Briarwood is a neighborhood in east central Queens bounded to the north by Union Turnpike, to the east by Parsons Boulevard, to the south by Hillside Avenue, and the west by the Van Wyck Expressway. The area was first developed by Herbert A. O=Brien, and the name was suggested by his wife, Adeline, for the thick woods and briars covering the land. The Briarwood Land Company later declared bankruptcy and the area remained largely undeveloped until the mid-1920s, when it was divided into lots that were sold at auction. With the New York Life Insurance Company, the United Nations Built Parkway Village in 1947 to provide housing for its staff members. The development became a cooperative in 1983 and had residents of many nationalities, although by this time few worked for the United Nations. Several apartment buildings rise above the surrounding one- and two-family houses, and many of the streets in Briarwood are winding. Well-known residents have included diplomat Ralph Bunche, the feminist and social activist Betty Friedan, and the civil rights leader Roy Wilkins.