There are always those stores in your neighborhood that you may have walked past a million times but never entered a single time. For me, the entire length of Grand Avenue spanning from Elmhurst to Maspeth is lined by such shops. Over the last two decades I have seen old stores close and new ones open; I have also seen other old stores remodel, change ownership, or even just stay as they are. While the changes in small businesses along these roads may be a result of capitalism and laissez-faire at play, there is another feasible joint reason: demographic change.

Walking onto Grand Avenue from its Elmhurst end, I notice all of the different races and shops which make up the neighborhood. On these familiar streets I spot a Hispanic bakery beside a Chinese deli, and a South-Asian restaurant across from an Irish pub. As I continue going down the path, the faces which pass me by reflect these ethnic groups as well. Amidst the great diversity of the neighborhood I notice the token pizza shop of the area, John’s Pizzeria, a shop that I had until then passed by for years without entering.

John’s Pizzeria is an Italian-run shop located on the corner of Grand Avenue and Haspel Street, a few stores down from its original location where it opened in 1965. Its exterior has an old-school feeling to it with its faded yellow paint, hinting at the age of the store. Susan, the current owner of the shop, has been in the neighborhood since the pizzeria opened and her father was the owner, and said that it moved to its current location in 1976. In the 50 years the pizzeria has been open, she has noted a shift in the dominant groups coming in as well as a general increasing diversity in the area.

IMMIGRANT-FUELED DIVERSITY

Queens has long been notorious as a melting pot borough. It is additionally host to a large immigrant population, and, according to the December 2013 New York State Comptroller report, 48% of the borough’s residents are immigrants. In the 2011 Census for the highest concentration of immigrants, Elmhurst/Corona comes in first, with a whooping 70% of its population being immigrants. These immigrants contribute largely to the many ethnic groups throughout the city. This diversity is further reflected in John’s Pizzeria as people of all ethnicities stop in to get pizza. In fact, when Susan asks her customers where they are from, she sometimes hears the most obscure of islands as responses.

Although these statistics may make out a picture of intermingled communities of every race, the reality is quite different. More often than not, people of the same ethnic group band together to create an area which reflects their culture. Consequently, the ethnic group’s products are sold in their delis, foods are served in their restaurants, and languages and traditions are observed in their places of worship. As new immigrants of the ethnicity move into New York City, they gravitate towards these areas and enlarge them. As a result, through the years there has been a gradual shift of races through each community because of the influx and outflux of new immigrants and residents of neighboring communities.

WHO IS COMING AND GOING?

Susan recalled that, fifty years ago when John’s Pizzeria first came into the neighborhood, there were more American delis and Italian bakeries. Since then, however, some of the small businesses have been switched out multiple times. This is especially true on the Elmhurst end of Grand Avenue around the pizzeria, and many of the businesses are relatively new. The change in businesses hints at the fact that there has been a progressive change of the major ethnic groups through the years, as these groups are reflected in the current businesses of the area.

One of the large demographic changes in Elmhurst is an influx of Asians. The 2000 Census and 2014 American Community Survey indicate that this population has had the most considerable growth in the 14-year period. While in 2000 Asians made up 38.9% of the population with 41,175 people, in 2014 Asians made up 48.8% of the population with 49,102 people. Susan’s coworker also commented on this, saying that the clientele now seemed to be “80% Chinese.” The almost 10% increase in the Asian population and an outflux of previous residents brought with it a shift in the stores. Around John’s Pizzeria there are many East Asian-owned stores which opened in recent years.

In addition to the large increase of Asians in Queens, according to the 2000 Census and 2014 American Community Survey, there was a slight increase in the White population, and a slight decrease in the Hispanic and Latino and other populations. However, the only notable changes Susan noted were a large increase in East Asians in both her customers and the neighborhood and a decrease in Americans and Europeans which is in opposition to the given data. A possible reason for this could be the expansion of the Asian niche further up Grand Avenue which caused the White community to shift as well, perhaps closer to Maspeth.

A NEW WORKING CLASS

The influx of new residents to the area around John’s Pizzeria has brought with it a shift in the sense of community. According to Susan, years ago people used to be more social with their neighbors and know each other more. Children would be found outside more often, playing on the streets with other children while women stayed home and acted as moms for the whole community. This is not as common in the current community, which may be because of the increasing racial diversity of the area, the outflux of old residents, or the increase of working-class new residents.

From 2003 to 2014, the neighborhood around John’s Pizzeria has remained as a highly residential place with few buildings dedicated fully to commercial use. The majority of shops in the area are in buildings dedicated for mixed use. This all contributes to the area being a, “a very nice neighborhood, very safe,” which Susan said has not changed through the years. In general, it is an attractive area for families to settle in. According to the 2000 Census and the 2014 American Community Survey, the percentage of each age range has remained around the same amount. The largest age range groups, 20-34, 35-44, and 45-54, continued to have around 20%, 17%, and 12% of the community’s population, respectively.

Despite the percentage of each of the age groups staying relatively the same, the sense of community is not the same as before. Part of this can be attributed to the shifting cultural undertones of the area which came with the influx and outflux of racial groups. In addition to this, Susan said that the current neighborhood around John’s Pizzeria is, “more of a working class neighborhood, a middle class neighborhood,” where everyone has to work. The new people in the area are busy and focused on their own lives. With so much time dedicated to work and family, residents find that it has become more difficult to get to know other people in the community.

KEEPING IT OLD-SCHOOL

Fifty years ago there may have been more American-run and Italian-run businesses, but now John’s Pizzeria remains as one of the last original stores in the area. Although most of the community’s stores have changed to match the ethnic changes in the area, the pizzeria has made few changes. From the 1980, September 2007, and April 2012 photos of John’s Pizzeria, the store does not seem to have changed at all. What has changed, however, is its neighboring store which went from being a Chinese store to a Hispanic bakery to a food mart of unknown ownership.

The menu of John’s Pizzeria is still the same as it had been fifty years ago, with one addition- beef patties. Susan said this was because people started to want and ask for then and, “the neighborhood changed so you have to go a little bit along with the neighborhood.” Not only has the menu stayed mostly the same, so has the taste of the pizza. When people from the area who have moved away return to the area, Susan noted that they would get wrapped up in the nostalgic taste. She also noted that sometimes there are “four generations coming into the store” from the remaining residents.

Stores in the community may have changed to accommodate the new ethnic assortment of residents, but John’s Pizzeria does not plan to change much. It continues to retain its old menu and taste within the ever-changing area, attracting residents both old and new. The changes to the demographics do not really concern Susan, either, and she enjoys seeing them. She said that Elmhurst is, “like taking a trip around the world.” There are so many ethnic groups, and as the amount of them increase, so does the amount of cultures to experience. Even as the new ethnic groups and small businesses continue to move into the neighborhood, John’s Pizzeria stands as a remainder of the old.