Like most teenagers, I don’t usually find myself agreeing with my parents. But the sole judgment I never refute is their decision to live in Forest Hills. I constantly praise them for choosing to settle down in Forest Hills nearly two decades ago.
Forest Hills, situated in the middle of Queens, connects to Manhattan and Brooklyn by way of the E, F, M, and R trains, as well as regular bus lines. The Long Island Railroad also stops right on Austin Street.
Forest Hills is exceptionally known—even among the tourists and elite Manhattanites. But its fame is only grounded in Austin Street. While Austin Street maintains its reputation as an urban area of easy access to great food and shopping, Forest Hills has more to offer than just the one area.
On a map, Rego Park, Middle Village, and Kew Gardens girdle the south side of Forest Hills. Metropolitan Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard intersect and cut through each.
Metropolitan Avenue—the portion of which is curtailed within Forest Hills—play host to three noteworthy and incredible eateries: Eddie’s Sweet Shop, Silk Cakes, and Aigner Chocolates. These three, however, do not constitute the entire list of places to go along Metropolitan Avenue; they’re just a starting point, and coincidentally all happen to be dessert locales.
Eddie’s Sweet Shop is a traditional ice cream and dessert bar. They cannot be classified as a restaurant because they do not sell anything but dessert, which makes this place starkly different from a chocolate bar like Max Brenner’s in Union Square. Eddie’s has everything from ice creams to frozen yogurts to milkshakes. The inside holds polished wooden booths and tables, with a traditional bar spanning its length. If you really wanted to reenact a scene from the '50s, all you would have to do is pay a visit to Eddie’s, sit up at the bar, and ask for a malt milkshake. Unfortunately, Eddie’s does not abide by prices from the '50s so milkshakes cost more than a mere nickel now.
Silk Cakes is mostly known as a go-to for desserts for weddings, but I pop in occasionally just to get a few of their Banana-Nutella cupcakes. Silk Cakes has one other location on Ludlow in Manhattan, but it first began in Forest Hills. The owners, a mother and daughter, make the goods every morning, which include cupcakes, cakes, cake pops, and bread. This is not an eat-and-dine, but taking the desserts to-go is just as yummy.
Aigner Chocolates is a family-owned German gourmet chocolate establishment located only in Forest Hills. The Aigner family has been in the area since the 1950s. People who live in Forest Hills know that when the holidays come around, the chocolate gift baskets are best purchased from Aigner, and not the neighborhood retail store.
The edges of Forest Hills are also worth exploring. Lynne’s Riding Center and Forest Park are located almost between neighborhoods.
Lynne’s Riding Center is one of the most accessible equestrian spots in New York City. Most riding centers are difficult to reach without a car, but Lynne’s can be walked to or be reached by a short bus ride from Austin Street. They also accept volunteers seasonally who would like to learn and teach others how to ride.
Forest Park encompasses other neighborhoods more than Forest Hills; only a sliver of Forest Park is actually considered to be in Forest Hills. But regardless, this beautiful conservation of natural land acts as a small getaway for residents of the bustling neighborhood. Forest Park has runner trails and they vary in steepness so the workout never dulls. Forest Park hosts events and has a fitness station and a carousel on the other side. The twists and random forks may facilitate loss of direction, but there will always be something interesting ahead.
Forest Hills extends way past the parameters of Metropolitan Avenue and Austin Street. There are the posh Gardens that sprawl with Tudor-reminiscent homes. On the north side of Forest Hills down 108th Street are ethnic and diverse delicatessens, bakeries, and restaurants. Forest Hills, timeless and always entertaining, definitely encapsulates more than just the area of the well-known subway stop, 71st Avenue.
