The Greenmarket for in front of the Post Office was approved at the meeting tonight.
Another great development for our neighborhood!
Given its more central location than the previous attempt on Metropolitan Avenue, this one should prove much more successful.
Here's some photos from the Metropolitan Ave. Greenmarket from a couple of years ago.... a taste of what's to come!
that looks great!
ReplyDeleteWhen will it begin ?
ReplyDeleteIt says July 8th on Queens Neighbors message boards, Sundays
DeleteThat's great news for our neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteI love Greenmarkets and wholeheartedly support local food and small farmers, and will gladly visit & buy from this new greenmarket.... But aren't there other areas in Queens that can use this more? Here in FH there is at least one grocery store and/or fruit stand on almost every block along Queens Blvd. How about finding an area without easy access to fresh fruits & vegetables where the incomes are lower? A greenmarket in those areas could really help a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the produce that greenmarkets sell are generally a lot more expensive that anything found in supermarkets or fruit stands. While I hope that a greenmarket succeeds in Forest Hills, I highly doubt that it will end up being lucrative for the vendors, being that FH is mostly middle-class at best. The prices will have to be considerably lower than say the greenmarket in Union Square for anyone in this neighborhood to be able to afford to purchase anything.
DeleteI think middle-class people, and the many who live here who are above that, can afford a few peaches. Enjoy the new market!
DeleteI'm fairly confident the residents of Forest Hills can adjust their budgets to afford the extra few dollars to support something that is essential to any thriving NYC community and the health of the residents. This is another step in the right direction! Hopefully the trend will continue....
DeleteIt is my understanding that wealthy Forest Hills Gardens residents will pay a "peach tax" in order to subsidize the greenmarket peaches for middle-class residents.
ReplyDeletePinch me ... I must be dreaming.
ReplyDeleteProduce at green markets is affordable and usually far better quality then what you buy in the crappy supermarkets here
ReplyDeleteThis neighborhood is so strange..it is probably one of the more affluent neighborhoods in queens yet the people here constantly complain about prices on everything....Queens in general is middle class yet other neighborhoods in this boro have good restaurants and produce...its almsot like if it isnt crappy and dirt cheap or better yet free you dont want it
I don't know why people insist that this is a blue collar neighborhood when the cheapest houses here sell for at least a half a million dollars. Anyway, those people haven't been to Natural, apparently. That place is definitely not cheap, but it seems to me they're doing great. Fresh Direct isnt cheap either but they make enough of a profit to keep this hood on their delivery list. Also, Green markets have the tendency to draw outsiders to the neighborhood. I used to go to the union sq market long after I moved out of that neighborhood. I think market will do great here!
ReplyDeleteI forgot, there will be a discount on produce prices for senior citizens at the forest hills green market. That would probably quiet the naysayers who insist forest hills is too poor to have a green market.
ReplyDeleteI've been shopping at Greenmarkets for quite some time, taking regular trips to Union Square on Saturday mornings to but fresh fruit, produce, et al for the weekend. I would are argue that it's not necessarily 'cheaper' than grocery stores -- it depends on the supermarket and what you're buying. However, there's no doubt in my mind that the food I'm purchasing at the Greenmarket is fresher and healthier (less time in transport means you're consuming these products at the peak of their freshness).
ReplyDeleteAnother benefit to a neighborhood Greenmarket is that there is research that shows they boost the neighborhood economy, supporting not only the farmers, but local areas businesses.
I see absolutely no downside to this!
As someone who works in FH real estate I can tell you that for every 1/2 million dollar home there are hundreds, if not thousands, of co-op's in the neighborhood. It is in these units that the majority of FH resides. Many own, and some rent. Both the sale prices and rents have come down tremendously in the last 5 years, making it very affordable to currently buy or rent. A one bedroom unit, of which there is great inventory, can easily be found in nice, stable buildings throughout FH for well under $200,000.
ReplyDeleteThis allows a very nice mix of both blue and white collar people, with a lot of diversity as well. Many Asians, Hispanics and Indians are now proud dwellers of FH
One thing though, the income and salaries of most of our FH residents are under $100,000 making the overall community far from "affluent"
ReplyDeleteTruly affluent area's of Queens include Malba, Douglaston, etc. Only Forest Hills Gardens can rival those areas.
