What to know about buying in Glendale, Queens, a diverse and affordable place with a pastoral feel
Built in 1925, this semi-attached, two-family house at 78-35 75th St. is asking $1,029.000.
The west-central Queens community of Glendale, where escape artist Harry Houdini and baseball legend Jackie Robinson are buried, is a middle-class melting pot with an almost pastoral vibe.
Glendale, which shares the 11385 zip code with neighboring Ridgewood, is diverse: Its wide variety of houses of worship include a mosque—the Albanian-American Islamic Center of Queens. Depending on which section of Glendale you choose, you may need or want a car.
In this week’s Buy Curious, David Kueber, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Kueber Realty, and Donna Demkowicz, owner/broker of Donna Demkowicz Real Estate, give us the inside story on Glendale.
The question:
I’ve heard that Glendale is a good environment for children. What can you tell me about it?
The reality:
“It’s known for being family-oriented” with good public and private schools to choose from, Kueber says.
Where is it?
Glendale, which is book-ended by cemeteries and Forest Park, borders Ridgewood on the west, Middle Village on the north, Forest Hills on the east, and Woodhaven on the south.
Why would NYers want to move to Glendale?
“The best thing about Glendale is that it’s quiet, and you can get a good piece of property with a backyard and parking,” Kueber says. “And it’s fairly affordable, more so than surrounding Queens communities such as Forest Hills, Bayside, and Middle Village. You can get a house on a tree-lined street, and it doesn’t have to break the bank.”
Rents also are competitive, Demkowicz adds.
Kueber says that a lot of young families move to Glendale and stay for at least 20 to 30 years, until they downsize.
“People are also coming here to escape the hustle and bustle of other close-by communities such as Flushing and Elmhurst,” he says.
Where in Glendale should you live?
The community has three sections that are defined by their housing types.
Upper Glendale, which refers to residences in the streets numbered in the 80s, has brick houses with backyards. Traditionally, it was the most expensive section, but Kueber notes that this is no longer true.
Middle Glendale, were street addresses are numbered in the 70s, contains mostly frame houses with parking and backyards.
Lower Glendale, those properties in the streets numbered in the 60s, has frame and brick houses. It’s the closest to the subway lines. “In the last 10 to 15 years, the homes here sometimes sell for more than those in the 80s because of the commute,” Kueber says.
What are housing and pricing like?
For the last decade, it’s been a seller’s market in Glendale—there are currently only 13 properties (mostly houses) on the market, according to StreetEasy.com.
“If a [listing] is priced right, it will get five to 10 offers, and in a lot of cases, it sells for over the asking price,” Kueber says.
Most of the houses are one and two families, with some three- and six-unit rental properties. There is only one co-op building and one condo complex in all of Glendale.
Single-family houses typically sell for $750,000 to $775,000; two families generally are $925,000 to $950,000 (there have been sales of over $1 million for fully renovated residences); three families, which are not rent controlled or rent stabilized, typically sell for $1.1 million to $1.2 million; and six families, which are rent stabilized, usually bring around $1.4 million.
At the 20-story Forest View Crescent, one-bedroom co-ops are $300,000, two bedrooms are $350,000 to $375,000, and three bedrooms generally command $425,000 to $450,000.
At The Glendale Condominiums, a low-rise development, two-bedroom units run $425,000 to $450,000, and three bedrooms are about $550,000.
Although there are no large apartment buildings, entire houses rent for about $3,000 to $3,500 per month. In six-unit properties, one bedrooms typically are $1,500, two bedrooms are $1,900, and three bedrooms bring $2,300.
Is there a lot of new development?
There is little if any new development other than single-family houses being gutted and renovated or being converted to multi-family dwellings.
“Most of Glendale was built in the 1920s and 1930s,” Kueber says. “The only other wave of building was in the 1950s.”
What’s the transportation situation?
The main subway lines used by Glendale residents, the M and the L, are closest to Lower Glendale and are technically in Ridgewood.
