Neighborhood Info:
Little Neck - Douglaston - Douglas Manor

The Matinecocks called this area Men-haden-Ock, meaning "place of fish." This was shortened to Madnan's Neck. The Indians started a clamming industry that lasted until the early 20th Century when pollution closed the Little Neck Bay for fishing. Eventually, the area was divided into two "necks" - Little Neck and Great Neck. (Great Neck is across the NYC boarder in Nassau County.) Two hundred years ago, the entire Little Neck peninsula was a farm belonging to Major Thomas Wickes, a veteran of the American Revolution. Today, these neighborhoods still feel bucolic and far removed from the urban influences of the city. Little Neck is primarily made up of English, Dutch and Irish. Lately this area has seen influx's of Italian, Korean, Spanish, and Latin American immigrants.

The Little Neck Farm was sold to George Douglas in 1831 and he's the namesake for Douglaston. Douglaston residents mostly immigrated from Europe. Douglaston is an upper middle class suburb of New York, and in the mid 90's it was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the borough. The most exclusive area is Douglas Manor (see below). Shopping is located on Northern Boulevard and along the Long Island Expressway.

The waterfront part of the Douglas estate is now called Douglas Manor. Mr. Douglas's house, built in 1819, is now known as the Douglaston Club and is a Designated Landmark. The district consists of substantial single-family homes, multi-family apartment buildings, commercial buildings, a small park and a church and cemetery. It is architecturally noteworthy for its many fine examples of Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Tudor Revival, Prairie Style and American Craftsman architecture.

Glen Oaks grew up from the estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt's grandson William K. Vanderbilt after World War II. One source puts Queen's highest elevation in Glen Oaks at the 17th Tee in the northwest corner of the Towers Country Club (which is private).