Forest Hills / Kew Gardens

A housing lottery opened this week for 50 middle-income luxury apartments at a new residential development under construction in Forest Hills. Located at 73-65 Yellowstone Boulevard, The Yellowstone offers residents spacious units, indoor and outdoor amenities, and easy access to a new Trader Joe's opening on the building's ground floor. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income, or between $96,000 for a single person and $198,250 for a household of five, can apply for the apartments, priced between $2,750/month for one-bedrooms and $3,599/month for two-bedrooms.
do you qualify?

Affordable Housing

Photo credit clockwise: Jessica Minghi/Borough Chocolates, Jacques Torres Chocolates, Jessica Minghi/Borough Chocolates, Chocolate Noise.

January 25, 2023

The best local chocolate shops in NYC

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to crave chocolate. But the sugar-coated holiday certainly provides a good excuse to indulge. Far beyond the red-wrapped drugstore box, creating the sweet (or bitter) treat is now recognized as a craft all its own. Chocolate purveyors range from the old-fashioned to the eco-conscious to makers who hand-mix exotic ingredients and flavors. If you're really hooked, you can make an event of it at a chocolate-themed restaurant, factory tour, or private tasting. Whether you're looking for a last-minute gift for someone special or just a sweet snack, the New York City establishments listed here have something for every chocolate lover–and you can order online or visit the source right in your borough.
Find the chocolate of your dreams, this way

Apply for 122 mixed-income apartments in Forest Hills, from $738/month

Renderings courtesy of FXCollaborative

January 17, 2023

Apply for 122 mixed-income apartments in Forest Hills, from $738/month

Applications are now being accepted for 122 mixed-income units at a new housing complex in Forest Hills. Apex Place is a residential development with three buildings, 440 units of housing, and shared green spaces. New Yorkers earning 50, 70, 110, and 140 percent of the area median income, or between $28,252 for a single person and $231,700 for a household of seven people, are eligible to apply for the apartments, priced between $738/month studios and $2,975/month three bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Plan to convert abandoned railroad tracks in Queens into High Line-style park moves forward

All renderings courtesy of the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the QueensWay

September 19, 2022

Plan to convert abandoned railroad tracks in Queens into High Line-style park moves forward

A proposal to convert an abanonded railway in Queens into a public park is moving forward. Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced a $35 million investment for the first phase of the QueensWay, a High Line-like linear park built on the long-defunct Rockaway Beach Branch Line that will serve the neighborhoods of Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Forest Park, Woodhaven, and Ozone Park. The city's investment covers an environmental review and construction of the first phase of the park.
Get the details

Architecture And Design

Three-day music festival in support of the climate movement heads to Forest Hills next month

Photo by Pat at Juno on Flickr

August 4, 2022

Three-day music festival in support of the climate movement heads to Forest Hills next month

A three-day music festival that aims to raise awareness about the current climate crisis will take place in Queens next month. From September 16-18, the inaugural Big Climate Thing festival will be held at Forest Hills Stadium, the nearly century-old tennis stadium-turned-venue, with performances by world-class acts, including Haim, The Roots, The War on Drugs, Sheryl Crow, Courtney Barnett, and The Flaming Lips, among others.
See the lineup

Events & Things To Do

Hochul recommends five historic places in NYC to be added to state and national registers

Photo showing storefront stands on Ninth Ave. looking south from just north of West 40th St., 1936.(Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library.

