Bay Terrace overlooks the East River and the approaches to the Throgs Neck Bridge from the Clearview Expressway and Cross Island Parkway.

[4] In 1639, Dutch Governor Willem Kieft (1597–1647) purchased the land that today encompasses Queens County from the Matinecock.

William Lawrence (1622–1680), who served as a magistrate under Dutch and English administrations, was granted a parcel of land by King Charles II in 1645 that included a large portion of what is today Bayside, in addition to College Point, Whitestone, and Fort Totten.

Bayside began its course of development from an agricultural community to a suburb when the North Shore Railroad was extended in 1866.

The gated estate community of the "Bayside Gables" is also located within the Bay Terrace neighborhood, being the site of some of the only single family homes in the area.

The study found that a median needed to be constructed along the length of 212th Street, with increased access to the Cross Island Parkway near the Baybridge Commons Shopping Center and reconstruction of the existing entrance and exit ramps.

[8] For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Bay Terrace as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Fort Totten–Bay Terrace–Clearview.

[14] In 2018, an estimated 25% of Community Board 7 residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City.

Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Community Board 7 is considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

[11]: 14 The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Community District 7 is 0.0073 milligrams per cubic metre (7.3×10−9 oz/cu ft), less than the city average.

[11]: 12 Ninety-five percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%.

[26] Community District 7 generally has a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018[update].

[27] Community District 7's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City.

[12]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [11]: 6  Additionally, 86% of high school students in Community District 7 graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.