Queens Borough Hall

Queens Boro Hall is the city offices for a bunch of different services. Most notably Jury Duty and Marriage Licenses.
There are different entrances depending on why you are there.
I was there for a Homeowner’s night that they host once a week, from 4 pm to 7 pm. You have to go thru metal detectors and then are directed to a desk where you explain why you are there and then directed to the appropriate person. Ours was a plumbing issue and we were able to speak to a Department of Buildings directly about our questions. He was very patient and gave us very specific answers to our concerns. This is a great public service to provide for free. If you are a homeowner and have concerns or questions on what is legal and what you are required to do by law, you should try this out.

I had the MOST BUT experience at Queens Borough Hall. The people who work there are SO UNFRIENDLY. I went there, because my Best friend was going to get married, The security people UNFRIENDLY, Then The people who work THERE (a women), was screaming at me, because I cut not understand how to fill up the paperwork, she say DO NOT DO A MISTAKE BECAUSE MY Boss GET ANGRY, —- REALLY — – Sorry But that is NOT my problem…

NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE AT ALL…
I will NOT recommend This Place… If You want to get Married go to (Manhattan Office, 141 Worth Street New York, NY 10 013) They have SO MUCH EDUCATION THERE. and they are friendly, Different type of people there,
It is a very important day on your life, please go to a place where They treat you with respect.

First time jury duty in Queens — kill me now! Yeah, it’s our duty, blah, blah, blah, but no one likes sitting and waiting around for hours. Even worse when you’re ALL actually called into the courtroom. I was used to jury duty where you all sit in the central room, where it’s a lot more comfortable, and they call in small groups at a time. But there were so few of us that day that everyone was stuck going in.
Central jury room — super close to the train, via the E or F line. You don’t go through the main entrance, but around the corner. Big waiting room, with cushy, comfortable chairs, computer stations, and two tables to sit at, have TVs that play movies, but we didn’t get to watch much of anything since we were all headed out shortly after announcements. Bathrooms were easy to get to, had multiple stalls, very clean, plenty of soap and paper towels.
Staff is helpful — gave instructions on how to fill out certain paperwork, give them our jury duty summons, answered all our questions individually. Friendly enough too, made some jokes, smiles… although I could have sworn one guy at the front desk almost had a smug, mocking smile on his face, as if to say «Haha, you’re stuck here doing jury duty!» OK, maybe that was all in my imagination… or was it?
An officer gave us general instructions, but led us out the central jury room to the criminal court further down on Queens Blvd. Security in both buildings were quick and easy — keys and cellphone or other electronics or metal in a small bin. Bags go through the machine. If you have a laptop, must take it out, etc. Sometimes they scan you with the wand, but not always.
Felt like we did a lot of traveling and waiting around as a group: first we went to the third floor, and waited around, used the bathrooms. Took about 3 – 4 elevator trips. Then it was time to go to the fourth floor to courtroom K-​10, and again it was several tips on the elevator. Wait some more, then file into the room, take our seats, and pray our names aren’t called. There were introductions of the lawyer, description of the defendant/​case, and then the Judge would explain things like reasonable doubt, innocent until guilty, etc.
They called the first 16 people, and then the judge would ask more questions, regarding language, any issues being biased, religious conflicts, scheduling conflicts. So many people had excuses, and after awhile they all sounded the same. At some point, i swear people were faking their ability to understand English, because one older Chinese man was able to answer all questions and articulate himself well, but just had an accent! And he got dismissed. Two girls had the exact same story — coincidentally, I saw them talking with one another during the lunch break — both their fathers and brothers were cops. Then there were people who were religious and didn’t feel comfortable making judgments. Suuuuree… we all make judgments on people every day… but when it comes to sitting in jury duty, nope, suddenly they can’t. Blah blah.
1.5 hours of the same line of questioning each time someone new was put in the seat. Lunch break a little early (12:30−2:15). Another 3 hours of the same questioning, then individual questioning, then the lawyer and prosecutor talking to the jurors. Honestly, even the judge was getting antsy, looking at the clock. The other workers in the room were slouching in their chair, their eyes closed. The whole day dragged. It was 5:30 by the time we were finally able to leave.
There was a blond female officer who seemed a little unprofessional. During the questioning, she kept talking, whispering, and giggling with a fellow male officer. Obviously they knew each other, but it wasn’t a time to be social. And yeah, it kind of pissed me off that every juror was sitting on uncomfortable, hard benches that made our backs ache, but she was having a grand old time with her «buddy».
Overall, everyone was friendly. The judge would crack some jokes here and there. He seemed fair. Didn’t talk with an attitude. Came up to us at the end, dismissed us. The cop/​guard who collected our jury duty tickets said we would get a certificate in the mail, and was nice, joking around that we didn’t need to come back Friday, but if we did or wanted to, we wouldn’t get paid for it.
Jury duty is everyone’s least favorite thing to do, but it was a learning experience. Next time it happens, I know what to expect.

