Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
In The 1960s, One Queens Resident Refused To Sell Land To Macy's
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 6, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 6, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Sendek's house in 1965 (via LIFE)
Here's a story about how one Queens resident held out from selling her plot of land to Macy's when they wanted to build a store in the borough in the mid-1960s. Places No More tells Mary Sendek's story pretty comprehensively, noting that she was the only resident who refused the company's offer, and lived in her home on Queens Boulevard until her death.
"The story of Mrs. Sendek and her refusal to sell may have made her a local hero at the time, but up until 1965 there was really nothing unusual about her and her family. Mary and her husband Joseph were Hungarian immigrants, both families having come over around 1898. The Sendeks bought the small house on Queens Boulevard in 1922 for $4,000.
Macy’s set its sights on the Elmhust plot between 55th and 56th avenues for a new store in the early 1960′s. It was large, open, and had fairly few houses on it. It was centrally located, just a couple blocks west of Woodhaven Boulevard."
While Macy's moved forward with their planning, they ran into an obstacle when Sendek refused to sell, despite their offer of $200,000. They made adjustments to their circular design to work around her plot, and when Sendek died in 1980, "her children then sold the house to Diplomat Enterprises who elected to destroy it and put a strip mall in its place." Those ungrateful little...!
The intersection where Sendek's house once stood (via Google Maps)
In 1996 Macy’s ended up moving over to a new spot down the street, and their old building is now Queens Place, while an HSBC Bank was built on Sendek's land—Forgotten-NY visited the area a few years ago.
Tagged
flashback
history
macy's
mary sendek
queens boulevard
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Published Oct 2, 2026
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
There is now an (un)official verification process for those who can claim the title of city resident.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
At the Museum at FIT, an argument for dolls as the ultimate fashion influencers
By
Quinn Moreland
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .