Real Estate Report for Bayside, Queens, NY |
Buying and Renting Homes in BaysideThe northeastern Queens neighborhood of Bayside is a commuter suburb with big city feet. When walking down Bell Boulevard, Bayside’s crowded main thoroughfare, it’s hard to believe that just one block away are quiet suburban lawns and one-family homes. The neighborhood is sought after for its beautiful scenery, easy commute to Manhattan (the train takes less than a half hour from the Bayside LIRR stop to Penn Station), proximity to eastern Long Island, and abundance of shops and restaurants.Bayside's popularity is evident in its real estate market: there is a low vacancy rate and the prices are high. Many are opting to buy condos or co-ops, which are more affordable but still quite expensive. Most of the housing consists of one- and two-family homes that sit on wide, green streets. Everybody has a lawn, or at least is walking distance to a park. There are also apartment buildings, mainly in the Bay Terrace area. Renting Fran Berger, owner of Fran Berger Real Estate, says that rentals are a rarity, and they are usually in two-family homes. Mary Jane Feimer, the sales director at FirstChoice Real Estate, says the rental market in Bayside is "not hot" because renters are holding onto their places longer these days. She says the rental prices go for around $900 to $1,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,300 to $1,400 for two-bedroom apartments, depending on their conditions and locations. According to Berger, rentals go as high as $1,800 for a one bedroom and there are also some expensive rentals available in luxury building co-ops. The prices are the same for Auburndale, Bayside's neighbor, which also has an LIRR stop. Buying Feimer hopes that more young professionals "realize that they don't have to go to Westchester or New Jersey or Eastern Long Island to buy a home in a nice neighborhood," because Queens, especially Bayside, is a great spot. In July 2003 she cited home prices as running about
The property tax in Queens is low compared with Nassau County, even after the recent 18.5% hike that cost the average single-family-home owner more than $300 extra a year. In a Nassau neighborhood like Manhasset the property tax is more than double that in Queens. FirstChoice Real Estate 61-43 186 St. Fresh Meadows, NY (718) 886-2816 Serves: All Queens neighborhoods Fran Berger Real Estate 213-15 35 Ave. Bayside, NY (718) 428-9400 Serves: Bayside, Auburndale, Douglaston, Whitestone |
Neighborhood Profile of BaysideLocationBayside is bordered to the north and the east by the Little Neck Bay (but is separated from the bay by the Cross Island Parkway). Across the Bay to the east is upscale Douglas Manor, with its waterfront homes. The neighborhood of Douglaston is to the east, Auburndale to the west, and Oakland Gardens to the south. The Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges (to the Bronx) are very close. Nearby highways include the Grand Central Parkway, LIE, Clearview Expressway, Cross Island Parkway, and Whitestone Expressway. Logistics The Bayside LIRR station whisks commuters to Midtown Manhattan in less than a half hour. In the same amount of time (or less) you can drive from Bayside to the shopping areas in Nassau county, to the beaches in Nassau and Queens, and to the bridges that take you to the other boroughs and beyond. Parks East of Bell Boulevard the neighborhood slopes to Little Neck Bay (off the Long Island Sound). Although the homes are separated from the bay by the Cross Island Parkway, there is footbridge access to a park and running path along the water. Fort Totten, built during the Civil War to protect New York Harbor from a Confederate attack, sits on the Long Island Sound, at the northern tip of Bayside. Bayside also has hundreds of acres of parks with ball fields, golf courses, picnic areas, and hiking paths:
Berger points out that Bayside is also a great find because it is a safe area and is in the best community school district in New York City, District 26 (grades K-9), the highest performing school district in New York City. According the district’s website, its 20 elementary schools and 5 middle/junior high schools serve a total of 17,063 students, of which about 9% are English Language Learners (ELL). Bayside’s Benjamin N. Cardozo High School is the top neighborhood high school in New York City. Also in Bayside is CUNY school Queensborough Community College. Shopping/Dining/Nightlife The shops and restaurants are mainly concentrated on the main thoroughfares of Bell Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard. In northern Bayside on Bell Boulevard is the Bay Terrace Shopping Center with a great Waldbaums and popular stores like Gap and Barnes and Noble. There are many bars on and near Bell Boulevard that draw crowds from neighboring towns. LIRR Bayside Station (Port Washington line) Bell Blvd at 41 St. Schedule Fares: Peak, $6.75 Off Peak, $4.75 Senior Citizen/Disabled, $3.25 Weekly, $46 Monthly, $146 |
Other Bayside TidbitsFamous ResidentsIn the heyday of nearby Astoria Studios (1920s and 1930s), Bayside lured such stars as W. C. Fields (Sally of the Sawdust was filmed in Bayside), Buster Keaton, John Barrymore, Irving Berlin, Norma Talmadge, and Rudolph Valentino. "Gentleman" Jim Corbett, the world heavyweight champ from 1892 to 1897, retired in Bayside. Later, Paul Newman and all-star pitcher Tom Seaver called Bayside home. Historical Bits Originally inhabited by the Matinecock Indians, Bayside was settled by the English in the late 17th century, soon after Flushing was established. Its name comes from its location on Little Neck Bay. Francis Lewis Boulevard is named after a signer of the Declaration of Independence who lived in Bayside. Main Commercial Streets The main thoroughfares in Bayside are Bell Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard, and Northern Boulevard. Skeeter Alert Bayside has a high mosquito population in summer. Once a summer residents have to turn off their AC’s while the neighborhood gets sprayed with insecticides. |
| ~ John Roleke |