Forest Hills, Queens

Forest Hills
—  Neighborhoods of New York City  —
Station Square
Country United States
State New York
County Queens
Population (2010)[1]
 • Total 73,100
 • Density 35,876/sq mi (13,851.8/km2)
Diversity
 • White 65.70%
 • Asian & Pacific Islander 25.01%
 • African American 2.38%
 • Hispanic 10.83%
 • Foreign-born 48.72%
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 11375
Area code(s) 718, 347, 917

Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.

Contents

Neighborhood

The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area. Historically, Forest Hills has been home to a large Jewish population, with more than ten thousand Jewish people located in the area.

The community of Forest Hills was founded in 1906; before that, the area was known as Whitepot. In 1909, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who founded the Russell Sage Foundation, bought 142 acres (0.57 km2) of land from the Cord Meyer Development Company. The original plan was to build good low-income housing and improve living conditions of the working poor. Grosvenor Atterbury, a renowned architect, was given the commission to design Forest Hills Gardens. The neighborhood was planned on the model of the garden communities of England. As a result, there are many Tudor-style homes in Forest Hills, most of which are now located in Forest Hills Gardens. However, there are currently a number of Tudor homes in particular areas of Forest Hills outside of the Gardens. What is credited as the world's first radio commercial offered homes in Forest Hills.

The southern part of Forest Hills contains a particularly diverse mixture of upscale housing, ranging from single-family houses, attached townhouses, and both low-rise and high-rise apartment buildings. South of the Long Island Rail Road, the Forest Hills Gardens area is a private community that features some of the most expensive residential properties in Queens County. It was subject to restrictive covenants until the mid-1970s.[2]

Forest Hills Gardens was named "Best Community" in 2007 by Cottage Living Magazine. The adjacent Van Court community also contains a number of detached single-family homes. There are also attached townhouses near the Westside Tennis Center and detached frame houses near Metropolitan Avenue. Finally, there are a number of apartment buildings scattered throughout the community. The most notable high-rise apartment buildings are The Continental on 108th St, Kennedy House, the Pinnacle, and the Windsor.

The north side of Forest Hills is home to the Cord Meyer community, which contains detached single-family homes. Teardowns and their replacement with larger single family residences has had a significant impact on the architectural integrity of the area.[3] However, the Bukharian Jewish community, whose members have settled in the area in large numbers since the late 1990s, advocating the changes say the bigger homes are needed for their large extended families.[4]

Northern Forest Hills is a combination of low-rise apartment buildings and detached single-family homes. The majority of these buildings are owner-occupied co-operatives and condominiums.

On the northwestern edge of Forest Hills, on 62nd Drive, immediately adjacent to the Long Island Expressway is a NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) low-income housing project that provoked controversy[5] among the residents in the more prestigious areas of Forest Hills when it was constructed in the early 1970s.

The main thoroughfare is the twelve-lane-wide Queens Boulevard. Metropolitan Avenue is known for its antique shops. Forest Hills is easily accessible by subway, rail, bus and car. The commercial heart of Forest Hills is a mile-long stretch of Austin Street between Yellowstone Boulevard and Ascan Avenue, where many restaurants, boutiques, and chain stores are established. Restaurants are diverse; diners can find nearly any cuisine they desire.

Forest Hills has the multiple-link Forest Hills – 71st Avenue subway station (E F M R trains) at the intersection of Continental Avenue and Queens Boulevard. The local 75th Avenue stop (E F trains) is also in the area, and some entrance/exits of the express Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike station (E F trains) service the southeastern portion of Forest Hills. The neighborhood also has a commuter train station, the Forest Hills station of the Long Island Railroad, where Continental Avenue and Austin Street meet.

