Forest Hills is a mostly residential neighborhood in the central portion of the
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. It is adjacent to
Corona
Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to:
* Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star
* Corona (beer), a Mexican beer
* Corona, informal term for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 di ...
to the north,
Rego Park
Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, to the east and south by Forest Hills, and to the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queens ...
and
Glendale to the west,
Forest Park to the south,
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its living collections include some of the ...
to the southeast, and
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park to the east.
The area was originally referred to as "Whitepot".
[About Forest Hills](_blank)
at QueensNewYork.com The current name comes from the
Cord Meyer
Cord Meyer Jr. (; November 10, 1920 – March 13, 2001) was a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official. After serving in World War II as a Marine officer in the Pacific War, where he was both injured and decorated, he led the United World Fe ...
Development Company, which bought in central Queens in 1906 and renamed it after Forest Park. Further development came in the 1920s and 1930s with the widening of
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens connecting Midtown Manhattan, via the Queensboro Bridge, to Jamaica. It is long and forms part of New York State Route 25.
Queens Boulevard runs northwest to s ...
through the neighborhood, as well as the opening of the
New York City Subway's
Queens Boulevard Line. Forest Hills has a longstanding association with tennis: the
Forest Hills Stadium hosted the
U.S. Open until 1978 and the
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The club has 38 tennis courts in all four surfaces ( clay court, Har-Tru, grass court and hardcourt), a junior ...
offers grass courts for its members. The area's main commercial street, Austin Street, contains many restaurants and chain stores.
Forest Hills is located in
Queens Community District 6 and its ZIP Code is 11375.
It is patrolled by the
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
's 112th Precinct.
Politically, Forest Hills is represented by the
New York City Council's 29th District.
History
Development
The development of adjacent
Forest Park, a park on the southern end of Forest Hills, began in 1895. Starting in 1896, the landscape architecture firm of Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot was contracted to provide a plan for the park.
In 1906, the Cord Meyer Development Company, headed by Brooklyn attorney Cord Meyer, bought abutting land made up of six farms (those of Ascan Bakus, Casper Joost-Springsteen, Horatio N. Squire, Abram V. S. Lott, Sarah V. Bolmer, and James Van Siclen). The company then renamed the aggregate "Forest Hills", after Forest Park. Single-family homes, designed by architects such as
Robert Tappan and
William Patterson, were constructed on these 600 acres.
The roads of Forest Hills were laid out by 1910.
The present-day Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills is named after Ascan Bakus.
Margaret Sage, the founder of the
Russell Sage Foundation, bought of land from the Cord Meyer Development Company in 1908. This land was to be used for "Forest Hills Gardens", a development at the southern side of Forest Hills.
Grosvenor Atterbury
Grosvenor Atterbury (July 7, 1869 in Detroit, MI – October 18, 1956 in Southampton, NY) was an American architect, urban planner and writer. He studied at Yale University, where he was an editor of campus humor magazine ''The Yale Record'' After ...
, a renowned architect, was given the commission to design Forest Hills Gardens. The neighborhood was planned on the model of the
garden communities of England, with its own inn, garage, and post office. It also included narrow, winding roads to limit through traffic. As a result, there are many
Tudor-style homes in Forest Hills. The more sprawling ones are located in Forest Hills Gardens, but most are located in the section loosely bounded by 68th Avenue on the north; 72nd Road on the south; 108th Street on the west; and Grand Central Parkway on the east.
The construction of this area used a
prefabricated building
A prefabricated building, informally a prefab, is a building that is manufactured and constructed using prefabrication. It consists of factory-made components or units that are transported and assembled on-site to form the complete building.
Hist ...
technique. Each house was built from approximately 170 standardized
precast concrete
Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples include precast bea ...
panels, fabricated off-site and positioned by crane. The houses were mostly constructed between 1910 and 1917.
The
Long Island Rail Road opened a
station in Forest Hills in 1911, and the
Queens Boulevard trolley line opened two years later. The LIRR station was built with a brick courtyard, a clock tower, and arch-filled underpasses, fitting in with the Forest Hills Gardens section of the neighborhood.
Since the railroad and trolley both connected to Manhattan, the presence of these two transportation options spurred development in Forest Hills.
Growth
In 1914, the
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The club has 38 tennis courts in all four surfaces ( clay court, Har-Tru, grass court and hardcourt), a junior ...
moved from
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
to Forest Hills Gardens.
They constructed the
Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The club has 38 tennis courts in all four surfaces (clay court, Har-Tru, grass court and hardcourt), a junior O ...
, a stadium with approximately 13,000 seats, in 1923.
The
U.S. Open and its predecessor national championships were held there until 1978, making Forest Hills synonymous with
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
for generations. Forest Hills also had a
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
ing presence for a short time. The Queens Valley Golf Club started constructing a golf course in the neighborhood in 1922 and it was open by 1924.
However, the club was closed in 1938 so that developers could build housing atop the site of the course.
Queens Boulevard was widened in the 1920s.
