The Queens Name Explorer project is an interactive digital map of places in the borough of Queens - streets, schools, parks and other public spaces - named after individuals who made a difference, locally or nationally. Visit the map at queenslib.org/explore to see the hundreds of named places in Queens!
Contribute to the Map
The Name Explorer team is seeking more information about the lives and personalities of those whose names grace Queens’ public places. In many cases, we have mined public datasets for basic biographical facts about the people noted on the map, but we’re missing many details - in some cases facts and remembrances only people who knew them, or knew of them, can contribute.
We’d love to be able to tell future generations what made these stand-out individuals. And since many of those honored with place names have surviving family members, friends, colleagues, and neighbors, we’re asking anyone who can, to share memories of how they contributed to the lives of others, what motivated them, what made them laugh, and any other informative details.
That way, when our children and grandchildren look up at a street sign, they will remember the storied lives of individuals honored by their communities.
If you have a photo or memory of someone with a named place in Queens, please visit the Queens Name Explorer map and click the “Add/Edit” button in the top right corner of the page to share what you know!
More about Queens Name Explorer:
Major funding for the Queens Name Explorer was provided by the Mellon Foundation. It was developed in 2022 by the Queens Memory Project with its technology partner, Urban Archive. This initiative is ongoing; the team hopes to gather photos and memories about the hundreds of people honored with place names in Queens. As more complete information is available, the team will publish compelling stories and a demographic analysis of the people honored in our neighborhoods. To see the outlines of neighborhoods and districts in Queens, click the stacks icon in the lower right corner of the Name Explorer map.
