Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

What are good areas to live in. We're not looking right now, but in a few years for the following:

safe neighborhood
close to transportation (lirr and subway to NYC)
youngish atmosphere - bars & restaurants, but not college town
pretty affordable.

WHat do you guys think?

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

I live in Howard Beach, Queens. The houses are very expensive so me and DH brought a co-op. Its mostly old people but alot of them are moving so more young people are coming into the area.

The express bus is right across the street to get into the city.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

My first thoughts are Bayside or Astoria for Queens towns - because when I moved out of NYC - I was looking for similar criteria (I know very little about Brooklyn).

I lived in Astoria before I bought my house both alone and with Dh for about 2.5 years and I liked it because it was so close to the city by subway (so no LIRR schedules) and there are tons of restaurants and fun places. It is a multi-cultural neighborhood which was nice and I always felt safe. I don't drive so it was easy to walk to everything I needed - subway, grocery stores, shopping on Steinway, dry cleaner, etc. I never felt like I left NYC. The best part was - where I lived was only a $12-15 cab ride home from the city for those late nights out!

Bayside has a great atmosphere but I don't like you have to drive to do a lot - kind of like living on LI to me and you are pretty subject to LIRR for most easy transport to city. But it has great restaurants, shopping and nightlife.

Edited to either - rents aren't cheap - but where in NY is cheap? So I guess it is relative.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

We are in Bayside and love it. I take the express bus to the city everyday and can also walk to the LIRR. It is nice neighborhhod. Very much like Long Island but with a city feel also. Homes are very expensive so we bought a co-op for now. Good Luck!

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Bayside also came to my mind first. (Although it's not near the subway). Forest hills is also a great area, but that would be more for Co-ops.
I live in hollis hills -I LOVE it there - but we both have cars and drive a lot.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

i think forest hills and kew gardens are both good area near the train and restaurants and bars. there are alot of coops. it isnt too far from manhattan and the schools in the area are good. there are young people there as well as older ones. but the neighborhood can be pricey depending on what side of queens blvd you are on and if the coop is updated or not.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

I lived in Bay Ridge for 2 years before moving here to Ireland and I absolutely loved it. I miss it a lot. There are x-press buses to Manhattan and the R train. However, it isn't close to the LIRR. You would have to take the subway to Flatbush Ave station. It is a beautiful area with lots of great restaurants, shopping and bars. Also, close to the Verrazano bridge if you have a car you can always go shopping on SI. I have also heard great things about the Park Slope Area of Brooklyn.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

---

Posted by Jmg11

Bayside also came to my mind first. (Although it's not near the subway). Forest hills is also a great area, but that would be more for Co-ops.
I live in hollis hills -I LOVE it there - but we both have cars and drive a lot.

---

I forgot about Forest Hills - I know many young singles/couples that live there and it is very nice and can be very pricey.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

my sister had a co-op in bellerose...right near a school and a farm and she loved it

now my brother is living there and i'm pretty sure he likes it as well

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and love it. It's a great neighborhood that meets all your criteria except maybe the affordable one. Housing prices are through the roof right now.
But there are some neighboring hoods that are a little less expensive and have a similar vibe: Windsor Terrace, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

DH and I live in Whitestone- it's not the most convenient to the subway but there is an express bus to midtown that takes about an hour. One of my friends used to travel this way and preferred it to the subway. We take the LIRR to Manhattan on the weekends when we want to go out- it takes 20 minutes from Auburndale (which is also an area you may want to look at) and there's a promotion right now- $2.50 on the weekend. Don't know how long that will last though. We also hit Bayside a lot.

There are lots of stores in walking distance from our building too- when I was single I seldom took the car when I grocery shopped.

If you are looking to rent DH and I are hoping to move out of here in May. We pay $1250 for a two bedroom, which I think is about the going rate. Our place is really nice and I think for the money it's a good deal for a nice part of Queens. Let me know if you might be interested- the super is very nice and we love the building. I used to live in a 1BR, been here since '96.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

---

Posted by soon2bMrs

I lived in Bay Ridge for 2 years before moving here to Ireland and I absolutely loved it. I miss it a lot. There are x-press buses to Manhattan and the R train. However, it isn't close to the LIRR. You would have to take the subway to Flatbush Ave station. It is a beautiful area with lots of great restaurants, shopping and bars. Also, close to the Verrazano bridge if you have a car you can always go shopping on SI. I have also heard great things about the Park Slope Area of Brooklyn.

---

I second that. My father's family has lived in Bay Ridge since the early 1940s. Its a great place with lots of shopping, places to eat, not far from the city and has somewhat of a surburban feel (which is soemtimes difficult to find in Brooklyn) with the parks (I love it down by the Verrazano). I've heard it's becoming the next Park Slope since Park Slope is pricing people out.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

I lived in Forest Hills for 6 yrs (just moved out to LI), and it was great. Subway & LIRR convenient. Lots of shopping, restaraunts, etc. my apt. building on Burns St. (2 blocks south of Queens Blvd) was rent stabalized, there are affordable options out there. I think my old 1BR just rented for 1050 or so.

Good Luck - happy hunting!

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Queens
Whitestone, Fresh Meadows, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Bayside

Brooklyn
????????????????? DOnt know

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

I live in Bensonhurst in Brooklyn and have my whole life. Everything is walking distance stores, train, etc. It is very safe and close neighborhood.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Thanks everyone. Pretty much confirms what I thought - Park Slope or Bay Ridge (where my mom grew up) for Brooklyn or Forest Hills/Kew Gardens for Queens are at the top of my list.

We're not looking right now - won't be for another 2 years or so, but we would like to buy something rather than rent. I was on the internet and found some things that were not priced to badly - I was so surprised!!! It seemed like you could actually find something for under $300,000 But, then again, I know how the NY real estate market is and what you see online probably doesn't really exist anywhere in the real world!!

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

---

Posted by ppwbride

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and love it. It's a great neighborhood that meets all your criteria except maybe the affordable one. Housing prices are through the roof right now.
But there are some neighboring hoods that are a little less expensive and have a similar vibe: Windsor Terrace, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill.

---

Wanted to ditto Windsor Terrace.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Check out Oakland Gardens which is considered South Bayside. Very residential... quiet area.

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Also, Kensington in Brooklyn is on the rise, you can get a co-op there for less than Windsor Terrace or Park Slope and it's only 2 subway stations away. It's very safe, convenient, but there is nothing to do at night (few restaturants, no bookstores, etc.)

Re: Anyone live in Queens or Brooklyn?

Brooklyn:

Windsor Terrace
Park Slope
Bay Ridge
Bensonhurst
Marine Park
Dyker Heights

Queens:

Forest Hills
Kew Gardens
Bayside
Middle Village
Howard Beach