Welcome to News in Jamaica, Queens
For the community
Hi. My name is Keldy Ortiz and I’m a writer from Queens, New York.
This newsletter is started in part because the neighborhood I live in, Jamaica, Queens, is a news desert. When things get covered in the community, the focus, at times, is violence.
I'll be writing a monthly (might be sooner) newsletter about housing, health care and personal finance for and about the community. These subjects are of importance because each one has impacted this area, which like me, is Black.
Some tidbits about the topics:
Health care: In 2009, Mary Immaculate Hospital shutdown, leaving Jamaica Hospital as the only one in south Queens. Jamaica, a private hospital, where patients are brought to when they’re at a risk of death. Growing up, I lived down the block from Mary Immaculate and often went there for emergencies.
Housing: After moving away, I was worried to move back and be considered a gentrifier. I realized if I didn't move here, someone who didn't look like me would. To be frank, apartments are not affordable here as starting prices for a one-bedroom start at nearly $3,000 while homes in Jamaica are among the most active foreclosures in New York City.
Personal finance: I want to share my perspective and others regarding money. Personally, I learned from family members because they wanted me to not make wrong moves with money. I've made some wrong moves, some that have financially hurt and helped me.
Why write this? I first lived in the area from 1987 until 1995 when my family moved to eastern Queens towards the Long Island border. While I was young, I saw the changes slowly happening including a courthouse opening up.
Keldy who? I’ve written for publications including the New York Daily News, Newsday and most recently Axios. I cover a lot of things from streets getting renaming to court hearings to inequality. Outside of writing, I’ve been running quite a bit since 2022 as a way to stay healthy and have ran a few marathons.
One last thing…
If you remember this place below, what’s your favorite memory here? Leave a note in the comments. For me, it was buying sneakers before they came officially were released.
I want to make this newsletter interactive so if there's something of interest you want covered, send me an email to keldyortiz@gmail.com. Share the newsletter with friends.
Keldy, I appreciate your starting this newsletter about the neighborhood you grew up in and have returned to as an adult. With your job as a writer covering local news and inequality, you are uniquely well-suited for shedding light on often overlooked topics in Jamaica, Queens. I look forward to reading – thank you!