The Four Best Reasons to Live in Forest Hills

By Forest Hills 72

Here are the four best reasons to live in Forest Hills.

1.  F train schedule
2.  LIRR schedule
3.  PS 101 Summary
4.  PS 196 Summary

Forest Hills is all about quick commute, great schools, and nice looking streets. The 12-minute LIRR ride is life changing and I'll never ride the subway again. If you work anywhere near Penn Station, move to Forest Hills. The F express is good too and when there are no delays, zips in and out of the city. The E train is an embarrassment and the city should be ashamed, but it goes fast.

I'm not going to talk about restaurants or boutiques because I don't think they're that important when factoring a life decision. I focus on the fundamentals - commute (which equals more time spent w/ family) and schools. Any hot restaurant can close any minute. The LIRR is forever.

Forest Hills is very big and there are good and less good parts. Here's a quick guide. . .Please see the accompanying graphic. But as usual, the best rule of thumb is the more expensive, the better the area. But you can't go wrong with PS 196 or 101 districts.

The parts of Forest Hills:

1. AQUA. The area bordered by Ascan Ave, Queens Blvd. Union Turnpike, Austin St. This is where I live and so do a lot of people with toddlers. Compare to: Park Slope. Advantages - proximity to Ascan/Austin intersection. PS 101 School in the Gardens. Close to LIRR (best way to get in/out of city), Great looking pre-wars. Disadvantages: Parking. Other areas are jealous of: Nick's Pizza/Natural Market. Best lesser-known restaurant: Penang.

2. Forest Hills Gardens. The nicest area in New York City. Compare to: Cos Cob, CT. Advantages: Too many to mention. Disadvantages: LIRR noise does affect a few properties. Other areas are jealous of: Flagpole Park/parking passes. Best lesser known restaurant: Dirty Pierre's.

3. Van Court.  Underrated. One notch below Gardens. Great attached houses, very quiet. Compare to: Bronxville. Advantages: Quiet, attractive, single family homes. Disadvantages: Long walk to subway, not much commercial activity. Other areas are jealous of: Wine Shop on 69th Ave/Tennis Stadium history. Best lesser known restaurant: Dream Cafe.

4. Archie Bunker Houses near Metropolitan.  Ugly, but very practical. Much larger than apartments and unattached. Only bad part is absolutely no yard. Compare to: Valley Stream. Advantages: Walking distance to both Austin St. and Metropolitan Ave. Disadvantages: Looks. Other areas are jealous of: Danny Brown's/Trader Joe's. Best lesser known restaurant: Cinema Cafe.

5. Forest Hills North. Advantages - excellent school (196). Easy access to Grand Central. Disadvantages - too many people buying and tearing down houses. Have to cross Queens Blvd to do anything. Compare to: Great Neck. Other areas are jealous of: Newly Refurbished Forest Hills Library. Best lesser known restaurant: East Ocean Palace.

Forest Hills Resources:

Shopping: Shop Forest Hills - includes info on schools, directions, maps, etc.

Local Park: Forest Park