Interview with John Choe, Executive Director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce

Flushing’s Chinatown has been the fastest growing Chinatown in New York City for over a decade now, and this is in no small part a result of the Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District, created in 2003.  Flushing’s meteoric rise to the position of largest Chinatown in New York City, and the largest Chinese population outside of China itself is owed in large parts to its exceptionally high immigration numbers since the 1980s.

I was able to meet up with John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce for an interview this past Thursday, to speak with him about the past and future economic progress of the area.   You can hear his thoughts by clicking on and watching the embedded video.

It’s the goal of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce to continue aiding small businesses succeed in Flushing, and to provide resources to the business owners of Flushing so that they may be successful in America.  Mr. Choe cites the extreme diversity of people, services, and businesses within Flushing as a reason for the success of the neighborhood thus far, and as a strength for the neighborhood going forward.

Flushing is a social neighborhood, with some of its liveliest features being its library, located between Kissena Blvd. and Main Street, its town hall, and its senior centers.  Flushing’s library is the largest distributor of books in New York State, with nearly 5000 people passing through its doors each day.  The neighborhood’s dedication to providing its citizens with a comfortable and “normal” life is large part of what has helped to keep the neighborhood one of the safest in New York City.

 

Works Referenced

Economic Development and the Economy of Flushing, Queens. New York N.Y.: Office of the State Comptroller, New York City Public Information Office, 2006. Web. 13 May 2017.

He, Amy. “Flushing: NYC’s Hot Chinatown.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 19 May 2015. Web. 15 May 2017.

“Queens Library Facts.” Queenslibrary.org Queens Library, Sept. 2014