Gorja

126-17 Merrick Boulevard is a single-story brick commercial unit located in Jamaica, Queens. Constructed in 1937, it is the easternmost of six matching storefront units belonging to the same building, collectively known as 126-07 Merrick Boulevard. The entire complex is rectangular in shape with a flat roof.  Each unit faces the street with a large, plate-glass frontage that occupies approximately 2/3 of the full height of the building. On each unit, the storefront is topped with an awning, above which is a flat space utilized to advertise the business name. Each unit is much deeper than it is wide, extending back onto the lot.  

Gorja was a beauty parlor in Jamaica, Queens. It appeared in the 1954 and 1955 editions of the Green Book. It occupied a unit in a complex composed of six matching storefronts. Although the building still stands today, no record of the business which once occupied it has been found. 

 

Jamaica has long been one of the most culturally significant neighborhoods in Queens. Now one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, Jamaica was a majority white neighborhood until the 1950s. Suburbanization outside of the city and perceived unrest within it encouraged middle-class white families to sell their properties in Jamaica. Middle-class Black families filled the vacancy, in turn encouraging more white flight. This process continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 

 

Gorja’s mid-50s listing in the Green Book suggests that it operated during the early stages of white flight from Queens. It is not hard to imagine why black patrons might want to seek a safe space to do business during times of racial tension and neighborhood transition.  

 

Today, 126-17 Merrick Blvd is occupied by Lorna’s Take Out, a seafood restaurant that has rented the property since at least 2012. The building complex has been owned by Sojitra Realty since 1991.