Bayside - Queens Neighborhood Profile

Bayside, in northeastern Queens, is a suburban neighborhood with city amenities and city taxes (often $6,000 a year less than neighboring Nassau County). Walk down Bell Boulevard, Bayside's crowded main thoroughfare, and it's hard to believe that just one block away are wide, green streets and one-family homes.

Bayside is a true Queens find, with its superior public schools, quick commute to Manhattan (30 minutes by LIRR), proximity to the Throgs Neck Bridge and highways, and many shops and restaurants. More and more Chinese, Greek, and Korean families are finding a home here, joining a thriving Italian community.

Bayside Boundaries:
Bayside is bordered to the north and the east by the Long Island Sound and 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 large waterfront homes. The eastern land border is the Cross Island Parkway and Douglaston; the western is Francis Lewis Boulevard/Utopia Parkway and Auburndale; the southern is Union Turnpike and Queens Village.

• Bayside Map (Google Maps)
• Photos of Bayside

Bayside Real Estate - March 2007:
In early 2007, prices are down about 10 percent, but there's still lots of interest in the local real estate market. Housing is mostly one- and two-family homes, but there are also many co-ops, condos, and apartments.

• Apartments, 1-br, $1,000-$1,400; 2-br, $1,400-$3,000; 3-br, $1,500+; house, $2,000+

• Co-ops, $150k-$500k (1-bed, $180k-$200k)

• Condos, $250k-$700k (1-bed $260k)

• 1-Family Houses (semi- and non-attached), $500k+ (some new-construction colonials or McMansions - $2-3 million)

• 1-Family Houses (attached), $400k+

• 2-Family Houses, $750k+

Sources: Carollo Real Estate, Pilling Real Estate, PropertyShark

Bayside's Neighborhoods:
Bayside is a very large neighborhood that includes the communities of Bayside Gables (privately owned gated community), Bayside Hills (development-style housing), Bay Terrace (larger apartment buildings), Bellcourt (mixed architecture in area from Bell to Clearview, 35th to 39th Aves; near LIRR), Lawrence Manor (40th Ave to 221 St, east of Bell), Oakland Gardens (home to Queensborough Community College), Tall Oaks, and Weeks Woodlands (26th to 35th Aves, east of Bell).

Bayside Transportation:
Bayside is a 30-minute commute to Penn Station by LIRR (Port Washington line, Bell Blvd at 41st St). There is no subway (but some commuters take the bus to the #7 at Flushing Main Street). Two express buses run to Midtown Manhattan in about 50 minutes: the QM2 (Bell Blvd and 23rd Ave) and the QM2A (Corporal Kennedy Blvd and 23rd Ave).

For car-loving Baysiders, there's ready access to the Whitestone/VanWyck Expy, Grand Central, LIE, Clearview Expy, and Cross Island Pkwy. It's very convenient to the Throgs Neck Bridge, only a few more minutes to the Whitestone Bridge. JFK and LaGuardia are less than 15 miles away.

Bayside Restaurants, Delis, Bakeries & Bars:
Bayside Milk Farm (35-15 Bell Blvd) is an Italian market with a great deli. The retro-'50s Jackson Hole Diner (35-01 Bell Blvd) is a treat for all ages. Upscale Erawan (42-31 Bell Blvd) has delicious Thai food, and its parking lot is key for Bell. For pizza, it's Graziella's (33-25 Francis Lewis Blvd), and for meat-lovers, Uncle Jack's Steak House (39-40 Bell Blvd). On your way to the train, be sure to get your pastry and coffee at Marretta Bakery (41-06 Bell Blvd).

For drinks, there's the are-we-in-Manhaddan? Bar NoNo (42-32 Bell Blvd), with its back patio, and Irish bars like Monahan & Fitzgerald (214-17 41st Ave).

Bayside History and Landmarks:
Originally inhabited by the Matinecock Indians, Bayside was settled by the English in the late 17th century, soon after Flushing was established. William Lawrence, the owner of a fleet of clipper ships used for the China trade, established the first settlement, naming it Bayside for its location on Little Neck Bay.

Fort Totten, built during the Civil War to protect New York Harbor, is now a public park. The Bayside Historical Society has its exhibits on its grounds.

Bayside Main Streets and Shopping:
Bell Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, and Francis Lewis Boulevard are the big commercial streets. For shopping, Bell Boulevard is your best bet, offering everything from mom-and-pop shops, like Hazel's Shoes, to the major chains at Bay Terrace mall. Local real estate agent Betsy Pilling of Pilling Real Estate refers to the shopping district along Bell as a "small village," since many shops have been run by the same families for decades.

Bayside Green and Blue Spaces:
Bayside has hundreds of acres of parks, with ball fields, golf courses, picnic areas, and hiking paths:

• Little Neck Bay running path and park (footbridge access near 28th Ave brings you to the Bayside marina)
• Fort Totten (Cross Island Pkwy to Totten Rd to 15th Rd)
• Alley Pond Park (Little Neck Bay to Springfield Blvd, Union Tpke)
• Alley Pond Environmental Center (Northern Blvd just east of the Cross Island Pkwy)
• John Golden and Crocheron Parks (32nd to 35th Aves, Little Neck Bay)
• Cunningham Park (Horace Harding Expwy to Grand Central Pkwy, around Francis Lewis Blvd)

Neighborhood Basics:

• Crime and Safety - Bayside is a safe suburban neighborhood. It is part of NYC's 111th Police Precinct (also includes Auburndale, Douglaston, Fresh Meadows, Hollis Hills, Little Neck), 45-06 215th St, Bayside, NY 11361, 718-279-5200. (See detailed crime statistics.)

• See Bayside for Yourself - Photos of Bayside, Queens

• Bayside Problems - Traffic congestion, illegal apartment conversions, debate of McMansions vs preserving neighborhood character

• Famous Past Residents - Perry Farrell, Rosie O'Donnell, Rudolph Valentino, W.C. Fields, Jose Reyes, Buster Keaton, Paul Newman, Lidia and Joe Bastianich

• Screen Time - Denis Leary's hit series Rescue Me sometimes shoots on location in Bayside's Bellcourt area. The main characters from the show Entourage are from Bayside (Turtle wears a Bayside High jacket in the pilot episode).

• Schools - District 26, one of the best in NYC. Cardozo and Bayside High are overcrowded but highly regarded. (See full schools list.)

• Queensborough College - 222-05 56th Ave, 718-631-6262

• Bayside Library , 214-20 Northern Blvd, 718-229-1834; Bay Terrace branch, 18-36 Bell Blvd, 718-423-7004

• Parking - It's tough to find parking on and near Bell, especially around the LIRR station

• Post Office - 212-35 42nd Ave (south side of LIRR station)

• Hospitals - The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, 182-19 Horace Harding Expy, 718-670-1777; St. Mary's Hospital for Children, 29-01 216 St, 718-281-8890

• Movies - Bay Terrace mall

• Government - Community Board 11; NYC Council District 19; NY Assembly District 26; US Congressional District 5

• Local History - Bayside Historical Society; three Bayside neighborhoods are being considered for landmark status

• Business Organizations - Bayside Business Association

• Banking - Find major banks, like Washington Mutual and Chase, along Bell Boulevard

• Health Club - Bell Plaza Sports Club is open 24 hours

• Bayside Zip Codes - 11360, 11361, 11362, 11364