Cambria Heights, Queens


Cambria Heights is a residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded by Springfield Boulevard and Francis Lewis Boulevard to the west, the Elmont, Nassau County border on the east, Queens Village to the north, St. Albans to the west, and Montefiore Cemetery and Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Rosedale to the south. As of 2010, Cambria Heights's population was 18,677. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 13.

Etymology

The name Cambria Heights was coined in the mid 1920s when the Cambria Title Savings and Trust Company, a bank based in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, provided financing for early development which was aimed at families seeking to relocate from rental apartments in other boroughs. At an elevation of above sea level, it is considered to be one of the highest points in Queens, together with Jackson Heights and Richmond Hill.

Education

The public elementary schools in Cambria Heights are PS 176 Cambria Heights and PS/MS 147 Ronald McNair. There are four magnet high schools on the campus of Andrew Jackson High School, which are dedicated to: arts and humanities; business computer applications; mathematics, science and technology; and law, government and community service.

Religion

There is only one Catholic Parish in Cambria Heights. The Parish's name is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Parish is also affiliated with the school
Cambria Heights is also the location of the Ohel, the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and his predecessor Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. Tens of thousands of visitors from around the world flock to the site for prayer and blessing.

Demographics

Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Cambria Heights was 18,677, a decrease of 2,267 from the 20,944 counted in 2000. Covering an area of, the neighborhood had a population density of.
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 1.4% White, 90.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.2% of the population.
The original population consisted primarily of Roman Catholics of Italian, German, and Irish descent, and Jewish families relocating from Brooklyn. The present neighborhood has a large middle class Caribbean and African American population. The median home cost is $450,600.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Cambria Heights include: