Community Board 7
From The Peopling of New York City
Community Board 7 encompasses a large area of Queens, including neighborhoods such as Flushing, College Point and Bay Terrace, and accomodates one of the largest populations represented by a community board - nearly 250,000 residents. For more information about New York City's 59 community boards and their roles and responsibilities, refer to the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit [1]. Community Board 7's population is one of the most multi-ethnic and multi-cultural throughout the boroughs. With residents and business owners of Chinese, Korean, South Asian, Latino, and African American backgrounds, Flushing is the epitome of this diversity. Though this abundance of different cultures can create many challenges, the Board provides services that bring the community together to discuss local issues
The Board’s office is located in the vibrant core of Flushing, at 133-32 41st Road, which is where we met District Manager Marilyn Bitterman, who spoke to us about Board members and meetings. Community Board 7’s current committee members are comprised of a majority of Flushing residents and a minority of Flushing business owners, all of whom are from the various ethnicities represented in the neighborhood. Even ethnic groups that seem to be less prominent in Flushing, such as Latinos and South Asians, have a few members on the Board. Public meetings are held at which important issues are discussed and debated. All of Flushing’s residents and business owners are invited to these meetings and encouraged to share their views. Not only does the Board have a mailing list of over 800 people, it also spreads the news of public hearings through the Flushing Library, community organizations, religious institutions, and the press. Even though the information on these meetings is wide spread, it is often the case that some people are apathetic, too busy, or only interested in meetings about issues that directly pertain to them. However, there are sometimes especially important meetings, like the one coming up in June which will discuss the development in Willets Point among other issues, that will surely bring the entire community together, for they are issues that everyone has an opinion about.
These public meetings are not the only way to bring together the diverse groups of Flushing. Many special cultural events are organized in Flushing by religious institutions, the Flushing Library, and other organizations. When religious or ethnic groups celebrate big holidays like Diwali or the Chinese New Year, they extend invitations to all of Flushing, regardless of race, religion, and ethnicity. What’s more is that these other groups attend the festivals, excited to learn about a different culture and experience something new. Such events and institutions are extremely important because they reach out to the community as a whole and encourage integration.
Community Board 7 plays a vital role in resolving issues and strengthening the community. Board members dedicate themselves to improving the community and public meetings allow the local residents and business owners to be involved in discussing the issues affecting them. In addition to the services it provides, the Board strongly supports the efforts of local institutions and organizations that promote a shared sense of community.