Whitestone contains the subsection of Malba, which is bounded to the north by the East River, to the east by the Whitestone Expressway, to the south by 14th Avenue, and to the west by 138th Street. Malba was cited in aNew York Times article as one of the few "elite enclaves" of Queens.[2]
Dutch settlers derived the name of the town fromlimestone that used to lie on the shore of the river according to a popular tradition. This tradition is supported by 17th century wills and deeds, which may be found inThe New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, that refer to "the white stone" as a local landmark and survey reference point.
The area was, in large part, the estate ofFrancis Lewis, a delegate to theContinental Congress and a signer of theDeclaration of Independence. The estate was the site of a British raid during the Revolutionary War. Lewis was not present but his wife was taken prisoner and his house was burned to the ground. For a period of time Whitestone was called Clintonville afterDewitt Clinton, the former governor of New York; this etymology is present in the name of Clintonville Street, located in the neighborhood.[5] In the late 19th century, many wealthy New Yorkers began building mansions in the area, on what had once been farmland or woodland. Rapid development of the area ensued in the 1920s, however, as trolley andLong Island Rail Road train service on theWhitestone Branch was expanded into the neighborhood. Although this rail service ended during theGreat Depression, part of theright-of-way was later used byRobert Moses to help construct theBelt Parkway, which includes theWhitestone Expressway which runs along the southeast edge of the formerFlushing Airport and through Whitestone. Flushing Airport has been abandoned since 1985.
Further development came with the completion of theBronx–Whitestone Bridge in 1939. The bridge measures 2,300 feet (700 m) at its center span and was the fourth-longest bridge in the world at the time of its construction.[6]
The name of the subsection of Malba in northern Whitestone is derived from the first letters of the surnames of its five founders of the Malba Land Company: Maycock, Alling, Lewis, Bishop, and Avis. Malba is considered part of Whitestone, and is one of the more affluent communities in Queens.[7] Demographically, the population is mostly white and of European descent (Greek, Italian, Irish), as well as Jewish, with a small minority of Asian Americans. Most of the residential properties in Malba are large expensive homes.
The first known resident of the area known as present-day Malba was David Roe, who arrived from England in the 1640s. According to Clarence Almon Torrey's book,David Roe Of Flushing And Some Of His Descendants, Roe became a resident ofFlushing circa 1666. In 1683, Roe was taxed upon owning 35 acres (140,000 m2) and thereafter increased his holdings substantially, ultimately acquiring the upland around what was to become Malba. Roe's farm was on the east side of the bay, which was then known as "Roe's Cove". He was among the most well-to-do citizens of Flushing, owning lands, farm stock, carpenter's tools and two slaves.[citation needed]
In 1786, John Powell purchased Roe's 87-acre (350,000 m2) parcel for 1,685 pounds, 6 shillings, and 8 pence. It has been reported that Roe lost his lands for his allegiance to the crown during theAmerican War of Independence. Powell thereafter built a home and the cove was renamed "Powell's Cove", the name it bears today. During the 19th century, some of Powell's land passed into the hands of Harry Genet, a member of theTammany Hall, New York City's infamous political machine. Powell's house was destroyed by fire in the 1890s.
During the second half of the 19th century, the Roe/Powell land passed to a succession of owners. A map dating from 1873 lists the Smiths, Biningers and Nostrands as landowners in the area. The Nostrand and Smith farms represented a large portion of what is Malba today. The area around Hill Court and 14th Avenue was known as "Whitestone Heights". In 1883 railroad service to Manhattan was extended on the "Whitestone and Westchester Railroad", later theLong Island Rail Road. The terminus of the Whitestone line was at "Whitestone Landing" (154th Street), a popular summer resort area during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
William Ziegler, a self-made industrialist and president of theRoyal Baking Powder Company bought all these parcels in or about 1883 and his holdings became known as the "Ziegler Tract". Ziegler died on May 24, 1905, leaving his wife,Electa Matilda Ziegler (a philanthropist for the blind, among other things) and son, William Jr., then 14 years of age.
