Neighborhood Backgrounder: Flushing (PUMA 04103/Community District 7)

According to the 2008-2010 American Community Survey, the total population of Flushing/Whitestone is 251,278. With women making up a little over 52% of the population, there are more women than men in Flushing. About 42% of the population is between the ages of 25-54 and the median age is 41.4. Flushing is a largely “single-race” community, meaning individuals of one or more races make up only about 2.2% of the population. One can almost ascertain by walking in Flushing that 48.7% of the population is of Asian origin. Of the 48.7%, 28.5% are Chinese, 10.9% are Korean, and 4% Asian Indian.

There are 95,254 housing units in the Flushing/Whitestone region. Of these housing units, only about 6.3% are vacant. As the population seems to be on the rise, the housing situation seems to become increasingly stringent. Flushing has grown by almost 2% between 2008 and 2010, but the amount of available housing has grown only 0.3%. The lack of space and overcrowding in Flushing is evident in the pattern of homes in the neighborhood. There are very few detached one-unit homes in comparison to multi-unit homes. 22.5% of homes in Flushing are two-unit homes. The most striking and telling figure is the number of homes with twenty or more units; about 37% of the homes in Flushing are apartment buildings with roughly two bedrooms. Since Flushing has to accommodate so many families, there is very little space for “white picket fence” houses. A sizable number of single-unit houses and moderate-sized properties are also being converted into multi-unit housing. Recently, a large, old house a couple of blocks from my house was demolished and a multi-unit house that can house at least two families has taken its place.

Flushing is a family-oriented neighborhood. It has a large immigrant population, but these are usually families that have recently immigrated to the United States to start their families. Over 50% of Flushing’s residents are comprised of married couples and 27% of these couples have children under the age of eighteen. There are few unmarried couples or couples without children in Flushing. Children can be seen being escorted by their parents from one activity to the next until sunset on most days. There are over 30,000 children between the ages of three and eighteen who are currently enrolled in school. There are around 14 elementary schools in Flushing and these schools are often very easily accessible. There aren’t many school buses because there are usually two schools within walking distance from almost anywhere in Flushing. The schools in Flushing, especially in the elementary level, are known for their dedicated teachers. A few schools acclaimed by the Queens Courier are in Flushing. Children are typically encouraged to pursue their high school education elsewhere because Flushing only has two high schools to choose from, and neither is considered a good school.

Flushing is a family-centered neighborhood with an increasing immigrant population. Asian immigrants prefer to start their families in Flushing and raise their children in Flushing because it is a familiar setting that isn’t too different from their own countries. With the increase in the Asian population comes an increase in Asian establishments, which allow Flushing’s residents to feel at home.