The Interview

Here is the interview with John Smith, a resident of Queens Village since 1957.

Question 1: How long have you lived in the neighborhood of Queens Village?
J.S.: "I have lived here ever since I can remember. I grew up here and still live here 'til this day. This year would make it 50 years that I've been here."

Question 2: What attracted you or your family to move to this neighborhood?
J.S.: "Well, my parents moved here prior to when I was born. I guess it would be because of the type of people that were here already. Most of us were Italian families of middle income. It was like a 'normal' neighborhood to grow up in."

Question 3: What schools did you attend while growing up in this neighborhood?
J.S.: "My brothers and I all went to St. Gregory's Catholic School from grades 1 to 8. I then went to Martin Van Buren High School up the block. I hated Catholic School because all the priests would 'teach' me to do one thing while they were being hypocrites and doing the opposite."

Question 4: Have you seen any dramatic changes within the scenery and have they improved or degradeed the look of Queens Village?
J.S.: "A lot has changed here. There's a heck of a lot more businesses here now a days. There has been an increase in churches, car dealers, auto body shops, and corner stores. Before there would be one corner store we would all go to but now they're all over the place. It's great that we have that but the young teenagers are hanging out in front of there doing god knows what. Oh! I remember that Theatre on Jamaica Avenue used to be a real theatre before they made it into a religious center. I would say that Queens Village has changed into a more "Corporate America" neighborhood with still some hints of suburbia that lies within it. It's actually a better neighborhood if you really look at it."

Question 5: What is your most memorable childhood memory that you can think of that happened in Queens Village?
J.S.: "I remember playing stickball over there at Braddock Park with my friends and brothers afterschool and on Saturdays. We were all on YMCA baseball team. We broke this man's window one time we all ran out of there like our lives were on the line. Everytime I drive by that house I always remember what happened there."

Question 6: What are your favorite parts of Queens Village and why?
J.S.: "My favorite parts.....that would have to be the neighborhoods with the houses that are still standing from back when I was your age. These houses really show the origin and roots of Queens Village. By just looking at these houses you get memories of your past but as they slowly are demolished and 4 family houses are being put up Queens Village begins to lose it's 'originality'."

Question 7: Has there always been a diverse variety of ethnicities in Queens Village as it is today and which ethnicities are they?
J.S.: "No. Today, there is a huge variety of races here. When I was a kid, it was mostly Italian families with few black families here and there. There were also a lot of Jews here too. but now there are people from the West Indies, Asia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Pakistan, Germany, and a whole lot more. It's remarkable how all these ethnicities came in within the last 35 years. As soon as all the Italians moved out a huge amount of African American families moved in as well as Hispanic families."

Question 8: Is there any store or monument that still stands today that you remember from your childhood and what is it?
J.S.: "Well the school and church that I went to when I was a kid still is up and running. I don't know how old it actually is but it's been around for a while. St. Gregory's Catholic Church."

Question 9: What was the neighborhood like back when you were a teenager?
J.S.: "The neighborhood was quiet. It was like a typical ideal American community. There were of course few minor crimes here and there but other than that it was 'normal.' We (the boys) would all go to the YMCA and hangout or play baseball. Everybody pretty much knew each other and greeted each other. But as times change, it slowly became a more 'isolated' society where everyone at once just ignored each other. We all would just hangout with each other."

Question 10: What do you think about the new developments going up in Queens Village? Are they a disgrace or something to be desired?
J.S.: "Well, they just build that new school over there on Jamaica Avenue which I think would really bring up the property value of our houses. It also improved the look over there in that area. There used to be a huge empty lot and now that that school is there it's great! But what really annoys me is the new houses that are being built. They tear down a one family house and convert it into a 4 to 6 family house. It's disgusting! It really is a gross and disgusting advancement in our community. It doesn't even look right! It's just like putting a builing in the middle of an open field. It doesn't look right!"

Two Sources of Evidence and Thesis Statement

My thesis statement is : Because of the advancement in the technology of construction, Queens Village has undergone many positive renovations with it's scenery.

My Two Sources of Evidence that will support my thesis statement are:

1. My interviewee, Thomas Aydinian.

2. The book The Story of Queens Village by Historian and Author Vincent F. Seyfried.

Interview Questions

I am going to interview my little sister's best friend's dad, Thomas Aydinian, who has been living in Queens Village since he was a little kid.

1. How long have you lived in the neighborhood of Queens Village?

2. What attracted you or your family to move to this community?

3. What schools did you attend while growing up in this neighborhood?

4. Have you seen any dramatic changes within the scenery and have they improved or degraded Queens Village’s look?

5. What is your most memorable childhood memory that you can think of that happened in Queens Village?

6. What are your favorite parts of Queens Village and why?

7. Has there always been a diverse variety of ethnicities in Queens Village as it is today and which ethnicities are they?