March 14, 2022

Hochul recommends five historic places in NYC to be added to state and national registers

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced 21 nominations for possible placement on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The list of nominations includes a diverse set of locations that are intricate to the history of New York. Nominations include early automobile manufacturing sites in Buffalo and Syracuse, a Mohawk Valley cemetery home to the author of the Pledge of Allegiance, and the only remaining 19-century textile mile in Troy. Of the total nominated places, five are located in New York City, including an abandoned Bronx train station designed by Cass Gilbert and an area in Hell's Kitchen once home to a famed open-air market.
See more here

A charming brick Tudor on a tree-lined street in Forest Hills is asking $1.7M

Photo Credit: Donna Schwab for Terrace Sotheby’s International Realty

November 11, 2021

A charming brick Tudor on a tree-lined street in Forest Hills is asking $1.7M

A lovely brick Tudor surrounded on all sides by lush landscaping is available in Queens. Asking $1,728,000, the home is located at 69-46 Fleet Street in Forest Hills, a mostly residential neighborhood that feels suburban, but also is only 15 minutes to Midtown thanks to the nearby Long Island Rail Road and subway. The four-bedroom residence boasts a charming slate walkway, tucked-away side patio, and a sunken back garden.
See inside

Distinctive Homes

Historic Neir’s Tavern honored with street co-naming in Queens

Photos courtesy of Neir’s Tavern

October 4, 2021

Historic Neir’s Tavern honored with street co-naming in Queens

After a rent increase and the coronavirus pandemic left the fate of Neir's Tavern in question, the history of the nearly 192-year-old Queens establishment will be preserved forever following a street co-naming ceremony Saturday. The intersection of 78th Street and 88th Avenue in Woodhaven is now known as "Neir's Tavern Way," honoring the waterhole that opened on the corner in 1829 and is considered New York City's oldest bar.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Lottery opens for 267 affordable units at new Forest Hills complex, from $738/month

Rendering courtesy of FXCollaborative

September 20, 2021

Lottery opens for 267 affordable units at new Forest Hills complex, from $738/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 267 mixed-income apartments across a massive new residential complex in Queens' Forest Hills. The development, called Apex Place, includes three new buildings, contains over 440 total apartments, and connects to a former public housing site, creating a cohesive property with shared green spaces and pedestrian space. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50, 70, 110, and 140 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $738/month studios to $2,975/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

100-year-old English Gothic mansion in Forest Hills asks $3.9M

Listing photos by Rich Caplan

June 1, 2021

100-year-old English Gothic mansion in Forest Hills asks $3.9M

By 6sqft

Designed by architect Robert Tappan in 1925, this mansion in Forest Hills once served as the rectory for St. Luke's Episcopal Church, a national landmark from the same designer. Located at 11 Cranford Street in the exclusive enclave of Forest Hills Gardens, the seven-bedroom English Gothic style home features vaulted ceilings, cast iron windows, and a triple-height chimney crown. It's now on the market for $3,888,000.
See inside

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 29, 2021

A stately brick Tudor in Forest Hills Gardens just hit the market for $2.6M

Forest Hills Gardens--the first garden city in NYC and one of the oldest planned neighborhoods in the country--is known for its wealth of Tudor-style homes that make it resemble an English village. One of these homes, located on a storybook block, has just hit the market for $2,595,000. The brick beauty was built in 1930 and has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a fully finished basement rec room, all with lovely architectural details.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

190-year-old Neir’s Tavern reopens for outdoor dining in Woodhaven

Photo courtesy of Neir’s Tavern

July 8, 2020

190-year-old Neir’s Tavern reopens for outdoor dining in Woodhaven

After nearly shutting its doors earlier this year because of a rent increase and then temporarily closing in March because of the coronavirus, it's been a tough few months for Neir's Tavern, a bar in Queens founded more than 190 years ago. But, with support from regulars, the historic establishment in Woodhaven reopened this month for outdoor dining, the New York Post reported.
Find out more

Food & Dining

Coveted townhouse in Queens’ enchanted Forest Hills Gardens lists for $2.5M

Photo credit: Tina Gallo, courtesy The Corcoran Group

June 8, 2020

Coveted townhouse in Queens’ enchanted Forest Hills Gardens lists for $2.5M

This magical enclave looks more like an English village than a part of Queens, but, in fact, Forest Hills Gardens was built in the early 20th century to resemble England's garden cities. The private community consists of more than 800 free-standing and attached houses, of which one of the latter has just hit the market for $2,485,000. The six-bedroom house at 34 Greenway Terrace has the neighborhood's signature Tudor style, as well as a front patio, rear private parking spot, finished basement, and plenty of preserved details.
Go on a tour here

