I was born and raised in Corona, Queens. Growing up, my neighborhood didn’t seem like much to me, it was all normal. I never thought twice about the streets that I walked down every day on my way to school. I never thought about how unique they were compared to other places because I was blessed to be able to consider it normal. As I grew older I learned to appreciate my neighborhood and became intrigued by the unique history behind it, and as I started to leave my metaphorical nest and visit other places, I realized how amazing Corona truly is.
Corona is by no means the most aesthetically pleasing neighborhood in New York City, in fact, it may not even be the most aesthetically pleasing neighborhood in Queens. But what it lacks in aesthetic, it makes up in rich history and diversity. As I walked down the streets of my neighborhood last week like I have done so many times before, I got to capture some of the “normal” fixtures of the neighborhood that I always seemed to glance past. However, upon closer inspection and research, these “normals” revealed a rich history of my neighborhood and showed me how it and it’s people have changed and stayed the same throughout time.
The images above and to the right are of the iconic Lemon Ice King of Corona, a neighborhood landmark. As seen in the photos, The Lemon Ice King has been around since 1944, and even if the sign did not say it, you would know it is a historic establishment just by looking at the marquee. There is nothing flashy about the signs that adorn the once residential building, no lights, no electric signs or screens; just an old sign and awning that read “The Lemon Ice King of Corona.” Next to that, on top of the old garage, another sign reads “Italian Ices” and “Ices with real fruit pieces.” The old signs on the building are perfect, as they show how the shop has been a landmark of the community. Modernizing the exterior would take away the lust of its antiqueness. That is the beauty of this place, it does not need anything special for it to be special, people know the history and come to the neighborhood for the ices. Post-WWII, Corona was composed mostly of people of Italian descent hence, the American and Italian flags on the sign. The intersection of Corona Ave and 108th street is one of the few remaining places that still house those old Italian establishments. Just like Corona itself, the appearance of the Lemon Ice King may be a bit outdated, but the real beauty is what is inside of the deceptive casing.
Just across the street from the Lemon Ice King, you find yourself at the William F. Moore Memorial Park. To the locals, it goes by many other names, “The Italian Park”, “Spaghetti Park”, or even “The Bocce Park.” All of these names, however, have one thing in common, they pay homage to the neighborhood’s Italian roots and ties. This park has always seemed normal to me. However, upon closer inspection, I discovered that our “normal” park has a lot more to it than I thought.
The image above is the base of the flagpole in the center of the park. At first glance, there is nothing interesting about it, it is a piece of concrete; but, when you look closely, there is an engravement dedicated to the park’s namesake, William F. Moore. Moore was a marine private during WWI, who was killed in combat. He was a resident of Corona, and the first one to sacrifice his life for his country during the war at only 20 years old. He is forever memorialized through the park. You can easily get lost in the words on the base as, they list his rank, company, and regiment. Almost everyone would glance past it. However, with a little bit of research, you discover the story of an extraordinary man. The flagpole base is only one of various memorials scattered throughout the small park that recognize heroes and influential figures of the neighborhood.
Not too far away from “The Italian Park” is another classic neighborhood staple. Mama’s Backyard Cafe is another one of those old Italian remnants still around. The bakery gives off a warm and homey feel with Christmas lights adorning the outside at all times. As seen on the image to the right, the window is lit up with a neon sign. In green and red, once again paying homage to Corona’s Italian roots by way of its flag. Mama’s is a fitting name for the neighborhood classic, as that is what everyone in the community called the late owner.
Mama’s Backyard Cafe is an old Corona establishment that dates all the way back to the early 1900s. The bakery and adjoining deli were founded in 1935. It was eventually taken over by the founder’s daughter Nancy DeBenedittis and she ran the establishments until her passing in 2009. Everyone in the neighborhood called her Mama for her warm and welcoming personality that greeted you every time you walked in her stores. She was a pillar of the community so much so that outside of her stores, you see a street sign that reads “Nancy DeBenedittis- Mama’s Way” to honor her contributions to the community.
104th street is one that is drenched in history. Not only is part of it named after Mama Nancy DeBenedittis but, down the block, another part of it was renamed in honor of the late Edward Guida. In the picture on the right, you see the street sign honoring him. Guida ran a funeral home in Corona, down the street from Mama’s. However, Guida was also known in the community as a kind man in an otherwise cruel job. Guida served as a city marshal for most of his life and had a reputation for being a kind and compassionate man to people facing tough times. This is a rare trait to have in his line of work not only as a marshal but as a funeral home owner as well. However, his reputation preceded him his whole life and it continues to be honored with a part of 104th street in front of his funeral home renamed after him.
As stated before, there are thousands of places that I walk past every day that I never would have thought twice about before this writing. One of these is the Walgreens in Corona Plaza that I walk past every day on my way to the train, and where I get my prescriptions from time to time. Pictured above, the sign features the regular Walgreens logo. However, what has always stood out to me is where the logo is placed, surrounded by lightbulbs on what looks like a theatre marquee. It turns out that it is a theatre marquee, on a building that dates all the way back to 1927, according to nycago.org. This building is a former vaudeville theater that as time went by, started losing popularity to newer, fancier theaters across the borough. It turned into an indy film theater and now, a Walgreens with a church occupying the former stage. In fact, you can see the banner promoting the church right below an ad offering store and office space. The banner is completely in Spanish, presumably, just like their services. The sign shows how much the neighborhood has changed, both in the type of businesses that the neighborhood had, and the people that lived there. If you ask any local or a churchgoer, they probably would never have guessed the history behind their church.
If you walk down National street, heading towards Corona Plaza, you are likely to see a lot of food trucks and street vendors like the one pictured above. Unlike the previous images, there is not a whole lot of hidden history behind this one. In fact, this is a reflection of the change of demographics the neighborhood saw at the turn of the century. The once Italian dominant neighborhood turned into a primarily Latino neighborhood in the 1990s. This brought upon a multitude of changes in terms of the establishments you saw throughout the community. While you still have your Mama’s and Lemon Ice Kings scattered around here and there; you are more likely to find food trucks like the one featured above, selling “Antojitos Mexicanos” or Mexican comfort food in English. The menu reads in Spanish with no real need to have an English translation as the majority of customers and pedestrians walking by are predominantly Spanish speakers.
You can also find dozens of stores like the one above. It is a grocery store and “Carniceria” meaning butcher shop in Spanish. Once again, the sign reads in mostly Spanish with the only word in English being “Grocery”. The colors of the awning are what caught my eye; yellow, red, and blue, the colors of the flags of; Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The carniceria is across the street from “Spaghetti Park” showing how the Latino influx has reshaped the neighborhood and community that once was. What was once a neighborhood of people from one background is now a melting pot of cultures.
Ultimately, my walk through my neighborhood helped me discover how the “normals” I see everyday hide a rich and vibrant history. The streets that I walk down are named after people that I never cared to look up, who actually did heroic acts. The places I visit are decades old and if it’s walls could talk they would tell stories of the different people they have come across. At times, walking through Corona is like traveling time, seeing places that have withstood the test of time. Other times walking down Corona is like traveling the world, seeing restaurants and stores with products from different cultures. However, the best part about Corona is that you can sometimes do both, travel time and the world, simultaneously. Take Saint Leo Church for example, as you can see on the picture above, it was established in 1903. At the time, it probably only held service in Italian. Now, it has masses in English, Italian, and Spanish. If you step in the building and stay for a few masses you can travel the world and travel time at once.