Jackson Heights Life

Butcher shop --- try the new Meat Barn, or for a homier feel, go a bit east to carniceria hispanoamerica

On the changes for the community of JH, as it stands it's not so terrible living here and I do appreciate Jackson Heights and always did for what it is, hardly ever thinking that I needed these other big "dream" stores in order to be happy.  But some of my buyer's or the buyer's have other plans in mind for the community.

No one is saying that JH is a terrible place to live or that big dream stores are a panacea.  But there have been numerous, numerous posts that many, many people (who are also your clients Marlene) would love to have a nice gym and a great place in the neighborhood to buy organic meat  etc...  No one jumped down your throat because you desired a Puerto Rican restaurant in the neighborhood.  Why is one person's dream list better or worse than another's?

You are simply not allowed to want other stores here. You must find everything you need at the dollar stores/cellphone stores/vitamin stores/hoochie clothing stores!

All kidding aside, temporarily, the 99 cent stores are great for party supplies for your kids' birthdays.

I'm with you and I would like to know the true reason why people move to Jackson Heights.

We moved to Jackson Heights in 2002 because it was one of the few neighborhoods that we could afford to buy into. We lived in Park Slope for about 15 years prior and were able to watch the growth of locally owned and operated stores and amenities (it's funny that the only options offered here are "what's here now" or "big box retailers", because that's not all there is), what is it about that growth that folks find so offensive in this neighborhood?

We looked in Astoria, in Ditmas Park, in Kensington, Windsor Terrace, Forest Hills, Clinton Hill, Ft. Greene, Harlem, Washington Heights; what we liked about JH was the architecture, the people (the second "scouting trip" we made to the neighborhood we stopped to pet somebody's dog on the street and, when she found out we were apartment shopping, insisted we come look at her apartment, which wasn't for sale, so we could "get an idea of what apartments here looked like". That NEVER happened in Brooklyn.) and how green the neighborhood was. What sold us on our apartment was it's pre war detailing; unlike your current clientele all of our renovation efforts have been to return it to as close to 1930's as possible - push button lighting, art deco light fixtures, etc. We may be leaning a little more towards "bungalow" rather than "NY deco", but this was originally middle class housing (like the Aladdin/Sears/MontWard 'kit" housing) and the time periods are concurrent, so we aren't sweating it that much.

As far as supporting neighborhood businesses, I think I've been pretty impartial in spreading purchases amongst Fawn and Colony, Table Wine is a great addition to the neighborhood and they're getting some of my hard earned jack as well. Jackson Heights Health Food gets a pretty fair portion as does Compare on Northern. But I guess Table Wine, JH Health Food and Espresso 77  don't count since they're new interlopers, right? You can leave those out then. Mehfil, Rice Avenue, Arunee on occasion. But since most of the local restaurants don't have organic/local - beef/chicken/produce, we don't eat out in the neighborhood much. It's nice having a farmer's market part of the year, it would be great to have more organic options here plus, since I have to go to Union Square to buy beef, chicken and pork, it's easier for me to get everything else I want there. I'm not sure why it makes me the spawn of evil to want that option in a more convenient location. Please do have a separate conversation about malls, I'm trying to remember the last time I was in one.
I think it was 2004...

S Ottomanelli & Sons is an awesome butcher:
6105 Woodside Avenue

And I wonder why then they want to see a pre-war unit if they are ultimately going to remove the original crown moldings, the separate shower stall, and the built-in bookshelves, and change the arches.

Under the rubric of "handy tips" -if you're lucky enough to have the original hinges, door knobs & their escutcheons etc. but (like us) unlucky enough to have them covered in 20 to 70 years worth of paint, get a cheap crock pot and put your metal items into it with a few drops of dishwashing liquid, put it on LOW and leave it on for 24 hours. The paint comes off with a toothbrush. It works like a charm especially with really small things like the clasp and pull to our in-wall metal hamper. It looks brand new.

Speaking of which, does anybody have an easy and clever ideas for removing 20 to 70 years worth of paint on said metal hampers? The only person who I know who had theirs "cleaned" had it removed from the wall and dumped in a big vat at a metal working shop, I'm hoping for something a little less dramatic....

Geez, what a welcoming bunch.   

On a more reserved greeting, welcome to the neighborhood, which has (and in some cases, sadly to recessions and hardships, "HAD") a bunch of stores to offer that may make you forget the ones you knew in Manhattan.  And if not, that's why God made Metrocards.