that had wiring for [[loudspeaker]]s. It closed in the mid-1980s because of a never-implemented plan to turn the structure into a [[triplex (building)|triplex]]. {{As of|2016}}, the site is a [[The Salvation Army|Salvation Army]] location.<ref name="fny"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4617 | title=Arion Theatre | access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref>

The Artistic Building, on Metropolitan Avenue between 79th and 80th Streets, is a 1930 structure that is notable for having [[frieze]]s of biblical scenes on its [[facade]]. {{As of|2005}}, it was a tailor's shop.<ref name="fny"/>

There are also some very old houses in Middle Village. The Morrell House, built by English settler Thomas Morrell, was built in 1719 on present-day Juniper Valley Road; the house was demolished in 1985.<ref name="fny"/> By 1995, two other historical houses were slated for demolition by the same developer who demolished the Morrell House.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/boroughs/row-plan-raze-middle-village-houses-article-1.706130 | title=Row Over Plan to Raze Middle Village Houses | work=New York Daily News | date=July 19, 1995 | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Pete Donohue}}</ref> In 2005, though, the Juniper Park Civic Association successfully petitioned to get parts of Maspeth and Middle Village rezoned to prevent aggressive redevelopment.<ref name="fny"/> An old farmhouse on Furmanville Avenue, built in the 1890s, still exists {{as of|2018|lc=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forgotten-ny.com/2007/04/forgottentour-28-juniper-valley-middle-village-queens/|title=ForgottenTour 28, Juniper Valley-Middle Village, Queens|date=April 2007|website=Forgotten New York|language=en-US|access-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref>

===Cemeteries and crematory===
[[File:Lutheran Cemetery Metro Av jeh.JPG|thumb|right|The gatehouse of Lutheran Cemetery]]
The Lutheran [[All Faiths Cemetery]], at 67-29 Metropolitan Avenue, opened in Middle Village in 1852, due to the 1847 [[Rural Cemetery Act]], which banned new cemeteries in Manhattan.<ref name="Panchyk 2008 p. 115">{{cite book | last=Panchyk | first=R. | title=German New York City | publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated | series=Images of America | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-4396-2026-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RuLdljc4QYQC&pg=PT115 | page=115}}</ref> The [[General Slocum]] Steamboat Fire Mass Memorial, commemorating the 1904 sinking of the PS ''General Slocum'' that killed 1,021 people, is at Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Haberman|first=Clyde|date=2002-03-09|title=NYC; Remember The Slocum? Probably Not|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/09/nyregion/nyc-remember-the-slocum-probably-not.html|access-date=2023-07-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="The Old Timer 2018 o250">{{cite web  | title=Remembering the Slocum disaster and its link to Middle Village: Our Neighborhood, The Way it Was  | website=QNS.com | date=June 9, 2018 | url=https://qns.com/2018/06/remembering-slocum-disaster-link-middle-village-neighborhood-way/ | access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref>{{Efn|The ''Slocum'' monument is located at {{Coord|40|42|33|N|73|52|52|W|type:landmark_region:US-NY|name=General Slocum monument|display=inline}}}} The cemetery is also the burial place of [[Fred Trump]] and [[Mary Anne MacLeod Trump]], parents of U.S. President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Scovell | first=Nell | title=A Visit to Trump's Graveyard | website=Esquire | date=October 11, 2016 | url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49247/search-for-trump-grave/ | access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref>
[[File:US Crematorium Co (Fresh Pond Columbarium) 61-40 Mt Olivet Cres Mid Vil jeh.jpg|left|thumb|US Crematorium Company, formerly Fresh Pond Columbarium]]

Near the Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery, on Mount Olivet Crescent, is the Fresh Pond Crematory and Columbarium, which has operated since the late 19th century. Baseball player [[Lou Gehrig]], screenwriter [[Ring Lardner|Ring Lardner, Sr.]], businessman [[J.P. Morgan]], and [[Richard Hauptmann]]—notable for the [[Lindbergh kidnapping]]—are among the people cremated there.<ref name="fny" /> The [[crematory]], the third-oldest in the United States, was erected in 1884 and started cremating people a year later. The [[columbarium]] was built in 1893 and expanded in 1898; the two-building complex was further enlarged in 1904 and 1910.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.junipercivic.com/juniperberryarticle.asp?nid=302#.VXRoblxViko | title=Ashes to Ashes | work=Juniper Civic Association | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Patrick E. McCarthy}}</ref>