William S. Champ (Ziegler's former secretary) and W.C. Demarest (Mrs. Ziegler's nephew) (both to become among the first families residing in Malba) formed a Realty Trust to purchase the Ziegler tract from his estate for development purposes. Champ was vice president of the Realty Trust, and also one of the executors of Ziegler's estate. The Ziegler Tract had been appraised for $100,000 shortly after Ziegler's death. In the spring of 1906, the Realty Trust secured over 100 investors from New Haven, Guilford, Bridgeport, and other Connecticut towns, to the planned purchase of the Ziegler Tract. Based on a review of early maps of the area, the developers, at one point, planned a very densely populated community; with homes on lots no bigger than 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. This plan was modified and much larger properties were developed. The trust represented to the investors that the property could be purchased from the Ziegler estate for $640,000. In fact, the 163 acres (0.66 km2) which ultimately became Malba, had been earlier purchased from the Ziegler estate for $350,000. Thereafter such Connecticut residents as Samuel R. Avis, Noble P. Bishop, George W. Lewis, David R. Alling and George Maycock were elected trustees (altogether these were the five names that combined to form the MALBA name) of the Malba Land Company. The true, lesser, amount paid to Ziegler's estate was not uncovered until 1912. (For a complete discussion of the Realty Trust's acquisition of the land and its subsequent defense of a lawsuit from the Malba Land Company, see Crowe v. Malba Land Co., 135 N.Y.S. 454, 76 Misc. 676 (Sup. Ct. Queens Co. 1912)).
Development slowly began in 1908. A railroad station on theWhitestone line was added where 11th Avenue sits today. The Champs and Demarests were among Malba's first families to own homes in Malba. There were thirteen houses by the time of World War I and more than a hundred were built in the 1920s. The railroad station closed in 1932. The triangle by Malba Drive and 11th Avenue was dedicated as "Jane Champ Park" on November 16, 1969 and was renovated by the Malba Field and Marine Club in 2005.[8]
Houses in the Malba section of Whitestone, as seen looking south from Ferry Point Park inthe Bronx
Based on data from the2010 United States Census, the population of Whitestone was 30,773, a decrease of 583 (1.9%) from the 31,356 counted in2000. Covering an area of 1,584.85 acres (641.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 19.4 inhabitants per acre (12,400/sq mi; 4,800/km2).[9]
The entirety of Community Board 7, which comprises Flushing, College Point, and Whitestone, had 263,039 inhabitants as ofNYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 84.3 years.[11]: 2, 20 This is longer than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[12]: 53 (PDF p. 84) [13] Most inhabitants are middle-aged and elderly: 22% are between the ages of between 25 and 44, 30% between 45 and 64, and 18% over 65. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 17% and 7% respectively.[11]: 2
As of 2017, the medianhousehold income in Community Board 7 was $51,284.[14] In 2018, an estimated 25% of Whitestone and Flushing 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 57% in Whitestone and Flushing, higher than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Whitestone and Flushing are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and notgentrifying.[11]: 7
Notable buildings in the community include St. Luke'sRoman Catholic Church and Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church. The Grace Episcopal Church, on Clintonville street, was built in 1858 on land donated by the family of Francis Lewis.[15] The Whitestone Hebrew Centre consists of two buildings on Clintonville Street and was founded in 1929. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, with its distinctive great blueonion dome (added in 1991 after the Cold War, previous building from 1916), was built in 1968.[16] The Greek Orthodox Church, Holy Cross, or "Timios Stavros", is located on 150th Street.
