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FHG is surrounded by Rego Park. Kew Gardens, Middle Village, Glendale. These are all stable middle class neighborhoods. Some even have upper middle class and wealthy households.
Of all the sketchy places one could chose, FHG is one of the safest. It might not be as white as some may like. But there are many non whites who are doing well financially eho live in these neighborhoods.
You may get a few Romanians here or there in these surrounding neighborhoods . They are very few.
The fresh off the boat eastern europeans are also there in the surrounding neighborhoods. But these tend to be hard working, eager to assimilate, take pride in their neighborhood type people.
If you can afford it FHG is a good buy. Plus it is much more charming with tons of stuff to do than other hoods that are in similar price point
Thank you for a balanced response. I have no issues with Romanians, non-Whites or anyone else. The community feel, some common interests are much more important
I completely agree with you about FHG being a good buy, it seems like an excellent value for the price point plus access to Forest Hills retail/dining is an added plus. I was trying to figure out whether there are any hidden drawbacks that a non-resident like me would miss?
arent the streets of Forest Hills Garden considered private and they can fence off any time?
The lady with an Italian last name who ran for VP with Spirro Agnew? lived there ?Cant recall her name,Christine FERraro?????
I am not sure about fencing off the streets, but I did see private security patrolling the streets, which was reassuring. Yes, your right Ferraro lived in that neighborhood.
Inventory is very tight so I was able to see only one house for sale on the market, 2 others were under contract. I was impressed by the beautiful Tudors styles, updated interiors and some very decent square footage.
I know NE Queens very well, my parents still have their house in one of the neighborhoods that you have listed. We would be selling the house there to buy in a neighborhood like FHG. I see three distinct advantages for the Gardens:
1. Quicker LIRR access to Midtown vs from NE Queens
2. The Association prevents teardowns and other monstrosities that you'll find in NE Queens My pet peeve!!!!
3. Great amenities associated with the Association. I'd be willing to pay the HOA fees
Right now, Houses in FHG are running $2M+. My parents would sell their current paid for house for $1.1-$1.2M and I'll kick in the rest to buy a house. We have a family member who would live in the house full time, while my parents and I would visit here and there.
I haven't looked at Nassau County.
I would go with FHG over Nassau. Unless you are going to purchase in One of the nicer neighborhoods on the North Shore. I would not leave FHG for anywhere on the South Shore. Don't bother convincing me other wise either lol.
In FHG you get the beautiful character of the neighborhood. Beautiful homes. Proximity to the city. Plethora of options to commute to the city (LIRR and regular MTA). Decent restaurant and shopping options. In terms of value FHG houses hold their value and appreciate well.
Very walkable neighborhood. Great schools and neighborhood. Very desirable.
Easy ( easy enough) access to highway if you need to get somewhere.
Smack in the middle of and close commute to both JFK and La Guardia.
FHG is a beautiful area and you gonna need a few mill to get into the homes there. Also the rules don’t allow for radical redesigns that ruined the forest hills area next to the high school, which is a blessing. Community standards held by people with good taste. A rarity in NY.
It’s possibly the best area of queens along with douglaston.
I used to walk sometimes from FH station to my place of residence in KG through FH gardens. Great architecture and lots of trees.
Dirty Pierre has a awesome bar and great burgers next to the train station. About the only thing I miss about queens.
I am not sure about fencing off the streets, but I did see private security patrolling the streets, which was reassuring. Yes, your right Ferraro lived in that neighborhood.
Inventory is very tight so I was able to see only one house for sale on the market, 2 others were under contract. I was impressed by the beautiful Tudors styles, updated interiors and some very decent square footage.
I know the area very very well.
The Gardens are filled with very expensive homes.
Cheaper homes on the outskirts start at almost 2 million.
The area is very green and very lush making the sun elusive.
I prefer the area on either side of Metropolitan avenue or between
Union Turnpike and Metropolitan ave. known as Parkside. Smaller
but yet Beautiful and more affordable. Plenty of sunshine and people.
Minimal crime yet a short 5 minute bus ride or walk if you wish to the LIRR train to the city.
If you draw a 6 mile radius around Forest Hills Gardens and can't find a hood, then I don't know what to tell you? I don't understand the fixation with the comment about the hood proximity when the bigger concern is being targeted for property crime. Criminals seek out nicer, wealthier neighborhoods and places like FHG and Jamaica Estates (to a lesser extent) appear to be distinct neighborhoods and I'm just concerned about that.
