There are plenty of reasons to love Queens, NYC’s largest borough. One of its many gems is the neighborhood Jackson Heights, with its easy commute to Midtown Manhattan, charming residential streets, and lively main avenues. Formerly farmland, the area became home to thecountry’s first “garden apartments” in the 1920s.
Visitors can expect to find a vibrant and diverse area with many historical buildings. Best of all, budget-minded renters and homebuyers won’t be disappointed. As of November 2021, median asking prices for rentals ($2,100) and sales ($395,000) were much less than the borough’s overall numbers — not to mention Brooklyn’s and Manhattan’s medians.
Jackson Heights Rentals Under $2500 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Jackson Heights
69-01 35th Avenue
$1,650No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
25-11 87th Street
$1,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
91-09 Roosevelt Avenue
$2,486No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
33-08 84th Street
$1,750No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
35-30 81st Street
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
87-10 34th Avenue
$2,200No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
88-09 35th Avenue
$2,100No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
35-38 75th Street
$1,600No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
37-46 72nd Street
$2,428No Fee
Studio |
1
Jackson Heights
23-54 79th Street
$2,095No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
32-05 81st Street
$2,079No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
31-18 81st Street
$2,100No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights Historic District
The bustling arteries of Roosevelt and 37th Avenues are well known, but Jackson Heights’ bucolic historic district is a hidden surprise. Here, each garden apartment complex rings the block’s perimeter, encompassing vast interior courtyards. That means every resident has a window overlooking the garden! The exteriors have lush greenery too. One can walk down any street and see something blooming — even in winter. With towering century-old trees, these streets are quiet and shady.
Jackson Heights Homes Under $650K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Jackson Heights
37-31 73rd Street
$414,999
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
88-10 32nd Avenue
$348,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
85-10 34th Avenue
$585,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
78-10 34th Avenue
$550,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
35-05 72nd Street
$449,999
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
37-27 86th Street
$325,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
76-15 35th Avenue
$600,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
35-21 81st Street
$429,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
88-10 34th Avenue
$399,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
35-31 78th Street
$535,000
1 |
1
Jackson Heights
33-26 92nd Street
$388,000
2 |
1.5
Jackson Heights
34-24 82nd Street
$390,000
1 |
1
What Types of Apartments Are in the Historic District?
The buildings in the historic district encompass various architectural styles: Tudor, Georgian Revival, Italianate, and more. The apartments are generously sized with 10- to 12-foot ceilings and amenities like sunrooms, fireplaces, and Juliet balconies. “One of the best things about the housing stock,” says Karatzas, “is how it runs the spectrum from luxurious — units that take up an entire floor with their own private elevator — to modest walkups.” Learn more about different apartment types.
Many boast period details like dumbwaiters, root vegetable garden boxes, and a servant’s bedroom and bath past the kitchen. Also unique: All of the historic apartment buildings have names — many modern ones, too, in keeping with tradition — and you will hear residents refer to living in “Hampton Court” or “the Berkeley” rather than giving an address. The gardens also range in styles from manicured parks to European-inspired landscaping.
Can you see the gardens without living there?
While these historic buildings are private, the Jackson Heights Beautification Group hosts a Jackson Heights Historic Weekend every June, when the gardens are opened free to the public. Events include walking tours, lectures, and exhibits that feature archival photos, blueprints, newspaper clippings, and original real estate ads.
Of course, you’ll find new residential buildings in Jackson Heights too. Roosevelt Parc, for example, offers tenants spectacular vistas of the neighborhood and the Manhattan skyline.
Queens Rentals Under $2500 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Fresh Meadows
196-36 67th Avenue
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
East Flushing
140-60 Beech Avenue
$1,858No Fee
Studio |
1
East Flushing
140-60 Beech Avenue
$1,968No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
31-42 45th Street
$2,499No Fee
2 |
1
Astoria
31-05 21st Street
$2,271No Fee
1 |
1
Sunnyside
41-34 43rd Street
$2,165No Fee
1 |
1
Long Island City
37-19 29th Street
$1,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
34-21 41st Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Sunnyside
45-35 46th Street
$2,350No Fee
1 |
1
Kew Gardens
84-08 126th Street
$1,785No Fee
Studio |
1
Jamaica Estates
172-70 Highland Avenue
$1,800No Fee
Studio |
1
Bayside
42-34 212nd Street
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Jackson Heights Has a Thriving Food Scene
Jackson Heights offers a globe-spanning array of food, from samosas and Thai curry to Korean fried chicken and tacos.
For those who like to cook, markets and mom-and-pop grocers are abundant, catering to a broad range of tastes and cuisines. And everything is reasonably priced, or as locals like to say, “Queens prices.”
Jackson Heights also hosts a farmers’ market on Sundays. It’s located on 34th between 79th and 80th, in front of I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer, a middle school serving nearly 2,000 students.
Queens Homes Under $600K on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Kew Gardens
117-00 Parklane South
$548,000
2 |
2
Jackson Heights
37-31 73rd Street
$414,999
1 |
1
Elmhurst
40-12 73rd Street
$368,000
2 |
1
Ditmars-Steinway
22-04 77th Street
$415,000
1 |
1
Woodside
65-15 38th Avenue
$425,000
1 |
1
Ditmars-Steinway
21-47 33rd Street
$350,000
2 |
1
Sunnyside
41-12 41st Street
$528,000
2 |
1
Kew Gardens Hills
150-14 Goethals Avenue
$305,000
1 |
1
Glen Oaks
74-01 255th Street
$360,000
2 |
1
Jackson Heights
88-10 32nd Avenue
$348,000
2 |
1
Briarwood
143-20 Hoover Avenue
$540,000
2 |
1
Oakland Gardens
73-62 Bell Boulevard
$315,000
2 |
1
Quirky Historical Landmarks
Alfred Mosher Butts, the inventor of Scrabble, lived in Jackson Heights. The Community Methodist Church, on the corner of 35th Avenue and 81st Street, records the game being played there. If you look up while standing outside, you’ll see the street sign bears scoring numbers under each letter of the street name, as if the letters were Scrabble tiles, in a tribute to Butts.
The Leveriches were among the oldest families in the neighborhood, having settled here in 1662, according to Karatzas. The Leverich Cemetery family burial plot is hidden down a winding alley. It’s now under the care of JHBG and Hibridos Art Collective, which hosts weekly activities open to the community.
It’s an Easy Commute to Midtown Manhattan
With five subway lines (E, F, M, R, 7) to choose from — including two express options — there are always trains running. The reliable Jackson Heights station rarely experiences shutdowns. But when they do happen, the city provides alternatives like additional bus routes. On the average weekday, commuters can zip to east Manhattan in about 10 minutes and midtown in 20. Several bus lines also serve the subway station; three can take you to LaGuardia Airport in less than 15 minutes, including the Q70 express. No neighborhood in Manhattan can beat that! Discover more affordable Queens neighborhoods for renters.