Living in Elmhurst: rent, commute and grades

Queens · Updated October 2026

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Rent in Elmhurst

$1,499 a month

Type of homeA room in a 2-bedroom, shared by two

B+Overall

Grades compare NYC neighborhoods with each other. How the grades work.

B+Walkability
The average home has 4.6 of 5 everyday needs within a 10-minute walk (grocery store, restaurant, cafe, subway station, park) and about 445 places to eat or shop.
A+Food and shopping
Within a 10-minute walk of the average home: about 121 places to eat, 23 kinds of cuisine, 6.3 large grocery stores and 279 open storefronts.
Residents: The food is a standout, one of the best things about living here. New resident, May 2024
City data alone would give A; what residents say in 5 Reddit threads moves it to A+.
FParks and green space
73% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park of an acre or more, with about 9 acres of parkland within 1 km and about 368 street trees within 300 m of the average home.

B+Community
21% of households moved in since 2018, 9% are roommates sharing a home, 19% of residents are 22 to 34, and there are about 62 cafes and bars within a 10-minute walk of the average home.
A-Nightlife
About 46 bars, clubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol on site within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

CSafety
6.5 murders, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries were reported per 1,000 residents in 2025 (652 in all).
City data and 3 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.
B+Quiet
26 noise complaints to 311 per 1,000 residents in 2025, not counting helicopter complaints, and counting each address at most 12 days a year. That measures how often people complain, not how loud it is.
Residents: Parties can make it loud at times; blocks away from Roosevelt Avenue are a bit quieter. Current resident, Jan 2024
C+Building upkeep
16.9 serious housing code violations (class B or C) were issued in 2025 per 100 rented homes, and there were 6.7 heat or hot water complaints per 100 rented homes.
Residents: Shared laundry machines in a resident's building are often dirty and leave clothes smelling. Resident, Jun 2026

Food and shoppingThe food is a standout, one of the best things about living here. New resident, May 2024
SafetyIt is a pretty safe area to live in. Resident, Jan 2024
Food and shoppingFood trucks and nearby Asian restaurants make eating out a pleasure. Resident of one year, May 2024

Building upkeepShared laundry machines in a resident's building are often dirty and leave clothes smelling. Resident, Jun 2026
QuietParties can make it loud at times; blocks away from Roosevelt Avenue are a bit quieter. Current resident, Jan 2024

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Homelessness, drug use and prostitution near the 7 and E, M, F lines have risen since the pandemic.
Not a resident, May 2025
Walking around alone feels perfectly safe, even for a middle-aged disabled woman.
Visitor, Feb 2024
Elmhurst is not a bad neighborhood for someone with safety concerns.
Not a resident, Feb 2024

Woodside Avenue has Malaysian restaurants worth walking over for.
Not a resident, May 2025
Chinese bakeries, Asian markets and plenty of excellent restaurants are nearby, and a mall is close.
Resident, Jan 2024
Food options and shopping centers are close at hand.
Grew up here, Jan 2024

Apart from the food, there is little here in the way of nightlife.
Not a resident, Jan 2024
Near the subway and farther south, the bars and businesses resemble a gentrified area like Long Island City.
Not a resident, May 2024
The bars are mostly dark, smoky and loud with basic beer, not a scene aimed at young people.
Not a resident, May 2024

The bike lane at Queens and Woodhaven Boulevards makes that busy intersection safer to get through.
Not a resident, Oct 2026

By subway or bus, arriving by 9:00 on a weekday:Under 30 min30 to 45 min45 to 60 minOver an hourElmhurst

Residents: Commuting on the 7 train near 90th Street is crowded and chaotic. Resident since 2023, May 2024

Woodside Avenue from 76th Street to Broadway was designated Little Thailand Way in 2022, a cluster of restaurants, shops and houses of worship. It was one of the city's first open streets in 2020 and is managed with Thai Community USA. Source
Elmhurst was called Newtown until the Cord Meyer Development Company, which began building there in 1896, got the post office to rename it Elmhurst, for its many elm trees, to distance it from foul-smelling Newtown Creek. Source
Old St. James Episcopal Church at 86-02 Broadway, built in 1735-36 in what was then Newtown Village, is New York City's second-oldest religious building and a designated city landmark. Source
Newtown High School has a Flemish Renaissance Revival wing by school architect C.B.J. Snyder, with stepped gables and a 169-foot central tower topped by a cupola and turrets. Source
Queens Center, at 90-15 Queens Boulevard, is Elmhurst's urban shopping center, with retailers such as Apple, Macy's and The Disney Store and restaurants including Shake Shack. Source