Historical landmarks? On any given day I’m guessing most attendees are not at 120 – 55 for a walk down historys lane. Most are there to answer a complaint or summons (es).
The line whisked away quickly and upon reaching the lines front, a sign on the wall appeared informing me I was in the wrong place. Stain on me, but only a 15 minute error and time was on my side, enough to spare. So off I sped to the corner, ripping two hard lefts into the buildings rear enterance.
All court officers were well pressed, exceptionally helpful, friendly and efficient in their toils. The court was clean and a slight view of the back courtyard could be had with a push and peek from the window.

I came here for jury duty. There was a line but once it started it moved fast. The court officers worked non stop to get the line in fast. They were helpful and courteous to everyone including the woman who was yelling she had no time for this shit. After 2 hours a couple of court officers came in and a clerk called out about 75 names and lined us up. The Sergeant explained everything that was going to happen, then they walked us to the main court house stopping traffic so we could cross the street without being separated. After some questioning I was sent back across the street where I was eventually dismissed. I could the officers made it a much easier process. They have a difficult job dealing with a lot of angry people

I came into Queens Borough Hall the other day because I saw that they have a post office located inside of their building. I hate going to the post office that’s on Queens Blvd in Forest Hills and the other one that’s on Metropolitan. It’s a total nightmare every time you enter one of those two offices. We decided to give this one a shot and it turns out to be the best choice of all.
Entering Queens Borough Hall is a bit of a hassle because you need to go through metal detectors, place your personal belongings in a tray and have it go through their scanner. After the security checkpoint at the entrance, the post office is located two levels below the main floor. Take the flight of stairs two levels down, walk through a creepy dark hallway and you’ll find a small post office with no line. It’s quite a hidden gem. I can only assume that only people who have trials, court dates, or employees would know about this post office. I didn’t even know there was one until I looked it up.
Verdict — If you don’t mind the security checkpoint and wanna be in and out quick for post office errands, you might wanna consider coming to this one. The other two in Forest Hills will keep you waiting forever!

Came here with my then-​fiancé to get a marriage license around 1:30pm in late August. The experience, though not perfect, was a lot better than I expected it to be. The security working the metal detectors were very efficient and friendly. They didn’t seem bothered when we asked them which way to go — a question I’m sure they get asked a million times a day. However, the «security» in the marriage license room that instructs you on which paperwork to fill out and where to stand totally SUCKED. She was terrible.
Thankfully, our wait was not long at all — about 20 minutes after we had all proper paperwork filled out. The clerk that took care of us was very friendly and quick — which we appreciated.
The whole process took less than an hour and was pretty painless. The worst part was trying to find parking since, for some reason, the parking garage was closed and the surrounding parking is for authorized vehicles only. I think it took us more time to find parking than to get our marriage license!

I went here on a Friday around noon, as a witness to a marriage. The room was packed with couples and their extensive family members. Luckily we were able to find a seat, but a lot of brides and grooms who were all decked out in their finest attire were forced to stand for a long period of time while the room continued to fill up. My suggestion, get here earlier than noon, and follow the directions of the staff.

This is a review of the Marriage Bureau.
My then Fiancé (now husband) and I went to the marriage bureau about a month before our wedding last year to apply for a marriage license. We carefully filled out the required forms and brought all the appropriate documents and waited in line to meet with a clerk to process everything.
When our number was called, we met with the clerk who turned out to be the most disgusting human being I’ve ever encountered. During the processing of our paperwork, he made numerous racially insensitive comments despite the obvious ethnic diversity surrounding us. Apparently he was too busy trying to make unfunny racial jokes to enter our paperwork correctly in the system.
Thanks to this idiot, my name change request was incorrectly entered so I’m unable to use my maiden name as my middle name on any official government IDs (social security card, passport, driver’s license, etc.) Also, we never received our official marriage license in the mail after the wedding because he entered the wrong address. I had to take a day off of work and go down there to obtain an official copy of our license (for an additional $ 35) because this incompetent oaf sent ours to the wrong address.
There is literally nothing we can do at this point, short of hiring a lawyer and going to court to legally change my name.