Forest Hills was once the home of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. The event was held at the West Side Tennis Club before it moved to the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, about four miles (6 km) away. When the Open was played at the tennis stadium, the tournament was commonly referred to merely as Forest Hills, just as All-England Lawn Tennis Association Championships are referred to, simply, as Wimbledon. In the 2001 motion picture, The Royal Tenenbaums, Luke Wilson's character plays a tennis match at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. Gene Hackman's character is also shown cruising on the premises. A pivotal scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film Strangers on a Train, in which the main character (played by Farley Granger) is a professional tennis player, features a lengthy championship game at the Club, with distinctive shots of the surrounding community.

Two monuments are erected in Forest Hills Gardens: a tribute to the victims of World War I, the "Great War"; and the mast of the Columbia, the winner of the America's Cup yacht races in both 1899 and 1901.

Economy

The Forest Hills Housing Co-ops are located on 62nd Drive and 108th Street.

Education

Forest Hills, like all areas of New York City, is served by the New York City Department of Education.

K-12 Schools

Pupils attend several public different elementary Schools, including:

Catholic schools include Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs.

Junior High students in Forest Hills attend either J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey (commonly referred to as Halsey) in Rego Park or J.H.S. 190 Russell Sage (known as Sage) in Forest Hills.

New York City high school students at the turn of the 21st century began applying to the high schools of their choice, as there is no longer a zoning policy for Forest Hills High School. Students from all over New York City may apply to high schools in other parts of the city. In addition to Forest Hills High School, a large percentage of students from both J.H.S. 157 and J.H.S. 190 gain admission to other high schools in New York City. Many J.H.S. 157 students also attend the Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Technical High School.[6] Traditionally many more students from J.H.S. 190 choose to study at Stuyvesant High School and Townsend Harris High School, in addition to the Bronx High School of Science.[7] Numerous students from Forest Hills also choose to attend middle and high school at the Baccalaureate School for Global Education, a public school in Astoria, Queens, which teaches grades 7 – 12 and follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Many of the students from outside the district accepted to attend Forest Hills High School are those who applied to either the school's Law & Humanities program, or the Carl Sagan program in accelerated math and science. FHHS has also began admitting students by audition to their Academy of Instructional Music and Performing Arts in 2005.[8] Forest Hills, starting in Fall, 2010, will be served by Queens Metropolitan High School.

Famous graduates of Forest Hills High School include Jerry Springer and the founding members of punk bands the Ramones, and Reagan Youth, as well as singers Simon & Garfunkel.

Colleges and universities

Bramson ORT College is an undergraduate college operated by the American branch of the Jewish charity World ORT. Its main campus is in Forest Hills, with a satellite campus in Brooklyn.

Public libraries

The Forest Hills Library, and the North Forest Park Library operated by Queens Library, are in Forest Hills.[9],[10]

Transportation

Forest Hills is served by the IND Queens Boulevard Line's E F M R routes. Stations serving Forest Hills are 67th Avenue (E M R trains), Forest Hills – 71st Avenue (E F M R trains) and 75th Avenue (E F trains). Also, the Long Island Railroad stops at its own Forest Hills station. Several buses, including the Q60 on Queens Boulevard and Q64, along Jewel Avenue serve the area, along with several MTA express buses to Manhattan. The Q23 follows a north-south route, bi-secting North Forest Hills, following 108th Street; and south of the LIRR, taking a west-ward diversion around Forest Hills Gardens, then resuming along 71st Avenue south of the Gardens.

Parks and Recreation

Forest Hills is bordered by two of the more sizable parks in Queens managed by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation: the 1,255 acres (5.08 km2) Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, the site of two World's Fairs and the iconic Unisphere, and the 544 acres (2.20 km2) Forest Park. Within Forest Hills, some of the more popular parks and playgrounds include: Yellowstone Municipal Park – Katzman Playground (located on Yellowstone Blvd, between 68 Ave and 68 Rd); The Annandale Playground (located on Yellowstone Blvd, between 64 Rd and 65 Ave); The Willow Lake Playground (located off the Grand Central Parkway, between 71 Ave and 72 Ave); The Ehrenreich-Austin Playground (located on Austin St, between 76 Ave and 76 Dr); and The Russell Sage Playground (located on 68 Ave, between Booth St and Austin St).[11]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Forest Hills include:

