Jackson Heights Life

Hi hi,

So we are currently actively looking to purchase a 2 bedroom/jr 4 around Jackson Heights. We noticed a lot of units going for sale in the 92nd street area/35th ave and are quite curious as they are the few affordable ones left.

How is the area there? Is it safe? We work a bit on the late end and I would love not to have to worry about my walk home. Also, possibly thinking of starting up a family in 2-3 years.

Long time queens resident so a little grit doesn’t scare me, but would love to get some opinions from locals! Thanks....

It's outside the historic district (likely plays a part in the lower prices) and I would say, speaking candidly, there is a huge difference between the 90s and and the low 80s/70s in vibe, types of buildings, variety of stores and reataurants, etc. The cutoff IMO is like 88th street.

Definitely less amenities, I think the school zoning is different, and some crime seems to happen up that way (reference: subway shooting/guy who just got shot on 86th Street).

BUT, if you're willing to weather that and stick it out, you can get a good deal as the area will naturally start to evolve over time. I heard from the JHBG that the city is looking into expanding the historic district potentially, so that's positive!

These are just my candid observations and maybe someone who lives in the 90s can offer a different perspective.

 it was at 88th street, but people get shot all over new york.

a guy was murdered on 79th street two months ago, so.....

Hello,
2006-2013 I lived on Northern/88th. I never had an issue, that being said , I wasn't walking home alone at 1 am

In regards to the criminal gang activities/ stabbings/ homicides , in the last 7 yrs or so, it is almost always high 80s/lows 90s on or near Roosevelt/37th ave.  You can find that find that info yourself, but I followed it pretty closely.

If you are coming home very late, alone, you need to be careful no matter where you live in this city, right?

I have no knowledge of Northridge.  However, a few years ago, I went to an open house at the nearby Southridge on 90th Street and I was very impressed with the high quality maintenance of the building, the grounds, the area and of course the price and low maintenance.  They do have a flip tax of $50 a share paid by the seller which keeps the maintenance very low.  I couldn't see anything negative about the area.  On Northern Blvd you have a bus that takes you to Queensboro Plaza subway station. 

In Jackson Heights its all about location, location, location and being very close to the 74 Street subway station.  This area is quickly approaching $600 a square foot.  The average cost per square foot on 90th Street and above is $360 a square foot.  A 915 SF one bedroom was just listed at the Berkeley 78 Street for $578,500 and a studio at the Manchester at 7711 35th Ave for over $400,000. 

well, i have over 1,000 shares in our co-op and the smallest apartments -- the few studios in the building -- hold around 500-600. so that would add up a lot more quickly.

I only want to offer my knowledge of the Southridge cooperative where we've closed several deals. Flip tax is actually not percentage based there, but rather a fixed number per share. You need to doublecheck Northridge, but Southridge is $50 per share. An average 2 bed there is just over 200 shares, so flip tax which the seller must pay is just over 10k. Again check in Northridge, but Southridge also includes electricity in maintenance and there is an additional surcharge for number of air conditioners you have. I wouldn't get tangled in price per square foot, as those are strictly estimations when it comes to coops. If you decide you like an area and price/maintenance is right for your budget it's well worth a consideration.

One slight difference with Southridge and Northridge coops. They have a "right of first refusal" rule. Meaning, when you go to sell, you must have the board sign the right of first refusal form before you can go to market. I learned it first time the hard way

Other piece of information I can offer: One of our seller clients lived there since 1958 when building first came up and her buyer is still happily living there after renovating it fully. Other seller client lived there happily as well but had to move due to job change. Their buyers, also a family, are also happily living there.

That's all I have on this. Hope this helps.

Warmly,
Armen

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.