By: Hal C Clarke

A $100,000 marketing blitz is underway to reimagine Jamaica, Queens as a trendy destination – and it’s kicking off with a new name: DJQ, short for Downtown Jamaica, Queens, the New York Post reported.

The rebrand spans more than three dozen blocks along Jamaica Avenue, from Sutphin Boulevard to 169 th Street. It comes just ahead of a sweeping rezoning plan that city officials believe will dramatically reshape the neighborhood – bringing thousands of new homes, updated infrastructure, vibrant businesses, and public amenities to what’s long been viewed primarily as a busy commuter hub.

“Jamaica has always been a commercial center, but now it’s about showing people this is a place to shop, eat, and explore,” said Whitney Barrat, president of the Downtown Jamaica Partnership, which is spearheading the branding campaign. “It’s easier to build excitement around a name that’s catchy and memorable,” she told the NY Post.

The initiative hopes to “reframe perceptions of Jamaica from pass-through to destination,” by promoting small businesses, boosting public safety, and adding family-friendly activities throughout the corridor, the Post reported.

According to city documents, the Jamaica Area Rezoning Plan – which goes before the City Planning Commission next month – could add up to 12,000 new housing units, including 4,000 permanently affordable homes, while creating an estimated 7,000 new jobs across industries like tech, hospitality, and light manufacturing.

To support the transformation, the city has committed to infrastructure upgrades, including a new one-acre Station Plaza park outside Sutphin Boulevard station and $70 million in street improvements beginning in 2026.

The effort comes amid an already shifting landscape. Barrat told the NY Post that Jamaica experienced a 13% population increase between 2010 and 2020, nearly double the citywide rate, and high-rise apartment developments have been rising ever since. National brands like Shake Shack, Chipotle, and Raising Cane’s have opened up shop, joining smaller local newcomers like bakeries, barber shops, and ice cream parlors.

Still, community leaders say the area lacks nightlife and 24/7 dining options that would help support the growing residential base. “We want people to come here to experience the neighborhood – not just pass through,” said Business Improvement District board member Sari Kulka. She hopes to attract bookstores, co-working spaces, restaurants, and breweries with the new DJQ identity.

But challenges remain. The BID is seeking city funds to hire public safety “ambassadors” to support NYPD efforts, keep an eye on quality-of-life issues like fighting and illegal vending, and provide a sense of security amid the rapid change.

And not everyone has benefited from previous city efforts. Longtime Jamaica Avenue restaurateur Elena Barcenes said the city’s 2021 busway redesign – which eliminated valuable parking – decimated her business. “I would probably say 75% of my customers are gone now,” she told the NY Post. She supports the rezoning plan, though, and hopes to grow her restaurant through catering and nightlife as younger residents arrive.

City planners also aim to rework local traffic patterns to prioritize cyclists, seniors, and people with disabilities, as part of the broader effort to ease the borough’s housing crisis and make Jamaica more livable.

For some residents, the overhaul can’t come soon enough. “It’s a positive thing,” said Fabiola Cyriaque, a 23-year-old Bronx native who’s been living in a Jamaica shelter since March. “I’m excited.”