There's been some recent coverage of the neighborhood in the press that I thought I'd throw my two cents in about. One, excellent. The other, pretty darn bizarre.
First, the excellent one. Kudos to amNewYork for their really good article about the neighborhood that appeared in the paper last Thursday: Forest Hills, Queens: 12 places to know in the neighborhood
Of course, no single newspaper article is going to be comprehensive about all that our neighborhood has to offer today, but this one was the best one I've read in a long time, and also the most accurate. There were a few minor mistakes (Station House isn't tucked behind the LIRR station, for example, it's actually right smack in front of it). But compared to the dreadfully inaccurate coverage of our neighborhood that is normally in the mainstream media, this article was terrific.
One other issue is it didn't even touch on Metropolitan Ave., except to call that small movie theater down there an indie theater, which it isn't. It's more of a second-run theater, that is getting some more first-run movies these days. But, again, that's nitpicking. I'll take the great coverage—finally—of some of the greatest places we have today, like Station House and Jack and Nellie's. And the more accurate depiction of the neighborhood as diverse, instead of populated by only one or two groups.
Now that I've got you all so happy, I will ruin that by linking to perhaps the most bizarre coverage of Forest Hills I have ever read. That's the infamous Q&A that appeared recently on Vice.com:
Awkwafina Cherishes Buffalo Wild Wings and Other Forest Hills Chains
What can I say about this? It's so inaccurate, so strange I really don't know where to begin? Lines around the block outside of Bareburger, which she calls "the pride of Forest Hills"? A neighborhood filled with chain restaurants, when we have two? "There used to be a tennis stadium there?" (What is that large structure where I saw all those concerts this past summer? Hmmm...) The rest is so out-of-touch with the neighborhood, it's really not worth commenting on...
First, the excellent one. Kudos to amNewYork for their really good article about the neighborhood that appeared in the paper last Thursday: Forest Hills, Queens: 12 places to know in the neighborhood
One other issue is it didn't even touch on Metropolitan Ave., except to call that small movie theater down there an indie theater, which it isn't. It's more of a second-run theater, that is getting some more first-run movies these days. But, again, that's nitpicking. I'll take the great coverage—finally—of some of the greatest places we have today, like Station House and Jack and Nellie's. And the more accurate depiction of the neighborhood as diverse, instead of populated by only one or two groups.
Now that I've got you all so happy, I will ruin that by linking to perhaps the most bizarre coverage of Forest Hills I have ever read. That's the infamous Q&A that appeared recently on Vice.com:
Awkwafina Cherishes Buffalo Wild Wings and Other Forest Hills Chains
What can I say about this? It's so inaccurate, so strange I really don't know where to begin? Lines around the block outside of Bareburger, which she calls "the pride of Forest Hills"? A neighborhood filled with chain restaurants, when we have two? "There used to be a tennis stadium there?" (What is that large structure where I saw all those concerts this past summer? Hmmm...) The rest is so out-of-touch with the neighborhood, it's really not worth commenting on...
The "bad" article has some silly stuff that you just have to outright ignore but also had many truisms. It is true that FH is a notorious transition town for parents with young children who go to the excellent elementary schools then move to Long Island. FH also has a lot of old folks (mostly because of rent controlled apartments). FH is not like other neighborhoods in that for peace and quiet you can just walk around the neighborhood. FH is not gentrified or "cool" like Astoria might be, for example so in that sense it really hasn't changed. This girl hit and missed things about FH but some of her analysis was accurate.
ReplyDeleteI think you can say Forest Hills has a lot in common with Bernie Sanders. It is an unlikely cool thing in 2016.
DeleteNY City b__ch:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-taYShNaPU
Peace and quiet in Forest Hills?! Maybe 10 or 20 years ago. Now, even on side streets, it's a never-ending symphony of honking, screaming (especially children, who always seem to be outdoors shrieking bloody murder, even late at night), barking, speeding cars and sirens. Around the clock. The girl who says the neighborhood hasn't changed at all obviously is too young to remember what FH was like 20 years ago. I moved here from Manhattan and I can honestly say it was much quieter there than FH is now, and FH is insanely noisier now than it was when I moved here. I have to run three white noise machines to drown out the endless racket. And I'm 6 floors up. I'm regretting signing a 2-year lease where I just moved to (72nd Ave), and am counting the days until I can burn through all my savings to move YET AGAIN... but this time to a block that doesn't sound like the Bronx in the 70s. I'm tired of all the noise.
ReplyDeleteArchie Bunker, is that you?
DeleteThe homesless situation has doubled in the past 3 years. Its dangerous to go into McDonald? Triangle. And the precint is very aware as 4 cops were injured on New Years Day by a bat wielding mentally disturned man on yellowstone.
ReplyDeleteDangerous ? You are over exaggerating. There have always been 2 or 3 homeless in the park . It hasn't changed for decades. The ones I always see there are usually just sleeping on a bench.
ReplyDeleteFor Laurie, we're in the same boat. We moved here from another area and have been plagued with noise from inside and out. We're now faced with looking for another place locally that might be more peaceful, or leaving for another area. We have another year or two to decide, and are at a loss, especially as I love Forest Hills so much, but never expected it to be this loud! It's sad, as most of it stems not from city sounds, but from people only concerned with their own activities. Also, why are so many children out so late as you mention? We've heard them screaming and playing outside past midnight at times! What is going on with some parents?
ReplyDeleteThank you. I know, it's insane. Sunday night I was awakened at 12:30am by what sounded like a group of teenagers shrieking, yelling and chasing each other up and down the street. Then two guys stood on the sidewalk outside my building having a loud conversation until 2am. This kind of stuff is not an exception in FH like it used to be. We never had people roaming the streets yelling at all hours, and kids screaming like banshees in the street until midnight. I can't even hear my TV sometimes over the outside noise (forget my neighbors INDOORS...).
DeleteDid you try screaming, "Get offa my lawn!," and shaking your fist? I heard that works when whippersnappers are hootin' and a hollerin'.
ReplyDeleteWe have had an increase in chains. We have Bareburger, Starbucks, Buffalo Wings, Chipolte, Dunkin Donuts, and soon Shake Shack to name some off the top of my head. I hope it stops there so that the charm of the area isn't taken over by more and more chains. But that is unfortunately the way of the world. How many individuals can afford the rents to keep their own place on Austin? As far as the noise goes...when I moved back to Queens from LI 7 years ago I had a tough time adjusting to the noise level. I am lucky to be on the 15th floor in a solid building so do not hear street noise. What I had a tough time adjusting to was the sirens!! Also, people who have an alarm on their car and park on the street should be ticketed!! I hear an alarm go off almost every night on someones car!!
ReplyDelete