Planning for a
Queens Boulevard subway line started around this time. There were proposals for two stations in Forest Hills: an express station serving all trains on
71st Avenue, and a local station at
75th Avenue. During the late 1920s, in anticipation of the arrival of the subway, land was bought by developers and was built up.
Zoning laws were changed to allow fifteen-story apartment buildings to be built, and made the neighborhood of Forest Hills a more desirable place to live, especially as it was an express stop. Queens Borough President George Harvey predicted that the introduction of the subway to Forest Hills would turn Queens Boulevard into the "
Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Av ...
of Queens."
Excavation for the line started in 1931,
and the two subway stops in Forest Hills opened in 1936 along with six other stations on the Queens Boulevard line.
The population nearly doubled in the late 1920s, going from 9,500 residents in 1927 to 18,207 residents three years later. By 1940, after the subway opened, the population had increased to 32,500 residents.
By this time, development had largely stopped due to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, and about 25 empty lots in Forest Hills Gardens were developed after the war. At the same time, the single-family houses in Forest Hills were being razed to create new apartment buildings. The land in Forest Hills Gardens was fully developed by the 1960s, but there would still be empty lots in Forest Hills itself until the mid-1990s.
Later history
In 1972, residents protested against Forest Hills Houses, a proposed
public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
development with three 24-story buildings at 62nd Drive and 108th Street. It was part of Mayor
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
"scatter-site" plan to construct public housing in neighborhoods that had none (as opposed to concentrating public housing in poor neighborhoods). White middle-class residents believed that the public housing would depreciate the community's
quality of life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
because poor residents would move into the housing. Advocates for the project accused residents of racism, since the proposed development's residents would be mostly people of minority races.
Lindsay garnered significant opposition due to the controversy surrounding Forest Hills Houses.
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...
, a lawyer and the future Governor of New York, was assigned to mediate the dispute and succeeded in halving the size of the project. The
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the U ...
ultimately implemented a rigorous screening process for prospective residents of Forest Hills Houses, with quotas for elderly and poorer tenants.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the neighborhood became more racially diverse. Discriminatory covenants for prospective Forest Hills Gardens residents were lifted, and immigrants from Iran, India, Israel, and the Soviet Union started residing in Forest Hills.
Demographics
![Forest Hills USPS 11375 jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Forest_Hills_USPS_11375_jeh.jpg)
Based on data from the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
, the population of Forest Hills was 86,364, an increase of 1,318 (1.5%) from the 85,046 counted in 2000. Covering an area of , the neighborhood had a population density of .
[Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010]
Population Division – New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 14, 2016.
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 58.3% (48,822)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 2.5% (2,086)
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1% (63)
Native American, 24.2% (20,233)
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.0% (22)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.4% (373) from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.1% (1,719) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 12.4% (10,410) of the population.
[Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010](_blank)
Population Division – New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.
The entirety of Community Board 6, which comprises Forest Hills and Rego Park, had 115,119 inhabitants as of
NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 85.4 years.
This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.
Most inhabitants are middle-aged and elderly adults: 31% are between the ages of 25–44, 28% between 45–64, and 19% over 64. The ratio of young and college-aged residents was lower, at 16% and 5% respectively.
As of 2017, the median
household income
Household income is a measure of the combined incomes of all people sharing a particular household or place of residence. It includes every form of income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, near cash government transfers like food stamp ...
in Community Board 4 was $75,447.
In 2018, an estimated 26% of Forest Hills and Rego Park residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. One in seventeen residents (6%) was unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 50% in Forest Hills and Rego Park, lower than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Forest Hills and Rego Park is considered to be high-income relative to the rest of the city and not
gentrifying
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...
.
Land use
![Church in the Gardens UCC 50 Ascan Av jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Church_in_the_Gardens_UCC_50_Ascan_Av_jeh.jpg)
The southern part of Forest Hills contains a particularly diverse mixture of upscale housing, ranging from single-family houses, attached townhouses, and both low-rise and high-rise apartment buildings. South of the
Long Island Rail Road, the Forest Hills Gardens area is a private community that features some of the most expensive residential properties in Queens County. Until the 1970s, it was subject to
restrictive covenants which, while containing no explicit economic, social or racial restrictions, effectively excluded "working-class people", as noted by Eric P. Nash in his 2002 ''New York Times'' book review of ''A Modern Arcadia''. Forest Hills Gardens was named "Best Community" in 2007 by ''
Cottage Living'' magazine. The adjacent Van Court community also contains a number of detached single-family homes. There are also attached townhouses near the Westside Tennis Center and detached frame houses near Metropolitan Avenue.
The north side of Forest Hills is home to the Cord Meyer community, which contains detached single-family homes.
Teardowns and their replacement with larger single family residences has had a significant impact on the architectural integrity of the area. However, the
Bukharian Jewish
Bukharan Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכארא/яҳудиёни Бухоро, ''Yahudiyoni Bukhoro''; he, יהודי בוכרה, ''Yehudey Bukhara''), in modern times also called Bukharian Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכאר ...
community, whose members have settled in the area in large numbers since the late 1990s, advocating the changes say the bigger homes are needed for their large extended families.
On the northwestern edge of Forest Hills, on 62nd Drive and 108th Street immediately adjacent to the
Long Island Expressway
Long may refer to:
Measurement
* Long, characteristic of something of great duration
* Long, characteristic of something of great length
* Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate
* Longa (music), note value in early music men ...
, is the
Forest Hills Co-op Houses, a
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the U ...
low-income housing project. Its construction provoked controversy among the residents in the more prestigious areas of Forest Hills when it was constructed in the early 1970s.
The southeastern portion of Forest Hills contains Forest Hills South, a complex of 7
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
apartment buildings centered around a private English garden, which was formerly a mapped portion of 113th Street prior to the complex's construction in 1939. This enclave was designed by
Philip Birnbaum
Philip Birnbaum (; March 30, 1904 – March 19, 1988) was an American religious author and translator. He is best known for his work ''Ha-Siddur ha-Shalem'', a translation and annotation of the Siddur first published in 1949.
Biography
Birnbaum ...
.
Philip Birnbaum and
Alfred Kaskel also designed and constructed numerous apartment buildings scattered throughout Forest Hills. These include the Grover Cleveland, the Van Buren Apartments, the Thomas Jefferson, the Maplewood, the Richard Apartments, the Stephen Apartments, the James Madison, the Cedar Apartments, the Howard Apartments, the James Monroe, the Nathan Hale, the St. Regis, the Roanoke, and the Kennedy House. Birnbaum and Kaskel's buildings largely remain standing, and are distinguished by their spacious lobbies, interior courtyards with fountains, curved brick corner terraces, and sunlit exposures.
Other notable high-rise apartment buildings include the Continental (on 108th Street), the Pinnacle, Parker Towers, the Windsor and a 17-story luxury condo building completed in 2014, the Aston.
Points of interest
Forest Hills was once the home of the
U.S. Open tennis tournament. The event was held at the
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The club has 38 tennis courts in all four surfaces ( clay court, Har-Tru, grass court and hardcourt), a junior ...
before it moved to the
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a stadium complex within Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. It has been the home of the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, played every year in August ...
in
Flushing Meadows Park
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushin ...
, about away. When the Open was played at the tennis stadium, the tournament was commonly referred to merely as ''Forest Hills'', just as
All-England Lawn Tennis Association Championships are referred to simply as
Wimbledon. In the 2001 motion picture, ''
The Royal Tenenbaums
''The Royal Tenenbaums'' is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. It stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen W ...
'',
Luke Wilson's character plays a tennis match at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. A pivotal scene in
Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film ''
Strangers on a Train'', in which the main character (played by
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951.
Granger was first noticed in a small ...
) is a professional tennis player, features a lengthy championship game at the Club, with distinctive shots of the surrounding community. The Tennis Stadium, which hosted numerous music concerts including The Beatles after the U.S. Open departed for Flushing Meadows, resumed hosting music concerts during the summer of 2013 when the British rock band Mumford & Sons played there to an overflowing crowd. Stadium officials have said they will now host as many as six music or cultural events at the Stadium each season.
Austin Street is a busy, modern street with shops, cafes, restaurants, and other stores that acts as the center of Forest Hills. It has become a place people visit from other neighborhoods because of its charm.
Two monuments are erected in Forest Hills Gardens: a tribute to the victims of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the "Great War"; and the mast of the ''
Columbia'', the winner of the
America's Cup yacht races in both 1899 and 1901.
The Church-in-the-Gardens
The Church-in-the-Gardens, also known as Community Congregational Christian Church, is a historic Congregational church complex located in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. The complex includes the church (1915), Community House (1926), and Parish H ...
,
St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and
United States Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Police and crime
Forest Hills and Rego Park are patrolled by the 112th Precinct of the
NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
, located at 68-40 Austin Street.
The 112th Precinct ranked 6th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The area's low crime rate is attributed to its seclusion and reputation as a "suburb within the city". , with a non-fatal assault rate of 14 per 100,000 people, Forest Hills and Rego Park's rate of
violent crime
A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objecti ...
s per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 102 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.
The 112th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 91.5% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 0 murders, 18 rapes, 41 robberies, 53 felony assaults, 69 burglaries, 403 grand larcenies, and 37 grand larcenies auto in 2018.
Fire safety
Forest Hills contains a
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...
(FDNY) fire station, Engine Co. 305/Ladder Co. 151, at 111-02 Queens Boulevard.
Health
,
preterm birth
Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is between 2 ...
s and births to teenage mothers are less common in Forest Hills and Rego Park than in other places citywide. In Forest Hills and Rego Park, there were 66 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 4.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).
Forest Hills and Rego Park have a low population of residents who are
uninsured
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to Hedge ( ...
. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 11%, slightly lower than the citywide rate of 12%.
The concentration of
fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of
air pollutant
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...
, in Forest Hills and Rego Park is , equal to the city average.
Ten percent of Forest Hills and Rego Park residents are
smokers, which is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.
In Forest Hills and Rego Park, 19% of residents are
obese
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...
, 7% are
diabetic
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
, and 20% have
high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 20%, 14%, and 24% respectively.
In addition, 11% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.
Ninety-three percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 82% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", higher than the city's average of 78%.
For every supermarket in Forest Hills and Rego Park, there are 5
bodegas.
Long Island Jewish Forest Hills
Long Island Jewish Forest Hills is a teaching hospital operating under the Northwell Health hospital network. It is located in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. The hospital is affiliated with the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at H ...
is located in Forest Hills.
Post office and ZIP Code
Forest Hills is covered by
ZIP Code 11375. The
United States Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
operates the
Forest Hills Station at 106-28 Queens Boulevard and the Parkside Station at 10119 Metropolitan Avenue.
Education
Forest Hills and Rego Park generally have a higher percentage of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . The majority of residents (62%) have a college education or higher, while 8% have less than a high school education and 30% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher.
The percentage of Forest Hills and Rego Park students excelling in math rose from 42% in 2000 to 61% in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 48% to 49% during the same time period.
Forest Hills and Rego Park's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is less than the rest of New York City. In Forest Hills and Rego Park, 10% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per
school year
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...
, lower than the citywide average of 20%.
Additionally, 91% of high school students in Forest Hills and Rego Park graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.
K–12 schools
Public schools
Forest Hills contains the following public elementary schools which serve grades PK–5 unless otherwise indicated:
* PS 101 School In The Gardens
* PS 144 Col. Jeromus Remsen School
* PS 174 William Sidney Mount
* PS 175 Lynn Gross Discovery School
* PS 196 Grand Central Parkway
* PS 220 Edward Mandel
* PS 303 The Academy for Excellence through the Arts (grades PK–4)
The following public middle schools serve Forest Hills:
* JHS 157 Stephen A. Halsey (grades 6–9)
* MS 167 Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (grades 6–12)
* JHS 190 Russell Sage (grades 6–8)
There are no zoned high schools in New York City. The following high schools in Forest Hills serve grades 9–12:
*
Forest Hills High School
*
Queens Metropolitan High School
Private schools
Private schools in Forest Hills include two Catholic schools (Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs) and
The Kew-Forest School, an independent school. Also located in Forest Hills is Yeshiva Gedolah Lubavitch, an ultra orthodox
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic grou ...
high school and branch of
Tomchei Temimim
Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...
.
Colleges
Bramson ORT College was an
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
college operated by the American branch of the
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
charity
World ORT
ORT (russian: Общество Ремесленного Труда, translit=Obshchestvo Remeslenava Truda, translation=Association for the Promotion of Skilled Trades), also known as the Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training, is a gl ...
. Its main campus was in Forest Hills, with a satellite campus in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. It closed in February 2017 after failing to meet standards set by the New York State Education Department Board of Regents and losing its accreditation. Touro College/NYSCAS has a branch location in Forest Hills.
Plaza College, a small regionally-accredited college offering associates and bachelors degrees, is also located in Forest Hills.
Libraries
The
Queens Public Library
The Queens Public Library (QPL), also known as the Queens Borough Public Library and Queens Library (QL), is the public library for the borough of Queens, and one of three public library systems serving New York City. It is one of the largest li ...
operates two branches in Forest Hills. The Forest Hills branch is located at 108-19 71st Avenue, while the North Forest Park branch is located at 98-27 Metropolitan Avenue.
Transportation
Public transportation
The following
MTA Regional Bus Operations
MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It was created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations in New York City operated by the MTA. , MTA Regional Bus Operations ru ...
bus routes serve Forest Hills:
*: to
Elmhurst or
Old Howard Beach
Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, to the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, to the east by 1 ...
or
Hamilton Beach (via
Woodhaven Boulevard
Woodhaven Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard (formerly Jamaica Bay Boulevard) are two parts of a major boulevard in the New York City borough of Queens. Woodhaven Boulevard runs roughly north–south in the central portion of Queens. South o ...
)
*: to
Elmhurst or
Howard Beach
Howard Beach is a neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered to the north by the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, to the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, to the east by 1 ...
(via Woodhaven Boulevard)
*: to
East Elmhurst
East Elmhurst is a residential neighborhood in the northwest section of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded to the south by Jackson Heights and Corona, to the north and east by Bowery Bay, and to the west by Woodside and Ditmars ...
(via 108th Street, Austin Street, and 69th Avenue)
*: to
Corona
Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to:
* Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star
* Corona (beer), a Mexican beer
* Corona, informal term for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 di ...
via
Middle Village (via 62nd Drive (to Corona), 63rd Road (to Forest Hills), 63rd Drive, Penelope Avenue, Eliot Avenue)
*: to
Elmhurst or
Arverne
Arverne is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, on the Rockaway Peninsula. It was initially developed by Remington Vernam, whose signature "R. Vernam" inspired the name of the neighborhood. Arverne extends from Beach 54th Street ...