8. Is there any store or monument that still stands today that you remember from your childhood and what is it?

9. What was the neighborhood like back when you were a teenager?

10. What do you feel about the new developments going up in Queens Village? Are they a disgrace or something to desire for?

The Response to Revolution

Tiedemann, Joseph S. Response To Revolution: Queens County. New York: Xerox University

Microfilms, 1976.

In the book, Response To Revolution: Queens County, by author Joseph S. Tiedemann, he describes the political change in society during the Revolutionary War. Britain had colonized the “New World”, which is today the United States of America, and was seeking to add more British power into the colonies. The setting of the book takes place during the 1770s when the colonists in New York, Queens specifically, began to rebel against the British armies. The movie, The Gangs of New York, has a huge similarity with this book as it shows the bitter feud between colonists and officers of British Parliament rule. After the 13 Colonies had beat the British Empire and became known as an independent nation it then began to set up many different city states all over the country. Queens was divided into different religious groups from Quakers to Jews to Protestants. Many lives were lost during the Revolutionary War because although the colonists had the advantage of knowing the land they fought they were still weaker in the sense that they had fewer weapons than the British had. Farms were destroyed and many widows and their children were left to live by themselves as their fathers and husbands were fighting in the war. Many families began to migrate into Queens County as it was found to be rich in fertilization of crops since it was near the waters and few rivers and streams ran through.

The Story of Queens Village

Seyfried, Vincent F. The Story of Queens Village. Long Island:

The Centennial Association, 1974

The book titled The Story of Queens Village by author and historian Vincent F. Seyfried describes the change in the community of Queens Village since the Revolutionary War. Many changes have occurred such as the changing of the name from Little Plains to Brushville to finally Queens Village. This city used to be a major farming community that gradually started to switch over to manufacturing as the Industrial Revolution started. There were many small and local shops that were privately owned. Of them was a famous blacksmith shop that was owned by Mr. Brush who had the privilege of having the town named after him. Before there were cars on the streets people were still using carriages with horses back in the 1800s. After that they had placed trolleys in the streets, which were the main source of transportation before buses and cars came onto the scene. The streets weren’t even paved as of yet until the First World War. Many churches and schools still remain and stand in Queens Village today. There was a great housing boom in Queens Village during the 1920’s which brought many to settle into this newly formed community due to the Industrial Revolution that made it easier to build houses more efficiently and faster.

MY HOOD!

The Community of Queens Village was first established in the year of 1856. This little community goes back all the way to the 1600s even before this country became a country. The area was colonized in the 1640’s and was known as Little Plains because it was a place where cattle would graze the land. In the 1700’s a village was established where farms where forming. In the years of 1824-1834, the name of the city had changed to Brushville, named for Thomas Brush who opened a very prosperous black smith shop. Then, in 1834, when the Railroad arrived and the first station was established, they had decided to rename the city to Queens. Later, the Long Island Rail Road had added “Village” to the name thus the final name of Queens Village still exists today.

Queens Village today is a multicultural community with people of all types of ethnicities from Japanese to Hispanic, Jamaican to German, and African American to Pakistani. Of these residents are many World War II veterans who settled down after the war. There was a big housing boom in the 1920’s in Queens Village that attracted many people to move into the neighborhood. Many houses of that period still stand today and are renovated to keep up with modern technology such as insulation and heat capturing windows. This somewhat “average” size community is mostly made up of middle to high middle class families. Queens Village has a huge variety of churches that have been around for decades and some for centuries. Although, an “old” city it is still being industrialized and modernized. With the building of a new school that just opened and many new stores being developed, it has been growing to fit the needs of the residents of Queens Village.

B4 1950!!!

When the community of Queens Village was first developed no body knew that it would become a community where so many World War I and World War II veterans would settle down to start families. This, once called Brushville, community in Queens became a well known place for soldiers of war to live in because it was a newly developed city for the middle class to live in. The veterans of war even began to hold meetings specifically to talk about their experiences at war and better ways to help the community. In reminder and dedication to all the men and women who served their country in war a Memorial was built and encrypted onto the monument are their names. The monument still stands today located in the Queens Village Veterans Plaza located on the corner of Springfield Blvd. and Jamaica Ave.
This gray, dull colored monument was first built in 1932 to act as a dedication at first to the men and women who died in World War I but later changed to dedicate all the soldiers who died in the America’s Wars. It stands around 10 ft. tall, 6 ft. wide, and 2 ft. thick. On the top of monument reads, “THESE MEN DIED TO KEEP YOU LIVING WITHOUT FEAR”, to honor the ones who sacrificed their lives in order for us to be here today. The names of hundreds of soldiers killed in action are from the Korean War, Vietnam War, World War I, and World War II. Although many years of weathering, this great and strong monument still remains as strong as those valiant men who fought for their country and a better future for their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and so on. Still many residents of Queens Village take this monument for granted by just passing by not knowing it’s significance. Even I do it sometimes, but now knowing why this concrete wall was put there, in the middle of a park, I will acknowledge it look a it differently.