- City:
- New York, New York City, Queens, NY
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, Public Housing
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Completed:
- 1939
- Designer:
- William F. Ballard
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
From the Works Progress Administration (WPA)’s New York City Guide (1939):
“Queensbridge Houses, north of Queensboro Bridge Plaza, between Vernon Boulevard and Twenty-first Street, is the fifth low-rent, government-financed housing project in the city since 1936. Twenty-six brick dwelling structures, six stories high with elevators, a community building, and a children’s center, all arranged around open polygonal courts, will cover less than one quarter of the projects 62.5 acres; the remaining land will be landscaped park and recreation space. When completed late in 1939, the 3,161 apartments will house approximately 11,400 people.” The building was constructed through the WPA under the guidance of Chief Architect William F. Ballard.
Source notes
WPA's New York City Guide, pp. 577-578: https://archive.org/stream/newyorkcityguide00federich#page/578/mode/2upContribute to this Site
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Brian Gabriel
Gabriel Milner
Bill K.
EMILY GONZALEZ
The address/location of the dot on the map is wrong. This is located right north of Queensborough Bridge.
Thank you for pointing this out. We need a street address, though, to reposition the dot.
My Mother grew up there in those projects. She graduated high school and went to work at Macy’s as she was one of the first female Loss Prevention persons.
She married my Dad when he got out of the Army from Germany and he joined the NYPD. They eventually moved out to the Island as far away as Suffolk into Bohemia when it was nearly all woods.
Dad retired in ‘ 84 (from the 104th) in Glendale/Ridgewood & they moved to Phoenix, AZ as he passed away in 6/05. Mom is 82 & recently moved to NV to be with family. The cleanliness, the upkeep & kids playing into the night free from crime.
Dad would occasionally come home with a story of a 10-13 that occurred on his beat.
She told us stories of how strict the housing was and how great it was. Everyone was respectful and like family.
I came to Queens Bridge for the first time in 1964.
I was 10 years old. My father’s sister moved here in 1940. There were roses everywhere the folks would do Picnic on the grass the doors of the hallways some were open and you could smell the Italian and Jewish cuisine. I remember my Aunt used to tell me… “The Proyects have a Law keep your apartments clean or they will get you out”! You could see how beautiful Queens Bridge was. In the early 70’s I came back and never thought I would live here. I used to go to Long Island City H.S. the one on 28th Street. Yeah, the old one. Worked as a librarian. When I came here in the early 70s the drug store and all the grocery stores were still white people. We had black people here it was still nice to live. As the Decades passed the white people left. We have a 1% of white folks I know some of them tell me, I lived here all my life. The black people I knew for years some have passed away I miss them.. the few that are left are “baby boomers” like me. We get along just fine. There are lots of Latinos, Chinese, Indians, and Greeks too. We still have them was talking to one a few days ago.. My building is always clean and quiet. In the summertime sometimes my neighbor next door hears his “rap music” but he is very kind and considerate to everyone. He is not noisy. Mom, used to tell me “You make the neighborhood” She was right! I live here and never had any trouble with anyone. It’s my HOME.