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Well I can't really give you advice on what neighborhoods unless you have a budget. Any Queens neighborhood that is a 1 seat subway commute to Midtown will be on the higher priced end for a 3 bedroom anything, generally. If the asking price is too low to believe, then usually something is wrong.
Try looking near the end of the F line in Queens, you may find something but I'm not guaranteeing it. I'm suggesting it because I feel it may be a part of Queens you don't know a lot about (northern border of Jamaica, southern border of Jamaica Estates).
I agree with all of this post.
I also had an initial thought of suggesting to look around 169th St on the F line. It's not the greatest neighborhood IMO (a little run down as far as retail goes) but the reason I thought of it is that there are some pretty nice streets just about a block from the subway and it seemed like it would be really convenient in terms of transit. In particular I have been to a friend's house that was in the vicinity of 169th St and 88th Ave. I really don't know the area well at all but it might be something to look into since some of the residential buildings are very close to transit.
Kew Gardens seems like a nice area but prices might be too high. I don't know enough about Briarwood to know if it's a good option.
I personally think buying as close as possible to good transit will probably mean your property values will continue to go up once you buy, so even if a short walk to the subway is not that important to you, it might make your place more valuable and desirable when you go to sell it.
Sure she is, it’s in her screen name. However, pretty much nobody knows a borough in its entirety because boroughs are big. She also might not be getting an easier commute if she’s looking as far out in Queens as her budget and requirements indicate. If you’re commuting to midtown from as far out as Jamaica or Woodhaven, then you might as well consider Bedford Park or Pelham Parkway, or even *gasp* Parkchester.
Too much head smacking might start rattling the brain a bit, so you might want to lay off the smack.
The point is the OP moved from the Bronx for a reason and she has made that clear in previous posts. You may want to use the search button since you're so good at making suggestions.
Thanks - I always lump Sunnyside in with Woodside. FH seems even pricier. I have to look into Forest Park and Middle Village (I think the housing stock isn't quite what I'm looking for in MV but am familiar with the area). College Point, Glendale and Whitestone are all a little too suburban for my liking. Plus I don't think they have particularly great subway access. Doesn't have to be amazing, but I'd like it to exist haha.
A coworker of minr has lived in whitestone for years. He constantly complain about the isolation, lack of restaurant options and having to travel 30 mins to a trader joes.
Middle village has alot of attached homes. Don't completely rule out single family homes. They appreciate more and are easier to sell if you so decided to. Plus with the maintenance fees of Co-op being $800 (if u are lucky) to $1500 this is an additional $100-200k affordability for a SFH. You also have more autonomy with what u can do with your place. No boards to request approval from.
Brairwood is a good buy. Centrally located. Close to the happenings of Austin street and shopping in Forreat hills and Queens center mall. Jamaica: Addisleigh park or Hillside location area are solid middle and upper middle class homeowners. About 15 mins from Forest hills for restaurant and shopping offerings.
Not sure on budget or amenities yet....starting with a much broader sense. This won't happen for more than a year, just looking ahead to see what I can get in a neighborhood I'd like.
Need a train but not too worried about which one, all of the Queens trains provide good access into the city. My office is moving twice in the next 18 months, so as long as I can get to midtown, I'm good.
Jamaica station (lirr ) to Penn station is 18 to 20 mins on the LIRR. LIRR zone 3 neighborhood stops are between 25 to 35 mins to Penn Station. A few of my friends who purchased commutes on the LIRR to the city. The much cheaper house prices allow them to be able to afford the additional transportation cost.
Well I can't really give you advice on what neighborhoods unless you have a budget. Any Queens neighborhood that is a 1 seat subway commute to Midtown will be on the higher priced end for a 3 bedroom anything, generally. If the asking price is too low to believe, then usually something is wrong.
Try looking near the end of the F line in Queens, you may find something but I'm not guaranteeing it. I'm suggesting it because I feel it may be a part of Queens you don't know a lot about (northern border of Jamaica, southern border of Jamaica Estates).