There are several bus lines: B13, Q11, Q21, Q29, Q39, Q47, Q52 SBS, Q53 SBS, Q54, and Q55.
With the express buses—the QM24/QM34 and QM25—you can get to Midtown Manhattan in an hour or less.
What is there to do?
The community offers access to several notable cemeteries, including All Faiths, St. John, Machpelah, where Houdini is resting in peace, and Cypress Hills (which straddles Brooklyn), where Robinson reposes, that do double duty as green spaces.
“People travel to Glendale to see and tour them,” Kueber says.
Forest Park, which is over 500 acres and shares a border with Forest Hills, is the community’s main green space. The 10th largest park in New York City and the third largest in Queens, it has playgrounds, a skate park, basketball and tennis courts, a pond, barbeque areas, dog runs, baseball fields, a carousel, and an 18-hole golf course.
“The park just opened a new walking trail,” Demkowicz says.
The Shops at Atlas Park, a mall with chains such as Foot Locker and Forever 21, also offers a movie theater and a variety of outdoor activities, including ice skating during the winter.
“There are movie nights on the green that feature family-friendly films,” Kueber says. “People bring chairs and blankets and food and have picnics.”
Its arcade, Demkowicz adds, features laser tag and video games.
What’s the restaurant/nightlife situation?
The area was a German farming community in the 19th century, and other waves of immigration came later. Most of the dining options, which include German, Chinese, and Italian, are on Myrtle Avenue.
Zum Stammtisch, a German Beer hall where the servers dress in Alpine costumes, “has been here forever and is so famous that it’s in a lot of travel books and brochures,” Kueber says.
Glendale Diner, which channels the 1950s, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and The Avenue Restaurant Bar & Grill offers pub fare.
Another favorite is Yer Man’s Irish Pub, where scenes from the TV show “The King of Queens” were filmed and where locals gather for darts, karaoke, and trivia contests.
“It’s been there a long time,” Demkowicz says, and “it’s famous for its live bands.”
Pizza Classica, which is across from the Forest View Crescent co-op building, serves brick-oven pizza and Italian classics.
The Shops at Atlas Park has several restaurants and coffee shops, including Chili’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Subway, and Starbucks.
Finback, a brewery, hosts a variety of events, including a whale-watching beer festival.
How about grocery stores?
In addition to two Stop & Shops, Glendale residents can shop at a Trader Joe’s on Metropolitan Avenue, in nearby Rego Park.
“There's also a wide selection of corner groceries, fruit markets, and butcher shops,” Kueber says.
Check out these listings in Glendale.
88-46 79th Ave.
Listed on June 13th for $799,999, this two-story, four-level house, which was built in 1930, has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and one half-bathroom. Other features include hardwood floors, a finished basement, garage, backyard, and laundry room.
62-48 80 Rd.
Built in 1925, this two-story house has three bedrooms, one bathroom, an eat-in kitchen, living room, formal dining room, finished basement, front paved patio, private driveway, and two-car garage. Originally listed for $888,888, the price has been reduced to $888,000.
88-32 Doran Ave.
This single-family cape, which is 2,833 square feet, is listed for $1.059 million. In addition to three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and one half bathroom, there is a kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and a Bosch dishwasher, hardwood floors, a partially finished basement, private drive, and garage. The house was built in 1950.
78-35 75th St.
This semi-detached two-family house, listed for $1.029 million, has five bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one half bathroom. The 1925 house, which has been updated, has hardwood floors, an eat-in-kitchen and a formal dining room in each unit. The front garden has a sprinkler system, and there is a shared driveway.
90-60 Union Turnpike, No. 15B
This 700-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit in the Forest View Crescent building is listed for $329,000. Recently renovated, it has a private screened-in patio overlooking Forest Park and a parking space. The 20-story building, erected in 1965, has 278 units. The lobby and laundry room were recently updated. Other features include a dog run, outdoor children’s play area, community room, and outdoor fitness area.
Nancy A. Ruhling is a freelance writer based in New York City.
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