(via Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard)
*: to
Woodside or
Rockaway Park (via Woodhaven/Cross Bay Boulevard)
*: to
Jamaica, Queens or
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. As of the 2020 United ...
(via
Metropolitan Avenue
Metropolitan Avenue is a major east-west street in Queens and northern Brooklyn, New York City. Its western end is at the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the eastern end at Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. The avenue was constructe ...
)
*: to
South Jamaica, Queens
South Jamaica (also commonly known as "The Southside") is a residential neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, located south of downtown Jamaica. Although a proper border has not been established, the neighborhood is a subsection ...
or
East Midtown, Manhattan (via Queens Boulevard)
*: to
Electchester (via 69th Road/Jewel Avenue)
*: to
Elmhurst or
Queens Village
Queens Village is a mostly residential middle class neighborhood in the eastern part of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bound by Hollis to the west, Cambria Heights to the south, Bellerose to the east, and Oakland Gardens to the north ...
(via
Horace Harding Expressway)
*: express to
Midtown Manhattan (via 69th Road/Jewel Avenue,
Sixth Avenue)
*: express to
Midtown Manhattan (via
LeFrak City
LeFrak City (originally spelled Lefrak and pronounced ) is a 4,605-apartment development in the southernmost region of Corona and the easternmost part of Elmhurst, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located between Junct ...
, Sixth Avenue)
*: express to
Lower Manhattan (via Queens Boulevard, LeFrak City, Water Street, Church Street)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via Yellowstone Boulevard, Sixth Avenue)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via Woodhaven Boulevard, Sixth Avenue)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via Queens Boulevard, Sixth Avenue)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via LeFrak City,
Third Avenue
Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, as well as in the center portion of the Bronx. Its southern end is at Astor Place and St. Mark's Place. It transitions into Cooper Square ...
)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via Yellowstone Boulevard, Third Avenue)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via 69th Road/Jewel Avenue, Third Avenue)
*: express to Midtown Manhattan (via Woodhaven Boulevard,
Madison Avenue)
The following
New York City Subway stations serve Forest Hills:
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
The neighborhood also has two
Long Island Rail Road commuter rail stations: the
Forest Hills station and the
Kew Gardens station.
Road
![118-29 Queens Boulevard](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/118-29_Queens_Boulevard.jpg)
The main thoroughfare is
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens connecting Midtown Manhattan, via the Queensboro Bridge, to Jamaica. It is long and forms part of New York State Route 25.
Queens Boulevard runs northwest to s ...
. The street's width and complexity have led to a large number of pedestrian deaths, earning it the moniker "Boulevard of Death".
Metropolitan Avenue
Metropolitan Avenue is a major east-west street in Queens and northern Brooklyn, New York City. Its western end is at the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the eastern end at Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. The avenue was constructe ...
is known for its antique shops. The commercial heart of Forest Hills is a mile-long stretch of Austin Street between Yellowstone Boulevard and Ascan Avenue: the latter thoroughfare was named in 1909 by developer Frederick Backus for his own father, Ascan Backus, II.
Parks and recreation
Forest Hills is bordered by two of the largest parks in Queens managed by the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...
: the
Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, which is the site of two World's Fairs (in
1939 and
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
) and the iconic
Unisphere
The Unisphere is a spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens. The globe was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke as part of his plan for the 1964 New York World's ...
; as well as the
Forest Park. Within Forest Hills, parks and playgrounds include the Yellowstone Municipal Park – Katzman Playground (located on Yellowstone Boulevard, between 68th Avenue and 68th Road); the Annadale Playground (located on Yellowstone Boulevard, between 64th Road and 65th Avenue); the Willow Lake Playground (located off the Grand Central Parkway, between 71st and 72nd Avenues); the Ehrenreich-Austin Playground (located on Austin Street, between 76th Avenue and 76th Drive); and the Russell Sage Playground (located on 68th Avenue, between Booth and Austin Streets).
Access to
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing may refer to:
Places
* Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom
* Flushing, Queens, New York City
** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens
** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens
** Flushi ...
is restricted due to the fact that the
Grand Central Parkway
The Grand Central Parkway (GCP) is a 14.61-mile (23.51 km) long parkway that stretches from the Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. At the Queens–Nassau border, it becomes the Northern State Parkway, ...
bisects the neighborhood and the park proper. Pedestrian access exists over the Grand Central Parkway at the Horace Harding Expressway, 64th Avenue, Jewel Avenue, and 72nd Road. A former entrance at 78th Avenue, leading to Willow Lake and providing pedestrian access to
Kew Gardens Hills
Kew Gardens Hills is a neighborhood in the middle of the New York City borough of Queens. The borders are Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to the west, the Long Island Expressway to the north, Union Turnpike to the south, and Parsons Boulevard to t ...
has been shuttered since 2001.
In popular culture
Forest Hills was featured as the home setting for the comic book superhero
Spider-Man, where under the alias Peter Parker he grew up at 20 Ingram Street (). In the comics the home was depicted as a modest, two-story boarding house run by his
Aunt May
Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...
