Today’s Poll

What Are We Speed Walkers??

I’m not old – but not young either – and I think something has to be done about the walk signals on Queens Blvd. near the Midway movie theater and at other intersections in the vicinity. It used to leave pedestrians a lot more time to get across the Blvd.  Now you are barely halfway across and the signals have already changed to ‘Don’t Walk’! This is another example of being on the “edge of the city”, where suburbia is encroaching and the local culture favors cars over pedestrians. And it’s plain wrong. There are more and more residents in the neighborhood – especially ex-Manhattanites  – who choose to use their feet instead of their car to get around town, and they should be respected.

The City or Suburbia?

This is an old debate I know a lot of posters used to have years ago and I am wondering – what do you think of Forest Hills? Do you consider it “city life” or “suburbia”? Or a mix of the two? Would you like to see more development, more high-rises, or a limit of new construction? Myself, I consider it part of New York City, not Long Island, and am all for building more and more high-rise buildings. There are entire areas of the neighborhood that are just dilapidated and it is almost amusing that they have not been given new life, such as the store fronts on the north side of Queens Blvd. from say 75th Avenue to 76th Road.

See Today’s Poll to vote on this subject.

The EuroPan Experience

I thought I’d jot down a few of my impressions of the new EuroPan cafe that opened at the corner of Austin and 70th Road. Here is the website link if you aren’t familiar with this chain of New York City-based cafes: http://www.europanbakerycafe.com

After work one night (I had been working rather late), I beelined to the EuroPan during the first week it opened. In my mind, I pictured a big salad bar waiting for me, like they have in Pax and other city deli chains (or what I like to call ‘Glorified Korean Delis’).

Well, I arrived at our EuroPan and was surprised to find no salad bar. Instead, you have to go to the counter and order from a fixed menu on the wall. They have several salads available. I ordered what I think was called the Aztec Salad or something like that (this was a few weeks ago) to go. Yes, the service was very slow and disorganized so it took me a while to get the food. But when I got it home, I was very pleasantly surprised that the salad was great. It was very fresh, and delicious. I was not expecting it given my prejudicious against these deli/cafe chains.

I have since gotten bagels there, and these are also excellent. Very fresh and tasty. Kinda reminds me of H&H Bagels in fluffiness and sweetness. Excellent.

Also, walking by the place a few times I really like what they did with the location – it is very pleasing to the eye to see the cafe open to the air and people dining inside during these warm summer months.

Has any one else been to EuroPan? I’m interested in hearing what other people think.

Welcome to my blog

I know there have been a lot of different blogs about Forest Hills, NY over the years, but I thought I’d throw my two cents in with my own take on our interesting neighborhood.

Given where it’s situated, almost the border of New York City and Long Island, Forest Hills is really unlike any other place – a mix of the urban and the suburban. On one hand, it may seem like it’s the last touch of New York City before suburban Long Island takes over. On the other, it feels like suburbia is the dominant culture in Forest Hills, with bits of New York City trying to punch its way through.

Whichever of these interpretations you agree with, it’s definitely true that Forest Hills is constantly changing. As the city and the suburban vie with each other within this eastern part of New York City, the results are an interesting blend of city and suburb. This blog will explore this neighborhood as it continues to evolve.