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City Living: Little Neck, Queens

By Joe Filippazzo | Special to amNewYork

January 17, 2008

Robert Baker, a regular at the Scobee Diner in Little Neck, gets a refill from co-owner Gus Xikis. (Dave Sanders / January 16, 2008)

Most residents think of Little Neck as the best of both worlds, where they can enjoy the serenity of the suburbs and the commerce of the city without ever having to leave New York. Tucked away in the northeast corner of Queens, yet only a 45-minute commute to downtown Manhattan, this bustling peninsula on Little Neck Bay has managed to evolve with the rest of the city while retaining much of its original character.

First settled by the Matinecoc Indians and cleared of trees to raise corn, the fertile peninsula became known as Little Neck. The area was populated by the Dutch in 1735 and estate development, which began in the early 1800s, continues to this day, much to the chagrin of some residents.

Kevin Wolfe, a local architect and co-founder of the Douglaston/Little Neck Historical Society, spoke fondly of the narrow, winding streets, lush tree cover and classic terra cotta facades but decried the real estate trends. "Developers will buy a small house on a big lot and tear it down to build these McMansions," which Wolfe says are popping up all over Little Neck. "They're creating a future slum of white elephants. These houses will be falling down in 30 years," he said.

This is easily the biggest issue on locals' minds, agreed Bob Alexander, a substitute teacher and paraprofessional. "The bash-and-build phenomenon has come," he said, "Unfortunately, you can't stop change and you can't legislate taste."

Little Neck is in no way isolated or inaccessible as far as industry goes. Several major arteries cut through the neighborhood and bring with it myriad businesses and no shortage of customers. Northern Boulevard , a veritable aorta of commerce, is just a short walk from any home and the Long Island Expressway and Grand Central Parkway are but a minute's drive.

"There have been subtle and not-so-subtle changes over the years," said Monica Braunfeld, a history teacher at Little Neck's Cardoza High School, "but it's one of the more desirable places to live in the city."

"Little Neck is a careful mix of things," Wolfe said, "with suburban and quasi-urban qualities, you give up some things. Not everybody has a six-car garage but you adapt for that and love it for that."

Find it:

Little Neck is bounded by Little Neck Parkway. and Marathon Parkway to the west, the Grand Central Parkway to the south and the New York City/Nassau County border to the east.

The basics:

Police Station --111th Precinct, 45-06 215th St.

Transportation --LIRR Port Washington Line to Little Neck Station, Q12, Q30, Q79 bus

Crime Stats --The 111th Precinct, which covers Little Neck-Douglaston and neighboring Bayside, Hollis Hills and Fresh Meadows, was the most-improved precinct in Queens and the third-most improved in the entire city for 2007. The area saw a 16.3 percent decline in serious crimes, a 42.3 percent drop in robberies and a 16.1 percent drop in burglaries from 2006. A recent murder was the first in Little Neck in about four years.

Schools --PS 94 David D. Porter, 41-37 Little Neck Pkwy.; PS811 Marathon School and JHS67 Louis Pasteur, 51-60 Marathon Pkwy.; PS221 North Hills Magnet, 57-40 Marathon Pkwy.

Libraries --Douglaston/Little Neck branch of the Queens Library 249-01 Northern Blvd. 718-225-8414

Post offices --Horace Harding., 56-01 Marathon Pkwy. 718-224-4492; Little Neck P.O., 250-10 Northern Blvd. 718-229-8573

To eat:

While Little Neck has its fair share of fast-food chains, there are a number of gems hidden along the main drags that truly reflect the cultural diversity of the area. There's Thai, Korean, Italian, French, Japanese, Mexican and Chinese to name just a few. Even the most delicate palate and the thinnest wallet can find something great within a short walk.

Juice for Life Haven't had your daily shot of wheatgrass? Head over to Little Neck's health food oasis for a fresh yet hearty homemade wrap or try one of their famous low fat smoothies. Everything is made to order in this restaurant as charming as it is health conscious. 251-20 Northern Blvd. 718-428-8423

Scobee Open since 1961, this classic New York diner offers exceptional, well, diner food, but it's not your average eatery. If Little Neck has a home base and that home base has disco fries, then Scobee is it. Corner of Little Neck Pkwy. and Northern Blvd. 718-428-5777