Ridgewood

Located close to Brooklyn, Ridgewood is a small and lovely neighborhood that boasts a very convenient location and easy transportation. It is less than twenty minutes from Manhattan by subway and is extremely clean and well maintained. This tightly knit community has numerous civic organizations that are committed to maintaining the town's pleasant aesthetics. Evidence of this can be seen throughout Ridgewood on its clean, wide, tree-lined streets. A majority of the homes here are multi-family homes so there are lots of rentals available. With so many renters, Ridgewood does have a problem with parking; most parking spaces cost an extra $100-$200 a month. Ridgewood's population is a healthy mix of German, Romanian, Austrian, Polish, and Slovenian blue-collar and white-collar working families. The town is fairly safe and has lots of ethnic stores and restaurants. The town also has a small-town vibe, with plenty of small town activities for residents. Its convenient location also allows residents to enjoy the activities and amenities of numerous other towns. Another great thing about Ridgewood is its multitude of private and public schools, most of which are pretty well reviewed. The neighbors are friendly, and many of the town's residents live here their whole lives.

This area is currently home to a variety of immigrant communities, including those of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Arabia, and Southern Europe. (Fun fact: Harry Houdini is buried in a cemetery in this neighborhood – the Machpelah Cemetary – as he was a resident of the community.) The area is densely populated, but many of the row houses are pleasant to behold, and many feature actual white picket fences. The neighborhood has looked the same since the early 20th century, but has held up well in comparison to other New York neighborhoods which sometimes take on a worn down sort of look.

Ridgewood is a neighborhood located in Queens that is surrounded by Maspeth to the north, Bushwick to the west, Glendale to the south, and Middle Village to the east. Metropolitan Avenue is bounded to the north of Ridgewood. Transportation to Manhattan and strong neighborhood character and charm have made Ridgewood a huge draw for the artsy type and those priced out of Brooklyn.

The Fresh Pond Road M subway stop at 62nd St. sits down a dead-end residential street with wooden homes, different-color front doors and American flags. A friend told me that artists recently moved to Ridgewood for the low rents. One-bedrooms in the area go for about $1,150 per month. Brownstones, townhouses, and attached brick homes dominate sections of Ridgewood east of Fresh Pond Road. The brownstones make Ridgewood a very unique neighborhood in all of Queens.

For those seeking a congenial hangout, Casey Jones Saloon is an ideal local bar. Around the corner on 68th Ave., Casey Jones draws the old-school Ridgewood crowd, both men and women born in the neighborhood. The Polish influence stays strong in Ridgewood. Morscher's Pork Store sells almost every kind of pork known to man.