What Queens looked like in the 1940s through Stunning Vintage Photos

Queens in the 1940s wasn’t just a borough of New York City; it was a world of its own. Families spilled out of the crowded city, seeking space and fresh air in this collection of towns and villages. It was a place where corner stores knew your name and kids played stickball in the streets. Let’s take a walk through a typical day in 1940s Queens and see what life was like.

The smell of fresh bread from local bakeries like Ebinger’s and Cushman’s filled the air as families started their day. Dads, many of them veterans returning from World War II, headed off to work in the city, often in suits and fedoras. Moms, in their house dresses, prepared breakfast and got the kids ready for school.

Breakfast was simple but hearty. Think eggs, toast with butter and jam, maybe some bacon or sausage. Coffee for the adults, milk for the kids. The radio played news and popular tunes, keeping everyone company as they ate.

Neighborhood Life

Kids walked or biked to school, greeting friends along the way. Schools like Newtown High School and Jamaica High School were bustling with students eager to learn. After school, the streets came alive with games like stickball, hopscotch, and jump rope. Parks, like Flushing Meadows Corona Park (home to the 1939 World’s Fair), offered wide open spaces for running and playing.

Evenings and Entertainment

As evening approached, families gathered for dinner. Pot roast, meatloaf, and chicken were common meals, often accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables from local gardens. After dinner, families might listen to the radio, play board games, or read.

For entertainment, many headed to the local movie theaters. The Midway Theatre in Forest Hills and the Valencia Theatre in Jamaica were popular spots, showcasing the latest Hollywood films. Others enjoyed dancing at places like the Roseland Ballroom in Astoria.

Weekends were for family outings. Jones Beach, with its miles of sand and boardwalk, was a favorite destination for swimming and sunbathing. Others enjoyed picnicking in Flushing Meadows Corona Park or exploring the Queens Botanical Garden.

Sports were also a big part of life in Queens. The Brooklyn Dodgers, though not technically in Queens, were the local baseball team, and Ebbets Field was just a subway ride away. Horse racing enthusiasts flocked to Aqueduct Racetrack, placing bets and hoping for a big win.

The 1940s were a time of significant growth for Queens. The construction of the Long Island Expressway and other major roads made it easier for people to commute to the city and beyond. New housing developments, like Levittown, sprung up, offering affordable homes for returning veterans and their families.

#1 12th Street and North 27th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#2 82nd Street and 30th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#3 Hunters Point subway station, Queens, 1940s.

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#4 4th Street and 27th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#5 6th Avenue and 150th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#6 6th Avenue and 150th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#7 6th Road and 151st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#8 6th Road and 152nd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#9 14th Avenue and 118th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#10 14th Avenue and 121st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#11 14th Avenue and 147th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#12 20th Avenue and 124th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#13 1st Street and Astoria Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#14 1st Street and Astoria Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#15 75th Place and Formanville Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#16 80th Street and 37th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#17 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#18 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#19 86th Street and Liberty Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#20 87th Road and 80th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#21 88th Avenue and Ransom Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#22 88th Street and Liberty Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#23 89th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#24 90th Avenue and 161st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#25 90th Street and 48th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#26 91st Avenue and 168th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#27 93rd Avenue and 172nd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#28 93rd Avenue and 173rd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#29 94th Street and 32nd Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#30 99th Street and 41st Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#31 101st Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#32 101st Street and Liberty Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#33 101st Avenue and West End Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#34 104th Street and 41st Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#35 109th Road and 191st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#36 111th Street and Corona Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#37 111th Street and 46th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#38 111th Street and 51st Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#39 111th Street and 53rd Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#40 111th Street and 55th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#41 111th Street and 54th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#42 111th Street and 56th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#43 122nd Street and 20th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#44 122nd Street and 21st Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#45 124th Street and 21st Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#46 West Drive and Alston Place, Queens, 1940s.

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#47 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#48 131st Street and Hillside Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#49 144th Avenue and 184th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#50 Astoria Boulevard and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#51 Broadway and St. James Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#52 Broadway and Victor Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#53 Broadway and Elmhurst Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#54 Broadway and 74th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#55 Broadway and 75th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#56 Corona Avenue and 108th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#57 Corona Avenue and 111th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#58 Douglaston, Queens, 1940s.

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#59 Douglaston Parkway and 42nd Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#60 Dry Harbor Road and Penelope Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#61 Dry Harbor Road and Penelope Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#62 21st Street and 40th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#63 21st Street and 45th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#64 21st Street and 46th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#65 21st Street and 24th Drive, Queens, 1940s.

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#66 21st Street and 46th Road, Queens, 1940s.

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#67 22nd Street and Bridge Plaza North, Queens, 1940s.

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#68 23rd Avenue and 125th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#69 24th Avenue and 24th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#70 24th Drive and 19th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#71 29th Street and 40th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#72 30th Street and 40th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#73 34th Avenue and 72nd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#74 38th Avenue and 34th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#75 41st Street and 19th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#76 43rd Street and 21st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#77 43rd Avenue and 114th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#78 47th Avenue and 45th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#79 47th Street and Broadway, Queens, 1940s.

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#80 48th Avenue and 111th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#81 48th Street and Laurel Hill Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#82 49th Avenue and 21st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#83 52nd Street and Queens Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#84 61st Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#85 Fort Totten, Queens, 1940s.

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#86 Fort Totten, Queens, 1940s.

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#87 Gettysburg Street and Braddock Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#88 Grand Central Parkway and Union Turnpike, Queens, 1940s.

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#89 Grand Central Parkway and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#90 Grand Central Parkway and 48th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#91 Greenpoint Avenue and Gale Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#92 Greenpoint Avenue and Review Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#93 Hillside Avenue and 144th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#94 Hillside Avenue and 153rd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#95 Hillside Avenue and 161st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#96 Horace Harding Boulevard and Colonial Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#97 Horace Harding Boulevard and 136th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#98 Hoyt Avenue and 23rd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#99 Hoyt Avenue and 23rd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#100 Hoyt Avenue and 23rd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#101 Hoyt Avenue and 24th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#102 Hoyt Avenue and 27th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#103 Hunter Street and 28th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#104 Hoyt Avenue and 29th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#105 Hoyt Avenue and 29th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#106 Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#107 Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#108 Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#109 Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#110 Hoyt Avenue and 29th Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#111 Hoyt Avenue and 31st Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#112 Jamaica Avenue and New York Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#113 Jamaica Avenue and New York Boulevard, Queens, 1940s.

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#114 Northern Boulevard and Main Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#115 Queens Boulevard and 55th Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#116 Queens Boulevard and 52nd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#117 Queens Boulevard and 52nd Street, Queens, 1940s.

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#118 Court House Square station, Queens, 1940s.

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#119 Woodside station, Queens, 1940s.

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#120 New York World’s Fair, 1940s.

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#121 41-65 Main Street and Sanford Avenue, Queens, 1940s.

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#122 Buses, taxis, and cars outside the main building of LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York City, 1940s.

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#123 Department of Sanitation trucks with plows kept the roads clear near Kew Gardens in Queens, New York City after a blizzard, 1948.

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#124 Corner of Roosevelt Avenue and Janet Place, including the Flushing River and Conduit Concrete Company, Queens, 1949.

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