Where are these apts under 200k you speak of? I've never seen anything liveable in forest hills under 250. Also, income doesn't always dictate exciting features. Look at Astoria, east Williamsburg etc. Malba, douglaston while affluent, are boring and suburban. Not exacty what we are looking for here in forest hills.
DeleteGo to MLSLI.com and you will currently find 79 co-op units, all 1 bedroom 1 bathroom in Forest Hills, priced from $99,000 to $199,000. There is a ton of inventory, including luxury buildings at bargain prices right now in FH. Also, how is FH not suburban and boring too? Take a walk down Austin St. And tell me that it's not similar to any ordinary strip mall on LI or in New Jersey? Barnes & Nobles, Gap, Starbucks, Friday's, Eddie Bauer, sephora along with a few mediocre eateries and shops....no, that's not ordinary suburban shopping??
ReplyDeleteIt is ordinary, bland and boring..that is the problem
DeleteActually there seems to be a real demand for unique shopping/dining experiences. Look at all of the excitement surrounding Bareburger and La Boulangerie. I suspect and certainly hope that this amazing neighborhood is evolving to become even better.
ReplyDeleteThere is a demand yet very time something opens people her cry about the price. It may not be as affluent as Malba or douglaston but it sure isn't as poor a neighborhood as people here make it out to be
DeleteOf the properties on the web site you mention very few are actually subway accessible (or closer to 67th). I guess those of us here without a car forget about that part of town......
ReplyDeleteAs has been mentioned on here before....we have so much potential here, i wonder everyday why our neighborhood is not like park slope. As for being similar to suburbia , definitely get your point about out shops (thats the problem!) but those neighborhood don't have subway access therefore are much more suburban in nature. We can get to manhattan in 20 minutes, not many other neighborhoods can say that.
Everything shouldn't be about Austin St anyway..there are whole sections of Queens Blvd that are desperate for good food and nice stores
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, queens blvd needs a major facelift. How are some of those restaurants/stores still in business?? Looks like frozen in time from the 70's or 80's.
DeleteOkay there are lots of people everywhere who have to stretch a buck. I lived in manhattan way before my income was upper middle class do I know you can find the poorer folk all over NYC. However, there are also tons of people in this neighborhood with lots of disposable income, hence why the Windsor and pinnacle exist (outside the gardens no less). Also most coops will not allow buyers to purchase unless they prove that no more than a certain percent of their income goes toward mortgage plus maintanence so no matter the purchase price, people still should not be scrimping to just get by. Also those with less income sometimes make choices such as not owning a car but will buy all organic produce (I have a few friends who rent in rego park bcs FH is too expensive but still make the effort to buy organic). It's absolutely silly to make the assumption that just because incomes are under 100k people would rather shop at Keyfood. If that were the case, Natural would have gone out of business long ago, Fresh Direct would not deliver here and Fine Fare would not be touting Organic produce all of a sudden. Also, neighborhoods like Astoria wouldn't have thriving markets and restaurants even though their income and property values fall well below that of Forest Hills. Keep in mind green markets bring in residents of other areas, so the target market is actually greater than just that of the FH community, especially because of the proximity to public transportation. Trust me, there are going to be plenty of buyers. FYI, green markets are coming to Jackson Heights as well and are expected to do well even though property values are half that of Forest hills. FH may not be a place to open a high commitment venture like an Aston Martin dealership, but something low commitment like an extra dollar for organic cherries, I'm sure most can go for it. And there will be a discount for seniors who are likely on fixed incomes.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! 100% agree!
Delete"Affluent" may be too restrictive a term to attach to a large neighborhood in NYC due to population density and various types of housing.
ReplyDeleteIt is fair to say that The Gardens, Jamaica Estates, and a few other areas are affluent/wealthy but Forest Hills is solidly middle-class. Sure, there are people in Forest Hills who are not in this category, but this is certainly a neighborhood that can support a farmers market and a few extra bucks for organic produce.
I also believe if Austin St. wasn't retail-oriented, sections of Queens Blvd would have been better developed. Unfortunately, it is essentially a 10-lane highway cutting many neighborhoods in half. It is not easy to add charm to this type of roadway.
