After World War II, the majority of the neighborhood's residents were mostly Italian, German, Irish and of other European ancestries.

[7] Another theory is that real estate developer Thomas Waite Howard, who became the first postmaster in 1872,[8] petitioned to have the post office name changed to Corona in 1870, suggesting that it was the "crown of Queens County".

The majority Hispanic community now consists of Dominicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Bolivians, Peruvians, Mexicans, Venezuelans, and Chileans.

[citation needed] Dorie Miller Residential Cooperative, built in 1952, comprises six buildings, containing 300 apartments, with 1,300 rooms in total.

[12] Among its original residents were jazz greats Nat Adderley & Jimmy Heath; Kenneth and Corien Drew, publishers of Queens' first African-American newspaper, The Corona East Elmhurst News, Thelma E. Harris founder of Aburi Press and prominent Queens Judge Henry A.

[14][15][16] The shop attracts international tourists due to having been featured in the opening credits of the TV show The King of Queens.

In the latter half of the 20th century, the area that is now Corona Plaza was a lot that connected the street to a row of mainly immigrant-owned businesses.

The neighborhood of Corona had an overflow of immigrants who struggled to find employment which exacerbated illegal trading, much of which would occur through the use of trucks that could park in this unofficial lot.

[25] In 2005, the nearby Queens Museum began applying for permits to temporarily close off the streets that allowed vehicle access to the plaza and hosted public events (typically art based) that the residents of the community could attend.

The two groups' individual intentions both contributed to the creation of the permanent plaza: the QEDC supports developing local businesses while the Queens Museum creates a stronger presence in the neighborhood for its arts programs,[25] The space was first transformed in 2012 as a temporary plaza with chairs and tables that prohibited through traffic.

It was later made permanent by the Department of Design and Construction, which filled in the lot with concrete, added built-in seating and a performance space, new pedestrian lighting, and plants to reinforce the liveliness.

Later added was a drinking fountain, WalkNYC wayfinding signs, bike racks to serve commuters, an automatic pay toilet, and more furniture.

[27] Maintenance and technical assistance (including daily cleaning) services for the plaza are funded by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT),[28] which has also partnered with the Queens Museum to bring programming to the newly transformed space.

[31] Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Corona south of Roosevelt Avenue was 57,658, a change of 5,576 (9.7%) from the 52,082 counted in 2000.

[35] In 2018, an estimated 27% of Corona and Elmhurst 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], Corona and Elmhurst are considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

[38][37] Corona is patrolled by the 110th and 115th Precincts of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), located at 94-41 43rd Avenue and 92-15 Northern Boulevard, respectively.

[32]: 14 The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Corona and Elmhurst is 0.0077 milligrams per cubic metre (7.7×10−9 oz/cu ft), slightly higher than the city average.

Antioch Baptist Church at 103rd Street and Northern Boulevard is a prominent African American congregation dating to 1936 with a membership of 700.

[52] In North Corona there is Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church at 104th Street and 37th Avenue was built in 1899 largely out of red brick with a nearby convent of the same period.

[57] Corona and Elmhurst's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City.

[33]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [32]: 6  Additionally, 81% of high school students in Corona and Elmhurst graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.

The Black Heritage Reference Center of Queens County includes books, periodicals, theses and dissertations, VHS videos, cassettes and CDs, photographs, posters, prints, paintings, and sculpture.

Special features of the Center include:[69] The New York City Subway's IRT Flushing Line (7 and <7>​ trains) runs through the neighborhood with stops at Mets–Willets Point, 111th Street, 103rd Street–Corona Plaza, and Junction Boulevard.