54-46, that's my number: the Queens thread

I mean it looks on the map like there's this southern peninsula of that park with a giant lake in it.

it's not as close as you might think, cause the freeway is a barrier and there aren't many pleasant ways to get across. its not really park-y down there, just some pleasant lakes. I've jogged around there a few times and it was fine for that. and again, that part of forest hills is really just apt buildings and nothing else.

and yeah forest park is nice

ah ok, that's kind of what I thought. My gut kind of says it would be nicer to live south of Queens Blvd so as to not have to cross it as often to get to stuff. IDK.

def

I would look into the area between forest hills and kew gardens. don't rule out kew gardens.

do rule out rego park

yeah that's p much what a co-worker who lives in kew gardens told me.

thx btw

np

What's the deal with edible QUEENS?

edible
QUEENS

I mean, I like the look of it, but I wonder it deserves a more thorough reading than the casual flipthrough I give it

nah

it's a national magazine, there's also an edible brooklyn, edible long island, edible wherever. it's just casual reading / ads for places to eat and not really 'an institution' or anything

I was just down by the border of Ridgewood and Bushwick today (Jefferson L area) and it was kind of nicer than I thought it would be, although I don't think we'll move to Ridgewood b/c (1) bad commute and (2) probably same problem as other areas mentioned earlier in terms of childcare options. But it's funny how rents get like 20% cheaper once you cross into Queens even where it feels like the same neighborhood.

We also drove around various parts of Astoria recently just to get a feel and didn't really think it seemed worth current rents, other than maybe the area around the park.

Whelp, put in an application on a large 1BR near the 71st Ave stop in Forest Hills. Market was crazy and everything was going before we could even see it, so we just felt like we had to take the first thing we liked. Price was more like what I was hoping for a lower-end 2BR, but it's the size of our 2BR now. We had a cheaper place available but only near the M/R and not as close to the good part of Austin St and whatnot, so we payed more for location mainly. Seems pretty alright. You cross the street and walk a block and you're in the beautiful part of FH, which is pretty nice to walk around. Right now we pay a lot more money per month and there's nowhere nice to walk around for a mile in any direction.

well, welcome to queens (presumably)

nick's pizza is really good

Kew Gardens Cinema is a gem.

haha I was trying to think of other recs in the area and that was the only thing coming up

used to be a porno theater?

Yeah, there's not a whole lot that's super exciting, I know. There seem to be some uzbek kebab restaurants. Honestly I'm at a point in my life at the moment when I'm happy to just have an express train that goes right to my office, some parks and playgrounds nearby, a safe area, conveniences, decent daycare/preschool options and the ability to save some money. I live in Williamsburg and I basically pay extra for a bunch of stuff I don't use now -- bars, trendy restaurants, music venues, stylish boutiques, single 20-somethings etc. Hell, even a Barnes & Noble is a bookstore -- I've spent plenty of happy afternoons in my life in Barnes & Nobles. I do wish there was one decent coffee place. One day maybe I'll open one there.

the two starbucks are always packed. the one near kew gardens is pretty big though.

but yeah you can get to more-interesting jackson heights in about 4 minutes on the train, fwiw. or lots of places. forest hills seems like a fine place to live.

Yeah. A few stops to LIC (PS1 etc) also.

Yeah, you can easily get to Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LIC, switch to the 7 in Jackson Heights to Woodside and Sunnyside (or just walk). Or Flushing Meadows. The Zoo is a great little zoo. The Queens Museum of Art is decent and has the awesome Panorama. Elmhurst/Woodside has the best Thai in NYC (or most of America for that matter).

Kew Gardens Cinema used to be a porno theater. Down the street is a cute little german bakery, and across the street from that a russian jewish deli with good pickles.

Ben's Best is highly regarded for deli but i've never been.

Eddie's Sweet Shop. Wafa's is pretty good. Chalet Alpina looks like an adventure. There's plenty of exploring to do.

Repost from Rolling Latin thread:
Arturo O'Farrill is supposed to be the special guest tonight at Victor Prieto's monthly gig at Terraza. Featuring Vince Cherico on drums.

There now and it is sounding awesome

http://sunnysidepost.com/2012/07/26/site-of-donovans-pub-for-sale-and-pub-likely-to-close/

I was going to post that. I haven't been in ages. Getting shut by the health inspector didn't help. But still, f the haters, so long as you ordered medium rare and you're not the kind of person who's impressed by a tasty brioche bun and artisanal ketchup, it was a damn great burger. The best in the city, as Time Out controversially claimed all those years ago? How can one judge. But a damn great burger.

And I liked the fries.

yeah 'best burger' out of 300000 burgers is kinda an absurd idea regardless

weird lightning outside

I was picking up takeout from De Mole after getting veggies from the Sunnyside CSA (Queens superstar!) when the sky turned black. Crazy out there. In an hour and a half I get to drive to Laguardia to pick up girlfriend from a very delayed flight. Queens!

ha I got de mole takeout too!

anyone know anything about this guy?

http://madeinforesthills.com/

I feel like we are a long way away from 'made in forest hills' being a selling point. maybe he should change the name to 'made near brooklyn'

Well in any case, I'm moved in. Apartment is awesome. I haven't really gotten a chance to explore FH yet because I've just been working. So far my experiences are basically (1) Thai Pot is kind of disappointing but not terrible (2) the fastbreak convenience store has a surprisingly good beer selection and (3) on my train in the morning there aren't a lot of people who, uh, look like me? I mean not that I exactly looked like most of the people on my Williamsburg commute either, with my relatively boring business casual. (4) What I do like, so far, is that the neighborhood feels calm. You go a block off of Queens Boulevard and there are trees and gardens in front of co-op buildings and yellowstone park, and I don't have that feeling like watching my back is automatic. (5) the commute is super fast and easy, which is nice.

Given more time maybe I would have decided to move somewhere else, IDK. I was in this mad rush of trying to make everything work -- affordability, kid friendliness, safety, commute, and other things kind of took a back seat.

Another Queens convert. Welcome!

I don't know if I'm a convert yet, ha.

I found East Williamsburg kind of oppressive and I was glad to leave. I need more convincing that Forest Hills is the right place. Anyway it's good for at least a couple years of saving a little money while having space and an easy commute I guess.

you probably won't fall in love with forest hills, queens blvd will not stop being a 1534 lane highway anytime soon, but you live on an express stop in nyc and there's a good pizza place nearby. what more could you want.

And kew gardens cinema. A gem.

queens blvd will not stop being a 1534 lane highway anytime soon

man, queens blvd, it's like "Ok, well, I guess I'd better cross this motherf...hey, what I just started crossing, I'm not even halfway!"

And that's when you are on foot. In a vehicle it is "Do I have the light or not have the light, which is my light, which is my lane, what is the white light flashing and taking a picture of my plates?"

At least they remind you constantly where pedestrians have been killed.

Do they ever put those H.G. Wells NYPD observation towers up on the streets of Forest Hills?

They don't need that stuff in a neighborhood that's restricted.

how often do you really need to cross q blvd? there's not much on the north side. a grocery store iirc?

I usually just cross underground when I'm around there.

my place is on the north side. that's why I need to cross.

Man, you ARE Queens Blvd!

ah I didn't know that. how close are you to the subway passage?

p close I guess. 69th ave. Never thought about crossing under but that's not a bad idea. Easier without the stroller though.