The Pullis Farm Cemetery, a small burial plot in [[Juniper Valley Park]], is a gated mini-cemetery dating back to 1846. As many as eight members of the Pullis family are interred in the plot. The cemetery became overgrown was weeds and was restored in 1993–6 with a new headstone. It is one of the few farm burial grounds still located in New York City.<ref name="fny"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.qchron.com/middle-village-man-breathes-new-life-into-farm-cemetery/article_f4ea479e-a84f-572c-abc0-cf5f5bba75fd.html | title=Middle Village Man Breathes New Life Into Farm Cemetery | date=June 13, 2002 | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Paul Toomey}}</ref>

Many famous people's graves are located in Middle Village. [[St. John's Cemetery (Queens)|St. John's Cemetery]], a cemetery located in Middle Village, holds many famed mobsters, including [[John Gotti]], [[Lucky Luciano]], [[Joe Gallo]], [[Carlo Gambino]], [[Joseph Profaci]], [[Joseph Colombo|Joe Colombo]], [[Vito Genovese]] and [[Carmine Galante]]. Also buried here are fitness guru [[Charles Atlas]], politicians [[Geraldine Ferraro]] and [[Mario Cuomo]], slain New York City police officer [[Rafael Ramos (police officer)|Rafael Ramos]], and photographer [[Robert Mapplethorpe]].<ref name="fny"/><ref name="about.com travel"/>

==Religious institutions==
The United Community Methodist Church (founded as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Newtown), the first Methodist church in Middle Village, is located near the present-day intersection of Juniper Valley Road and 80th Street. The church, originally built in 1769, was moved to Metropolitan Avenue near 75th Street in 1836, and was rebuilt in 1901 and 1926.<ref name="fny"/>

The Trinity Lutheran Church was founded in 1851 in the Lutheran-All Faiths Cemetery. A school was founded in the church in 1861, and the church burned just two years later. Then, it moved to 69th Street. At the 69th Street site, the school burned down in 1895 and the church burned down in 1906. Another church was built on the 69th Street site, but it was structurally damaged by lightning damage in 1975 and completely burned in a 1977 fire. The church's third structure, built in 1979, is located on a plot of land bounded by present-day Penelope Avenue, Dry Harbor Road, Juniper Boulevard South, and 81st Street. The bells and cornerstones from the first two churches are the only remnants of the original structures, and are located in front of the original church.<ref name="fny"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.junipercivic.com/juniperberryarticle.asp?nid=1008#.VXUFR1xViko | title=The History of Middle Village's Trinity Lutheran Church | work=Juniper Civic Association | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Joyce Beaudoin}}</ref>

St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church, a church and attached school built in 1860, was used during the [[American Civil War]] as a temporary jail. The church and school were both reconstructed—the school in 1899 and the church in 1907. In 1935, they moved to a four-story structure on Juniper Valley Road near 80th Street.<ref name="fny"/>

Our Lady of Hope is a hexagonal structure on Eliot Avenue with a [[bell tower]]  and is located just north of the [[New York Connecting Railroad]]. The church was built in 1965.<ref name="fny"/>

There used to be many [[synagogue]]s in Middle Village, due to an influx of Jewish residents in the early 20th century. The Hebrew Institute of Middle Village was a [[rabbinical seminary]], built in 1919 next to a synagogue that existed from 1909 to the 1970s; the building that housed the Hebrew Institute of Middle Village is now occupied by the Middle Village Adult Center. The Holy Archangels Michael & Gabriel Romanian Orthodox Church moved into a former synagogue in 1997, but the synagogue itself dates back to 1921. The only extant synagogue in the area, the Congregation of Forest Hills West, was founded in 1935.<ref name="fny"/>