.
[Kempton, Sally. "Spiderman's icDilemma: Super-Anti-Hero in Forest Hills", '']The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'', April 1, 1965.
The Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United S ...
originated in Forest Hills. The band was recognized with the designation in 2017 of Ramones Way at 67th Avenue and 110th Street, in front of Forest Hills High School.
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...
both graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1958. The duo performed at Forest Hills Stadium in 1966, 1967, 1968, and two nights in 1970. Paul Simon returned once again to Forest Hills Stadium in 2016 during his Homeward Bound farewell tour.
Billy Eichner wrote the parody song "Forest Hills State of Mind" about neighborhood.
Notable people
*
Jacob Arabo
Jacob Arabo (born Yakov Arabov or Jacob Arabov on June 3, 1965; also frequently known as "Jacob the Jeweler") is an American jewelry and watch designer who founded Jacob & Company in 1986 and grew it to become an international luxury brand. He be ...
(born 1965), jewelry and watch designer who founded
Jacob & Co.
*
Awkwafina
Nora Lum (born June 2, 1988), known professionally as Awkwafina, is an American actress, rapper, and comedian who rose to prominence in 2012 when her rap song "My Vag" became popular on YouTube. She then released her debut album, ''Yellow Ra ...
(born 1988), rapper and actress
*
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, ...
(born 1964), actor and
voice artist
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
*
David Baltimore
David Baltimore (born March 7, 1938) is an American biologist, university administrator, and 1975 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine. He is President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technol ...
(born 1938), Nobel Prize-winning virologist
*
Walter Becker
Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan.Russonello, Giovanni,Listen t ...
(1950-2017), half of the musical duo ''
Steely Dan''
*
Andrew Bergman
Andrew Bergman (born February 20, 1945) is an American screenwriter, film director, and novelist. His best-known films include '' Blazing Saddles'', '' The In-Laws'', '' The Freshman'' and '' Striptease''.
Early life
Born to a Jewish family, Be ...
(born 1945), screenwriter (''Blazing Saddles'', ''The In-Laws''), writer/director (''The Freshman'', ''Honeymoon In Vegas''), novelist (Jack LeVine mystery series) and playwright (''Social Security'', ''Honeymoon In Vegas'').
*
Jimmy Breslin
James Earle Breslin (October 17, 1928 – March 19, 2017) was an American journalist and author. Until the time of his death, he wrote a column for the New York ''Daily News'' Sunday edition.''Current Biography 1942'', pp. 648–51: "Patterson, ...
(1929-2017), journalist
*
Joseph Bowler
Joseph Bowler (born 1928, Forest Hills, Queens, Forest Hills, New York) is an artist and illustrator.
Bowler was a regular illustrator for the likes of ''Cosmopolitan Magazine'' and ''Ladies' Home Journal'' in the ''Second Illustrative Golden Age' ...
(born 1928), artist and illustrator
*
Daniel Bukantz
Daniel Bukantz (December 4, 1917 – July 26, 2008) was an American four-time individual United States national foil fencing champion, Maccabiah Games individual foil champion, four-time Olympic fencer, fencing referee, and a dentist. He has been ...
(1917–2008), Olympic fencer
*
Michael A. Burstein (born 1970), science fiction writer
*
Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie (; spelled Carnagey until c. 1922; November 24, 1888 – November 1, 1955) was an American writer and lecturer, and the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal ...
(1888–1955), self-improvement lecturer and author of ''
How to Win Friends and Influence People
''How to Win Friends and Influence People'' is a 1936 self-help book written by Dale Carnegie. Over 30 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.
Carnegie had been conducting business educati ...
'' lived at 27 Wendover Rd in Forest Hills.
*
David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso (born January 7, 1956) is a retired American actor and producer, best known for his roles as Detective John Kelly on the ABC crime drama ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–94) and Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the CBS series ''CSI: Mi ...
(born 1956), actor in ''
CSI: Miami
''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
'', and ''
NYPD Blue''
*
Candy Darling
Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar and transgender icon. She starred in Andy Warhol's films ''Flesh'' (1968) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971), and was a muse of The Velve ...
(1944–1974),
Warhol superstar
Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life, epitomizing his fam ...
who appeared in a number of his films
*
John R. Dilworth (born 1963), animator and creator of
Cartoon Network's ''
Courage the Cowardly Dog
''Courage the Cowardly Dog'' is an American animated comedy horror television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. It was produced by Dilworth's animation studio, Stretch Fil ...
''
*
Sergei Dovlatov
Sergei Donatovich Dovlatov (russian: link=no, Сергей Донатович Довлатов; 1941 1990) was a Soviet journalist and writer. Internationally, he is one of the most popular Russian writers of the late 20th century.
Biography
...
(1941–1990), Russian short–story writer and novelist; in 2014, the corner of 63rd Drive and 108th Street was given an honorary designation in his name.
