Forest Hills (Queens)

Forest Hills is a neighborhood in central Queens, New York. It is bordered to the north by Rego Park, to the east by Flushing Meadows Park and Kew Gardens, to the west by Middle Village and to the south by Forest Park.

Related Topics:
Queens - New York - Rego Park - Flushing Meadows Park - Kew Gardens - Middle Village - Forest Park

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The neighborhood is home to a mix of lower-middle to upper-class residents, the latter of whom often live in the neighborhood's prestigious Forest Hills Gardens area. Forest Hills has historically had a very large Jewish population, and more than 10 synagogues are located in the area. It is also home to many airline pilots because of its proximity to both JFK International and LaGuardia airports. jetBlue is based there.

Related Topics:
Forest Hills Gardens - Jewish - Synagogues - Airline pilots - JFK International - LaGuardia - JetBlue

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In 1909, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who founded the Russell Sage Foundation, bought 142 acres (0.6 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.

Related Topics:
1909 - Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage - Russell Sage Foundation - Cord Meyer Development Company - Grosvenor Atterbury

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The neighborhood contains areas of private houses with little commerce, such as the Gardens area; dense commercial districts full of stores and large apartment complexes; and streets with the six-story brick apartment buildings common throughout Queens. The main thoroughfare is the 12-lane-wide Queens Boulevard, while Metropolitan Avenue is known for its antique shops. The commercial heart of Forest Hills is a mile-long stretch of Austin Street, a block removed from Queens Boulevard, that features an eclectic collection of shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Related Topics:
Queens Boulevard - Antique

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While many Forest Hills residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades, an increasing number of young professionals have been attracted to the area because of its cosmopolitan nature, plentiful shopping and restaurant options, safety, and excellent access to public transportation. Manhattan is only 20 minutes away on the subway, and a Long Island Rail Road trip from the landmark train station at the entrance to the Gardens to Manhattan's Pennsylvania Station is just 15 minutes.

Related Topics:
Manhattan - Subway - Long Island Rail Road - Pennsylvania Station

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Forest Hills was once the home of the US Open tennis tournament, played at the West Side Tennis Club before it moved to the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens. When the Open was played at the tennis stadium, the tournament was commonly referred to merely as Forest Hills just as the British Open was referred to as Wimbledon.

Related Topics:
US Open - Flushing Meadows, Queens - Forest Hills - Wimbledon

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