By LIZ GOFF

When the Queens-borough Bridge opened in 1909, the pace of development heightened. The first subway trains arrived from Grand Central Terminal on Jan. 28, 1928, bringing Flushing closer to Manhattan.

Flushing grew during the war years into a city of its own, and industry came to the area. Still, the post-World War II suburban boom lured Flushing residents to Long Island and beyond. But the area was revived when a steady flow of Asian immigrants moved into the area.

Today, Flushing is among the largest communities in New York City, in both population and size.

It’s the home of the Queens Botanical Gardens, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and Queens’ Boys of Summer – the New York Mets.

By the 1920s, the intersection of Pierce and Sixth in Astoria (now 35th Avenue and 35th Street) was the film capital of the east. The Famous Lasky Players Studio (now Kaufman Astoria Studios) has, for decades, stood as the most "magnificent" motion picture-making facility from London to Hollywood. It’s all history now – Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and W.C. Fields left their mark on motion pictures at Astoria.

Sam Roberts (left), president of the Council of Motion Picture Association and George Delis (right), district manager of Community Board 1.

Such recent hits as "The Wiz," "The Cotton Club," "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "The Verdict" were made at the Kaufman Studios.

Today, Astoria is the home of the "Cos." Bert, Ernie and Big Bird hang their hats here – just three blocks from an apartment on Broadway and 37th Street where, in 1938 Chester Carlson made the first photocopy.

Yes, it was in Carlson’s second-floor kitchen at 32-05 37th St. that he set up the first photocopier. He rubbed a handkerchief, then duplicated the image on contact with a piece of paper. The first message read "10-32-38 Astoria." Success evaded Carlson, though, until 1950, when Xerox took his process and invented the first copier.

Carlson became a millionaire, overnight.