*
Walter Egan
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
(born 1948), singer-songwriter ("
Magnet and Steel")
*
Billy Eichner (born 1978), comedian, actor, and host of ''
Billy on the Street
''Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner'' is an American comedy game show hosted by comedian and actor Billy Eichner. During each episode, Eichner goes out to the streets of New York City and asks pedestrians questions about pop culture. Episode ...
''
*
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee ...
(1935–2011), member of U.S. House of Representatives, television personality
[Clines, Francis X]
"In Training for a Run on the Political Stage"
''The New York Times'', February 19, 1997. Accessed July 5, 2016. "She commutes here on alternate weeks for five nights of shows, traveling from Forest Hills, Queens, where she lives with her husband, John A. Zaccaro."
*
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel.
Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 h ...
(born 1941), singer-songwriter
[Martin, Douglas]
"About New York; Just Simon in the Park, to Garfunkel's Disappointment"
''The New York Times'', August 14, 1991; accessed June 2, 2009. "Soon, he and Paul Simon, two sons of Forest Hills, Queens, who became bards of the 60's, would stride to the shimmering center of a vast Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
stage, and a generation growing overweight and apart would for a few fleeting hours feel forever young."
*
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest Grunfeld (born April 24, 1955) is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college at the University of Tennessee, he set a new record as the sch ...
(born 1955), former player and general manager of the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
*
Alan Hevesi
Alan G. Hevesi (born January 31, 1940) is a former American politician and convicted felon who served as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as New York City Comptroller from 1994 to 2001, and as New York State Comptroller from 2003 ...
(born 1940), disgraced former Comptroller of New York
*
Steve Hofstetter (born 1979), comedian/radio personality
*
John V. Hogan (1890–1960), radio pioneer
*
John Francis Hylan
John Francis Hylan (April 20, 1868January 12, 1936) was the 96th Mayor of New York City (the seventh since the consolidation of the five boroughs), from 1918 to 1925. From rural beginnings in the Catskills, Hylan eventually obtained work in Broo ...
(1848–1936),
Mayor of New York City (1918–1925)
*
Ethel D. Jacobs
Ethel D. Jacobs (March 18, 1910 - November 9, 2001) was a prominent American Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder who was a three-time leading owner in North America.
Married to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Hirsch Jacobs, Ethel Jacobs us ...
(1910–2001), thoroughbred horse owner and breeder, wife of
Hirsch Jacobs
Hirsch Jacobs (April 8, 1904 – February 13, 1970) was an American thoroughbred horse trainer and owner.
Early life
Jacobs grew up in East New York, Brooklyn in New York City. As a child he raised pigeons on the roof of his tenement building ...
*
Hirsch Jacobs
Hirsch Jacobs (April 8, 1904 – February 13, 1970) was an American thoroughbred horse trainer and owner.
Early life
Jacobs grew up in East New York, Brooklyn in New York City. As a child he raised pigeons on the roof of his tenement building ...
(1904–1970), thoroughbred jockey, husband of
Ethel D. Jacobs
Ethel D. Jacobs (March 18, 1910 - November 9, 2001) was a prominent American Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder who was a three-time leading owner in North America.
Married to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Hirsch Jacobs, Ethel Jacobs us ...
*
Donna Karan
Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.
Early life
Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...
(born 1948), fashion designer
*
Helen Keller (1880–1968), lecturer, author, fundraiser, activist
*
Alan King (1927–2004), actor/comedian
*
Andrea King
Andrea King (born Georgette André Barry; February 1, 1919 – April 22, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress, sometimes billed as Georgette McKee.
Early life
Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry on February 1, 1919, ...
(1919–2003), actress
*
David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He played Mr. Universe in '' Serenity'', Charlie Eppes in the CBS drama series ''Numb3rs'', and starred in the '' Harold & Kumar'' and ''The Santa Clause'' film franchises.
...
(born 1978), actor
*
Gary Kurfirst
Gary Kurfirst (8 July 1947 – 13 January 2009) was an American music promoter, producer, manager, publisher, and record label executive. Kurfirst founded Radioactive Records, whose acts included Live, Black Grape, Ramones, Big Audio Dynamite, ...
(1947–2009), concert promoter and record producer
*
Michael Landon (1936–1991), actor known for his roles on ''
Bonanza'' and ''
Little House on the Prairie
The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...
''
*
Harvey J. Levin (1924–1992), internationally recognized pioneer of communications economics, holder of Long Island's first professorial chair
*
Jack Lew
Jacob Joseph Lew (born August 29, 1955) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served as the 25th White House Chief of S ...
(born 1955),
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
from 2013 to 2017
*
Trygve Lie
Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lond ...
(1896–1968), first
Secretary-General of the United Nations
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary-g ...
, serving from 1946 to 1952
*
Carol Lynley
Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones; February 13, 1942 – September 3, 2019) was an American actress known for her roles in the films '' Blue Denim'' (1959) and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972).
Lynley was born in Manhattan to an Irish ...
