The neighborhood known today as Ridgewood was first settled by German immigrants who created breweries and beer gardens. While the German influence remains, many of today's diverse population have generational roots in Italy, Yugoslavia, and Central and South America. The housing selection consists of multi-family homes with no cooperatives or condominiums. Major shopping corridors include Forest Avenue, Fresh Pond Road, and Myrtle Avenue. A number of films were set in Ridgewood, including The French Connection, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and A Stranger Among Us. Located in close proximity to Brooklyn neighborhoods, both Ridgewood and Glendale once used a Brooklyn postal designation but requested a change to Queens in 1979.