Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, with the intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue at its core being the third-busiest in New York City, behind Times Square and Herald Square.
Flushing was established as a settlement of New Netherland on October 10, 1645, on the eastern bank of Flushing Creek. It was named Vlissingen, after the Dutch city of Vlissingen. The English took control of New Amsterdam in 1664, and when Queens County was established in 1683, the Town of Flushing was one of the original five towns of Queens. In 1898, Flushing was consolidated into the City of Greater New York. Development came in the early 20th century with the construction of bridges and public transportation. A significant immigrant population, composed mostly of Chinese, Indians, and Koreans, settled in Flushing in the late 20th century and early 21st century, leading to the neighborhood hosting the original Queens Chinatown and being revered as a cultural melting pot.