Distinctive Homes

March 30, 2020

Behind the scenes at 95-year-old Woodhaven chocolate maker Schmidt’s Candy

By James and Karla Murray

We may not be able to gather together for Easter this year, but we can certainly still place a chocolate order to lift our spirits. And if the Easter Bunny is choosing where to get the best homemade chocolates and candies to fill his basket, Schmidt’s Candy in Woodhaven, Queens would certainly be a top choice. German immigrant Frank Schmidt founded this nearly-century old confectionery shop in 1925. We recently had a chance to tour this iconic shop with Margie Schmidt, Frank's granddaughter and the third-generation owner. Margie continues to make specialty holiday chocolates and candies by hand using the same recipes that were handed down to her by her father. Ahead, go behind the scenes to see how all these tasty treats are made, tour the historic interior, and learn about the shop’s history from Margie.
You're in for a sweet treat

The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

Photo by CaptJayRuffins on Wikimedia Commons

January 13, 2020

The city helps save Queens’ 190-year-old Neir’s Tavern from closing

This past October, Neir's Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens celebrated its 190th anniversary. But last week, the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society reported on Twitter that the beloved and historic establishment would close its doors for good on Sunday. Originally opened in 1829 as a saloon called the "Old Blue Pump House," Neir's considers itself NYC's oldest bar. When the tavern was in danger of closing in 2009, a local FDNY member and a group of friends bought and restored it, but in December of 2018, the building was sold unbeknownst to them. According to a Facebook post by Neir's, they were unable to negotiate a new "affordable long-term lease" with the new owners. But when Mayor de Blasio heard the news, he and the city stepped in and saved the bar from closing.
How'd they do it?

Food & Dining

September 6, 2019

This $2.8M ivy-covered Tudor in Forest Hills Gardens was the location for ‘Mildred Pierce’

Located within the greater Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens is one of America’s oldest planned communities. The ivy-covered three-story single-family home at 17 Bow Street, built in 1905, has been lovingly maintained by its owners over the last 35 years. From the outside it's a picture of storybook charm and Tudor architecture, garage included. Inside is original woodwork as well as six bedrooms. The home's historic cachet and unique early modernity made it a logical choice for filming "Mildred Pierce," a period HBO series about 1930’s Beverly Hills. It's asking $2.795 million.
Take the Tudor tour

Distinctive Homes

Queens locals say Billie Holiday monument should be in historic Addisleigh Park, not Kew Gardens

Photo via Wikimedia

August 5, 2019

Queens locals say Billie Holiday monument should be in historic Addisleigh Park, not Kew Gardens

Residents in southeast Queens are pushing the city to place a monument of jazz artist Billie Holiday in their neighborhood, instead of Kew Gardens, as the city proposed. In March, First lady Chirlane McCray announced plans to erect four statues of trailblazing women across the boroughs, including commissioning one of Holiday near Queens Borough Hall. But as Patch reported this week, locals want the monument to be in the Addisleigh Park Historic District, where Holiday, as well as many other prominent jazz musicians, lived in the late 1940s and '50s.
More here

City Living

September 27, 2018

Forest Hills Gardens Tudor can be your enchanted hideaway for $1.9M

Dating back to its early 20th-century roots as NYC's first garden city, Forest Hills Gardens is a treasure trove of historic Tudor homes. This especially enchanting beauty at 45 Markwood Place, just steps from Forest Park, has just hit the market for $1,875,000. Not only does it have all the characteristics of this fairytale-esque style--like exposed ceiling beams, terra cotta tiles, wrought-iron railings, and stained-glass windows--but it boasts a large, lovely backyard patio, two balconies, a one-car garage, and a spacious layout with four bedrooms.
See some more

Distinctive Homes

Waitlist opens for 400+ middle-income units near Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Via Paul VanDerWerf on Flickr

