Living in Forest Hills: rent, commute and grades

The average home has 4.6 of 5 everyday needs within a 10-minute walk (grocery store, restaurant, cafe, subway station, park) and about 191 places to eat or shop.

Residents: Errands that needed a car in Kew Gardens can be done on foot here. New resident, Jul 2025

City data alone would give B-; what residents say in 6 Reddit threads moves it to A-.

Within a 10-minute walk of the average home: about 45 places to eat, 21 kinds of cuisine, 4 large grocery stores and 131 open storefronts.

Residents: Apart from Trader Joe's and the fruit stands, stores along Queens Boulevard and Austin Street are expensive. Parent, Jun 2026

City data alone would give B-; what residents say in 7 Reddit threads moves it to C+.

95% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park of an acre or more, with about 653 acres of parkland within 1 km and about 439 street trees within 300 m of the average home.

Residents: Full of playgrounds: about five within walking distance of one family. Parent, Jun 2026

City data alone would give B+; what residents say in 6 Reddit threads moves it to A-.

21% of households moved in since 2018, 6% are roommates sharing a home, 16% of residents are 22 to 34, and there are about 22 cafes and bars within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

Residents: Mostly families live here, so there is little social scene for people in their 20s. Resident, Mar 2026

About 17 bars, clubs and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol on site within a 10-minute walk of the average home.

Residents: Compared with lively Astoria, it is boring and sometimes too quiet. Parent, Jun 2026

City data and 6 resident threads on Reddit agree on this grade.

2.9 murders, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries were reported per 1,000 residents in 2025 (275 in all).

Residents: Quick access to several highways makes the area prone to car theft. Resident, Oct 2026

City data alone would give A; what residents say in 8 Reddit threads moves it to A-.

27 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: Clean and quiet, generally very nice. Parent, Jun 2026

City data alone would give B+; what residents say in 6 Reddit threads moves it to B.

15.5 serious housing code violations (class B or C) were issued in 2025 per 100 rented homes, and there were 7.8 heat or hot water complaints per 100 rented homes.

Residents: Older buildings have large rooms but banging radiators. New resident, Jun 2025