Flushing, College Point, and Whitestone are patrolled by the 109th Precinct of theNYPD, located at 37-05 Union Street.[3] The 109th Precinct ranked 9th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[25] As of 2018[update], with a non-fatal assault rate of 17 per 100,000 people, Whitestone and Flushing's rate ofviolent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 145 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.[11]: 8
The 109th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 83.7% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 6 murders, 30 rapes, 202 robberies, 219 felony assaults, 324 burglaries, 970 grand larcenies, and 126 grand larcenies auto in 2018.[26]
Whitestone contains aNew York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire station, Engine Co. 295/Ladder Co. 144, at 12-49 149th Street Whitestone, NY 11357.[27][28]
As of 2018[update],preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in Whitestone and Flushing than in other places citywide. In Whitestone and Flushing, there were 63 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 8 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[11]: 11 Whitestone and Flushing have a higher than average population of residents who areuninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 14%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%.[11]: 14
The concentration offine particulate matter, the deadliest type ofair pollutant, in Whitestone and Flushing is 0.0073 milligrams per cubic metre (7.3×10−9 oz/cu ft), less than the city average.[11]: 9 Thirteen percent of Whitestone and Flushing residents aresmokers, which is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[11]: 13 In Whitestone and Flushing, 13% of residents areobese, 8% arediabetic, and 22% havehigh blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 22%, 8%, and 23% respectively.[11]: 16 In addition, 15% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[11]: 12
Ninety-five percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 71% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", lower than the city's average of 78%.[11]: 13 For every supermarket in Whitestone and Flushing, there are sixbodegas.[11]: 10
Whitestone and Flushing generally have a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018[update]. While 37% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 23% have less than a high school education and 40% 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.[11]: 6 The percentage of Whitestone and Flushing students excelling in math rose from 55% in 2000 to 78% in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 57% to 59% during the same time period.[33]
Whitestone and Flushing's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Whitestone and Flushing, 9% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days perschool year, lower than the citywide average of 20%.[12]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [11]: 6 86% of high school students in Whitestone and Flushing graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.[11]: 6
TheNew York City Department of Education operates public schools in the area, including P.S. 79 Francis Lewis,[34] P.S. 184 Flushing Manor,[35] J.H.S. 194 William H. Carr,[36] P.S. 193 Alfred J Kennedy,[37] and P.S. 209 Clearview Gardens.[38]
Private elementary/middle schools include Holy Trinity Catholic Academy[39] and St Luke's School.[40]
Private secondary schools include Whitestone Academy (grades 8–12, split off from St Andrew Academy on the Sound)[41] and The Lowell School (grades 3–12).[42]
TheWhitestone Branch was a branch of theLong Island Rail Road, running north and east from Flushing. It ran north alongFlushing Bay and east along the East River to Whitestone. Originally intended to lead intoWestchester County, it was consolidated into the Long Island Rail Road in 1876. Stations consisted of Flushing–Bridge Street,College Point, Malba, Whitestone–14th Avenue, and Whitestone Landing at 155th Street, which later became the Beechhurst Yacht Club. Flushing–Bridge Street Station was built in 1870, College Point, and Whitestone–14th Avenue stations were opened in 1869, and Whitestone Landing Station was built in 1886, all by the F&NS Railroad. Malba station was built in 1909 by the LIRR. The line was abandoned on February 15, 1932, despite efforts by affected commuters to turn the line into a privately operated shuttle route.[45]
Albert B. Randall (1879–1945), Knight (Chevalier) of the Legion D'Honnere, Rear Admiral, USNR Highest ranking non-military officer leading the U.S.Merchant Marines 1943-45
Harry Richman (1895–1972), actor and singer. In 1963 his mansion, next to BPOA, was Hellen Tasopulos' St Andrew Academy on the Sound, which by 1972 included a junior college, but was impounded by the IRS in 1977.[112]
Artie Ripp (born 1940), music industry executive, entrepreneur and record producer[125]
^Chan, Sewell."70th Birthday of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge",The New York Times, April 29, 2009. Accessed January 4, 2024. "After just 22 months of construction, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge opened to traffic 70 years ago today, rushed into completion for the start of the New York World’s Fair a day later.... Costing about $18,000,000, it is exceeded in length only by three other suspension bridges, the George Washington Bridge and the two over San Francisco Bay. The bridge’s freedom from heavy structural lines and ornamentation gives a breathtaking grace to the 2,300-foot center span and 3,770-foot overall length."
^"Northeastern Queens: Malba", QNS Made. Accessed January 4, 2024. "Malba is an upperclass sub neighborhood of Whitestone Queens. Its name is derived from the 1st five letters of the surnames of the five founders of the Malba Land Company: Maycock, Alling, Lewis, Bishop & Avis."
