Jackson Heights

I no longer have my notes, but check to see how the coop is organized. There was one complex where each separate building is its own coop. Since each building has 6-8 apartments, that was a little too close to comfort for me from the start. The E train never ran express in Queens when I visited the neighborhood during the weekend so it was always a good 45 minute train ride from midtown, not the 20 minutes that some real estate agents will advertise. Events in the neighborhood: http://www.jhbg.org/events/events.html including garden tours, and speaking of, the gardens coops look really lovely from what I could see standing by the fence, but unless you live in the complex, you have no access to its gardens. The nearest greenspace is Flushing Meadows Corona Park if you don't buy into the traditional garden coop. Good luck!

Tandare,

My boyfriend lived there until recently (we just closed on a upper-west side co-op). There is really amazing food all over Jackson Heights and we were always shocked at how affordable it was to eat out. The food (especially Thai) tasted so much better than anything you can find in Manhattan, and it is very affordable.

Groceries are also much cheaper than in Manhattan, but I found the stores too busy, slightly disorganized and difficult to navigate. I also had a hard time finding some basics. For example we were making taco's one night and we had a really hard time finding hard taco shells, but there are all sorts of fresh soft corn tortillas (which are traditional in latin american's counties).

Transportation during normal hours was always fast (Roosevelt to 14th street in about 30 minutes), but late at night or some weekends the trains would run local and it could take as much as 45-55 minutes.

The area is changing rapidly and I think it could be a great time to get into a building.

Much better value then LIC. However I would recommend you look at Woodside and Sunnyside. Both are closer to Manhattan and a lot less crowded. Good Luck.

Thanks folks.

dco - we live in Sunnyside now and love it, but aren't finding much we like in our price range.

Try looking in downtown JC. They have some great condos, you save on NYC income tax, and the neighborhoods are arguably better than Sunnyside/Woodside (having lived in on the border of Sunnyside, in Woodside), I can tell you that downtown JC (near Grove Street) has a better neighborhood feel. Depends on your commute to work, and what you're looking for of course. Just a suggestion!

tandare- I know what you mean. Inventory in Sunnyside is also low, mainly because most buildings are rentals. JH's does give you more of a selection. It does have some of the biggest and nicest pre-war buildings in the city. What is your price range?

The problem with JC is coming into the city on weekends. TOO MUCH TRAFFIC! Coops in Sunnyside are the best bang for the buck (~$300 psf) with low maintenance. The apts are bigger than in Manhattan with only a 12 min train ride. I made it to the office in 20 mins door to door.

im also interested in jh. streeteasys showing 250k/$291psf as the median. are these relatively sane figures in the current market? any trending forecasts for 08-09 for jh?

Trending, haha! It depends on who you ask!

Streeteasy doesn't cover Queens very well.

Who covers Queens well?

dco - we are hoping to come in under 350 for a sizeable 2 br. Yes, folks this may sound crazy, I know.
Nevertheless, we are seeing more properties in that range than we expected. JC has great neighborhoods, when it works out for commutes and such it is a great option.

mufongo - I'm actually surprised at the affordability of some apt in JH and into Elmhurst & Woodside (sticking close to the train lines).

Lookingofrhome - don't know, but smaller boutique brokerages that are local in queens list more, try craigslist and major newspapers for listings

@tandare - i was surprise also. thats why im trying to do a sanity check and to get the lowdown on jh to make sure the neighborhood doesnt have cooties or something.

mufongo - I understand. I think some are priced low b/c they are a bit further from the trains or aren't in "prime" (landmarked) buildings and those are the most prestigious to live in. But still reasonable prices out there. The unreasonable prices in Qns seem to be the new developments / condos - which are priced, in my opinion, too high for their areas. Over 400K for a 1br in Astoria?

We live in Hampton Court on 78th St. between 37th and 35th and love it. We like the neighborhood a lot though it is quite dense and if your building does not have a garden I would think that lack of green space would be an issue. The leading broker for landmarked buildings here by volume is no doubt MPC properties.

@tandare - i hear ya. ive been in lic since 2002, and this is my ignorance talking, but i had no idea that you could actually buy something in nyc for under $400k.

@alhagar - can you elaborate on what you mean by "quite dense"? people...cars...both? planning to move into jh later this year to scope it and its neighboring hoods out and get a vibe for the place.

im not feelin lic anymore...its getting a little stuffy. and im tired of tuk tuks pad thai.

