City Living: Kew Gardens

The Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens has retained a bucolic splendor for decades even though it's bordered by two major highways and bisected by the Long Island Rail Road.

Part of the reason is the area, which was first developed at the turn of the 19th century, also features Maple Grove Cemetery and Forest Park. But the tree-lined streets and mix of Colonial, Victorian and Tudor-style single family houses and large pre-war buildings do a lot for the character, too.

Lefferts Boulevard, the main commercial strip, leapfrogs over the Long Island Rail Road tracks in an engineering concept that is similar to the 16th-century Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. That link to the Old World is fitting: Over the years the neighborhood has been home to Iranian Jews and immigrants from Uzbekistan, Yemen and Central America.

Its location, roughly halfway between LaGuardia and Kennedy Airport, has earned it the nickname "Crew Gardens," thanks to the concentration of pilots and flight attendants living there.

Alberta Gray, owner of Gray's Bicycles and a resident for more than 40 years, agrees it's become more diverse.

"It was strictly a Jewish neighborhood back then; now we have, like, a United Nations here -- and I like that," she said.

William Levin, a broker and owner of ERA Gotham Realty, said many apartments are co-ops that were converted in the 1980s, but it is possible to find a studio to rent for $900 or a one-bedroom for around $1,100.

"There are a lot of older, pre-war buildings with high ceilings large rooms, dining rooms. We have one apartment on the market right now that's a three-bedroom, 1,750 square feet, which is the size of some homes," he said. "If you drove by on Queens Boulevard and you looked up across the street and saw these towers, you would never think there was a quiet residential neighborhood back behind there."

Varuna Singh, the principal broker for Crossings Reality and a neighborhood resident since 1985, said a housing stock comprised mostly of co-ops and houses has kept the population relatively stable.

"There's not a very large rental market, and because of that most of the residents have a vested interest," he said. "A lot of people from areas like Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope and the city who have been priced out of those markets have been coming to Kew Gardens."

The varied architecture and sense of community makes it attractive, too.

"You go to a store twice and the guy knows your name. ... You've got the park right nearby, and we're just a stone's throw from the shopping in Forest Hills," Singh said. "So you can still be close to the action."

Find it
The borders of Kew Gardens are the Jackie Robinson Parkway to the north, the Van Wyck Expressway to the east, Myrtle and Hillside avenues to the south and Forest Park to the west.

Real estate
What's selling
Co-ops -A 650-square-foot studio on Talbot Street and Lefferts Boulevard: $135,000 n An 850-square-foot one bedroom on Beverly Road: $192,000 n A 1,250-square-foot two bedroom at Lefferts Boulevard and Kew Gardens Road: $319,000

Houses
-A five-bedroom colonial on 60 by 100 foot plot on Audley Street: $1.15 million n A four-bedroom wood-frame colonial on a 40-by-100-foot plot on 116th Street and 84th Avenue: $725,000 n A three-bedroom frame colonial on a 20-by-100-foot plot on 123rd Street and 84th Avenue: $585,000

To see
Fully restored No. 7 Redbird subway car
The 1,400 "Redbirds" were taken out of service in 2002 and 2003, but No. 9075 was salvaged and fully restored.

The 50,000-pound car now sits on a concrete pad on the front lawn of Queens Borough Hall. 82nd Street and Queens Boulevard

Forest Park
The third-largest park in New York is the largest continuous oak forest in the country. In addition to 413 acres of native red and white oak forest criss-crossed with seven miles of bridal paths and hiking trails, the park features an 18-hole golf course and numerous bocce courts, horseshoe pitches and shuffleboard. Enter at Park Lane and Jackie Robinson Parkway.

