History And A Bright Future
On The Ave. In Jamaica

By Shams Tarek

It starts near the Nassau county border and ends 10 miles later in Brooklyn.

It’s won the affection of countless Southeast Queens residents, who often call it the you-know-what-I’m-talking-about nickname “The Ave.”

And it’s a great place to get Jamaica rapper 50 Cent’s latest mixtape, an authentic African head wrap or affordable books and crafts by local artists.

Jamaica Avenue, like most major thoroughfares, has a life and spirit of its own that can dwarf the individual buildings and people that call it theirs.

But as much as The Ave. changes through the course of a day — mornings are hectic, afternoons are bustling, evenings settle down and nights are deserted — its character has changed little since its origins as an ancient Native American trail.

It was always about getting from one side to the other, and getting every service and product you can imagine along the way.

Jamaica Avenue started life, according to documents in the Carl Ballenas Collection of the Queens Public Library, as an unpaved Native American trail that originated at the site of the current Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn Heights and ended in present-day Suffolk County.  It was the major east-west passage for the original inhabitants of Long Island and for visitors from Manhattan island and the mainland.

By the early 19th century, local authorities had commissioned a road system based on the old Native American trails; by the end of the century the road came to be known as Jamaica Plank Road, named after the 470 miles of horizontal planks that were used to pave it and the bustling village it ran through.

A toll system ensured that the road, which cost $1,200 per mile to construct, would be maintained and improved.  Vehicles were charged by horsepower, quite literally: being drawn by one animal would cost three-fourths of a cent per mile; two animals cost double, and each additional animal would cost an extra half-cent per mile.

One of the toll booths, called East Gate, stood at 174th Street.

In 1863, the East New York and Jamaica Railroad Company opened a horse car line on the road, charging 15 cents for a ride from Brooklyn into Jamaica.

Jamaica Plank Road moved out of the hands of the railroad company that owned it and into the hands of Queens County in 1897 and was soon paved with asphalt, just one year before it became part of New York City’s road system under the consolidation of the boroughs.

The paving helped an electric trolley system that started business on the road 10 years earlier.  A ride from Brooklyn to Downtown Jamaica took 25 minutes and cost 10 cents on the system, which ran the first electric car on Long Island.

The next hundred years, ending with the recent millennium, saw explosive growth for Jamaica Avenue, which has since become a major regional transportation hub—one of the busiest in North America, according to the Port Authority—thanks to its dozens of connecting bus, subway and rail lines.

A modern shopping mall and movie theater recently built on Jamaica Avenue has inspired confidence in local shoppers and business leaders, as has the promise of the AirTrain, an elevated light rail system scheduled to bring express service between Downtown Jamaica and JFK Airport by the end of the year.

The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation is building a modern, high-tech business campus in the area in anticipation of the AirTrain’s arrival.  The plan was recognized by Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the only Queens business plan to be awarded a 2003 New York City Neighborhood Development Achievement Award.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Cultural Collaborative Jamaica (CCJ) and the Black Spectrum Arts Theatre are in the process of renovating the First Reformed Church, a City, State and federal landmark building at 153rd Street built in 1859, and turning it into a 400-seat theater and conference center by fall 2004.

“It would become an extension of our current home,” said Black Spectrum head Carl Clay.  “For us, it will be a chance to take some of our best performances and remount them in a professional theater atmosphere for a seasoned theater audience.”

Because of its triple-landmark status, the exterior of the First Reformed Church will be unchanged, though a platform will be built in front of the front staircase landing to allow for outdoor performances on the church’s lawn, according to the organizers.

Jamaica Avenue is the site of much religious heritage, especially in Downtown Jamaica.

Grace Episcopal Church, right across the street from the First Reformed Church, is a living history lesson.  The landmark church, which looks like a little gingerbread house with its ornate architecture and tiny spire, has a graveyard with old markers bearing the names of people of not just local but citywide and nationwide prominence.

The building itself was built in 1861, though the congregation dates back to a building at the site that was built in 1702.

The church’s graveyard, which predates the first church building, bears famous New York names like Van Rensselaer, Gracie and Van Cortland.

Rufus King, the framer of the Constitution and presidential candidate whose house is next door, is also buried here, along with his son John Alsop, once governor, and Charles King, the first president of Columbia University.

The tiny church, its hallowed yard and its stately Memorial House all bring an air of history, charm and beauty to the otherwise bustling urban street.

Business on Jamaica Avenue is a cacophonous mix, though most offer either retail, non-profit or governmental services.

At one end, there’s the brand new Queens Family Court, overlooking King Park.

Down the street is the new shopping mall and movie theater, and countless street vendors and small shops.  Gertz Plaza Mall and the nearby Coliseum Mall also offer discount goods in a convenient format.

With the Coliseum’s Macy’s long gone, and Woolworth’s out of business, a new independent department store, Shopper’s World, has taken over at 162nd Street.

The three-story, 50,000-square-foot store sells clothing, furniture and housewares, though general manager Al Ishak said that his furniture and housewares sell more than clothes these days.

“People are buying much more housewares than we anticipated,” Ishak said.  “I don’t understand why.”

Three Jamaica Avenue institutions ensure that the road is always feeding the cultural stomachs of its walkers.

The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, at 161st Street, provides a gallery space with ongoing exhibits, workshops and classes and occasional arts performances.

Nubian Heritage, at 168th Street, is an African products store that sells clothing, books, artwork, body care products, music and more.

The Afrikan Poetry Theatre, at 172nd Street, provides open mic and staged poetry, music, drama and dance on a weekly basis.