QUEENS BY THE NUMBERS: A guide to the Borough by zip codes Cliff JacobsTHE 11356 Whenever I find myself in College Point, I get a wonderful feeling of nostalgia. It seems like it was not long ago that horse and buggy were the means of transportation on these cobblestone byways. There’s something “Old World” about College Point, a community located just North of Flushing Bay and bounded by Willets Point Boulevard, Flushing and Whitestone. Early on College Point was settled by Irish and German immigrants. The neighborhood itself was named after St. Paul’s College, a seminary that was founded in 1835 by the Reverend Augustus Muhlenberg. Although the college was closed fifteen years later, the name remained and the area was forever known as College Point.A particular characteristic of College Point is its partly residential and partly industrial landscape. This may be due in part to one Conrad Poppenhusen who’s name graces a College Point landmark: The Poppenhusen Institute. Conrad Poppenhusen was German immigrant who, as an industrialist, had some pretty progressive social ideas for his time. Poppenhusen was an employer who cared about his employees. He provided them with affordable housing that they could either rent or purchase. He is also credited with creating the first free kindergarten in America for his employees and other residents of the community.Perhaps one of the saddest casualties of urban renewal was the demolishing of the famous Flessel’s Restaurant. Built during the 1870’s the building that housed Flessel’s was at various times a hotel, bar and restaurant. The bar at Flessel’s was known for its intricate carving with it’s railing made of solid onyx. The restaurant was closed for good in 1997 and the building was demolished a year later. The structure should have been given landmark status but was somehow overlooked. I was fortunate to have dined there on one occasion and the food was delicious made more so by the company I was with. You see that’s the thing about College Point; it may not have as many attractions as other neighborhoods in Queens but it has a quaintness that brings fond memories to the surface.  Visit: http://www.poppenhuseninstitute.org/ for information about neighborhood events.