Jackson Heights Life

Were a young couple in our 30s and have lived in Southridge for just over a year now - building is located on 92nd and 34th. We wanted to stick to a strict budget, as this was our first home and we don’t plan to live there for more than a few years, so Southridge was a good choice for us for now. The maintenance is very low and includes everything. It’s an extra $30 a month per AC. For us it’s perfect as our mortgage and maintenance payments are so low that we’re able to save a lot of money and have the flexibility to travel, etc.  The building is extremely well maintained and clean. The maintenance guys are all lovely and friendly. We don’t know our neighbors, but it definitely seems like a co-op where people have lived and raised families for a long time. I didn’t find the board approval process too unreasonable, although they do want to see a year of your mortgage and maintenance in cash in the bank after the DP and closing costs. They also require a 25% down payment, but I think that varies from section to section.

In terms of the area in the 90s, it’s definitely not as charming as the historic district. While I would be cautious while walking home from the subway past a certain time, I don’t feel it’s unsafe. I think things get a much more sketchy past Junction Blvd, but we don’t venture over there and have no reason to. there’s an excellent Key Food very close by on Northern in the high 80s, and we’re also close to Addictive Wine Bar, which is a great spot. Overall, Southridge is a great co-op and the neighborhood is fine. We would have preferred the historic district, but prices for 1BRs are double or more. I don’t know about the schools in our area but we plan to move elsewhere once we start a family.

I found it so difficult to get meaningful  advice regarding specific co-ops and neighborhoods when we were looking, so I hope this is helpful.