Luring Brooklynites to Jackson Heights

sounds like a good idea to me.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 10:19 AM

I have a friend who just sold her W. Village studio and was able to purchase a 2 bedroom/2 bath with balcony in JH (and had a little $ left over). She really loves it there.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 10:31 AM

If you are happy with where you live, then who cares if JH advertises?

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 11:04 AM

i live in Jk Heights and I love it. Just lacking a bit in nightlife, but that will come with time. you can'tb beat the transportation options or the affordability of the good housing stock, compared to the rest of the city.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 11:18 AM

Beautiful area. But be careful of which building you buy in. Bought a spectacular 2 bedroom pre-war coop there 5 years ago. Details up the wazoo. Over 1200 sq ft of living space. Courtyards/gardens, etc. Thought I would live and retire there forever. Was a nightmare. Had a neighbor living below me that was certifiably insane. Eventually couldn't take it any longer and brought the issue up to the coop board. She was taking medication for psychosis and used this as an excuse not to meet with the board. The board was scared shitless that, if they took her to court to revoke the lease, they might lose the court case and she would be unrestrainable. I lived there for a year and sold. The couple who lived there before me also sold after living there for less than 2 years. The entire building knew that this woman was crazy but couldn't do anything about it. The couple that I sold to had full knowledge that there was a problem neighbor (I disclosed all due toconscience). They left after living there for a year. The buyers that came after them also left within a short period of time. I've had many friends who have had similar experiences though not as intense. The broker that I was working with told me of even worse scenarios in some of the more prestigious buildings (neighbors stealing clothes from laundromat out of spite, calling cops to break down a neighbors door while they're away on vacation, calling utility companies to turn of neighbors electricity...all this done to terrorize their neighbor). I guess this is the nature of coop living in nyc.
Great area but be very careful and do due diligence before buying (i.e, find out who your neighbors are).

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 11:41 AM

The building is at the corner of 86th street. It was supposedly inside the historic landmark district but on the border.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 12:03 PM

I'm an X brownstoner from Brooklyn. I looked in JH and would have pulled the trigger. I loved some of what I saw. But I eventually settled for Forest Hills. Some similarities, but even more for the buck (though it can be very pricey). I miss Brooklyn, but I love my place. If the typical Forest Hills house/townhouse were picked up and placed in brownstone Brooklyn, brownstoner and the whole community here wouldn't stop drooling.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 12:09 PM

While the housing stock in Jackson Heights is indeed beautiful, a correct slogan would say "No Park" rather than "More Park." There really aren't any sizable parks to speak of in the neighborhood.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 12:39 PM

anon 12:09--

If you could pick up a Forest Hills house and move it to Brooklyn, Forest Hills would be empty.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 12:43 PM

Are there any gyms in JH other than the Gladiator?

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 12:43 PM

anon 12:43--

I'm quite sure there is more than one house in Forest Hills. Last time I checked there seemed to be quite a few.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 2:04 PM

FYI, this Carfagna fellow is utterly horrifying, even for real estate agents. Of course, he's simply lovely compared to his wife, who purports to do kitchen renovations, and the unpleasantness of whose personality is surpassed only by that of her taste.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 2:42 PM

The big problem would be that you would have to tell people you lived in Queens.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 2:47 PM

Anonymous, Do you care to elaborate? Why do you think Carfagna is "utterly horrifying"? I dealt with him and didn't care much for him myself. He reminds me of a slick used car salesman. But I am curious to hear what your thoughts were.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 2:55 PM

What's worse, having to tell people you live in Queens, or paying twice as much for the privilege of telling people you live in Brooklyn?

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 3:32 PM

I used to live in Forest Hills, just outside of the Gardens. Lovely house, plenty of parking (a driveway!), decent neighbors, some good amenities nearby.

But the wife and I only lasted a year. We moved to Park Slope thereafter.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 17, 2006 7:26 PM

yea, I totally think its worse to tell someone who lives in JH or Forest Hills, queens that I live in brooklyn and them laughing that they're getting twice the space for a cheaper price. btw I live in bk.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 19, 2006 5:15 PM

As someone who has lived and worked in JH since the early 90's, I am really saddend that the neighborhood has become so "hot." Yeah, I know my property value is going up, (I own 2 coops here), but I liked it better when it was my secret. I used to joke that I was the only US-born white person under 60 who lived here. Now, that is definately not the case. Nightlife? I think there is lots of it! But I feel comfortable going to the men's gay bars, even though I am a woman, and I love going to the many Latin American establishments. I can eat first-rate sushi at 2 AM, or arepas on the street at the same hour. Everything I need is within walking distance, except for clothes, (I don't shop at the sari stores or at BangBang) and books, and some specialty items. The great mom and pop shops that line the avenues and the two comerical streets meet the community's needs. I fear that as people move here from Brooklyn and Manhattan, more franchises will replace the community feel. I guess when that happens, I'll cash out and move on.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 9, 2007 9:47 AM