Forest Hills

With its Tudor-style homes and deep green trees everywhere you look, Forest Hills feels almost enchanted. Bisected by Queens Boulevard, the neighborhood offers multiple flavors of city living, from urban apartment complexes to single-family homes to the storied Forest Hills Gardens. This suburban oasis is also teeming with outdoor space, butting against the 870-acre Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the 500-acre Forest Park. Austin Street is the nabe’s bustling commercial corridor lined with restaurants, cafés, boutiques, and retailers, from mom-and-pops to national chains. Commuter rail, subway, and bus access meets whimsical Tudor Revival architecture at the Forest Hills LIRR station, a major transit hub. (Another good-to-know: many residents own a car.) Meanwhile, at Forest Hills Stadium, the neighborhood’s sporting past meets its musical present: the historic venue once hosted the US Open and now welcomes a packed calendar of concerts.

The Mood

Forest Hills is a friendly community with a traditional vibe.

Heart of the Neighborhood

Bustling Austin Street bisects Forest Hills and features lots of restaurants and chain stores.

Neighborhood Quirk

There’s a great tradition of tennis. Forest Hills Stadium hosted the U.S. Open until 1978, and the West Side Tennis Club offers pristine grass courts for its members.

Best Perk

Known for its sprawling Tudor-style houses and estates, Forest Hills Gardens is a private development that has some of the most beautiful architecture in New York.

Biggest Downside

Expect long commutes to Downtown Manhattan and there’s not much of a nightlife.