Forest Hills, Queens: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox settlement

| name = Forest Hills

| imagesize = 250px

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| image_caption = [[Forest Hills (LIRR station)|Station Square]]

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| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]

| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|New York}}

| subdivision_type2 = [[List of cities in New York|City]]

| subdivision_type3 = [[List of counties in New York|County]]/[[Borough (New York City)|Borough]]

| subdivision_type4 = [[Community boards of Queens|Community District]]

| subdivision_name4 = [[Queens Community Board 6|Queens 6]]<ref name="NYCPlanning">{{cite web|title=NYC Planning {{!}} Community Profiles|url=https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/queens/6|website=communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of City Planning|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>

| coordinates = {{Coord|40.715|-73.845|display=title,inline}}

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| demographics_type1 = Ethnicity

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|timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone (North America)|EST]]

}}

 

 

 

Forest Hills is located in [[Queens Community Board 6|Queens Community District 6]] and its ZIP Code is 11375.<ref name="NYCPlanning"/> It is patrolled by the [[New York City Police Department]]'s 112th Precinct.<ref name="NYPD 112th Precinct"/> Politically, Forest Hills is represented by the [[New York City Council]]'s 29th District.<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/dc/downloads/pdf/queens.pdf Current City Council Districts for Queens County], [[New York City]]. Accessed May 5, 2017.</ref> It is located within [[New York's 6th congressional district]].

 

==History==

[[File:ForestHillsAustinStreet2.jpg|thumb|left|Southeastern portion of Austin Street with typical Queens six-story red brick apartment buildings on one side and residential homes on the other]]

[[File:Queens Boulevard west of Yellowstone Boulevard.jpg|thumb|left|[[Queens Boulevard]], looking eastward in 2006]]

 

===Development===

 

In 1906, the Cord Meyer Development Company, headed by Brooklyn attorney Cord Meyer, bought abutting land made up of six farms (those of Ascan Bakus, Casper Joost-Springsteen, Horatio N. Squire, Abram V. S. Lott, Sarah V. Bolmer, and James Van Siclen). The company then renamed the aggregate {{convert|600|acre|ha}} "Forest Hills", after Forest Park. Single-family homes, designed by architects such as [[Robert Tappan]] and [[William Patterson (architect)|William Patterson]], were constructed on these 600 acres.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|469}} The roads of Forest Hills were laid out by 1910.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|470}} The present-day Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills is named after Ascan Bakus.

Based on data from the [[2010 United States Census]], the population of Forest Hills was 86,364, an increase of 1,318 (1.5%) from the 85,046 counted in 2000. Covering an area of {{convert|1328.22|acres}}, the neighborhood had a population density of {{convert|63.0|PD/acre|PD/sqmi PD/sqkm}}.<ref name=PLP5>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p5_nta.pdf Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division – [[New York City]] Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 14, 2016.</ref>

 

 

 

 

==Land use==

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. Until the 1970s, it was subject to [[restrictive covenant]]s which, while containing no explicit economic, social or racial restrictions,<ref>S. Klaus, ''A Modern Arcadia'', p. 115</ref> effectively excluded "working-class people", as noted by Eric P. Nash in his 2002 ''New York Times'' book review of ''A Modern Arcadia''.<ref>Eric P. Nash [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/01/books/books-in-brief-nonfiction-ye-olde-borough-of-queens.html "Books In Brief: Nonfiction; Ye Olde Borough of Queens"], ''The New York Times'', September 1, 2002. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref> Forest Hills Gardens was named "Best Community" in 2007 by ''[[Cottage Living]]'' magazine.<ref>Ward, Logan; and Hanson, David. "Our Top 10 Cottage Communities for 2007", ''[[Cottage Living]]''. Accessed September 4, 2007.</ref> 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.

