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And I am not sure what your needs are regarding groceries, but as far as outer borough neighborhoods go, I would be perfectly happy shopping at the groceries and markets in Sunnyside.
Perhaps your needs are different than mine, or you are making a comparison to neighborhoods in Manhattan.
I personally quite like the Met Food on 43rd Ave. It's tiny but quite nice in terms of products, service and cleanliness. There's a natural/organic store on Queens Blvd that's also small but has a good selection. And there are plenty of small foods shops like produce markets, butchers, fish stores, etc.
I would expect for someone like Nala, who is looking to live in a nice neighborhood outisde manhattan where she can be comfortable and keep her costs down, that the amenities in Sunnyside would be more than enough... but I guess you never know.
Bingo, Henna. You nailed it. For me, less is more, as long as the selections (i.e. of groceries, restaurants, cafes, etc.) are decent. It's also important for me, given the kind of work that I do, to be in a relaxed home or neighborhood environment. If I want to really hit the restaurant scene, I can hop on a train to Manhattan. You get the pic.
Bingo, Henna. You nailed it. For me, less is more, as long as the selections (i.e. of groceries, restaurants, cafes, etc.) are decent. It's also important for me, given the kind of work that I do, to be in a relaxed home or neighborhood environment. If I want to really hit the restaurant scene, I can hop on a train to Manhattan. You get the pic.
Well, you and I are more or less the same in our needs, then. Sure, I would love to have a Whole Foods, a Trader Joes and the highest rated best bakeries, butchers and produce shops walking distance from me.
But when we are talking about finding a nice, pleasant neighborhood with a 15 minute commute to Manhattan where you can find a $1000 studio, then our choices are more limited. If Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Amy's Bread, Citarella etc. were located in Sunnyside, the price for a studio would not be $1000.
I have never seen a pigeon flying around Met Food. It's too small for pigeons. I question whether the poster who mentioned this has ever been there, or has been there in the last 30 years (said she's been a resident for 45).
Maybe there was a pigeon there 30 years ago? I certainly wouldn't know. I guess if I saw a pigeon in a grocery store 30 years ago, I probably would never go back, either. But then, in that case, I would not feel comfortable writing a review of a store I hadn't visited in 30 years.
Bingo, Henna. You nailed it. For me, less is more, as long as the selections (i.e. of groceries, restaurants, cafes, etc.) are decent. It's also important for me, given the kind of work that I do, to be in a relaxed home or neighborhood environment. If I want to really hit the restaurant scene, I can hop on a train to Manhattan. You get the pic.
I actually think that Sunnyside is a good option for you. The rents there are quite reasonable for a neighborhood so close to Manhattan. The 7 train connects with several north/south subway lines, making it convenient to get just about anywhere. The neighborhood is fairly diverse, too. Lots of Americans (mostly white but of all colors, including a small black population), some Europeans, and plenty of people from Latin America and Asia. It isn't nearly as insular as some of the "cheap," far-flung working/middle-class neighborhoods in southern Brooklyn are, either, meaning that there are a lot of transplants and people won't stare you down due to your appearance or "not looking like you belong." A normal, working person like yourself would likely fit in quite well.
I actually think that Sunnyside is a good option for you. The rents there are quite reasonable for a neighborhood so close to Manhattan. The 7 train connects with several north/south subway lines, making it convenient to get just about anywhere. The neighborhood is fairly diverse, too. Lots of Americans (mostly white but of all colors, including a small black population), some Europeans, and plenty of people from Latin America and Asia. It isn't nearly as insular as some of the "cheap," far-flung working/middle-class neighborhoods in southern Brooklyn are, either, meaning that there are a lot of transplants and people won't stare you down due to your appearance or "not looking like you belong." A normal, working person like yourself would likely fit in quite well.
Sunnyside has a ENORMOUS Latino [Mexican/ecuadorian/Dominican/colombian population that is close to if not almost dominating the white race...also a lot of Indians, Palestinians, Albanians, Romanians and a a strong Muslim population is growing and growing each year and VERY VERY little African Americans.
Sunnyside has a ENORMOUS Latino [Mexican/ecuadorian/Dominican/colombian population that is close to if not almost dominating the white race...also a lot of Indians, Palestinians, Albanians, Romanians and a a strong Muslim population is growing and growing each year and VERY VERY little African Americans.
Good commentary, but to clarify, I said that it seems that most of the American residents of the neighborhood are white. As for the Latin American residents, they are in themselves a racially and geographically diverse group, some of them being black or mulatto, which may be of comfort to the OP. Also, the Middle Eastern and Indian/Pakistani populations are growing; I left that out. I may not be as familiar with the neighborhood as you are, but I have always seen at least some black people going about their business around there. Not too many, but the point is that a black person wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb there as he or she may in another neighborhood.
If you do decide to look at Sunnyside, Nala8, there is a food co-op buying club in Sunnyside. The co-op is supposed to open in 2011, but they do have an active group in Sunnyside. A friend sent the following link when I asked them about possible co-ops or natural food sources in Sunnyside, and surrounding areas: Home - Queens Harvest Co-op - Coming Soon! (http://www.queensharvestcoop.com/index.html - broken link).
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Right now, I'm tossed up between Sunnyside, Parkchester, "SoBro," and Nyack. Luckily, I will be able to stay with a friend in the Village while I search for a sublet, and I know that wherever I wind up at first it will be temporary. I can still explore or check things out for myself. Nice to have options.
If you do decide to look at Sunnyside, Nala8, there is a food co-op buying club in Sunnyside. The co-op is supposed to open in 2011, but they do have an active group in Sunnyside. A friend sent the following link when I asked them about possible co-ops or natural food sources in Sunnyside, and surrounding areas: Home - Queens Harvest Co-op - Coming Soon! (http://www.queensharvestcoop.com/index.html - broken link).
Hey, very cool. Thanks for the tip, bmwguydc.
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