I lived in Jackson Heights/ Elmhurst for almost 30 years. You can find great coops for under 400k. You can probably find a 3 bedroom coop in Jackson Heights for under 350k even landmarked areas. The area is very diverse. You can find all kinds of ethnic foods. There is always so many people walking around so I feel safe even late at night. The surrounding areas are usually very busy with lots of foot and car traffic. But if you live near the 7 train or E/F then its a 20 min ride into the city. sunny_hong@countrywide.com

I've lived there for 2+ years on 78th St and 37th Ave as a renter in the early 2000s.

If you own a car:
- Parking sucks like BIG time. Get a place with deeded parking if you can. Private parking elsewhere will cost you $150 a month from a private home owner with extra space. There are no real public garages.
- Congestion sucks if you drive. It's almost impossible not to be stuck in traffic, unless you are heading up to northern blvd.

Public Transportation:
- You can not ask for better public transportation hub. I know people complain about over crowding, but it's not as bad as most of Manhattan or some parts of Brooklyn. Tons of buses too. It's not the same thing as living in LIC, but you have plenty of options.

Food
- If you like variety in your diet, then there is no better place. It is why I sometimes come back. You got Mexican / South American (minus Brazilian I think) / Indian / Italian / Chinese / Korean / Thai / Afghanistan / Vietnamese / maybe more. You won't find Eastern European Food or real Japanese from what I know.
- You got plenty of groceries. You also have a large Indian and Korean centric grocery. The Indian grocery is huge and cheap.

Chain Shops:
- Duane Reade
- Starbucks
- McDonalds
- Duncan Donuts

Draw Backs:
- Elevated 7 train
- Roosevelt Ave during peak club/bar nights can scare off some people with the elevated 7 train that runs along it. Although, there are a ton of cops during those nights. And as long as you don't look questionable... you won't be pulled to the side. For a dude, there is little to nothing to worry about. Some Latin man might mumble "chica" constantly to you, but they are easy to ignore. Some women might feel that it is seedy coming from the train station, but the women I knew living there didn't have a problem coming back home at 2am.
- Did I mention traffic?
- Also parking?

Thanks to everyone for all the responses

A friend of mine lives in Dunnolly and her only complaint to me has been with the walk to the subway, she pretty much has to allow 45 minutes to an hour to get anywhere in Manhattan. Maint. charges have also increased greatly since she bought two years ago, due to a lack of reserves. Otherwise, she is quite pleased. The building is quiet (she faces the street, not the courtyard) and her neighbors are considerate.

Sunnyside and Woodside around Queens Blvd are less dense than Jackson Heights. There is a good mix of coops and 1-2 family houses so you have less people searching for the limited number of parking spots. I wouldn't say it's easy to find a spot, but it's easier than near Roosevelt Ave. Also, the elevated train is not as seedy looking. Sunnyside also has a Starbucks, which is the student/yuppie hangout in the neighborhood. Cab rides are a bit shorter as well.

Most of Queens County is an mls area, try MLS Stratus.com, If your interest in Jackson Heights Coops, which are the best in western queens; Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, LIC. The NY times is a good source of listings, and Micheal Carfone RE website, i think his office sells many of the better original coop units.

Craigs is another source for Sunnyside listings. Co-ops more prevalent but condos certainly are popping up also. Also have notice new shops/bars popping up. They even finally took down the boarded area on 45th North, looks like another condos going up...

moved out of JH two years ago and couldn't get out fast enough. Roosevelt Ave is one of the dirtier main arteries I have seen in the city. Never saw more fights in the streets anywhere else - even worse than early 90's East Village. Granted I lived of the 90th street stop on the 7, but surprised how rough the neighborhood was at times. Neighbors played music loud enough to make my floor vibrate. Closer to the express stop is better , but there is a reason property is cheaper there than Sunnyside, as I discovered first-hand.

We moved into JH seeking more space than we had in Manhattan two months ago and couldn't be happier. I used to live in Hell's Kitchen, and I think of Roosevelt Ave in the same way that I used to think of 8th Ave (back when 8th Ave was early-90s-icky) - not that nice, but it was a transportation hub, and had a lot of useful businesses. And one avenue over is a fantastic neighborhood...especially in the 70s and low 80s (areas with good access to the express trains to Manhattan).

cjb - we're neighbors, best as I can figure out (your comment about 45th street)

mwade - sorry you had a negative JH experience. I have lived in Sunnyside for over 6 years and love it, safe, quiet, convenient, charm.

Hey tandare, any big softening in prices in Sunnyside lately?

I've rented in Woodside, Sunnyside and now own in Jackson Heights for the last 11 years. Best housing stock of the three areas. Door to door in Flatiron district (on a good day) 30 minutes. MPC Properties has great listings. Go north of Roosevelt and stay between 92 and 73rd Streets - stay in or close historic or landmark districts and you'll do well.