A nice write-up in The Times recently about our nabe: Forest Hills, Queens: City Life in a Suburban Setting
I think it is pretty accurate. I love the fact they point out how quick and easy the commute is into Manhattan, a huuuge benefit of living here that often goes overlooked and underreported. It's faster to get into midtown from here than it is from many other parts of Manhattan!
I would just dispute the woman's quote about "there is life after Manhattan." I live in Forest Hills and spend a TON of time in Manhattan. I think my life living here very much continues to include both. It's not an either/or.
My only complaint these days about this is the very, very obnoxious concentration of MTA subway work onto the seemingly endless stream of weekends as of late, something that has been disrupting express service waaaay too frequently. This is a city for public transportation, not for automobiles.
It would be one thing if the express service was simply replaced by only local service, as it has been for many, many weekends. But the frequent 'bunching' of trains as we approach Forest Hills on the weekends, leading to extra travel times, is a real problem.
The MTA should remember that on the weekends many of us urban-dwellers need, depend on, and require the subways just as much as on the weekdays. This is not the NYC of the past. Demographics and subway usage has changed. The subway is no longer just a necessary-evil to be avoided at all costs. For many of us it is our first choice in getting around the City because it is usually so convenient.
Who at the MTA came up with the warped idea that enjoying our City life is any less important than working in the City? Quick and easy access to Manhattan to enjoy all it has to offer us on the weekends is one of the major reasons many of us call Forest Hills home. The current situation is a real quality of life issue and needs to be addressed.
I think it is pretty accurate. I love the fact they point out how quick and easy the commute is into Manhattan, a huuuge benefit of living here that often goes overlooked and underreported. It's faster to get into midtown from here than it is from many other parts of Manhattan!
I would just dispute the woman's quote about "there is life after Manhattan." I live in Forest Hills and spend a TON of time in Manhattan. I think my life living here very much continues to include both. It's not an either/or.
My only complaint these days about this is the very, very obnoxious concentration of MTA subway work onto the seemingly endless stream of weekends as of late, something that has been disrupting express service waaaay too frequently. This is a city for public transportation, not for automobiles.
It would be one thing if the express service was simply replaced by only local service, as it has been for many, many weekends. But the frequent 'bunching' of trains as we approach Forest Hills on the weekends, leading to extra travel times, is a real problem.
The MTA should remember that on the weekends many of us urban-dwellers need, depend on, and require the subways just as much as on the weekdays. This is not the NYC of the past. Demographics and subway usage has changed. The subway is no longer just a necessary-evil to be avoided at all costs. For many of us it is our first choice in getting around the City because it is usually so convenient.
Who at the MTA came up with the warped idea that enjoying our City life is any less important than working in the City? Quick and easy access to Manhattan to enjoy all it has to offer us on the weekends is one of the major reasons many of us call Forest Hills home. The current situation is a real quality of life issue and needs to be addressed.
I thought it was a great article as well. I took the woman's quote not as there isn't life in the city, but that some people think that the city (Manhattan) is the only place to be when the actual city is made up of 5 boroughs and not just Manhattan. If that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThe MTA does need to space the trains out more when they run local only. The E, F, R all running local always seems to bunch. They all serve different areas once they get into the city, so I'm not sure if one line can be eliminated on the weekends to reduce the bunching. I do feel for the MTA at trying to keep the system running while trying to play catch up with maintenance and repairs to prevent issues.
Agree about the MTA. Its a total roll of the dice after 9 oclock during the week or anytime on the weekend. Not knowing if its going to be 20 mins or an hour to get home isnt fun.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the subway work on the weekends is, by the way, not just routine maintenance but also work in preparation for eventually bringing CBTC to Queens Blvd. The weekend inconveniences now should pay off in more reliable (and hopefully more frequent) service in the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing that out. If that's what this has been for, then I'm all for it!
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