In Fiction:

References

  1. ^ [http://www.bestplaces.net/people/zip-code/new_york/forest_hills/11375
  2. ^ Nash, Eric P. "Ye Olde Borough of Queens", The New York Times, September 1, 2002.
  3. ^ Colangelo, Lisa L. (March 16, 2009). "Flip side of McMansion fight". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/03/16/2009-03-16_flip_side_of_mcmansion_fight_.html. Retrieved April 5, 2009. 
  4. ^ Matz, David (March 18, 2009). "Forest Hills Rezone Has Racial Undertones". Queens Ledger. http://www.queensledger.com/pages/full_story?page_label=news&article-Forest%20Hills%20Rezone%20Has%20Racial%20Undertones%20=&id=2091677-Forest+Hills+Rezone+Has+Racial+Undertones&widget=push&instance=lead_story_left_column&open. Retrieved April 5, 2009. 
  5. ^ Cuomo, Mario Matthew (1983). Forest Hills Diary: The Crisis of Low-Income Housing. Knopf Publishing Group. ISBN 039472173X. 
  6. ^ NYC Dept. of Ed. Statistics, accessed February 23, 2007
  7. ^ NYC Dept. of Ed. Statistics, accessed February 23, 2007
  8. ^ FOREST HILLS HIGH SCHOOL, Q440, Borough of QUEENS, Zip Code 11375, accessed February 23, 2007 Archived October 5, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Forest Hills." Queens Library. Retrieved on September 23, 2009.
  10. ^ "North Forest Park." Queens Library. Retrieved on June 23, 2011.
  11. ^ "NYC Parks for 11375." . Retrieved on June 23, 2011.
  12. ^ Schillinger, Liesl. "Be It a Cabin, High-Rise or Ranch, There’s No Place Like It", The New York Times, December 24, 2006. Accessed October 24, 2007. "For the actor Hank Azaria, home was a three-bedroom apartment on the 14th floor of a towering complex in Forest Hills."
  13. ^ Sweet, Brian. "Steely Dan", p. 11. Omnibus Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7119-8279-1. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Walter Becker was born on Monday, February 20, 1950, in the Forest Hills area of Queens in New York."
  14. ^ "BIOGRAPHY for Joseph Bowler", AskART. Accessed June 18, 2009.
  15. ^ Staff. "Michael A. Burstein running for Brookline, Massachusetts office", Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, May 11, 2004. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Burstein was born in New York City and grew up in the neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, where his mother still lives."
  16. ^ Staff. "JOSEPHINE CARNEGIE WED; She Becomes Bride of Gerard B. Nolan at Forest Hills", The New York Times, May 30, 1937. Accessed June 18, 2009. "The ceremony was performed by the Rev. J. P. Holland at the home of the bride's uncle, Dale Carnegie, author, in Forest Hills, Queens."
  17. ^ Brady, James. In Step With David Caruso (TV and film actor), Parade (magazine), March 6, 2005. Accessed June 2, 2009. "The redheaded David Caruso grew up in Forest Hills, N.Y. He was drawn to movies like The Godfather and went to work early."
  18. ^ Bell, Arthur. "Darling Candy, where were you the night Jean Harlow died?", The Village Voice, May 18, 1972. Accessed June 18, 2009. "The young boy from Forest Hills had to have it for himself. He became Candy Darling."
  19. ^ a b Clines, Francis X. "In Training for a Run on the Political Stage", The New York Times, February 19, 1997. Accessed October 31, 2007. "She commutes here on alternate weeks for five nights of shows, traveling from Forest Hills, Queens, where she lives with her husband, John A. Zaccaro."
  20. ^ Jewish Virtual Library: Art Garfunkel, accessed December 11, 2006
  21. ^ a b Martin, Douglas. "About New York; Just Simon in the Park, to Garfunkel's Disappointment", The New York Times, August 14, 1991. Accessed June 2, 2009. "Soon, he and Paul Simon, two sons of Forest Hills, Queens, who became bards of the 60's, would stride to the shimmering center of a vast Central Park stage, and a generation growing overweight and apart would for a few fleeting hours feel forever young."
