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Newreporter currently on channel 5 Ernie [Enastos]??? stood on 82nd Street in front of Baracini's candy store ( for any old timers) in the early 1980's and stated on the 6 o'clock news that Jackson Heights was the cocaine capital of the World. Colombian Drug mafia controlled the neighborhood. Crack was rampant. No one ever knew what it was at the time; it was a new drug and anyone who hung out tried it ---unknowingly perhaps. In Jackson Heights it was known as Bazooka.
Prostition, robbery, assassination of a Colombian journalist -- it was a very dangerous place to live. There is also a whole history of the AIDS crisis. homophobia and a thriving gay male community, then it was largest outside of Christopher St.
Nothing like today. I have lived here most of life and it is incredible to see how much it has changed. Now the biggest problem in Jackson Height are bed bugs!!! Jackson Heights is the most diverse community in Queens, perhaps the world. New groups coming to the area must respect that -- particularly the Muslim community which opening
holds anti - American protests on 74th Street; they are called the New Islamic Thinkers. Nothing can be done to stop their hateful rants on American life, Jewish Culture or homosexuality as they are protected by our laws and are guaranteed the right to free speech. Very disturbing. But they are being watched by the FBI/ local police and officials. Hopefully they will be sent back to the Theocratic dictatorship of their choice and stop trying to spread there own very special brand of cultural imperialism. Also two gay men were killed in over the last two decades so while the neighborhood probably the most progressive gay community in Queens; homophobia still exists. Another problem in the neighborhood is that many people who work in the stores don't speak English which has resulted in a very disjointed community. The blocks are basically segregated by ethnicity. Below 76th Street -- Indian/Paki/bangladeshi
Above 76 -- Latin American -- a lot of Columbians , but other groups are present too -- Peru, Equador, Mexican. there are a lot of parades celebrating peoples' cultures -- usually in other languages.
However, With the prices of COOPS increasing --more assimilated immigrants& those of us who identify as Americans are joining the neighborhood. We are now being called trendy since we recently got a Starbucks. It is a great place to live. Very unique. Hard to live anywhere else, once you have lived here. However, it is getting very overcrowed== subway stations are extremely overcrowded. Crime is increasing a bit -- there have been eight break-ins on my block this month.
I can't believe these COOP prices will hold out; however the real estate market in JH is still strong and completely unaffected by recent downturn. Nine years ago you could have bought a 1 bedroom Coop for 55,000!!! Today same COOP is 200,000.
I was a sheltered Long Island girl and the first time our realtor said let's go to the heights, I was like um, NO...but we bought in the historic district and lived there for several years...imo, it's one of the nicest places in Queens (except maybe for Forrest Hills but that's much more expensive)....so many beautiful trees and courtyards...and a very good value...of course almost none of our LI friends ever came to hang out with us
Back then there were good parts and bad parts. We used to go visit hubby's grandma in a large hi rise elderly home (can't remember the name) and it was pretty good when she moved in and not so good after a few years. But the bad rep prob had more to do with the ethnicization of the area during that period than anything.
You guys must be insane. Jackson Heights was (70's 80's) and is still cocaine capital of the world. Colombians are LOVE to keep everything under the radar.
In the 80's and EARLY 90's Colombians used to traffic so much cocaine they used to have gun fights in the street with Ecuadorian immigrants trying to fight over turf. They killed that reporter for giving too much information about their operations. They dont do street crime in Jackson Heights like they do in Jamaica or Far Rockaway but they still transport more cocaine than anywhere else in the U.S.
They dont do street crime in Jackson Heights like they do in Jamaica or Far Rockaway but they still transport more cocaine than anywhere else in the U.S.
I find this statement very hard to believe, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
You guys must be insane. Jackson Heights was (70's 80's) and is still cocaine capital of the world. Colombians are LOVE to keep everything under the radar.
In the 80's and EARLY 90's Colombians used to traffic so much cocaine they used to have gun fights in the street with Ecuadorian immigrants trying to fight over turf. They killed that reporter for giving too much information about their operations. They dont do street crime in Jackson Heights like they do in Jamaica or Far Rockaway but they still transport more cocaine than anywhere else in the U.S.
I agree with you. I was a teenager during the 80's and I grew up in Elmhurst,a few blocks south of Roosevelt Ave in the mid 70's streets. I remember watching the 10:00 pm news about another drug bust and the NYPD would have blocks of cocaine on display that they confiscated from a location in Jackson Heights. People would come from all over to buy their drugs on Roosevelt Avenue.
Remember the name of the Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar? He was the 7th richest man in the world back in 1989,the Medellin Cartel was the biggest back in those days.
I agree with you. I was a teenager during the 80's and I grew up in Elmhurst,a few blocks south of Roosevelt Ave in the mid 70's streets. I remember watching the 10:00 pm news about another drug bust and the NYPD would have blocks of cocaine on display that they confiscated from a location in Jackson Heights. People would come from all over to buy their drugs on Roosevelt Avenue.
Remember the name of the Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar? He was the 7th richest man in the world back in 1989,the Medellin Cartel was the biggest back in those days.
I agree with you. I got family in Jackson Heights and they can tell you stories about it, back in the 80's and 90's.
It's VERY true. When I worked in Elmhurst in the 80's & 90's, half a gram of blow could be bought in almost ANY deli or conveinence store for $20.00.
Yes, in the 80s and 90s. He said the neighborhood's STILL the cocaine capital of the WORLD.
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jackson heights was horrible in the 1980s -90s