^Benchley, Nathaniel (1955)."Robert Benchley: A Biography". RetrievedMarch 20, 2017. "He had given up his room at the YMCA, and during the summer he shared a house in Whitestone Landing with a group of friends."
^"Queens Crap: Whitestone doesn't want high school". October 6, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 3, 2017."John Cena Whitestone, NY As a professional wrestler & an owner of a very expensive home in Whitestone, we don't need those little jimmies polluting our streets"
^Davis, Gussie L.; Wright, Josephine R.B.; Lucas, Sam (Autumn 1978). "In Retrospect: Gussie Lord Davis (1863–1899), Tin Pan Alley Tunesmith". The Black Perspective in Music. 6 (2): 188–230.
^"Music Journal, Volume 34". 1976. RetrievedJanuary 21, 2017. "Adam Garner taught piano privately in his home in Whitestone, Queens until his death in 1968."
^"Motion Picture, Volume 73, Part 2 - Volume 74, Part 2". 1947. RetrievedFebruary 15, 2017. "When that short reached Whitestone's Rialto Theatre, the manager starred "Our Own Angela Greene" above the big name players in the feature films."
^abc"Unknown".Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 28, 1928. p. 30. RetrievedApril 11, 2017. "Tom Patricola, of George White's "Scandals" at the Apollo, has bought a home at Beechhurst, L. I. Already residing there are Harry Rlchman, Willie and Eugene Howard Dnd Rose Perfect. Ann Pennington and Frances Williams have rented summer cottages there.
^"Unknown".Detroit Free Press. January 8, 1945. p. 16. RetrievedApril 12, 2017.During the Boston tryout of "Sing Out Sweet Land," Burl Ives disappeared for week. The Theatre Guild's officials went to Whitestone Landing, where Ives had a houseboat, and maintained a watch for the missing minstrel. Ives left because ojected to singing "Frankie and Johnnie," which now stops show.
^"The New York Dramatic Mirror, Volume 63". 1910. RetrievedApril 6, 2017. "He was instrumental in selling to Charles Hills Mailes, the Howard Jeffries Sr., of The Third Degree a fine piece of property at Beechhurst, L. I. where Mr. Mailes will make his home hereafter."
^Carroll, LLoyd."What’s new on traditional TV",Queens Chronicle, August 24, 2017. Accessed August 28, 2023. "As has long been the case, CBS was America’s most-watched network last year, and it’s debuting what would appear the most foolproof new show of the fall:Young Sheldon, a spinoff from its wildly popular sitcomThe Big Bang Theory.. Whitestone native Steven Molaro serves as an executive producer."
^"The Rumble". September 2, 2007. RetrievedJanuary 10, 2017.
^"I've Got a Secret - 1963". Archived fromthe original on April 30, 2017. RetrievedJune 4, 2017. Victor Freeman, Jeff Narell, Walt (last name unintelligible), Arthur Finman, Andrew (Andy) Narell (age 8), all of Whitestone, NY
^Barmash, Jerry (October 3, 2011)."Jill Nicolini Welcomed in her WNYW Channel 5 Debut". RetrievedJanuary 4, 2017.After that, Kelly asked the new hire about her ties to New York (Farmingville in Suffolk County), where she went to college (Stony Brook, with her Masters in Communication Arts at New York Institute of Technology), and where she lives (Whitestone, Queens)
^Frankenstein, Alfred Victor; Spaeth, Sigmund Gottfried; Mize, John Townsend Hinton (1929)."Who is who in Music". RetrievedJanuary 20, 2017. "Pollack, Lew — Composer, Beechhurst, L. I. "
^Sandomir, Richard."Herb Turetzky, Nets’ Official Scorer for 54 Years, Dies at 76",The New York Times, April 7, 2022. Accessed April 7, 2022. "Herb Turetzky, a passionate basketball fan who was the official scorer for nearly every home game played by the nomadic Brooklyn Nets franchise from its inception in 1967 until his retirement last year, died on Monday at his home in Whitestone, Queens."
^Underhill Society of America,Annual Report, 1904, page 28
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