  22. ^ Brown, Clifton. "BASKETBALL; Grunfeld Is a Candidate for Bucks' Post", The New York Times, May 21, 1992. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Grunfeld, who is 37 years old and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, still has two years remaining on his Knick contract."
  23. ^ Navarro, Mireya. " A Comptroller Candidate Fights for Recognition", The New York Times, July 15, 1993. Accessed October 8, 2007. "A native New Yorker, Mr. Hevesi lives in Forest Hills with his wife, Carol."
  24. ^ Silverberg, Alex. "Comic Thanks His Queens Upbringing", copy of article from The Queens Tribune, July 6, 2007. Accessed October 18, 2007. "Hofstetter has been all around Queens. He spent his younger years in Briarwood before moving on to Forest Hills, and finally settling down in Rego Park for the duration of his teen years."
  25. ^ Staff. "John Hogan,Radio Expert, Dies; Co-Founder of WQXR Was 71; Developed High-Fidelity Aids and Facsimile Transmission – Worked With de Forest", The New York Times, December 30, 1960. Accessed June 18, 2009. "John Vincent Lawless Hogan, who invented single dial radio tuning and was co-founder of radio station WQXR, died yesterday at his home, 239 Greenway South, Forest Hills, Queens, after a long illness."
  26. ^ Staff. "EX-MAYOR HYLAN DIES SUDDENLY OF HEART ATTACK; Stricken After Retiring in His Forest Hills Home, Succumbs Within a Few Minutes. MAYOR FROM 1918 TO 1925 An Up-State Farm Boy With Little Schooling, He Studied Law While Working. EX-MAYOR HYLAN DIES SUDDENLY", The New York Times, January 12, 1936. Accessed June 8, 2009. "Former Mayor John F. Hylan died of a heart attack about 1:15 o'clock this morning in his residence at 2 Olive Place, Forest Hills, Queens."
  27. ^ via Associated Press. "Hirsh Jacobs Absolved in Hores Doping Case: New York Racing Commission Probe Finds Trainer and Help Blameless", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 2, 1961. Accessed June 18, 2009. Trainer Hirsh Jacobs, who exactly one year ago saddled his 3,000th winner for a world record, was absolved of blame today in the stimulation of a filly owned by his wife, Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs of Forest Hills, N. Y."
  28. ^ Staff. "Hirsch Jacobs, Leading Trainer, Is Dead; Had More Winners Than Anyone Saddled Stymie", The New York Times, February 14, 1970. Accessed June 18, 2009.
  29. ^ Li, Kenneth. "MAKING A FASHIONABLE EXIT DONNA KARAN RESIGNS AS CEO", Daily News (New York), July 29, 1997. Accessed June 17, 2009. "The move follows months of turmoil for the Forest Hills, Queens-born designer, who has become one of the world's best-known brands by creating sophisticated yet comfortable clothing that women cherish as both casual and evening wear."
  30. ^ Ho, Janie. "Alan King, Comic, Actor Dies at 76", CBS News, May 9, 2004. Accessed June 18, 2009. "King, who until then had been using worn out one-liners, found his new material at home. His wife had persuaded the New Yorker to forsake Manhattan for suburban Forest Hills, Queens, believing it would provide a better environment for their children."
  31. ^ Schneider, Paul Miles. Biography, The official Andrea King Website. Accessed June 18, 2009. "A few years later, after settling in New York, Belle consented to marry Douglas McKee, the Vice President of the Title Guarantee & Trust Company, and the threesome moved into a large house in Forest Hills, Long Island."
  32. ^ JewishJournal.com
  33. ^ Krumholtz, David. "I'm Jewish". https://twitter.com/#!/DaveKrumholtz/status/97184564014874624. Retrieved 30 July 2011. 