==Police and crime==
Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village, and Glendale are patrolled by the 104th Precinct of the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]], located at 64-02 Catalpa Avenue.<ref name="NYPD 104th Precinct">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/104th-precinct.page|title=NYPD – 104th Precinct|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=[[New York City Police Department]]|access-date=October 3, 2016}}</ref> The 104th Precinct ranked 21st safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. However, the precinct covers a large diamond-shaped area, and Maspeth and Middle Village are generally seen as safer than Ridgewood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/queens/middle-village/|title=Middle Village, Ridgewood, Glendale, and Maspeth – DNAinfo.com Crime and Safety Report|website=www.dnainfo.com|access-date=October 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415060738/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/queens/middle-village|archive-date=April 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Middle Village has been historically relatively safe. During the 1970s and 1980s, when [[crime in New York City]] was at an all-time high, the [[Italian-American Mafia|Mafia]] allegedly prevented crime from happening.<ref name="about.com travel">{{cite web | url=http://queens.about.com/cs/neighborhoods/p/middle_village.htm | title=Middle Village, NY: Queens Neighborhood Profile | work=About.com Travel | access-date=June 7, 2015 | author=Roleke, John | archive-date=July 9, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709091551/http://queens.about.com/cs/neighborhoods/p/middle_village.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, with a non-fatal assault rate of 19 per 100,000 people, Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth's rate of [[violent crime]]s per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 235 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|8}}

The 104th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 87.4% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 2 murders, 17 rapes, 140 robberies, 168 felony assaults, 214 burglaries, 531 grand larcenies, and 123 grand larcenies auto in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-104pct.pdf|title=104th Precinct CompStat Report|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=[[New York City Police Department]]|access-date=July 22, 2018}}</ref>

==Fire safety==
The [[New York City Fire Department]] (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 319 fire station is located at 78-11 67th Road.<ref>{{cite web | title=Engine Company 319 | website=FDNYtrucks.com | url=http://www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/queens/e319.htm | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite FDNY locations}}</ref>

A [[volunteer fire department]], Fearless Hook and Ladder Company No. 7, operated at 71-55 Metropolitan Avenue from 1891 until 1913.<ref name="mvny hist"/>

==Health==
{{As of|2018}}, [[preterm birth]]s and births to teenage mothers are less common in Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth than in other places citywide. In Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth, there were 70 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 17.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|11}} Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth have a low population of residents who are [[Health insurance coverage in the United States|uninsured]]. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 13%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|14}}

The concentration of [[particulates|fine particulate matter]], the deadliest type of [[air pollution|air pollutant]], in Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth is {{convert|0.008|mg/m3|oz/ft3}}, more than the city average.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|9}} Twenty percent of Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth residents are [[Smoking|smokers]], which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|13}} In Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth, 19% of residents are [[Obesity|obese]], 7% are [[Diabetes mellitus|diabetic]], and 20% have [[hypertension|high blood pressure]]—compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23% respectively.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|16}} In addition, 19% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|12}}

Ninety-two percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 78% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", equal to the city's average of 78%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|13}} For every supermarket in Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth, there are 5 [[convenience store|bodegas]].<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|10}}

The nearest major hospital is [[Elmhurst Hospital Center]] in [[Elmhurst, Queens|Elmhurst]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Finkel | first=Beth | title=Guide To Queens Hospitals | website=Queens Tribune | date=February 27, 2014 | url=http://queenstribune.com/guide-to-queens-hospitals/ | access-date=March 7, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204185507/http://queenstribune.com/guide-to-queens-hospitals/ | archive-date=February 4, 2017 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

A study by RentHop.com found that Middle Village had the highest number of dog feces-related complaints within New York City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.renthop.com/studies/nyc/2019-nyc-poop-crisis|title=Sh*ituation Out of Control in Middle Village, Queens {{!}} RentHop|last=RentHop|website=www.renthop.com|date=November 18, 2019 |language=en|access-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:JuniperSouth1.jpg|thumb|right|The playground in eastern [[Juniper Valley Park]]]]
Northern Middle Village is served by [[Juniper Valley Park]], a large [[public park]] built in 1930 on the former Juniper Swamp.<ref>[http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NYBROOKLYN/2002-11/1037734611 Brooklyn Standard Union-March 7, 1931-News] Accessed May 16, 2008.</ref> There are [[tennis]], [[American handball|handball]], [[basketball]], and [[bocce]] courts, as well as seven [[baseball]] fields and a quarter-mile [[Track and field|running track]] around a turf [[American football|football]]/[[soccer]] field.<ref name="jvp"/>

