Little Guyana in Queens: How Richmond Hill Became a Home Away From Home
Explore Little Guyana in Richmond Hill, Queens: Liberty Avenue, Guyanese businesses, faith institutions, food and the diaspora community that made it home.
For many Guyanese arriving in New York, Queens became the place where “back home” learned how to live in another city.
Quick answer: Little Guyana refers to the Guyanese commercial and cultural community centered around Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill and South Richmond Hill, Queens. New York City officially co-named a stretch of Liberty Avenue “Little Guyana Avenue” in 2021 to recognize the community's contributions.
Where is Little Guyana?
New York City legislation designates Liberty Avenue between the Van Wyck Expressway and Woodhaven Boulevard as Little Guyana Avenue.
The wider Guyanese community extends through Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park, with businesses, houses of worship, restaurants, groceries and family networks spread beyond any one street.
Why Queens became such an important Guyanese hub
Migration from Guyana to New York grew over decades as families established social networks and new arrivals joined relatives already living in Queens.
The result is a diaspora neighborhood where Guyanese food, language, religion, music and business are part of everyday street life.
Liberty Avenue as a cultural corridor
Along and around Liberty Avenue, shoppers can find Caribbean groceries, roti shops, bakeries, jewelry stores, clothing businesses, travel services and other companies serving Guyanese and Indo-Caribbean customers.
For someone newly arrived from Guyana, the concentration of familiar food and people can make a huge city feel smaller.
More than an Indo-Guyanese neighborhood
Little Guyana is often visually associated with Indo-Caribbean culture because of the concentration of Hindu and Muslim institutions and businesses in the area.
But New York's Guyanese population includes Afro-Guyanese, mixed-race families and people from every part of Guyana's cultural landscape.
The neighborhood is best understood as a Guyanese diaspora hub rather than a single ethnic enclave.
Religion and community institutions
Mandirs, masjids and churches are important parts of the community.
In 2025, New York City co-named the intersection of 127th Street and Liberty Avenue “Masjid Al Abidin Way,” recognizing a masjid founded in Richmond Hill in 1977 by Muslim immigrants from Guyana and the Caribbean.
These institutions do more than host worship. They often provide cultural education, family support and community networks.
The city formally recognized Little Guyana
The New York City Council enacted the Little Guyana Avenue co-naming in January 2021.
In 2024, “Welcome to Little Guyana” plaques were also unveiled at the Lefferts Boulevard A train station, giving the identity another visible marker in public space.
Why Little Guyana matters
Diaspora neighborhoods help culture survive through repetition.
You can buy familiar ingredients, hear Creolese, attend cultural events, find Guyanese newspapers, send a barrel, eat a pine tart and run into somebody who knows somebody from your village—all without leaving Queens.
That makes Little Guyana a living example of what we explore in How to Stay Connected to Guyanese Culture When You Live Abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Little Guyana in New York?
It is centered around Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill and South Richmond Hill, Queens.
Is Little Guyana an official neighborhood name?
It is a widely used community name, and New York City officially co-named part of Liberty Avenue “Little Guyana Avenue” in 2021.
What streets make up Little Guyana Avenue?
The official co-naming applies to Liberty Avenue between the Van Wyck Expressway and Woodhaven Boulevard.
Why are there so many Guyanese people in Queens?
Decades of migration and family networks created one of the world's largest concentrations of Guyanese outside Guyana.
Sources & further reading: New York City Council — Little Guyana Avenue legislation; Queens Community Board 9 — Richmond Hill; NYC Council — Welcome to Little Guyana plaques; NYC Council — Masjid Al Abidin Way.
Photo credit: Kidfly182, “Little Guyana Avenue Street Sign,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Source file.
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