  34. ^ Bowman, David. "This Must Be the Place", HarperCollins, 2002, p. 109. ISBN 0-06-050731-4. Accessed June 18, 2009. "The man was Gary Kurfirst. He was born in Forest Hills, Queens, in 1947. He was a manager."
  35. ^ Flint, Peter B. "Michael Landon, 54, Little Joe On 'Bonanza' for 14 Years, Dies", The New York Times, July 2, 1991. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Mr. Landon, whose name was originally Eugene Maurice Orowitz, was born on Oct. 31, 1936, in Forest Hills, Queens, to Eli Maurice Orowitz, a movie theater manager, and the former Peggy O'Neill, an actress."
  36. ^ Hamilton College Class of 1944 50th Reunion Yearbook, Spring 1994
  37. ^ Hamilton College Alumni Review, Vol. 57, No. 2, Fall-Winter 1992–93
  38. ^ Staff. "JACK M'AULIFFE, 71, EX-RING CHAMPION; Retired Undefeated in 1896 After Holding Lightweight Crown for 12 Years", The New York Times, November 5, 1937. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Jack McAuliffe, who retired in 1896 as the undefeated professional lightweight-boxing champion of the world after holding the title for twelve years, died yesterday at his home, 73-20 Austin Street, Forest Hills."
  39. ^ Horowitz, Joseph. "The Musical Odyssey of Min Xiao-Fen", The New York Times, March 3, 2005. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Ms. Min moved to New York in 1996. (She now lives in Forest Hills.)"
  40. ^ Feinberg, Alexander. "MIRANDA BALKS AT GANG INQUIRY; Auto Dealer Questioned in Anastasia Slaying Is One of 7 to Refuse Answers", The New York Times, December 15, 1957. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Miranda, who lives in Forest Hills, Queens, and has an automobile agency in Manhattan, took the Fifth Amendment thirty-two times as a witness before the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Operations, the so-called watchdog committee."
  41. ^ Severo, Richard. "Carroll O'Connor, Embodiment of Social Tumult as Archie Bunker, Dies at 76", The New York Times, June 22, 2001. Accessed November 18, 2007. "The O'Connors lived well, at first in the Bronx, later in a larger apartment in Elmhurst, Queens, and finally in a nice single-family home in Forest Hills, Queens, then an enclave for people of means."
  42. ^ Mikael J. "DCC4N's Rick Overton Interview", DC Comedy: 4 Now, May 12, 2009. Accessed June 18, 2009. "I Grew up in Forest Hills until 1966, at which point we moved to Englewood NJ because Dizzy Gillespie found us a house near him!"
  43. ^ Yaniv, Oren. "MASTERING CHESS WAS THE EASY PART. BLACK BELT CHAMP TEACHES MOVES IN FOREST HILLS", Daily News (New York), April 3, 2005. Accessed June 17, 2009. "This is an excellent club; it's not that formal," said Grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky, 34, co-winner of the 2005 U.S. championship, who, like Polgar and other chess masters, resides in Forest Hills."
  44. ^ Pareles, Jon. "Dee Dee Ramone, Pioneer Punk Rocker, Dies at 50", The New York Times, June 7, 2002. Accessed June 17, 2009. "Tony Colvin moved her children to New York in the late 1960's. They settled in Forest Hills, Queens, where Douglas met the future members of the Ramones, described in Lobotomy as 'the obvious creeps of the neighborhood.'"
  45. ^ Powers, Ann. "Joey Ramone, Punk's Influential Yelper, Dies at 49", The New York Times, April 16, 2001. Accessed June 2, 2009. "Born Jeffrey Hyman in Forest Hills, Queens, Mr. Ramone grew up a sensitive outcast in a bohemian family."
  46. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. "Punk Rock Legend Johnny Ramone Dies at 55", People (magazine), September 16, 2004. Accessed June 2, 2009. "Johnny Ramone, 55, was born John Cummings and grew up in Forest Hills, N.Y., soaking up rock in the '60s but then moving to an edgier sound."