To shop
Homestead Gourmet Shop
This German bakery, deli and grocery store has been an integral part of Kew Gardens for 65 years. Don't miss the cherry strudel.
81-45 Lefferts Blvd.
718-849-1366

Gray's Bicycles & Accessories
This little shop on the periphery of the Lefferts Boulevard business district has for 45 years satisfied the wanderlust of residents who have more than their fair share of biking terrain in Forest Park.
82-34 Lefferts Blvd.
718-441-9767

To play
Austin's Steak and Ale House
This stalwart has been serving brews in the heart of the neighborhood since 1992. The bar is roomy, the beer comes in 23 varieties on tap, and there's outdoor seating out back for the warmer nights.
82-70 Austin St.
718-849-3939

The Kew Club
It's no longer an Irish bar per se, as it was when it was called Yer Man's a little more than a year ago, but the bar is still popular with the flight attendants and pilots who call the area home. On Saturdays, a DJ spins; Sunday is karaoke night.
119-11 Metropolitan Ave.
718-441-8100

To eat
Mood
The theme is American nouveau with a touch of SoHo funk at this fairly new restaurant, where a wide-ranging menu includes Chilean sea bass, duck risotto, Maryland crab cakes and other American standards.
120-29 83rd Ave.
718-849-6663

Bakers Dozen Bagels
If you get there early enough, you can also use their freshly baked bagels to keep your hands warm on a cold day.
81-09 Lefferts Blvd.
718-847-1930

The Chicken House
It's barely larger than a Manhattan apartment, but at $5 for a quarter chicken with salad and rice, it hits the spot for lunch.
80-45 Kew Gardens Rd.
718-544-9292

Incas
Across the street from Queens Borough Hall, this large Peruvian restaurant plays host to borough movers and shakers with dishes like Ceviche de Corvina, (diced fillet of sea trout served with yuca) and Seco de Cordero, a lamb stew in a red pepper sauce with white rice and beans.
120-20 Queens Blvd.
718-263-6767

The basics
Transportation
Subway: E, F at Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard
Bus: 10, 10A, 37, 54, 60, 63, 64, 68
Train: Long Island Rail Road at Lefferts Boulevard and Austin Street

Crime
The 102nd Precinct, which includes Kew Gardens, has had three murders, eight rapes and 101 robberies this year, compared to two murders, five rapes and 109 robberies at this time last year.

Schools
P.S. 99, 82-37 Kew Gardens Rd., J.S.H. 190, 68-17 Austin St., H.S. 505, 160-05 Highland Ave.

Post Office
8330 Austin St., 12201 Jamaica Ave.

Banks
Chase Manhattan, 81-35 Lefferts Blvd., 118-30 Queens Blvd.; North Fork Bank, 120-32 Queens Blvd,; Citibank, 107-01 71st Ave., 81-64 Lefferts Blvd. (ATM inside 7-Eleven)

The buzz
Students of New York City history know that Kew Gardens is not only the former home of Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Springer, but also Catherine (Kitty) Genovese, who was stabbed to death near the Kew Gardens train station on March 13, 1964. The circumstances of her death and the supposed indifference of her neighbors gave rise to the term "Genovese Syndrome," to explain why people ignore strangers in need.

Many popularly held beliefs about the crime are actually in dispute though. The Web site oldkewgardens.com does a good job of debunking them. Resident Varuna Singh said the story rarely comes up anymore and that in any case, the neighborhood has changed a lot since then.

"People took note of it, but I think people have really tucked it in the back of their minds," he said. "It was so long ago."

Q&A with Teresa Wianecka, owner of the Homestead Gourmet Shop on Lefferts Boulevard
How long have you lived in Kew Gardens?
I've been working at the store for 16 years, and I've been the owner for three years. I've lived in the neighborhood for 18 years.

What do you like best about it?
We have nice schools, a beautiful park, and a lot of nice people. It used to be more families, but now it's more of a mix.

How has it changed in that time?
Only the people have changed. We've got more nationalities than we used to, but that's pretty much all.

What's one thing you'd change if you could?
I think we need a nice supermarket. The one we have here is a little small.

What are three pros and cons of the area?
Pros: It's quiet, it's clean and there are lots of trees.
There have been nice people living here for years.
Cons: It's not very exciting if you like Manhattan. You can get a quieter neighborhood, though, and it is still the city.
Some of the shops go out of business quickly.

Where are the best places to eat?
I don't go out: I'm over here, so I cook a lot for my husband at home.
But I know a lot of people who go to the Austin Street Ale House, and the diner on Lefferts Boulevard is very popular, too.

What's one neighborhood gem that really makes the neighborhood a better place to live?
Probably the Kew Gardens movie theater, because so many people love that place. It brings so many people to the area, because there are so many different films being shown there.

Related topic galleries: Family, Kew Gardens, Imperial and Royal Matters, Homes, Murder, Manhattan (New York City), SoHo