So, we have done it. We are officially homeowners and already thinking about all the things that affect our property values. But, more important, we are thinking about how excited we are to be moving to Jackson Heights. So excited, in fact, that I decided to start this blog to document the experience.
But I am already getting ahead of myself. The first question is how and why did we (a daughter of Bronx parents and a son of parents from Bayridge, Brooklyn) choose Jackson Heights (a question, I might add, that was asked of us at our co-op approval meeting). One reason is, of course, financial: this is where we can afford to buy an apartment. While we loved Brooklyn, we were priced out of Brooklyn, and Manhattan wasn't even an option. But that makes it sound like we fled kicking and screaming to Queens, when actually we actively chose it. This is a neighborhood we want to live in. So, I will start off the first entry of this blog by doing a quick list of reasons why we are moving to Jackson Heights:
The Diversity - Queens is the most diverse community in the country with over 170 languages spoken. It is also home to the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the US. Jackson Heights is a real living, breathing neighborhood, populated with hard-working people from all over the world living side-by-side with other people from all over the world. As Manhattan and Brooklyn grow more and more upscale and homogeneous, with banks and boutiques on every corner, this neighborhood feels like what New York is supposed to feel like- vibrant, multilingual, and tolerant of difference.
The Food - With diversity, comes great food: Indian, Chinese, Peruvian, Korean, Cuban, Thai, Mexican, Polish, etc. Queens is rapidly becoming known as the destination of choice for true "foodies."
The Transportation - Although people tend to think of Queens as being very "outer borough," Jackson Heights is a transportation hub. The 74th Street-Roosevelt Ave subway station is less than a 1o-minute walk from our apartment, and from there we can get the E, F, G, R, V and 7 trains. It is 20 minutes to mid-town Manhattan, 20 minutes by bus (cost=$2!) to LaGuardia Airport, 7 stops on the E to get to the AirTran to JFK, and two stops on the 7 to get to the LIRR. So, basically, we are accessible to all transport that will connect us to any where in the NY region. And given that one of us frequently has to fly out of town on a moment's notice, this convenience is essential to our living location.
The Garden Apartments - Our part of Jackson Heights, now a landmarked historic district, was built over approximately a decade starting in 1917 as a neighborhood modeled on an urban planning philosophy known as the Garden City Movement (founded in 1898 by Ebenezer Howard in England). Our building is built around a block-long co-operatively owned garden. So we have our own backyard, shared with our neighbors, and we don't even have to mow the grass! And, some day, our kids will be able to play outside in the garden, something that not many NYC kids get to do.
The Schools- and speaking of kids, yes, schools are a factor in the big picture, and JH has a great public school district. So, that opens the possibility of living in NY and sending kids to public schools.
The Sesame Street Factor - OK, I just made that term up, but to me it means Jackson Heights has everything I want from a neighborhood. Within a few blocks of our apartment is a post office, a public school, a library, a butcher (this appeals to me even though I am a vegetarian) an ice cream parlor/diner, and everything else you could need, including a surgical supply store, which came in very handy when I fell off the moving truck and needed crutches on our first day!
The Birthplace of Scrabble - Last, but not least, I was delighted to learn that Jackson Heights was the home of Alfred Mosher Butts, who invented the game Lexiko, which became Criss-Cross Words, which became Scrabble. Mr. Butts is honored with a plaque at the Community Methodist Church, located on the corner of 35th Avenue and 81st Street, and with a creative street sign (see photo above), hence the name for the blog. To me, this is delightful, not only because I love Scrabble, but because it suggests that this is a neighborhood that attracts creative and inventive people, just whom you would want for neighbors.
But I am already getting ahead of myself. The first question is how and why did we (a daughter of Bronx parents and a son of parents from Bayridge, Brooklyn) choose Jackson Heights (a question, I might add, that was asked of us at our co-op approval meeting). One reason is, of course, financial: this is where we can afford to buy an apartment. While we loved Brooklyn, we were priced out of Brooklyn, and Manhattan wasn't even an option. But that makes it sound like we fled kicking and screaming to Queens, when actually we actively chose it. This is a neighborhood we want to live in. So, I will start off the first entry of this blog by doing a quick list of reasons why we are moving to Jackson Heights:
The Diversity - Queens is the most diverse community in the country with over 170 languages spoken. It is also home to the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the US. Jackson Heights is a real living, breathing neighborhood, populated with hard-working people from all over the world living side-by-side with other people from all over the world. As Manhattan and Brooklyn grow more and more upscale and homogeneous, with banks and boutiques on every corner, this neighborhood feels like what New York is supposed to feel like- vibrant, multilingual, and tolerant of difference.
The Food - With diversity, comes great food: Indian, Chinese, Peruvian, Korean, Cuban, Thai, Mexican, Polish, etc. Queens is rapidly becoming known as the destination of choice for true "foodies."
The Transportation - Although people tend to think of Queens as being very "outer borough," Jackson Heights is a transportation hub. The 74th Street-Roosevelt Ave subway station is less than a 1o-minute walk from our apartment, and from there we can get the E, F, G, R, V and 7 trains. It is 20 minutes to mid-town Manhattan, 20 minutes by bus (cost=$2!) to LaGuardia Airport, 7 stops on the E to get to the AirTran to JFK, and two stops on the 7 to get to the LIRR. So, basically, we are accessible to all transport that will connect us to any where in the NY region. And given that one of us frequently has to fly out of town on a moment's notice, this convenience is essential to our living location.
The Garden Apartments - Our part of Jackson Heights, now a landmarked historic district, was built over approximately a decade starting in 1917 as a neighborhood modeled on an urban planning philosophy known as the Garden City Movement (founded in 1898 by Ebenezer Howard in England). Our building is built around a block-long co-operatively owned garden. So we have our own backyard, shared with our neighbors, and we don't even have to mow the grass! And, some day, our kids will be able to play outside in the garden, something that not many NYC kids get to do.
The Schools- and speaking of kids, yes, schools are a factor in the big picture, and JH has a great public school district. So, that opens the possibility of living in NY and sending kids to public schools.
The Sesame Street Factor - OK, I just made that term up, but to me it means Jackson Heights has everything I want from a neighborhood. Within a few blocks of our apartment is a post office, a public school, a library, a butcher (this appeals to me even though I am a vegetarian) an ice cream parlor/diner, and everything else you could need, including a surgical supply store, which came in very handy when I fell off the moving truck and needed crutches on our first day!
The Birthplace of Scrabble - Last, but not least, I was delighted to learn that Jackson Heights was the home of Alfred Mosher Butts, who invented the game Lexiko, which became Criss-Cross Words, which became Scrabble. Mr. Butts is honored with a plaque at the Community Methodist Church, located on the corner of 35th Avenue and 81st Street, and with a creative street sign (see photo above), hence the name for the blog. To me, this is delightful, not only because I love Scrabble, but because it suggests that this is a neighborhood that attracts creative and inventive people, just whom you would want for neighbors.