 

 

On the northwestern edge of Forest Hills, on 62nd Drive and 108th Street immediately adjacent to the [[Long Island Expressway]], is the [[Forest Hills Co-op Houses]], a [[New York City Housing Authority]] low-income housing project. Its construction provoked controversy<ref>{{cite book|title=Forest Hills Diary: The Crisis of Low-Income Housing|last=Cuomo|first=Mario Matthew|year=1983|publisher=Knopf Publishing Group|isbn=0-394-72173-X}}</ref> among the residents in the more prestigious areas of Forest Hills when it was constructed in the early 1970s.<ref name=":2"/>

 

 

 

==Points of interest==

 

Austin Street is a busy, modern street with shops, cafes, restaurants, and other stores that acts as the center of Forest Hills. It has become a place people visit from other neighborhoods because of its charm.

 

==Police and crime==

 

 

== Fire safety ==

 

==Post office and ZIP Code==

 

==Education==

 

Forest Hills and Rego Park's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Forest Hills and Rego Park, 10% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per [[school year]], lower than the citywide average of 20%.<ref name=":21" />{{Rp|24 (PDF p. 55)}}<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}} Additionally, 91% of high school students in Forest Hills and Rego Park graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.<ref name="CHP2018" />{{Rp|6}}

 

===K–12 schools===

*{{stn|Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike}} ({{NYCS trains|Queens east}})

 

 

===Road===

Forest Hills is bordered by two of the largest parks in Queens managed by the [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]]: the {{convert|1255|acre|km2}} [[Flushing Meadows–Corona Park]], which is the site of two World's Fairs (in [[1939 New York World's Fair|1939]] and [[1964 New York World's Fair|1964]]) and the iconic [[Unisphere]];<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/flushing-meadows-corona-park Flushing Meadows Corona Park]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> as well as the {{convert|544|acre|km2}} [[Forest Park (Queens)|Forest Park]].<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forest-park Forest Park]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> Within Forest Hills, parks and playgrounds include the Yellowstone Municipal Park&nbsp;– Katzman Playground (located on Yellowstone Boulevard, between 68th Avenue and 68th Road);<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/yellowstone-park Yellowstone Park]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> the Annadale Playground (located on Yellowstone Boulevard, between 64th Road and 65th Avenue);<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/annadale-playground Annadale Playground]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> the Willow Lake Playground (located off the Grand Central Parkway, between 71st and 72nd Avenues);<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/willow-lake-playground Willow Lake Playground]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> the Ehrenreich-Austin Playground (located on Austin Street, between 76th Avenue and 76th Drive);<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/ehrenreich-austin-playground Ehrenreich-Austin Playground]". Retrieved September 29, 2014.</ref> and the Russell Sage Playground (located on 68th Avenue, between Booth and Austin Streets).<ref>"[http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/russell-sage-playground Russell Sage Playground]", [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]]. Accessed September 29, 2014.</ref>

 

 

==In popular culture==

[[The Ramones]] originated in Forest Hills. The band was recognized with the designation in 2017 of Ramones Way at 67th Avenue and 110th Street, in front of Forest Hills High School.<ref>Reszutek, Dana. [http://www.amny.com/news/ramones-way-coming-to-forest-hills-queens-1.12404670 "Ramones Way coming to Forest Hills, Queens"], ''[[AM New York]]'', October 4, 2016. Accessed June 21, 2017. "The Ramones will be honored in their hometown of Forest Hills, Queens, with a street of their own, the band announced on its official website. Ramones Way will be located in front of Forest Hills High School, the alma mater of original band members Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy."</ref>

 

 

 

==Notable people==

* [[Andrew Bergman]] (born 1945), screenwriter (''Blazing Saddles'', ''The In-Laws''), writer/director (''The Freshman'', ''Honeymoon In Vegas''), novelist (Jack LeVine mystery series) and playwright (''Social Security'', ''Honeymoon In Vegas'').{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

* [[Jimmy Breslin]] (1929-2017), journalist<ref>[[Jimmy Breslin|Breslin, Jimmy]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DjhwZ69HslcC&pg=PT440 ''The World of Jimmy Breslin''], p. 440. Open Road Media, 2012. {{ISBN|9781453245330}}. Accessed July 5, 2016. "Breslin writing at home in Forest Hills, Queens."</ref>

* [[Daniel Bukantz]] (1917–2008), Olympic fencer<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/sports/olympics/31bukantz.html|title=Dr. Daniel Bukantz, 90, a Champion Fencer, Dies|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 31, 2008|access-date=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

