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Also known as “Southside”, this neighborhood has a decidedly more suburban character than the increasingly urban nexus that is Jamaica to the north. Except for a small section of public housing in the northeast section—South Jamaica Houses (the only “Slum Clearance” project in the history of Queens)—the majority of the streets are lined with modest single-family houses. The neighborhood did struggle through most of 20th century with crime, drugs, and poverty—as popularized by local hip-hop star Curtis Jackson (aka “50 cent”) in the early 2000’s—but today looks like much of middle-class Queens and has an equally eclectic housing stock. As for Mr. Jackson, his tune has changed quite radically: witness the “Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson Community Garden” at the corner of Foch Blvd and 165 Street funded by his G-Unity Foundation. The neighborhood is bounded by LIRR lines to the east, the Van Wyck Expressway to the west, Rockaway and Baisley Boulevards to the south. 

South Jamaica

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