Queens - the largest of the borough (district) in New York. If the borough of New York became independent cities, Queens would have been the fourth most populous metropolis in the United States (after Los Angeles, Chicago and Brooklyn). But many of his quarters, more like the suburbs, this can not be said.

Dutch first settled here, they were replaced by the British. Heroic in the history of Queens little. There will recall that in 1657 the villagers Flushing appealed to the governor of the colony of New Holland with a petition, which demanded religious freedom. On 37th Avenue is the house-museum of John Bone, who was arrested in 1662 for being at his home going Quakers (supporters of one of the branches of Protestantism). In the war for independence Queens played a minor role, however, it is here that the British colonists captured spy Nathan Hale (then a young man was hanged in Manhattan).

In 1897, the residents of Queens, which occupies the western part of Long Island, voted for the entry of the city into one of New York City. In 1909, the shore of Queens and Manhattan Queensboro Bridge joined, in 1915 most of the borough was connected to the city-wide subway system. In 1939, he opened here LaGuardia Airport, and in 1948 - the international airport, in the sixties named after the late President John F. Kennedy. It is the largest air gateway of the country, so that low-flying aircraft in the sky, Queens - a common occurrence.

Queens - a patchwork of dozens of districts, each with its own unique appearance and its own population. Howard Beach, Whitestone and of Middle Village - place of residence of Italians, Ozone Park and South Ozone Park collected Hispanics, Rockaway Beach and Woodside - Irish and Filipino. In the northwest, near Astoria, Greeks living in Ridgewood - came from Eastern Europe, in Kew Gardens Hills - Jews.

In Queens home to many well-known figures of culture: film director Francis Ford Coppola, stars of jazz, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, musician Paul Simon. There is a botanical garden, the Art Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, Noguchi Museum (in his collection - sculpture, furniture, decoration, architectural models).

Queens - very calm and pleasant area: there are almost no skyscrapers, along the quiet streets green - mostly two-storey family houses with gardens and front gardens, parks, playgrounds, churches. At times it seems that you are in the countryside. But this, too, New York - the huge, covered with scattered, fantastic.