Oakland Gardens

Many people confuse this area with Bayside, its neighbor to the north. Oakland Gardens is a wonderfully clean and quiet area with a small collection of stores, restaurants, and excellent schools. In particular, many of the area's families choose to live here because it is home to highly competitive Cardozo High School. Many of the homeowners in the area rent rooms or apartments to students studying at Queensborough Community College. Cunningham Park is the area's main recreational spot; many of the residents have picnics or barbecues here during the summer. However, it's hard to get a nice spot, so always go early! There is little in the way of shopping, but the shops in Fresh Meadows or Bay Terrace are within a short driving distance away. There are plenty of bus stops, it is hard to get to most places unless you drive. However, the neighborhood offers easy access to the Long Island Expressway. Despite the fact that it is such a small and quiet town, parking is pretty hard to come by - particularly near the co-op villages. I'm told that on certain streets, you can hear the noise from the highway, but I've never heard it myself. The area's residents tend to be families with children or retirees, and most are very friendly.

Oakland Gardens is a northeastern Queens neighborhood that is surrounded by Bayside to the north, Alley Park to the east, Queens Village to the south, and Cunningham Park to the west.

One of the best public high schools in New York City is located in Oakland Gardens, the Benjamin N. Cardoza High School. The high school poses quite a draw for many families wanting their children to study at one of the state’s elite high schools.

There are many eateries in Oakland Gardens, but most are chain style restaurants. There are few really good traditional or native places to eat. If you want your share of fast-food burger joints, then you will probably like this area.

Nearby Cunningham Park provides residents with any kind of outdoor entertainments. The wooded areas are a great place to walk (in a group). There are also fields to play cricket, baseball, and tennis, trails to walk the dog, and scenic routes to jog or bicycle.