Queens Borough Hall is one of the locations in Queens where you go to serve your civic duty of jury duty. Jury duty, one of the most important tasks a citizen of this country has to perform. It is as important as the right to vote.
I don’t understand why everyone is annoyed to serve in this important job we have as a resident of Queens. I found the location to be easy to get to by mass transit. The central jury room was comfortable with clean bathrooms, WiFi and TVs with morning talk shows. Vending machines available with reasonable price points. Oh yes, chairs were good enough to seat for long periods of time.
The staff was professional, but very formal. I understand the necessity of this behavior, but I can see why some folks would feel they are treated rudely. Some potential jurists lacked patience.
While I was not selected for a trail, I was kept well inform of my duties as well as what was going on in the process.
Queens Borough Hall is were you can get married. Get your license and your hooked until death do you part. Need flowers, limo, pictures; there are some entrepreneurial people outside the court house with everything you need. Amazing.
While I prefer to be on a beach or at a ballgame; the responsibility of jury duty is one I take seriously. Queens Borough Hall made this task easier to perform. Will see you in four years.

I got legally married here.
All you have to do is make an appointment online, get a marriage license, wait a 24 hour period, and sign to become married. The officiant of the civil marriage ceremony made everything really quick. Many others were waiting for the room, so we had to wait half an hour for a room, stay inside for five minutes, and then leave.
Tip: you could marry the same person as many times as you wish, just come back here to request another marriage license (for a fee).

Came here to pay a violation I received for drinking a Coors light on the beach. What a waste of time. $ 25 and about two hours out of my day in this silly tit for tat court of law. The judge, lawyer, interpreter, and all the officers all have to come here every day and put up with immigrants, rudeboys, punks, and drama queens. I feel very bad for this place. It’s not a place I wish to visit again.
And right upon entering the building (from the back as I was sent out of the front rudely by an officer), there were two signs side by side in front of the building. One for the suckers to form a line to pay your summonses, and one for those wishing to get married.

Queens. This is a Unilocal-​slot to review the entire borough.
I say: square mile after square mile of blocks where Archie Bunker would feel right at home. A highly residential area of New York; with the deadly spine of Queens Boulevard running down the top.
Two bright spots: Long Island City (LIC) and (maybe) Astoria. A couple of good bars (the Beer Garden, and that Brazilian place).
The rest? A wasteland.

The line movement is average between waiting online for wedding license and those who were served court summonses makes it an all day event.

Jury duty… Who likes it? Maybe if you’re:
1. unemployed and looking to score $ 40 per day
2. a Law & Order junkie with a broken TV
3. an elderly widower with no friends, cats, or bingo club to go to
I don’t fall into any of the aforementioned categories and was not in a good mood~!!! Anyways, I was called in to participate in my 2^nd jury pool yesterday (Monday) since 2001. Everyone else was in a foul mood as well. Especially those who came late to find out there weren’t anymore seats. Luckily i found a seat and they were quite comfy. There was enough room for me to slouch in my chair with my neck resting on the back and legs extended forward. But I did have one gripe. It was a few degrees too hot inside and it made me sleepy.
For lunch I decided to go to Hot & Tasty, aka Hot Tasty Bakery Coffee, for a bagel with cream cheese. While I’m walking back, I decided it was a good idea to eat outside of Queens Borough Hall as the sun was out and I was trying to avoid the stuffy waiting room as much as I could. As I’m unwrapping my lunch, a future convict out on bail, and/​or possibly a gang member supporting a homey facing a bid, struts up to me aggressively from across Queens Boulevard. The ensuing conversation (if you include slang as i had to break it down ghetto!) occurs:
homeboy: A YO~! u gotz a few dollars?
me: nah man. sorry yo~
homeboy: how bout i get a bite of dat sandwich?
me: for real?
homeboy: yeah~ yeah~
me: next time yo~
homeboy: aight~~ aight~~ shit.
Initially I thought he was stepping up to me, but all my man wanted was something to eat. The point of the story is that despite the heavy police presence in the area, there’s a lot of unsavory characters lurking around who will harass you. I do not recommend women dressing seductively for jury duty. Unless they really want to take the chance to tease these poor guys before they get locked up… WOOF~!

One of three court buildings for Queens residents to serve their civic duty. I came here to serve my civic duty three times in my adult life: 1999, 2004, and 2009. Recent visit in July 2009 the Central Jury Room has upgraded to leather chairs (very comfortable) complete with WiFi access, free internet computer stations, and flat screen TV’s. The building is very dated to the 1940’s era.
Queens Criminal Court, where all trial and cases are actually held, is across the street.
In front of Queens Borough Hall there is an old red subway train that serves as a tourist information center, which visitors can enter inside for free brochures and phamplets of Queens’ attractions and local flairs.
N.B. Queens Borough Hall sits directly on Queens’ Boulevard of Death. There is very little options for restaurants and eateries for Jurors, attorneys, court officiers, administrative staff, and judges.