August 8, 2018

Waitlist opens for 400+ middle-income units near Flushing Meadows Corona Park

A lottery to get on the waitlist for more than 400 moderate-income units launched this week across a few rental buildings in Forest Hills, a residential neighborhood of Queens. The buildings, located at 62-27 108th Street, 108-53 62nd Drive, and 110-01 62nd Drive, are being developed by Phipps Houses, a major developer of affordable housing. The buildings sit nearby Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home to the Queens Museum, New York Hall of Science, Citi Field, and the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 100 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from a $1,462/month studio to a $2,170/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Queens shows how diversity is driving NYC’s economic boom

Elmhurst’s Chinatown. Image: Wiki Commons.

August 7, 2018

Queens shows how diversity is driving NYC’s economic boom

Recent economic snapshots issued by the state comptroller show that New York City has continued to experience record economic expansion in the past three years. This growth has been led by notable gains in the economies of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx (Staten Island's report is expected later this year), which since the 1990s have seen an economic boost from a large increase in their immigrant populations, Crain's reports. The revitalization of these immigrant-rich areas has led to an uptick in the number of businesses as well as sales and job growth. Unemployment is at its lowest rate since 1990. Queens, the borough that is home the city's most diverse population and becoming more so, is clearly one to watch.
More jobs, great food

City Living

December 1, 2017

Historic freestanding manse in Forest Hills Gardens asks $1.4M

By Emily Nonko

This freestanding Tudor home at 310 Burns Street was original to the master plan designed by Grosvenor Atterbury of the model housing community Forest Hills Gardens. The 175-acre enclave just south of the Forest Hills LIRR station and within the greater Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills was developed in the early 1900s as a private garden community with shared green space alongside urban convenience. Today the community consists of 11 apartment buildings and 800 free-standing--this being one of them. Situated right in the heart of "The Gardens," the historic home is up for grabs asking $1.418 million.
Get the interior tour

October 16, 2017

This lofty, compact duplex in Forest Hills is a deal with an ask of $329K

By Emily Nonko

There's a deal to be found in the Queens neighborhood Forest Hills Gardens, where this lofted one-bedroom apartment has hit the market for $329,000. This is the only duplex in the entire cooperative, a historic Arts and Crafts style building located at 1 Station Square. Custom storage and closets maximize the space, which holds a living area, open kitchen and master bedroom below. Above, accessed by a spiral staircase, is a bonus space for an office and second bedroom. The apartment last sold in 2008 for $340,000.
See the space

Distinctive Homes

67 years ago in Queens, Althea Gibson became the first African-American on a U.S. tennis tour

West Side Tennis Club via Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr; Althea Gibson via Wiki Commons

August 22, 2017

67 years ago in Queens, Althea Gibson became the first African-American on a U.S. tennis tour

On August 22, 1950, what was then known as the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) accepted Harlem's Althea Gibson into their annual championship at Forest Hills, New York (the precursor to the U.S. Open). The spot on the championship roster made Gibson the first African-American athlete to compete in a U.S. national tennis competition, launching a storied career in which she won a whopping 16 Grand Slams, including the 1956 French Open where she became the first person of color to win such a title.
Find out more

June 21, 2017

$1.3M Arbor Close Tudor is a reminder of the 1920s ‘garden city’ movement

Just adjacent to the historic "secret" enclave of Forest Hills Gardens, Queens–a rare planned community founded in 1909–is the even more well-kept secret of Arbor Close. These garden-filled idylls share the same covenant to maintain their early 20th century "garden city" charm. Like its neighbor, Arbor Close consists of 1927-era Tudor rowhouses and apartment buildings with central gardens. Though it doesn't happen too often, one of those rare homes, an elegant, unassuming Tudor at 111-27 75th Road, is for sale, asking $1.275 million.
See more of this charming townhouse

March 15, 2017

$1.8M Forest Hills home has an English garden, attic studio, and a unique history