(1942–2019), actress best known for her role in ''
The Poseidon Adventure''
*
Jack McAuliffe (1866–1937), world lightweight boxing champion
*
Chieli Minucci
Chieli Minucci (born April 17, 1958) is an American guitarist who co-founded the band Special EFX.
Career
His father, Ulpio Minucci, was a concert pianist and composer who wrote the music to the 1955 song " Domani."
Chieli Minucci started Spe ...
(born 1958), jazz musician
*
Min Xiao-Fen
Min Xiao-Fen () is a Chinese-American pipa player, vocalist, and composer known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music, and jazz.
Life
Min Xiao-Fen studied with her father, Min Jiqian (闵季骞), a music profe ...
(born 1961),
pipa player and vocalist
*
Michele "Big Mike" Miranda (1896–1973),
consigliere
Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel '' The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a ...
of the
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American M ...
and one of the most powerful New York gangsters in the 1950s and 1960s
*
Lore Noto
Lore Noto (June 9, 1923 – July 8, 2002), born Lorenzo Noto, was a Broadway theatrical producer of The Yearling, a commercial artist, actor and play writer, but best known as the producer of the world's longest-running musical in history — The ...
(1923–2002),
Off-Broadway producer
*
Carroll O'Connor
John Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an American actor, producer, and director whose television career spanned over four decades. He became a lifelong member of the Actors Studio in 1971. O'Connor found widespread fame a ...
(1924–2001), actor, best known for his role as
Archie Bunker
Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
* Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands
* Archie Blake (mathemati ...
on ''
All in the Family
''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...
''
*
Marco Oppedisano (born 1971), composer and guitarist
*
Rick Overton
Richard Overton (born August 10, 1954) is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include '' Dennis Miller Live'', and his acting credits include ''Beverly Hills Cop'', ''Groundhog Day'' and ''Mrs. Doubtfire''.
Life an ...
(born 1954), actor and comedian
*
Susan Polgar (born 1969), chess grandmaster
* The
Ramones, seminal punk rock band:
**
Dee Dee Ramone
Douglas Glenn Colvin (September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002), better known by his stage name Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician. He was the bassist and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. Throughout the band's existence, he wa ...
(1951–2002), bassist and songwriter of the Ramones
**
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. His image, voice, and his tenure with the R ...
(1951–2001), lead singer and songwriter of the Ramones
**
Johnny Ramone (1948–2004), guitarist of the Ramones
** Tommy Ramone (1952–2014), drummer and record producer of the Ramones
* Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957), psychiatrist known for his theories of Orgone energy
* Renée Richards (formerly Richard Raskind; born 1934), tennis player
* Branch Rickey (1881–1965), Major League Baseball executive
* Thelma Ritter (1902–1969), actress
* Ray Romano (born 1957), actor-comedian, best known for ''Everybody Loves Raymond''
* Dave Rubinstein (1964–1993), punk rock musician
* Chris Rush (1946–2018), stand-up comedian
* Renato Russo (1960–1996), Brazilian bandleader
* Joan Shawlee (née Fulton; 1926–1987), actress
* Michael Simanowitz (1971–2017), member of the New York State Assembly.
* Todd Strauss-Schulson (born 1980), film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and cinematographer
* Debbie Wasserman Schultz (born 1966), member of the U.S. House of Representatives for .
* Paul Simon (born 1941), singer-songwriter
[
* Fred Stone (1873–1959), actor
* Tatiana Troyanos (1938–1993), mezzo-soprano known for her work at the Metropolitan Opera
* Bob Tufts (1955-2019), Major League Baseball pitcher
* Jeff Wayne (born 1943), musician known for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, his musical version of ''The War of the Worlds''
* Katharine Weber (born 1955), novelist, author of five novels, including ''Triangle'' and ''True Confections''.
* Leslie West (1945–2020), of the hard rock band Mountain (band), Mountain
* Anthony Weiner (born 1964), politician
* Adolph Alexander Weinman (1870–1952), sculptor
* Henry Willson (1911–1978), Hollywood agent
* Jack Wyatt (1917–2008), host of American Broadcasting Company, ABC's ''Confession (American TV series), Confession''; Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopalian priest
* Gideon Yago (born 1978), journalist, former correspondent at MTV and CBS News
* Manuel Ycaza (1938–2018), jockey inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
* Pia Zadora (born 1953), actress][Mitchell, Henry]
"Pia"
''The Washington Post'', March 26, 1983. Accessed April 24, 2022. "'My mother was wardrobe mistress for the New York City Opera, and what with my father a musician too, I was surrounded by classical music through my childhood in Forest Hills and I was supposed to be preparing for a career in opera.'"
Notes
References
External links
Forest Hills Neighborhood Profile
About.com
{{Authority control
Forest Hills, Queens,
Central Asian American culture in New York (state)
Jewish communities in the United States
Jews and Judaism in Queens, New York
Neighborhoods in Queens, New York
Russian communities in the United States
Russian-American culture in New York City
Russian-Jewish culture in New York City
Uzbekistani-American culture
Russell Sage Foundation