Everything about Maspeth Queens totally explained
Maspeth is a small community in the
borough of
Queens in
New York City. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are
Woodside and
Sunnyside to the north,
Long Island City to the northwest,
Williamsburg to the southwest,
Ridgewood to the south and
Middle Village and
Elmhurst to the east.
History
The area known today as Maspeth was chartered by
Dutch and
English settlers in the mid-
17th century. The
Dutch had purchased land in the area known today as
Queens in
1635, and within a few years began chartering towns. In
1642 they settled Maspat, under a charter granted to Rev. Francis Doughty.
(External Link
) Maspat became the first European settlement in
Queens.
(External Link) The settlement was leveled the following year in an attack by Native Indians, and the surviving settlers returned to Manhattan. It wasn't until nine years later, in
1652, that settlers ventured back to the area, settling an area slightly inland from the previous Maspat location. This new area was called Middleburg, and eventually developed into what is now the town of
Elmhurst, bordering Maspeth. Following the immigration waves of the 19th century, Maspeth was home to a
shanty town of
Boyash (Ludar)
Gypsies between 1925 and 1939, though this was eventually bulldozed.
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The name "Maspeth" is derived from the name of
Mespeatches Indians, one of the 13 main Indian tribes that inhabited Long Island. It is translated to mean "at the bad waterplace" relating to the many stagnant swamps that existed in the area.
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Columbusville
Columbusville was a development that took place on 69th Place between
Grand Avenue and
Caldwell Avenue during 1854-55, and was subsequently absorbed into Maspeth. The name fell into disuse in the 1890s.
Community
The
Grand Avenue Bridge carries
Grand Street (Brooklyn) eastward across
English Kill from
Williamsburg where it becomes Grand Avenue, Maspeth's
main street for dining and business. Grand Avenue continues eastward to end in Elmhurst.
Cemeteries take up a large part of this small neighborhood although they're separated from residential areas for the most part. Single home houses and multiple dwelling homes make up most of Maspeth and there are hardly any apartment buildings, except for the
co-ops on 65th Place, also known as The Plateau.
Forty-Third Street through 58th Street, including the former Furman Island, is industrial, and from 60th Street to 72nd Street is residential. The
Phelps Dodge Corporation was present from 1920-1983. The Phelps Dodge mining company heavily contaminated
Newtown Creek, which separates northern Brooklyn from western Queens and serves barge traffic. Other freight moves on the
Long Island Railroad Montauk Branch and the lightly used Bushwick Branch. A new West Maspeth rail freight station has been proposed in connection with a
Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel to diminish truck traffic across New York City. It is opposed by residents who don't want more trucks in Maspeth.
There is access to the
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the
Long Island Expressway. The former road crosses Newtown Creek on the
Kosciuszko Bridge. These expressways are accessible at 69th and Grand Street.
For many years Maspeth was a familiar name due to the
Elmhurst Gas Tanks, a pair of large
natural gas storage
structures. Because the Long Island Expressway (LIE) frequently became congested in that area, "backup at the Elmhurst Tanks" became a familiar phrase heard in radio traffic reports. Being literal rather than legal
landmarks, the gas holders were removed in 2001.
Maspeth was the first English settlement in Queens County. However, conflicts with the Mespet tribe forced many settlers to move to what is now
Elmhurst in 1643.
Most people who live in Maspeth are of
Polish,
Slavic,
Italian,
Irish,
German,
Hispanic or
Chinese descent. Maspeth also has a significant
Lithuanian population, one of the densest populations of Lithuanian-Americans outside of the Chicago Area.
Transfiguration Roman Catholic Church still is the focal point of Maspeth Lithuanian culture, and during the 60's, 70's, and 80's there was a thriving Lithuanian-American club on Grand Avenue. Even today Transfiguration conducts some masses in Lithuanian, and runs a
Knights of Lithuania chapter out of the church hall.
The Maironis Lithuanian School of New York also conducts its classes in Maspeth.
Maspeth is also home to the
Metropolitan Oval.
Recently, filming has taken place around Martin Luther High School for Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The actors would film by Martin Luther HS, and eat lunch in the gymnasium of St. Stanislaus Kostka. Ford utility vans transported the actors back and forth. However, the actors of Law & Order: Criminal Intent were not seen by the students of St. Stans.
Education
Schools in the area include:
IS 73 The Frank Sansivieri Intermediate School is located in Maspeth and is where most of the community's children attend grades 6 through 8.
Transport
Although there's no subway station in Maspeth, the area does have ample bus service. One may reach a subway station in several ways:
B57 to Flushing Avenue, Flushing Avenue, Jay Street–Borough Hall
Q18 bus to 61st Street–Woodside, Northern Boulevard, or 30th Avenue
Q39 bus to Forest Avenue, Queensboro Plaza, 23rd Street–Ely Avenue, or Long Island City–Court Square
Q45 bus to 69th Street or 74th Street–Broadway or to Roosevelt Avenue–Jackson Heights
Q58 bus to Grand Avenue–Newtown, Flushing–Main Street, Fresh Pond Road, Forest Avenue, Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues
Q59 bus to Grand Avenue–Newtown, Woodhaven Boulevard, 63rd Drive–Rego Park, or Grand Street
Q67 bus to Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue, Hunters Point Avenue, 21st Street–Van Alst, Queensboro Plaza, Queens Plaza, 23rd Street–Ely Avenue, or Long Island City–Court Square Further Information
Get more info on 'Maspeth Queens'.
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