Yes, the northern part of Queens County is across the river from Manhattan
(Queens is part of NYC).

But, that part of Queens was the Town of Newtown.

When Queens County was created in 1683, it included 5 towns:  Newtown,
Flushing, Jamaica, Hempstead and Oyster Bay.  [On January 1, 1899, the eastern
three-quarters of Queens County, the part that was not annexed into New York City
on January 1, 1898 -- the Town of North Hempstead (the Town of North Hempstead
seceded from the Town of Hempstead in 1783), the Town of Hempstead and the
Town of Oyster Bay -- seceded and formed Nassau County.]

Here's a current neighborhood map of all the neighborhoods in NYC:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/neighbor/neighbor.pdf

(Note:  I had problems in downloading this map; and, in fact, was unable to
do so at this time.)


The neighborhood of Jamaica has sort of approximately the borders of the
Village of Jamaica (incorporated in 1814) and the predecessor Hamlet of Jamaica,
and this would've been the central district of the Town of Jamaica.


Happy Chanukah*

Walter Greenspan

* This year, the 8-day Festival of Chanukah occurs from Friday night,
December 19 through Saturday night, December 27 on the civil calendar.