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Corona
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History
Corona developed in the late 1800s in what used to be the town of Newton. The Crown Building Company developed the area and the Italian immigrants who began to fill the neighborhood began referring to it as “Corona” because this meant “crown” in their native language. Corona’s ethnic demographic has changed drastically from the 1970s to the present. What had begun, as a predominantly Italian neighborhood, has become an area largely populated with Dominicans. As immigrants began pouring into Corona from Latin America, Corona began experiencing a phenomenon, known as “white flight”. Italians leaving the area were fearful of increasing crime and congestion in their previously quiet neighborhood and so they fled to suburban communities on Long Island or to more residential areas in Queens, such as Whitestone or Bayside. However, there is a small population of Italians who still reside in the southeast corner of Corona.
Ethnic Demographics
Corona’s shift in ethnic demographics has greatly affected the economic opportunities in the area. The Hispanic community in Corona, made up of Bolivians, Colombians, Dominicans, Ecuadorians, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and Peruvians, form about eighty percent of the neighborhood’s population. The rest of the population consists of Asian Americans, which include Chinese, Filipinos, and Koreans, as well as the remaining Italian Americans, and a small number of Pakistanis and African Americans. [1] This has contributed to the working class, transient nature of Corona. This area has always been a draw for immigrants because of the many shops and small businesses, which have provided them with economic opportunity throughout the years. Immigrants come to Corona to earn money and to give themselves time to acclimate to New York after migrating from their home countries.
Opportunity for Upward Mobility
The opportunity for upward mobility in Corona is highlighted with the example of Joel Lopez, who immigrated to Corona from Ecuador as a teenager to join his family. He first found a job as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant where he earned the money for his first apartment. He then found a job with a Long Island construction firm in the early 1990s and rose in the ranks until he became the project manager and he earned enough money to purchase a two-family home on Granger Street in Corona. Once settled in his new home, he began looking to further advance his socioeconomic situation and he decided to start his own asbestos-removal business, which he still owns today. [2] Many immigrants from Latin America and assorted other areas have improved their socioeconomic status after moving to Corona. According to a Hunter College study, the local economy has grown 59 percent from 1995 to 2000.
Popular Venues
The popular Lemon Ice King of Corona is located on the intersection of 108th Street and Corona Avenue. It appears in the opening credits of the TV show "King of Queens." Tony's Pizzaria on 104th and 46th Avenue, Angelo's pizzeria, on 103rd and 39th Avenue, La Cabaña a typical Dominican eatery five stores down from Angelos, Jardin De China located on Junction Boulevard between 37th Avenue and Roosevelt. Each of these establishments have become staples of the community.
Notable Residents and References
Paul Simon bade "goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona," in his song "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." F. Scott Fitzgerald referred to the Corona dumps as the "valley of ashes" in his novel The Great Gatsby. Chapter 6 of Andrew Morton's Madonna describes Madonna's brief stint as a Corona resident in the late 1970s/early 80s.