A good friend of mine lives in Briarwood. It lacks stores, except for Queens blvd. The transit is good. You might want to look on the South side of Queens blvd at Kew Gardens. It has more amenities as it can tap from both Queens Blvd and from Metropolitan Avenue.
I don't know Jamaica. it's vast. My understanding is the better parts are a bit of a hike.
Forest Hills is an excellent area but I doubt you can find a 3 bedroom in that area at that price point. Ridgewood, College Point, Middle Village, Glendale, Whitestone do not have many coop/condos as they are more low density walk ups or private houses.
There are a lot of apartment buildings in both Sunnyside and Woodside, and other than being a tourist, I don't know the areas. They have restaurants which is always something I care about.
Regarding maintenance: try to think about it like this. What would you pay for outside of our mortgage if you owned a home?
Water .....approximately $200 every two months.
Gas. .....Varies season. But budget about $150 monthly to cover low and high seasons.
Roof repairs, boiler repairs, window repairs, gutters ...these are things that you negotiate during the sale price. If it is in good condition u usually don't change them for atleats 7 years. They all don't break at the same time.
Landscaping. .....$25 per cut.
Plumbing....Get Homeserve. $30 monthly. They cover everything.
Other..electricity...cable I don't think is covered by a co-op.
Taxes.....approximately $7000 maximum yearly for this price point.
******evaluate whether paying an extra $1500 monthly to cover $600 worth of cost is worth it.****
In a coop, most if not all of that is included. Do the math and figure out how much you would pay in a house which of course would never go away. Also keep in mind that someone else does the work and you don't have that headache. Maybe now the numbers might make more sense. Do they?
If you go for a 3 family house and rent out, then you become a landlord. Do you want to do that?
I gave an approximate estimate of monthly carrying cost. I would go to home depot's website to see the cost of a boiler, replacement window etc to guauge an idea of what it would be for unexpected issues.
You're right, but Woodhaven has dog crap everywhere and is dirtier than most areas. Just imagine the OP going to run for the subway there and stepping in some. The main strips are also unattractive (Jamaica Avenues and Atlantic Avenues). The small part of Woodhaven above Jamaica Avenue is cleaner and better (the closer to Forest Park the better).
FWIW, plenty of dog crap on the sidewalks of Tribeca, I see it every day
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
A coworker of minr has lived in whitestone for years. He constantly complain about the isolation, lack of restaurant options and having to travel 30 mins to a trader joes.
Middle village has alot of attached homes. Don't completely rule out single family homes. They appreciate more and are easier to sell if you so decided to. Plus with the maintenance fees of Co-op being $800 (if u are lucky) to $1500 this is an additional $100-200k affordability for a SFH. You also have more autonomy with what u can do with your place. No boards to request approval from.
Brairwood is a good buy. Centrally located. Close to the happenings of Austin street and shopping in Forreat hills and Queens center mall. Jamaica: Addisleigh park or Hillside location area are solid middle and upper middle class homeowners. About 15 mins from Forest hills for restaurant and shopping offerings.
I second Briarwood too. It's on an express stop and it has a glut IMO of apartments for sale. Just make sure off-street parking is in the deal, because parking is like Brooklyn in Briarwood (especially Main Street area).
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Thanks for all of the replies - Queens is currently the only borough on my radar. No desire to ever live in the Bronx again, for many reasons. Not a fan of Brooklyn as a whole, and been there, done that with Manhattan (plus I want to live in something bigger than a closet and keep my car).
Lots of good neighborhood suggestions here. Thank you!
I just started thinking about this yesterday so obviously the idea needs refining and lots of thought. A friend suggested we go in on a 3 family, a unit for me, a unit for his elderly mom, and one to rent out. I like the idea and found something in JH for just north of a million. Couldn't do that on my own, but in partnership, maybe. We're going to talk some more about it.
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The main strips are also unattractive (Jamaica Avenues and Atlantic Avenues). The small part of Woodhaven above Jamaica Avenue is cleaner and better (the closer to Forest Park the better).
