These days St. Albans is home to middle-class African Americans and growing numbers of Caribbean immigrants and Caribbean-Americans.
St. Albans lacks a subway, but has a LIRR station and is close to the Belt and Cross Island Parkways. Housing development is booming, which has brought the strains of higher density living.
St. Albans Boundaries and Main Streets:
Linden Boulevard is St. Albans' spine, and running north and south of Linden, is its heart of numbered streets thick with houses. Addisleigh Park is on the less geometric, often named, streets north of Linden, east and west of the LIRR.St. Albans meets South Jamaica at Merrick Boulevard, South Hollis at Hollis Avenue, Bellaire at Francis Lewis Boulevard, and Cambria Heights along Francis Lewis and Springfield Boulevard. Light industry overwhelms residences near Liberty Avenue.
St. Albans Real Estate and Apartments:
St. Albans is a neighborhood of detached one- and two-family homes, with a mix of attached homes and small apartment buildings. Much of the housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s.New construction, redevelopment of existing homes, and illegal conversions have strained infrastructure, affecting quality of life, from schools to sanitation.
Average real estate prices (December 2005):
- One-family: $300,000+ (more for detached)
- Two-family: $450,000+
- One-bedroom: $800+ (rare)
- 2/3-bedroom: $1400+
Addisleigh Park:
Addisleigh Park is a beautiful section of St. Albans, famous as the 1940s home of many jazz musicians, including Count Bassie and Lena Horne. The Flushing Council on the Arts's monthly Queens Jazz bus tour visits Addisleigh Park. Addisleigh Park's large Tudor-style homes are set on wide lots, on the streets between Sayres Avenue Linden Boulevard, west of the LIRR tracks. It has the best housing stock in southeastern Queens, and the prices to prove it.Restaurants in St. Albans:
Linden Boulevard is thick with Jamaican eateries, but the standout is Jean's Caribbean-American Restaurant (188-36 Linden Blvd, 718-525-3069). Jean's serves American diner food, but the homestyle Jamaican platters are what you want.Riddick’s Catering Restaurant (198-18 Linden Blvd, 718-276-4108) serves great Southern diner food and Carolina-style ribs.
In nearby Cambria Heights, the Proper Cafe (217-01 Linden Blvd) is the best local night spot, with theme nights and popular karaoke Thursdays.
Shopping:
Linden Boulevard is a small business paradise from the LIRR east to Cambria Heights. The busiest area is around the intersection of Linden and Farmers Boulevard.The American Roots Gallery (193-17 Linden Blvd, 718-712-4141) is a custom framing and trophy shop, but also represents African American artists.
Shopping options along Merrick Boulevard and Hollis Avenue are mostly small corner stores and takeout places. Pathmark is at Merrick Boulevard and Springfield Boulevard.
Culture and Green Spaces:
Roy Wilkins Park (Merrick Blvd and 119th Ave) can be a hectic scene of basketball, tennis, and handball in the summer. The Roy Wilkins Family Center (718-276-8686) has a pool, gym, and fitness classes.The park is home to Black Spectrum Theater and its socially-conscious theater, after-school programs, and concerts. Each summer, the park hosts Irie Jamboree with top reggae and dancehall acts.
St. Albans Park (Merrick Blvd and 172nd St) is an oasis of green on the edge of Addisleigh Park.
Crime and Safety:
St. Albans is a safe neighborhood. The industrial strips to the north, shouldn't be visited alone or at night. Areas of nearby South Jamaica have worse crime rates, but are in the same police precinct as St. Albans.For the year-to-date (11/6/05), the 113th Precinct (including St. Albans, South Hollis, Springfield Gardens, and South Jamaica) reported: 13 murders (11 in 2004), 37 rapes (41 in 2004), 249 robberies (279 in 2004), 258 assaults (271 in 2003), 275 burglaries (288 in 2004).
Churches:
The number of churches in St. Albans in amazing. Almost every block along Linden Boulevard has at least one house or worship, from store-fronts to large churches.The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York (110-31 Merrick, Jamaica, 718-206-4600) is one of the largest churches in New York, and a catalyst for local economic development.
St. Albans Basics:
- See for Yourself: Addisleigh Park Photos
- Issues and Worries: Overdevelopment strains on sewage and schools, illegal conversions to multi-family homes
- LIRR Train: At Linden Blvd and Montauk St/Newburg St
- Library: St. Albans Branch, 191-05 Linden Blvd, 718-528-8196
- School: P.S. 36 St. Albans School (k-5) receives high marks, but I.S. 192 does not. The new Pathways College Preparatory School is off to a strong start.
- Find all public schools in zip code 11412.
- Post Office: Archie Spigner Post Office, 19504 Linden Blvd
- Parking: Linden Boulevard is good for metered parking during the day, except right near the LIRR. Farther east it's easier and some spots aren't metered.
- Hospital: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, 8900 Van Wyck Expy, Jamaica, NY 11418, 718-206-6000
- Police Station: 113th Precinct, 167-02 Baisley Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11434, 718-712-7733
- Movie Theater: National Amusements Jamaica Mutiplex, 159-02 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica, NY 11425
- Fitness: Curves, 109-28 Merrick Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11433, 718-526-6641
- Community Board 12: 90-28 161st St, Jamaica, NY 11432, 718-658-3308
- The Obi-Igbo Organization of New York: 190-03 Linden Blvd
- Zip Code: 11412 and parts of 11433 and 11434.
- Business Organizations: St. Albans Chamber of Commerce, 200-06 Linden Blvd
- History: Named in 1899 after English village of St. Albans, St. Albans was developed in the 1920s and 1930s. In the nineteenth-century, the area was farmland.
