Bellerose

Bellerose in eastern Queens was the neighborhood profile in last Sunday's NY Times (free login required). It's described as an "ideal blend of suburb and city," a family-centered neighborhood that's an easy commute to Manhattan.

Here's the big, big attraction of living in eastern Queens over Nassau:

The houses have generous backyards, the streets are quiet and the public schools come with good reputations. But property taxes are a fraction of what they would be in similar communities just across the border in Nassau County.

The Times reports Cape Cod houses in Bellerose selling for $475,000 to $550,000 and Colonials for $460,000 to $500,000. One-bedroom co-ops sell for $140,000.

Though the subway doesn't run out that far, the Bellerose LIRR station is a quick commute and the express buses take about an hour.

The article notes the influx of immigrants, especially Indian and Latino, to Bellerose, which has revitalized the neighborhood's schools.

My favorite to-go restaurant out that way is the Fiza Diner, which admits to cooking "America's Best Grilled Kebabs." The $10 whole tandoori chicken is worth the drive. It's in Glen Oaks, close to Bellerose, part of the growing Indian and South Asian presence in eastern Queens.

• Fiza Diner: 259-07 Hillside Avenue, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, 718-347-3100