Forest Hills
Forest Hills is an upper-middle class neighborhood located in central Queens. Up until the 1900s the area used to be all farmland, but in 1906 an attorney from Brooklyn named Cord Meyer purchased 600 acres of farmland and renamed this area Forest Hills. Present day Forest Hills consists mostly of single and multi-family homes, developed in the 1920s through 1940s. However, within the area there are also apartments, co-ops, and condominiums. Furthermore, it is one of the safest neighborhoods in all of Queens.
The most elite community located in Forest Hills is Forest Hills Gardens, which is privately owned but opened to the public. It started development in 1909 when Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, a wealthy American philanthropist, purchased 142 acres of land from the Cord Meyer Development Company. Originally, Forest Hills Gardens was built for low income housing but today Forest Hills Gardens houses some of the wealthiest residents of Forest Hills. The Forest Hills Gardens Corporation owns the street and sewers, and they ensure that the buildings are kept to their original designs. This elusive district is made up of about 800 beautifully crafted Tudor and Georgian style houses, apartments, and townhouses.
Forest Hills is also close-by to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and Forest Park. Nonetheless, parks are not the only source of entertainment and leisure. Austin Street and Queens Boulevard boasts and impressive amount of restaurants and bars. When the weather is hot, Forest Hills is also home to many private swimming pools which you can purchase a membership to giving you and your family access. When the weather is cold, Forest Hills also contains a indoor play area for your kids to help stay active. In addition, from the months of April until December the Forest Hills Greenmarket is open every Sunday, on Queens Boulevard and 70th Avenue, where you can purchase fresh farm-grown produce. Every year the town throws a parade celebrating Veteran’s Day.
Forest Hills is part of the NYC Geographic District #28. District #28 consists of 50 schools both public and private. Forest Hills High School has many notable alumni including the original members of the famous punk band The Ramones and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel who make up the famous folk duo Simon & Garfunkel.
