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I'm in the process of getting a co-op there, so I hope so!
As a "transplant" (yes, I know that you may hate me for this) I looked at Upper Manhattan for quite a long time before turning to Queens. I did found some apartments within my budget and covered by basic needs, but it just felt wrong to spend such a significant amount of money and to have to compromise in so many ways.
I didn't want to go too far out and was really put off by the aesthetics of Astoria. I couldn't afford LIC. So next in line was Sunnyside - not much of an inventory.
Jackson Heights seems a really good deal:
- The Historic District is beautiful.
- The coops have private gardens (the historic ones do).
- For someone recently looking in Manhattan, even the most affordable parts of it, the prices are very appealing (although I wish we were doing this one year, even 6 months, earlier - well, too late, it is what it is), maintenance even more so.
- Have you ever compared the prices in any grocery store in Manhattan with one in Queens????
- The apartments are HUGE. 2-beds here are more than 1000 sqf. They are 2-beds, not one bed with an office. I'm getting an eat-in kitchen (yeaaaah!!!!). Please don't give me the sh*t that open design is great for entertaining, it's because there is no space to move around. Please don't give me the sh*t that an inner apartment is "quiet". It's depressing.
- The ethnic food is amazing and dirt cheap.
- I can choose from 5 subway lines that can get me to the east-middle-west side of Manhattan conveniently and quickly.
To clarify:
- Brooklyn was geographically not an option for me, too far away from my work.
- I'm not a 23-yo who wants to experience NYC night-life.
Prices here in JH have been exploding, i said for years it was the best unknown bargain in the city. Safe, close to trains, convenient, big apt's, and good housing stock, not cheap construction, glass, out of place condos like you see in Astoria that are way overpriced and where tenants have to pay for every utility on top of it. The fact that much of JH is landmarked prevents the building of such condos in most areas.
that being said, at the prices now, it's no longer that hidden bargain. I think prices have gone up a bit too much, too fast.
I agree, prices are going up extremely rapidly, at least in historic district apartments. I think the article is actually way off the mark with the prices it lists. A one-bedroom apartment in a historic district area is around $1800 to $1900 per month. $1500 is a studio price.
Also not sure where they are getting this thing about a 4 bedroom being $500 to $600K. I know of two 2 bedrooms for sale in nice buildings, historic district, where the 2 bedrooms/1 bath (not 4 bedrooms) are listed for high 500s to $650K. It's very easy to check streeteasy to see that that's mostly the case. If you see a 4 bedroom for $500K, then something is not desirable about it -- either it's in a less desired part of the area, or it's in a building with financial issues, or it needs a major gut renovation.
In fact, there are no 4 bedrooms listed on streeteasy at the moment, so not sure where that little tidbit came from. The three bedrooms listed range from $615K to $1.1 million. Jackson Heights Co-Ops for Sale | StreetEasy
However, that said, besides prices for real estate exploding, Jackson Heights unfortunately has very few of the amenities that hip parts of Brooklyn have in terms of retail. Sure, it's got ethnic restaurants but at some point you want to go out to a place with an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere where you can overpay for a craft beer. Well -- I do, anyway. Maybe this will change as more and more people of means move to the area. Yes, I'm hoping for continued gentrification!!
I think the article meant 4 room apartments, as in 2 bedroom. I dont think i've ever even seen a 4 bedroom in JH. They are very rare.
There are parts of BK with even less amenities. I don't think JH need's to replicate BK. but that being said, new stores will come, takes time. But the other side is JH commercial rents are astronomical, so before they come, businesses will have to be SURE the clientele for the stores is there. You won't see many businesses taking chances like you did in areas like Williamsburg where the commercial rents were cheap.
I think the article meant 4 room apartments, as in 2 bedroom. I dont think i've ever even seen a 4 bedroom in JH. They are very rare.
There are parts of BK with even less amenities. I don't think JH need's to replicate BK. but that being said, new stores will come, takes time. But the other side is JH commercial rents are astronomical, so before they come, businesses will have to be SURE the clientele for the stores is there. You won't see many businesses taking chances like you did in areas like Williamsburg where the commercial rents were cheap.
The bedroom vs room thing is a pretty huge typo for an article on a real estate blog. The way it reads is just 100% wrong. They need to get their editor in there to clean it up.
I am not necessarily hoping to replicate Brooklyn in JH. It just seems like if you want to go out for a drink pretty much anywhere, you have to put up with a place that has 40 large screen tvs and tons of noise. There are a few places that match what I am looking for -- like Espresso 77, Addictive Boutique Tapas Bar and Casa Del Chef, but unfortunately those places are quite small and few and far between. I can certainly live without artisinal mayonnaise stores, etc., but I think it wouldn't hurt to have a few places that are higher on the scale of aesthetics, good design/atmosphere etc.
The bedroom vs room thing is a pretty huge typo for an article on a real estate blog. The way it reads is just 100% wrong. They need to get their editor in there to clean it up.
I am not necessarily hoping to replicate Brooklyn in JH. It just seems like if you want to go out for a drink pretty much anywhere, you have to put up with a place that has 40 large screen tvs and tons of noise. There are a few places that match what I am looking for -- like Espresso 77, Addictive Boutique Tapas Bar and Casa Del Chef, but unfortunately those places are quite small and few and far between. I can certainly live without artisinal mayonnaise stores, etc., but I think it wouldn't hurt to have a few places that are higher on the scale of aesthetics, good design/atmosphere etc.
The people moving to and gentrifying Queens are professionals, often with families. Jackson Heights isn't going to get hipster bars or hipster cafes like Williamsburg. The hipsters who originally made Williamsburg hip have been displaced by professionals, and the hipsters these days could not afford Jackson Heights. They move into the most marginal neighborhoods.
Jackson Heights may eventually get better grocery stores, better gyms, etc.
Meanwhile while the number of ethnic restaurants might go down, overall they aren't going anywhere. They've become popular with people outside of their ethnic groups and are a major DRAW to Jackson Heights, for visiting and for living. And nothing stops someone from drinking in an ethnic restaurant.
The people moving to and gentrifying Queens are professionals, often with families. Jackson Heights isn't going to get hipster bars or hipster cafes like Williamsburg. The hipsters who originally made Williamsburg hip have been displaced by professionals, and the hipsters these days could not afford Jackson Heights. They move into the most marginal neighborhoods.
Jackson Heights may eventually get better grocery stores, better gyms, etc.
Meanwhile while the number of ethnic restaurants might go down, overall they aren't going anywhere. They've become popular with people outside of their ethnic groups and are a major DRAW to Jackson Heights, for visiting and for living. And nothing stops someone from drinking in an ethnic restaurant.
I'm not sure if you're responding to me (sort of sounds like it) but nowhere did I suggest that all ethnic restaurants should be wiped out. I also didn't suggest that Jackson Heights is on the verge of getting hipster cafes like Williamsburg.
The three places that I mentioned that I DO like in Jackson Heights due to their pleasant atmosphere and emphasis on good restaurant design, ambiance, lighting, food selection, etc. actually all happen to be immigrant-owned. There is plenty of room for more of that type of thing and I hope to welcome more of them to the neighborhood with my $$$$ very soon.
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