  47. ^ Strickland, Carol. "Can Sitcom Make It With L.I. Setting?", The New York Times, December 1, 1996. Accessed November 12, 2007. "For Everybody Loves Raymond, the route to Hollywood Hills began in Forest Hills, where Ray Romano, a standup comedian and the star of the show, grew up."
  48. ^ "Return of a Ramone...Tommy Ramone & Claudia Tienan Bow Bluegrass Duo Uncle Monk with Self-Titled Album Due Out May 22", PRWeb, press release dated February 4, 2007. Accessed June 17, 2009. "Tommy Ramone began his musical career as Tommy Erdelyi, an engineer at the Record Plant. Born in Budapest, Hungary, and raised in Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y., he co-founded the Ramones with Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee and participated in the birth of punk and indie-rock, working as the band's drummer, producer and manager."
  49. ^ Elkind, David. "Wilhelm Reich – The Psychoanalyst as Revolutionary; Wilhelm Reich", The New York Times, April 18, 1971. Accessed June 17, 2009. "soon after his arrival in 1939, Reich rented a house in Forest Hills, where he quickly resumed the pattern of activities he had followed in Oslo, Berlin and Vienna.
  50. ^ http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/press_releases/milking-rhino.html
  51. ^ Renato Russo
  52. ^ Heffernan, Harold. "12 New Film Beauties Selected For Musicial", Toledo Blade, November 9, 1950. Accessed June 18, 2009.
  53. ^ Staff. "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", The Washington Post. Accessed June 18, 2009.
  54. ^ Kozinn, Allan. "Tatiana Troyanos Is Dead at 54; Mezzo Star of Diverse Repertory", The New York Times, August 23, 1993. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Tatiana Troyanos was born in New York on September 12, 1938, and grew up in Forest Hills."
  55. ^ Tufts, Bob. "A Strange, But True Baseball Story??", Black Athlete Sports Network, January 12, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Bob Tufts is a former Major League pitcher who pitched for the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals from 1981–83. He now resides in Forest Hills, New York".
  56. ^ Jeff Wayne, Sony Music. Accessed June 18, 2009. "Jeff Wayne was born in Forest Hills, New York and discovered early in his life two passions that have remained with him – music and tennis."
  57. ^ Fischler, Marcelle S. "Nascent Hall of Fame to Welcome First Honorees"., The New York Times , October 15, 2006. Accessed November 26, 2007. "Dee Snider of Stony Brook, the shock-rocker from the 1980's heavy metal band Twisted Sister, known for his defiant metal anthem We're Not Gonna Take It, and Leslie West of the band Mountain, who grew up in East Meadow, Lawrence and Forest Hills, are also being inducted..."
  58. ^ Ferber, Lawrence. "Oh, Henry Oh, Henry: The pretty boys and dirty deeds of Hollywood agent Henry Willson The pretty boys and dirty deeds of Hollywood agent Henry Willson", Gay and Lesbian Times, November 17, 2005. Accessed June 18, 2009. "During his youth in Forest Hills, N.Y., Willson was close to his father, a man who both enabled his showbiz obsession and hindered his personal development."
  59. ^ "The Rev. John "Jack" Francis Minford Wyatt, Adman Hosted Local TV's 'Confession' Prior to Priesthood". dentonrc.com. http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/obituaries/stories/DN-wyattob_12met.ART.West.Edition1.46da998.html. Retrieved December 8, 2010. 
  60. ^ Staff. "Manuel Ycaza", National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Accessed June 18, 2009. "But trips out to Shea Stadium are nothing new for Deycaza, a resident of Forest Hills, N.Y."

External links