Rosedale was originally conceived in the consolidation of the borough of Queens as a part of what is now Springfield Gardens.

During the mid-1970s, African American and Caribbean families started moving into what had been a mostly Irish, Italian, and Jewish community.

[7] In 1976, Bill Moyers presented a documentary titled Rosedale: The Way It Is, which addressed the racial tensions in the community.

Rosedale is bordered to the north by Cambria Heights, to the east by Valley Stream and North Woodmere (both in Nassau County), to the west by Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, and John F. Kennedy International Airport, and to the south by Inwood and Lawrence in Nassau County.

[10] It is at the eastern edge of New York City, at its border with Valley Stream forming part of the boundary between Queens and Nassau County.

The area is served by the 11422 ZIP Code, which also covers the rest of Rosedale and parts of Kennedy Airport.

[12][13] Warnerville is surrounded on three sides by Jamaica Bay just to the southeast of John F. Kennedy International Airport and comprises just three streets, bordered by Rockaway Boulevard on the east.

[14] Meadowmere is surrounded by Nassau County and comprises just four streets and six blocks, bordered on the west by Hook Creek and on the east by Rockaway Boulevard.