* [[Michael A. Burstein]] (born 1970), science fiction writer<ref>Staff. [http://www.sfwa.org/news/bruns.htm "Michael A. Burstein running for Brookline, Massachusetts office"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925002012/http://www.sfwa.org/News/bruns.htm |date=September 25, 2006 }}, [[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."</ref>

* [[Art Garfunkel]] (born 1941), singer-songwriter<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Art_Garfunkel.html Art Garfunkel], Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed December 11, 2006</ref><ref name=SimonAndGarfunkel>Martin, Douglas. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/14/nyregion/about-new-york-just-simon-in-the-park-to-garfunkel-s-disappointment.html "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."</ref>

* [[Ernie Grunfeld]] (born 1955), former player and general manager of the [[Washington Wizards]]<ref>Brown, Clifton. [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/21/sports/basketball-grunfeld-is-a-candidate-for-bucks-post.html "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."</ref>

* [[Steve Hofstetter]] (born 1979), comedian/radio personality<ref>Silverberg, Alex. [http://www.stevehofstetter.com/reviewstemplate.cfm?ID=239 "Comic Thanks His Queens Upbringing"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107115746/http://www.stevehofstetter.com/reviewstemplate.cfm?ID=239 |date=November 7, 2007 }}, 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."</ref>

* [[John Vincent Lawless Hogan|John V. Hogan]] (1890–1960), radio pioneer<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1960/12/30/archives/john-hoganradio-expert-dies-cofounder-of-wqxr-was-71-developed.html "John Hogan, Radio Expert, Dies; Co-Founder of WQXR Was 71; Developed High-Fidelity Aids and Facsimile Transmission&nbsp;– Worked With de Forest"], ''The New York Times'', December 30, 1960. Accessed July 5, 2016. "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."</ref>

* [[John Francis Hylan]] (1848–1936), [[Mayor of New York City]] (1918–1925)<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1936/01/12/archives/exmayor-hylan-dies-suddenly-of-heart-attack-stricken-after-retiring.html "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"], ''The New York Times'', January 12, 1936. Accessed July 5, 2016. "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."</ref>

* [[Hirsch Jacobs]] (1904–1970), thoroughbred jockey, husband of [[Ethel D. Jacobs]]<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1970/02/14/archives/hirsch-jacobs-leading-trainer-is-dead-had-more-winners-than-anyone.html "Hirsch Jacobs, Leading Trainer, Is Dead; Had More Winners Than Anyone Saddled Stymie"], ''The New York Times'', February 14, 1970. Accessed July 5, 2016. "Jacobs went through life with a gentle tolerance of other views: letting his children be brought up as Roman Catholics (though he retained his Jewish faith); equipping his home in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, with ashtrays and a lavish bar (though he didn't smoke or drink) and greeting everybody with a smiling 'Hi‐ya.'"</ref>

* [[Donna Karan]] (born 1948), fashion designer<ref>Li, Kenneth. [http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/07/29/1997-07-29_making_a_fashionable_exit__d.html "Making A Fashionable Exit Donna Karan Resigns As CEO"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902132449/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/07/29/1997-07-29_making_a_fashionable_exit__d.html |date=September 2, 2009 }}, ''[[New York Daily News]]'', 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."</ref>

* [[Helen Keller]] (1880–1968), lecturer, author, fundraiser, activist<ref>Whitman, Alden. [https://www.nytimes.com/1968/06/02/archives/triumph-out-of-tragedy-helen-keller-blind-and-deaf-writer-traveler.html "Triumph Out of Tragedy; Helen Keller, Blind and Deaf Writer, Traveler and Humanitarian, Is Dead at 87"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 2, 1968. Accessed June 1, 2022. "In the twenties, Miss Keller, Miss Sullivan and her husband and Miss Thomson (who had joined the household in 1914) moved from Wrentham, Mass., to Forest Hills, Queens, in New York. Miss Keller used this home as a base for her extensive fund-raising tours for the American Foundation for the Blind, of which she was counselor until her death."</ref>

* [[Andrea King]] (1919–2003), actress<ref>Schneider, Paul Miles. [http://www.andreaking.com/Biography-NoFrames-P1.htm 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."</ref>

