Photo Courtesy Ken Harris, Jamaica, NY circa 1975

Queens Memory collects personal histories, photographs and other records of contemporary life in Queens, New York.

Queens Name Explorer

The Name Explorer project seeks to enrich local history by increasing knowledge of individuals honored with named places in Queens – its streets, monuments, schools, parks, and buildings. This ongoing project creates a dynamic living archive, while enhancing awareness of communities not represented or underrepresented in our borough. To date, 1,300+ named places have been identified, and 1040+ of them are live on the Name Explorer map.


But your help is needed. The map still has many entries lacking information and photographs. If you can add info, an anecdote, and/or photograph, please do so by clicking the blue “Add/Edit” button in the top right corner. See a street named after a member of your community not currently on the map? Or a sign that needs maintenance and restoration? Add/Edit to let us know!

Jack Eichenbaum Oral History

Jack Eichenbaum was appointed as the official Queens Borough Historian in 2010 by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. Eichenbaum, who earned a Ph.D. in urban geography and became well known as a tour guide who led walking tours throughout Queens, passed away on December 30, 2023 at the age of 80. Eichenbaum recorded two oral history interviews with Queens Memory, one in 2012 and another in 2021. In 2012, Eichenbaum discussed his childhood growing up in Bayside and his adultlife as a longtime Flushing resident. Eichenbaum described the history of Flushing and the movement of the Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese population into Flushing; he explained how living around such diverse cultures make everyday life dynamic and exciting. In 2021, Eichenbaum discussed the history of Hunters Point and Long Island City and why these neighborhoods were important in New York City history and the development of Queens. He also examined how the Long Island City has changed since he first visited in 1963.

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Listen to the Queens Memory Podcast

Season Three of the Queens Memory Podcast is coming soon! In this season, “Our Major Minor Voices,” we feature stories from our neighbors of Asian descent in Queens, New York.  New episodes will air each Monday, starting April 11th 2022. Click Here to listen to the trailer for the season, and to hear to new episodes, as they are released. To hear Season One of the Queens Memory Podcast, Memories of Migration, Click Here. Season One features Queens residents who moved from all over the world over the past century to settle in the “World’s Borough”. To hear Season Two of the Queens Memory Podcast, The Borough We Became: Queens Residents on Life during COVID-19, Click Here. Season Two features interviews with Queens residents and highlighted sound and video contributions to our COVID-19 Project as the pandemic unfolded.

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