Thinking of Buying in Queens - Neighborhood Advice? (neighborhoods, tenant)

[bumblebyz]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

Claiming... There is a substantial difference in upkeep in certain parts of Woodhaven south of Jamaica Avenue. People are "claiming" it for good reason. I don't care what the demographics are. If the streets are dirty and they're run down and in need of repaving, that spells an area in decline. Just like parts of Middle Village look much better than Glendale and Glendale has a similar demographic to Middle Village. Run down is run down.

For sub 400k it's a good buy. I won't pay anything much more than that. During the last housing bubble houses like the below were going for 400s and when the bubble burst the area was hit hard (from mid 400s back to mid 200s). Lots of foreclosures because the neighborhood is just working class and they were pumping debt through the roof just to finance those homes. Once values started dropping those underwater were dropping them like hot potatoes. From what I saw most homes in the area had property declines of about 40%+ vs drops of about 15-20% in nicer areas of NYC.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...?fullpage=true

[roseba]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

Don't even try it. I specifically stated that the area of Woodhaven north of Jamaica Avenue near the park is quite nice and is clean, etc. I wonder how fast you would claim that Woodhaven is so nice if you lived south of Jamaica Avenue where it is quite dirty...


Near Union Turnpike and Main Street is nowhere near Fresh Meadows. I would consider that Kew Gardens Hills. Nevertheless, it's not as if Fresh Meadows is this walkable neighborhood. I'd say it's pretty suburban, so you'll be driving to most places anyway. Kew Gardens and Forest Hills are just a short drive away for more amenities.

I said near because it is an area of town that is not: Fresh meadows, not Kew Garden Hills, not Briarwood, not Podunk. It has no name. And for what it's worth, I do have contempt for pretty much any area that one cannot go grocery shopping on foot. It's the complete antithesis of what a neighborhood is supposed to be... about neighbors (people.) I think every neighborhood should be pedestrian friendly.

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by bumblebyz

For sub 400k it's a good buy. I won't pay anything much more than that. During the last housing bubble houses like the below were going for 400s and when the bubble burst the area was hit hard (from mid 400s back to mid 200s). Lots of foreclosures because the neighborhood is just working class and they were pumping debt through the roof just to finance those homes. Once values started dropping those underwater were dropping them like hot potatoes. From what I saw most homes in the area had property declines of about 40%+ vs drops of about 15-20% in nicer areas of NYC.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...?fullpage=true

Yeah and there's definitely a difference in the upkeep of the houses in the parts of Woodhaven I mentioned. G-Dale is very Queens centric so he doesn't think the borough has parts where their **** stinks so to speak. It's NYC. All boroughs have their good spots and not so good spots, including Queens. Now in terms of safety, I would say most of Woodhaven is fine, but the parts south of Jamaica Avenue leave a lot to the imagination in terms of cleanliness. I'm also not a fan of those houses with the siding on them, which Woodhaven has a lot of. I find those types of houses cheap looking in general, even when they are well maintained, so you add some trash and cracked up sidewalks, and they instantly look run down and perhaps in worse shape than other homes.

Originally Posted by roseba

I said near because it is an area of town that is not: Fresh meadows, not Kew Garden Hills, not Briarwood, not Podunk. It has no name.

Weird... Then how can you claim so definitively that Fresh Meadows lacks this and that and then use an example of an area not even in Fresh Meadows? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, but still.

[roseba]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

Yeah and there's definitely a difference in the upkeep of the houses in the parts of Woodhaven I mentioned. G-Dale is very Queens centric so he doesn't think the borough has parts where their **** stinks so to speak. It's NYC. All boroughs have their good spots and not so good spots, including Queens. Now in terms of safety, I would say most of Woodhaven is fine, but the parts south of Jamaica Avenue leave a lot to the imagination in terms of cleanliness. I'm also not a fan of those houses with the siding on them, which Woodhaven has a lot of. I find those types of houses cheap looking in general, even when they are well maintained, so you add some trash and cracked up sidewalks, and they instantly look run down and perhaps in worse shape than other homes.

Weird... Then how can you claim so definitively that Fresh Meadows lacks this and that and then use an example of an area not even in Fresh Meadows? Not that I'm disagreeing with you, but still.

Cuz he grew up there and that's what he calls his ill defined neighborhood. Where do you think we ordered food from? Where do you think we tried to shop?

Does this look like amenity rich? https://www.google.com/maps/search/s...7992784,15.87z


Real Estate people call it Fresh Meadows. https://www.redfin.com/city/30749/NY...996,no-outline

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by roseba

Cuz he grew up there and that's what he calls his ill defined neighborhood. Where do you think we ordered food from? Where do you think we tried to shop?

Does this look like amenity rich? https://www.google.com/maps/search/s...7992784,15.87z

That's not the point. We already established that Fresh Meadows lacks amenities. I mean it's a suburban residential area. What would one expect? That said, it's just odd that you would use such an example and then say that his neighborhood didn't have a name when we're talking specifically about Fresh Meadows.

[roseba]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

That's not the point. We already established that Fresh Meadows lacks amenities. I mean it's a suburban residential area. What would one expect? That said, it's just odd that you would use such an example and then say that his neighborhood didn't have a name when we're talking specifically about Fresh Meadows.

Again, Real Estate people call it that, and so do the residents. Just like where I live, is not technically "Parkchester" as in Parkchester Condos. But it isn't West Farms, it isn't Soundview. No one ever heard of Stratton Park, and Park Versailles hasn't been used for decades. It's not the first time area borders are ill defined.

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by roseba

Again, Real Estate people call it that, and so do the residents. Just like where I live, is not technically "Parkchester" as in Parkchester Condos. But it isn't West Farms, it isn't Soundview. No one ever heard of Stratton Park, and Park Versailles hasn't been used for decades. It's not the first time area borders are ill defined.

You added that Fresh Meadows point afterwards. Now it makes sense, but quite frankly, a lot of Northeast Queens is like that, or you have to drive to the amenities.

[roseba]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

You added that Fresh Meadows point afterwards. Now it makes sense, but quite frankly, a lot of Northeast Queens is like that, or you have to drive to the amenities.

Which is why I think it sucks. I know that's my opinion... if I wanted to live in the middle of nowhere, I'd do it right and move to the actual country where I can actually walk in the woods and enjoy the wildlife. The middle of the road.... not for me.

I think the worst thing is the suburbs. You have all the downsides of urban life, without the plus sides of it.

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by roseba

Which is why I think it sucks. I know that's my opinion... if I wanted to live in the middle of nowhere, I'd do it right and move to the actual country where I can actually walk in the woods and enjoy the wildlife. The middle of the road.... not for me.

I don't the OP plans on moving anywhere in Northeast Queens. Nevertheless, I think your middle of the road comment isn't all that accurate. Forest Hills always receives rave reviews and the people that live in the exclusive Forest Hills Gardens must certainly feel like they live in a suburb, but they can walk right over to Austin Street and get most of what they need.

[roseba]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

I don't the OP plans on moving anywhere in Northeast Queens. Nevertheless, I think your middle of the road comment isn't all that accurate. Forest Hills always receives rave reviews and the people that live in the exclusive Forest Hills Gardens must certainly feel like they live in a suburb, but they can walk right over to Austin Street and get most of what they need.

Forest Hills has the urban amenities unlike MOST suburbs. And while Forest Hills gardens is beautiful (I sang in the church there), I prefer actual Forest Hills on the north side of Queens blvd. (If I desired an actual house.) I don't like "gated" communities real gated or in character.