* [[Gary Kurfirst]] (1947–2009), concert promoter and record producer<ref>Bowman, David. [https://books.google.com/books?id=T4eIwWN2hwQC&pg=PA108 "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."</ref>

* [[Michael Landon]] (1936–1991), actor known for his roles on ''[[Bonanza]]'' and ''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]''<ref>Flint, Peter B. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/02/obituaries/michael-landon-54-little-joe-on-bonanza-for-14-years-dies.html "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."</ref>

* [[Fred Stone]] (1873–1959), actor<ref>Noles, Randy. [https://winterparkmag.com/2021/07/14/final-bow-for-a-trouper/ "Final Bow For A Trouper"], ''Winter Park Magazine'', July 14, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2022. "He married actress Allene Crater, who had a minor role in Wizard, and eventually the couple had three daughters, all of whom became performers and often shared the stage with their legendary father. The family lived comfortably in Forest Hills, New York, where Stone bought property northwest of his home and built two cottages, a stable, a riding track and a polo field"</ref>

* [[Tatiana Troyanos]] (1938–1993), [[mezzo-soprano]] known for her work at the [[Metropolitan Opera]]<ref>[[Allan Kozinn|Kozinn, Allan]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/23/obituaries/tatiana-troyanos-is-dead-at-54-mezzo-star-of-diverse-repertory.html "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."</ref>

* [[Jeff Wayne]] (born 1943), musician known for [[Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds|his musical version of ''The War of the Worlds'']]<ref>[http://www.sonybmgmusic.co.uk/artists/jeff_wayne/ Jeff Wayne] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616152020/http://www.sonybmgmusic.co.uk/artists/jeff_wayne/ |date=June 16, 2009 }}, [[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&nbsp;— music and tennis."</ref>

* [[Katharine Weber]] (born 1955), novelist, author of five novels, including ''Triangle'' and ''True Confections''.<ref>Fine, Mary Jane. [https://www.courant.com/hartford-magazine/hc-hm-still-life-with-monkey-20181230-story.html "Connecticut Novelist's ''Still Life With Monkey'' Explores Challenges Of Severe Disability"], ''[[Hartford Courant]]'', December 27, 2018. Accessed April 24, 2022. "As a child of 5 or 6 growing up in the Forest Hills section of New York City, Katharine Weber pecked out stories, 'typing very slowly, very laboriously, on an old Underwood typewriter — you know, the kind with the silver-circled keys.'"</ref>

* [[Anthony Weiner]] (born 1964), politician<ref>Barkan, Ross. [https://observer.com/2013/06/anthony-weiner-does-a-homecoming-tour-in-forest-hills/ "Anthony Weiner Does a Homecoming Tour in Forest Hills"], ''[[New York Observer]]'', June 15, 2013. Accessed April 24, 2022. "Anthony Weiner has traveled across the city's five boroughs since he announced his mayoral campaign last month, but only today did he visit his old Queens neighborhood of Forest Hills that he fled in the aftermath of his Twitter scandal two years ago."</ref>

* [[Adolph Alexander Weinman]] (1870–1952), sculptor<ref>[https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/adolph-weinman-papers-9338 Adolph A. Weinman papers, 1890-1959], [[Archives of American Art]]. Accessed April 24, 2022. "In 1923, he moved his studio to Forest Hills, New York, where he lived until his death."</ref>

* [[Gideon Yago]] (born 1978), journalist, former correspondent at MTV and CBS News<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/guides/2005_TheyCameFromQueens/filmtv/people.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615163713/http://www.queenstribune.com/guides/2005_TheyCameFromQueens/filmtv/people.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2011|title=From Queens|date=June 15, 2011|access-date=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

* [[Manuel Ycaza]] (1938–2018), jockey inducted into the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame]]<ref>Staff. [http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/nrm-hall.asp?varPage=23 "Manuel Ycaza"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706193834/http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/nrm-hall.asp?varPage=23 |date=July 6, 2007 }}, [[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."</ref>

{{div col end}}

 

==External links==

{{Commons category|Forest Hills, Queens}}

 

{{Queens}}