FH is middle class, of course. To say it is affluent, wealthy, etc. is just silly. Most people who move to FH do so to have a short subway commute to their jobs in Manhattan, hence they are working people. Believe me, most especially those that are married and have children would move to a more spacious home far away from FH if they could afford to but they can't. Coop apartment living was intended as still is meant for lower cost housing for those who cannot afford private homes. Coops here in FH almost always cost less per month in mortgage and maintenance than rent does anyone else here.
ReplyDeleteYour comment tells me a lot about you demographically, such as your age, etc... I know several people, including those with children, who today have chosen to forego the suburbs for living in the city. And I know people who live in the suburbs and would give anything to move into the City but can't for one reason or another. Why? Not much to do in the suburbs, cost of living is enormous (gas prices, taxes, etc.), crime rate is rising, while it is falling in NYC. I can go on and on... So your comment reveals a lot about you. And it's about time you caught up with the changing times. What's not to like about Forest Hills? It would be nice if the commute into the rest of the City was shorter, but we can dream. In the meantime, the neighborhood keeps getting better and better.
DeleteAlso, just have to add, to an increasing number of young people today, sustainable living is a top priority. The planet is facing a catastrophic global warming crisis. The ability to not have a pollution-spewing car, and instead get around using green transportation, such as the subways or trains, is highly desirable and a morally conscious way of living as our planet is increasingly in peril. Living in Forest Hills, which gives you many options for green transportation instead of having to drive a car, affords you that type of progressive lifestyle. Something I love about it and I know many others do as well. Also, how much money I save not having to own a car! :) And the stress of having to deal with it! I wouldn't trade car-free living for anything!
Delete100% agree Drake. I myself have been married for 2 years and we would never dream of moving back to the suburbs(where we both grew up) even if we had children....
DeleteI agree with Drake. I have two young children, I'm a stay at home mom and my husband and I were thinking of moving to Great Neck or Roslyn (larger houses, suburbs) because we could afford a detached house there, easily. Maybe not one of the nicer huge homes, but a nice detached deal nonetheless. But we couldn't part with FH, with so much in walking distance and so many options to get into Manhattan (and many wealthy people have to work in manhattan to stay wealthy so I'm not sure how commuting can be an indicator of wealth since they commute from places too) and my husband, who is from the suburbs, wants our kids to grow up in the city because of the independence they would have (not having to drive, can go to the Met without it being a special trip). So we live in a coop because we can't afford a detached house in FH that isn't an ugly row house in need of major renovations. In fact, I know quite a few families who are moving to the suburbs from coops because they need more space but don't like the options for the money you have to pay in FH. So the whole (if we had more money, we'd be in the suburbs argument does not ring true. We have a car, quite a large luxury one so it's not like we can't afford a car for the suburbs either. It's just not our choice to go.
ReplyDeleteMy two cents: blue collar and middle class live in coop apartments, upper middle class live in condos and attached houses, and the RICH live in detached single family homes in Forest Hills.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with most apartments here and even some houses is that they are TIGHT! Very few spacious places to live unless you can find some unique pre-war homes.
I agree Austin ST. is the heart of Forest Hills and very much mimics the strip malls of Long Island and New Jersey with only a very few exceptions like La Boulangerie which is actually off of Austin LOL.
All the chains on Austin make the neighborhood indeed boring and bland. Forest Hills was never considered a hipster area and I doubt ever will become one because of the crazy high rents.
All relative I guess. I live here because it is a much more affordable option than the neighborhoods we really wanted. Most 1br rents in Fohi are below 2000 which is cheap for NYC.
DeleteWe're in the same boat as you. Moved here over 10 years ago when rent was 1200/month, now it's 1600/month for a junior four. We're tired of hearing neighbors fight, smelling food aromas we don't like, and seeing the area continue to become more densely populated as more people move here to take advantage of the lower priced rents and declining coop apartment prices.
ReplyDeleteFOHI is a great area for bargain hunters now. So many people from here flock to the Rego Center for all the discount stores. For us it's just too crowded to be enjoyable though. Some of us need a little elbow room for comfort.