1. Flushing
2. Jamaica
3. Jackson Heights
4. Astoria/Long Island City
5. Forest Hills
6. Kew Gardens
7. Richmond Hill
8. Bayside
9. Maspeth
10. College Point

Source: Surveyed by the Queens Tribune

Top 10 Busiest Airlines

It’s hard to say which is the safest, serves the best in-flight meals or is least likely to lose your luggage, but in terms of the sheer volume of passengers from month to month, these are the busiest airlines flying out of LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports this summer.

1. American Airlines - 12.2 million
2. Jet Blue Airways - 8.1 million
3. Delta Air Lines - 5.4 million
4. Delta Song Air Line - 2.9 million
5. United Airlines - 2.7 million
6. U.S. Airways - 2.5 million
7. Northwest Airlines - 1.4 million
8. Delta Shuttle - 1.33 million
9. British Airways - 1.3 million
10. Spirit Airlines - 1.05 million

Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Largest Industries By Number Of Employees

Health care and social assistance is by far the most popular field of work in Queens, with transportation and warehousing next in line but only half as popular.

1. Health Care & Social Assistance (91,375 employees)
2. Transportation & Warehousing (52,256 employees)
3. Retail (48,931 employees)
4. Construction (40,967 employees)
5. Manufacturing (35,816 employees)
6. Government (33,867 employees)
7. Accommodation & Food Services (28,722 employees)
8. Wholesale Trade (23,443 employees)
9. Administrative Support Services & Waste Management (23,022 employees)
10. Other Non-Government Services (19,972 employees)

Source: New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson

Fastest Growing Businesses

Citibank continues to grow and expand in Long Island City. Recently, the company announced the development of another major building, as depicted above.

The following businesses have demonstrated not only a growth in capital and presence in the community, but also innovation, erseverance and drive. Although there is no organization that monitors the speed of growth of businesses in Queens, this unique combination of traits led the Tribune to choose these businesses for this category.

1. Crystal Window & Door
Systems
2. Jetblue Airways
3. Citibank
4. Queens Center Mall (Macerich Co.)
5. Fresh Direct, Inc.
6. Steve Madden, LTD
7. Silver Cup Studios
8. Commerce Bank
9. North Fork Bank
10. We The People Legal Services, Inc.
Compiled by the Queens Tribune

Busiest Restaurants

As the most ethnically-diverse borough in New York, Queens has some of the most interesting dining in the city. It also has some of the most crowded. Whether it is Chinese, Indian, Greek or Irish, you might want to make sure you call in advance before you attempt to sample Queens’ foods of the world.

Bombay Harbour Restaurant in Jackson Heights is one of the busiest restaurants in all of Queens.

1. Sripraphai (Thai) in Woodside
2. Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant (Chinese) in Elmhurst
3. Dumpling House (Chinese) in Flushing
4. Piccola Venezia (Italian) in Astoria
5. Elias Corner (Greek) in Astoria
6. Karyatis (Greek) in Astoria
7. Cooking With Jazz (Cajun) in Whitestone
8. Bombay Harbour (Indian) in Jackson Heights
9. Outback Steakhouse in Bayside
10. Donovan’s (Irish) in Bayside

Compiled by the Queens Tribune

Largest Private Companies By Revenue

Although it is Manhattan that is known for its behemoth corporations and companies, Queens has its own share of large companies. LeFrak Organization, which owns and operates the Lefrak Housing developments, is the largest private company in all of Queens.

Lefrak City, owned and operated by Lefrak Organization, is the largest private company in Queens.

1. Lefrak Organization
2. Kinray
3. Charmer Industries
4. National Envelope
5. Pepsi Bottling of New York
6. Jetro
7. Western Beef
8. Leviton Manufacturing
9. Tully Construction
10. E. Gluck Corporation

Source: Queens Borough President’s Office, all data for 2002 revenue

Top Ten Highest Paying Jobs

David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airways, collected $327,279 in 2002 in total compensation including stock option grants, according to the AFL-CIO. While that may seem quite high for anyone not considering a penthouse at the Citylights building, it’s below the nation’s average. According to data from the Human Resources department at Salary.com, the median base salary for a CEO is $545,268, with half of the country’s CEOs making between $419,074 and $730,029.

For those not on the corporate ladder yet, there are plenty of high-paying choices. A majority of the top ten salaried positions are, unsurprisingly, in oil, construction, and finance. But performing arts jobs are number four, while transportation jobs are a comfortable six. Maybe there is something to boys wanting to be pilots and girls wanting to be ballerinas?

1. $111,945 in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing.

2. $76,318 in the Utilities industry.

3. $76,081 in Financial Investment and Related Activity sector.

4. $69,174 in Performing Arts and Spectator Sports.

5. $67,943 in Credit Intermediation and Related Activity.

6. $63,222 in Air Transportation.

7. $63,072 in Telecommunications.

8. $61,351 in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction.

9. $61,214 in Insurance Carriers and Related Activity.

10. $59,430 in Management of Companies and Enterprises

Source: NY State Department of Labor

Largest Public Companies

JetBlue is one of many publicly traded companies with headquarters in Queens.

More and more public companies are making their way out of Manhattan and into Queens. The easy accessibility of Queens and the closeness to Manhattan, along with the cheaper real estate, has long been luring businesses here. The following public businesses are among the largest in Queens.

1. Standard Motor Products
2. JetBlue
3. Major Automotive
4. Steve Madden
5. Bulova
6. KSW Inc.
7. Schick Technologies
8. Nesco Industries

Source: Queens Economic Development Corporation/Newsday