“Why isn’t there a word to describe Queens residents?” was the question for FYI’s Michael Pollak of the New York Times. He, in turn, went right to the authority on Queens, Claudia Gryvatz Copquin, author of recently released The Neighborhoods of Queens. Here’s the full answer given by Pollak and Copquin:

A. Well, there is one, as awkward as it may sound: Queensites. Though rarely spoken, it shows up in Queens newspapers from time to time, said Claudia Gryvatz Copquin, author of a new book, “The Neighborhoods of Queens” (Yale University Press).

The lack of a common identifying word may be related to the borough’s fragmented nature, Ms. Copquin said in an e-mail message. “Residents of Queens identify more with their particular neighborhoods than with the borough itself,” she said.

For example, she said, many residents use their neighborhoods in their mailing addresses: Instead of Queens, their mail is sent to Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing and so forth.

To read the other questions for FYI, click here. And for more information about Queens, check out the The Neighborhoods of Queens.

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