Located in northeast Queens, Fresh Meadows grew up around a housing development of the same name, built for World War II veterans. The site plan for the development not only provided an array of green open space, but it also enabled residents to enjoy a variety of services within walking distance. The development became the centerpiece of a brand-new neighborhood, which had been the site of a country club and farmland. In 1949, renowned urban and architecture critic Lewis Mumford hailed the Fresh Meadows housing development as "perhaps the most positive and exhilarating example of large-scale community planning in this country." Fresh Meadows captures the optimism of the postwar era by illustrating how middle-class families thrived in an environment that combined the best aspects of urban and suburban living.

Meet FRED FROM FRESH MEADOWS. As a kid, Fred was at Madison Square Garden for the "Here Comes Willis!" game--that is, the one where Willis Reed got stuck in traffic and didn't show up 'til the second quarter. In high school, he stayed up late the night before the SATs because of a big Knicks game on the West Coast; in law school, he chose where to live on the basis of which neighborhood had a cable TV package with Knicks telecasts; and, as a (in theory) mature adult, settled on an apartment in Manhattan based, in part, on proximity to Madison Square Garden. Along the way, Fred might have inadvertently caused Jerry Lucas to have one of the worst shooting nights of his playoff career, had the great pleasure of driving with Earl Monroe to a business meeting, sued Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get revenge for Knicks fans, and was thanked by Tyson Chandler on Twitter for a song he co-wrote: "The Minister of D." (Actually, the part about the lawsuit is only half-true, although he did bring a fascinating legal action against Kareem.) In short, Fred is representative of your ordinary irrational Knicks fan--and FRED FROM FRESH MEADOWS: A Knicks Memoir is his (hopefully colorful) story covering six decades.

This up-to-date, intimate portrait of the 99 neighborhoods of Queens is a wonderful tribute to the borough’s past history and present diversity. Detailing the history, people, and cultural activities of each neighborhood, the book is generously illustrated with more than 200 photographs, both contemporary and historical, and over 50 new maps that chart the precise neighborhood boundaries. With two airports (La Guardia and JFK), Shea Stadium, and Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens is a destination for millions of travelers and visitors each year. But those who live in the borough’s neighborhoods know that it offers much more: parks, bridges, colleges and universities, museums, shops, restaurants, and other institutions and sites that testify to its more than 350-year history. From Astoria to Woodside, with points in between, Queens, the most diverse county in the country, offers a cornucopia of cultures, sights, tastes, and sounds. With input from residents, historians, demographers, politicians, borough officials, shopkeepers, and many others, The Neighborhoods of Queens captures the unique character of each neighborhood. The book features practical tips (subway and bus routes, libraries, fire departments, hospitals), quirky and unusual neighborhood facts, and information on famous residents. For anyone who lives in Queens, visits its neighborhoods, or remembers it from earlier times, this book is an unsurpassed treasure.