I agree with you regarding Whitestone and Bayside homes being brought all cash, it's definitely pervasive.
Since you know people who live in FHG, do you care to provide any insights regarding the following:
1. What type of residents live in the houses (both detached and townhouses)? I know that there are rental/Coop buildings scattered in FHG -- I assume the residents there are much more transient.
2. What are the drawbacks/lesser-known issues of FHG? I am looking for a real opinion rather than real estate marketing gloss.
3. Due to its Central Queens location, the proximity to the 'hood' is always there. I know all about the 112th Precinct Crime stats, however, are the properties in the Gardens are major targets for property crime?
Because quite frankly, I would argue that an area like Jamaica Estates is closer to "hood" areas than Forest Hills Gardens, and those are really more like areas that are more working class. I mean Forest Hills Gardens is fairly insulated by areas like Woodhaven (the best of Woodhaven IMO is the northern part - houses are better kept and it's cleaner), Middle Village, Rego Park, Kew Gardens Hills, etc. These are all very good middle class neighborhoods. Now once you go further out, that changes, but again, you have wonderful, stable neighborhoods surrounding Forest Hills Gardens, with high ownership rates. That always counts for something in my book, as that means that those neighborhoods will remain stable longer and are less likely to decline.
A lot of the home invasions you hear about are targeted, inside jobs, similar to the last one I heard about in Jamaica Estates. I have heard of no such issues in Forest Hills Gardens. One thing to note is Forest Hills Gardens is private. Jamaica Estates, while very affluent, is not.
1. The people I know live near Kessel, essentially on the border, but still within Forest Hills Gardens, in a detached house. You're going to have a mix. Some folks in finance. Some in the medical field... Some with their own business... Obviously areas that yield good salaries. The person that works for me, she is self-employed, but I am sure she lives comfortably with her husband, who is in the medical field. I've never asked her if he has his own practice or what. They are definitely not transient, as they have been there for as long as she has worked for me. I don't believe they have children though.
2. Well if you work in Manhattan, I think FHG offers some of the best transit options in NYC. I take the LIRR or the express bus when I need to go into Manhattan from the area and it's very quick to Penn Station, which pretty frequent service all things considered. You're coming from NE Queens. I've always said that the food scene is lacking, esp. if you're comparing it to NE Queens, but big deal. You can drive to Long Island or NE Queens or elsewhere for that. I also think Austin St is somewhat overrated for shopping, but again, you have options.
3. While there have been some incidents within Forest Hills that I have heard of, I have not heard of any issues specifically in FHG.
arent the streets of Forest Hills Garden considered private and they can fence off any time?
The lady with an Italian last name who ran for VP with Spirro Agnew? lived there ?Cant recall her name,Christine FERraro?????
My best friend in high school lived on Kessel Street and at that time (1970s) the streets were private and there was no public parking on them as I recall. Truly a unique neighborhood.
I use to work in Forest Hills and drove through FHG everyday. Love that area.
It's a great area that is so well preserved. I wish there were other similar enclaves in NYC. The housing stock in parts of the City is hideous. Developer overdevelopment, teardowns and hideous McMansions truly ruin neighborhoods. I look at the prices that people are paying for those properties and scratch my head.
I would go with FHG over Nassau. Unless you are going to purchase in One of the nicer neighborhoods on the North Shore. I would not leave FHG for anywhere on the South Shore. Don't bother convincing me other wise either lol.
In FHG you get the beautiful character of the neighborhood. Beautiful homes. Proximity to the city. Plethora of options to commute to the city (LIRR and regular MTA). Decent restaurant and shopping options. In terms of value FHG houses hold their value and appreciate well.
Very walkable neighborhood. Great schools and neighborhood. Very desirable.
Easy ( easy enough) access to highway if you need to get somewhere.
Smack in the middle of and close commute to both JFK and La Guardia.
I haven't even thought of Nassau County. I think it has a lot to do with my family member who can drive but should not be driving. There are some great communities on the North Shore, however getting to the City is a pain with LIE, NSP being parking lots. LIRR's Great Neck and Port Washington service is great but the Oyster Bay line is not that great.
I agree with you on the value of FHG. Walkable neighborhood, MTA/LIRR transit options, central location. All great things.
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