North Corona sometimes feel too busy. Photo by Samantha Chevez
The sidewalks of Junction Blvd. in North Corona seem more crowded than ever. Since the end of lockdown, after the pandemic, more people hangout and fill the streets. The surrounding community seems bulging with people and that makes long-time residents in North Corona wonder what happened to their peaceful community.
“People double park and ignore driveways,” said Jose Rodriguez, who works at a bodega. “There’s the people on motorcycles and bicycles who sometimes drive on the sidewalk, which can be very dangerous.”
Corona, full of diversity, has historically been a safe place for immigrant families. In the 1980s and 1990s, Dominican, Ecuadorian, and Mexican families began moving into the area, drawn by affordable housing and the tight-knit cultural community.
The New York City Small Business Services Department describes Corona as, “home to the largest Latin American immigrant community in Queens. More than 66% of residents are foreign-born, compared to 48% in Queens and 37% in New York City. Asians make up about 15% of the population, according to the report. But in recent years new people, many from Central or Latin America, moved in. Some criticize the way they behave.
“There’s too much noise at night lately, not just on the weekends, but on the weekdays too,” Virgilio Herrera said. “People are playing loud music late at night. I get up early for work in the morning so it’s really annoying.”
His brother Victor has a different complaint. “There’s more littering on the streets and more garbage on the weekends because of the late night partying,” he said. “It’s never been this bad, at least not five years ago.”
Rosemary Jimenez, a college student, lives in the neighborhood and works at Taco Bell on Junction Boulevard. She has noticed people and others behaving badly. She said, “When I go on break, I usually use the backdoor to leave or have a smoke. But I can’t do that anymore because there’s always piss as soon as you step out. I’ve seen more men pissing on the sidewalks, not just drunks, in broad daylight and it needs to stop happening.”
The new residents have disrupted a once clean and orderly neighborhood, but Juan Gomez who has lived in North Corona for over two decades said immigration isn’t the issue. “I’m an immigrant too,” he said. “I’ve been here for almost thirty-five years and I know better than to act this way. I think because these new residents feel that this is a safe space for their behavior that there are no consequences. But there needs to be.”
Series: Community