Another park, the Middle Village Playground, is located at 79th Street between 68th Road and 69th Avenue, in southern Middle Village. The city of New York bought the property in 1938 and renovated the [[playground]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/middle-village-playground/history | title=Middle Village Playground | publisher=NYC Parks | access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref>

The Middle Village Veteran's Triangle, at Gray and 77th Streets, commemorates local people who were veterans of [[World War I]], [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]], and the [[Vietnam War]]. It was renovated in 1999.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/middle-village-veterans-triangle/history | title=Middle Village Veterans Triangle | publisher=NYC Parks | access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref>

==Post office and ZIP Code==
Middle Village is covered by [[ZIP Code]] 11379.<ref>{{cite web | title=Zip Code 11379, Middle Village, New York Zip Code Boundary Map (NY) | website=United States Zip Code Boundary Map (USA) | url=https://www.zipmap.net/zips/11379.htm | access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> The [[United States Post Office]] operates the Middle Village Station at 71-35 Metropolitan Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Location Details: Fresh Pond | website=USPS.com | url=https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorDetailsAction!input.action?locationTypeQ=po&address=11374&radius=20&locationType=po&locationID=1372933&locationName=MIDDLE+VILLAGE&address2=&address1=7135+METROPOLITAN+AVE | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>

== Education ==
Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city {{as of|2018|lc=y}}. While 33% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 16% have less than a high school education and 50% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}} The percentage of Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth students excelling in math rose from 36% in 2000 to 67% in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 42% to 49% during the same time period.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=http://furmancenter.org/files/sotc/QN_05_11.pdf|title=Ridgewood/Maspeth – QN 05|date=2011|publisher=[[Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy]]|access-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref>

Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth, 14% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per [[school year]], lower than the citywide average of 20%.<ref name=":21" />{{Rp|24 (PDF p. 55)}}<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}} Additionally, 82% of high school students in Middle Village, Ridgewood, and Maspeth graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}}

===Schools===
[[File:PS 87 MV jeh.jpg|thumb|left|PS 87]]
Elementary and junior high schools with [[K-8 school|grades K–8]] include PS/IS 49,<ref>[http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region4/Q049/default.htm?searchType=school PS/IS 49], [[New York City Department of Education]] website</ref> PS/IS 128 which was also rated as a Blue Ribbon School,<ref>[http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region4/Q128/default.htm?searchType=school PS 128], [[New York City Department of Education]] website</ref> and PS 87.<ref>[http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region4/Q087/default.htm?searchType=school PS 87], [[New York City Department of Education]] website</ref>

Our Lady of Hope, St. Margaret, and Resurrection-Ascension are three Catholic K-8 schools in the area, and [[Christ The King Regional High School]] is another parochial school in the area.

===Library===
The [[Queens Public Library]]'s Middle Village branch is located at 72-31 Metropolitan Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Branch Detailed Info: Middle Village  | website=Queens Public Library | url=https://www.queenslibrary.org/about-us/locations/Middle-Village/ | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:Metropolitan Avenue - Stationhouse.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|The Metropolitan Avenue station's entrance]]
The neighborhood is served by the [[New York City Subway]] at the [[Middle Village – Metropolitan Avenue (BMT Myrtle Avenue Line)|Metropolitan Avenue]] station ({{NYCS trains|Myrtle north}}).<ref>{{NYCS const|map|mdy=yes}}</ref> In addition, five local bus lines serve Middle Village: the {{NYC bus link|Q29}} along Dry Harbor Road and 80th Street; the {{NYC bus link|Q38}} on Eliot and Penelope Avenues; the {{NYC bus link|Q47}} on 80th Street; the {{NYC bus link|Q54}} on Metropolitan Avenue, and the {{NYC bus link|Q67}} on 69th Street and Metropolitan Avenue. The {{NYC bus link|QM24|QM25|QM34|prose=y}} [[List of express bus routes in New York City|express bus]] routes to Manhattan, running along Eliot Avenue, also serve the neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite NYC bus map|Q}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Category see also|People from Middle Village, Queens}}

Notable current and former residents of Middle Village include:
* [[Nicole Bass]] (1964-2017), professional female bodybuilder and wrestler<ref>Levy, Margo; and Celona, Larry. [https://nypost.com/2015/06/24/pro-wrestling-diva-and-stern-fave-nicole-bass-busted-for-shoplifting/ "Pro wrestling diva Nicole Bass busted for stealing groceries"], ''[[New York Post]]'', June 24, 2015. Accessed May 20, 2016. "She declined comment outside her Middle Village home as she returned Wednesday afternoon — still carrying a Stop & Shop bag."</ref>
* [[William N. Conrad]] (1889-1968), politician who served in the [[New York State Senate]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=acgGAQAAIAAJ&q=red+book+william+n+conrad+1889 ''The New York Red Book, Volumes 56-59; Volume 63''], p. 113. Williams Press, 1947. Accessed May 22, 2016. "William N. Conrad was born in Middle Village, L. I., August 17, 1889."</ref>
* [[Hyman Golden]] (1923-2008), co-founder of the [[Snapple]] Beverage Corporation<ref>O'Connor, Ahmad. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/business/21golden.html?_r=0 "Hyman Golden, Co-Founder of Snapple, Dies at 85"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 20, 2008. Accessed May 22, 2016. "Hyman Golden was born in 1923 in Passaic, N.J., and raised in the Middle Village section of Queens."</ref>
* [[Verna Hart]] (1961–2019), [[African Americans|African-American]] artist known for her [[expressionist]] painting focused on [[jazz]] music.<ref>[[Sam Roberts (newspaper journalist)|Roberts, Sam]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/10/obituaries/verna-hart-dead.html "Verna Hart, Whose Art Expressed the Rhythms of Jazz, Dies at 58"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 10, 2019. Accessed March 15, 2023. "Verna Regina Hart was born on Jan. 28, 1961, in Harlem to Earl Alphonso Hart, a detective sergeant in the New York City Police, and Pauline (Shomo) Hart, a homemaker who also worked in a restaurant and as a school crossing guard. Verna’s family moved to Middle Village, Queens, when she was 4."</ref>
* [[Jack McGlynn]] (born 2003), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for [[Philadelphia Union]] in [[Major League Soccer]].<ref>Smith, Chris. [https://www.90min.com/posts/a-closer-look-at-philadelphia-union-s-jack-mcglynn "A closer look at Philadelphia Union's Jack McGlynn"], [[90min]], October 27, 2022. Accessed March 15, 2023. "Born in Middle Village, New York, in July 2003, McGlynn started out with local side BW Gottschee before being picked up by the Union academy in 2019."</ref>
* [[Vincent Piazza]] (born 1976), film, television and stage actor best known for his roles in the television series ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]'', the [[2007 in film|2007 film]] ''[[Rocket Science (film)|Rocket Science]]'', and as [[Tommy DeVito (musician)|Tommy DeVito]] in the film adaptation of ''[[Jersey Boys (film)|Jersey Boys]]''<ref>Rennison, Billy. [http://qns.com/story/2012/09/14/vincent-piazza-dishes-on-going-from-queens-to-the-boardwalk/ "Vincent Piazza dishes on going from Queens to the 'Boardwalk'"], ''Queens Courier'', September 14, 2012. Accessed May 22, 2016. "Vincent Piazza — born in Middle Village before moving to neighboring Maspeth shortly thereafter, where his family still lives — grew up watching the films of Martin Scorsese, never imagining he would one day be directed by the film giant."</ref>
* [[Mike Repole]] (born 1969), CEO/creator of [[Vitamin Water]]<ref>Burns, Mark J. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjburns/2014/10/13/think-big-dream-bigger-mike-repoles-journey-to-becoming-co-founder-of-bodyarmor/#36eee9a46950 "Think Big, Dream Bigger: Mike Repole's Journey To Becoming Co-Founder Of BODYARMOR"], ''[[Forbes]]'', October 13, 2004. Accessed May 22, 2016. "Growing up as a teenager in Middle Village, Queens, Mike Repole had two loves: sports and business."</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|New York City}}
* [[List of Queens neighborhoods]]

==Notes==
{{notelist }}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Middle Village, Queens}}
* [http://www.middlevillageny.com/middle-village-ny-history History of Middle Village, NY]
* [https://archive.today/20130202100056/http://stevegarza.smugmug.com/gallery/2660006 Photographs of Middle Village]
* [http://www.junipercivic.com Juniper Civic Association]

{{Queens}}

[[Category:Middle Village, Queens| ]]
[[Category:Little Italys in the United States]]
[[Category:Neighborhoods in Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1816]]