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Forest Hills features the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills Gardens, and Austin Street shopping. A stable, affluent neighborhood with excellent schools and transit.
Forest Hills features the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills Gardens, and Austin Street shopping. A stable, affluent neighborhood with excellent schools and transit.
Did you know?
The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills hosted the U.S. Open from 1915 to 1977 — the tournament only moved to Flushing Meadows when Forest Hills ran out of room.
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Housing cost
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromForest Hills
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
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Trade-offs
Stands out
- Schools92/100
Strong results at the public and charter schools serving it
- Transit80/100
Quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers
- Air & Child Health69/100
Cleaner air and better child-health measures
None of its Family Fit scores is below average; the lowest is Affordability 53/100.
Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods.
What these scores don't measure: how a block feels on foot, what's changing on it, and whether a particular school suits your child. Walk it at school drop-off time, and check the zoned school for the exact address before you sign a lease.
Your family’s read
How does Forest Hills fit your family?
An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilySchools & early education
Schools19 schools
Forest Hills runs a deep bench of public options anchored by Forest Hills High School and the two zoned junior highs — J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey and J.H.S. 190 Russell Sage — plus a handful of magnet and specialized programs like Queens Metropolitan High School and the Academy for Excellence through the Arts. Private and parochial choices add diversity too, with Catholic academies and a few Jewish day schools in the mix. Early learners aren't left out either, with several daycare and pre-K options scattered along the main corridors.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds7 places
Forest Hills keeps a solid bench of playgrounds scattered across the neighborhood — nothing like a sprawling flagship park, but enough to go around without too much competition. Russell Sage Playground and Willow Lake Playground are the ones you'll see most packed on weekends, while quieter spots like Annadale and Ehrenreich-Austin give families room to breathe. The tree canopy through Austin Street adds a nice green frame to the whole scene. Not a destination park neighborhood, but reliable for daily play.
2 playgrounds within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park · ~15 min walk (0.6 mi)
Transportation72 stops
Forest Hills delivers solid subway connectivity for a Queens neighborhood, with Forest Hills-71 Av serving as the anchor — the E, F, M, and R trains all converge there, making a Manhattan-bound commute straightforward regardless of which line catches your eye. Two additional stops, 67 Av and 75 Av, spread the subway footprint deeper into the neighborhood, while a deep bench of bus routes along Queens Boulevard and the surrounding grid keeps car-free errands manageable. Commuters headed to Midtown or downtown have it relatively easy, with multiple line options adding real flexibility to the rush-hour grind.
Restaurants100 places
Austin Street is the main dining artery here, with a deep bench of Italian spots — pizza places and little red-sauce joints stacking up alongside each other. Beyond the Italian, you've got solid variety: Greek taverna, Thai, Japanese, Chinese-Japanese, a Peruvian spot, and an Indian kitchen on the边缘. The European bakeries and pastry shops scattered around give it a more old-school Queens feel than you'd expect. A few chains (Chipotle, Chick Fil-A) have planted flags too, but the neighborhood still feels independently owned at its core. Grab-and-go is easy, sit-down options are plentiful, and there's genuinely something for every craving without leaving the block.
Groceries30 places
Forest Hills delivers a deep bench of grocery options along Queens Boulevard and Austin Street, with three Key Food locations anchoring the shopping scene and a Trader Joe's near the LIE. Stop & Shop covers the western edge toward Glendale, while the stretch also supports several organic markets, ethnic grocers, and a Friday greenmarket. The weekly shop is entirely walkable without a car.
Coffee Shops29 places
Forest Hills runs on caffeine with a deep bench of options along Queens Boulevard and Austin Street. Starbucks anchors the major intersections — there are five within striking distance — while Dunkin and Gregorys Coffee cover the more casual, quick-serve end. The independent spots tend to lean toward the hybrid cafe-tea model, with bubble tea and Asian-inspired coffee drinks popping up alongside traditional counter-service spots. It's a neighborhood that takes its morning ritual seriously without much pretense.
Things to Do52 places
Forest Hills delivers a strong mix for families keeping kids busy, with tutoring and academic enrichment leading the charge — there are roughly a dozen options scattered around the boulevard, from test prep to childcare-adjacent learning centers. The athletic offerings hold their own too: swimming, martial arts, and soccer programs stack up well, and dance studios cluster nicely along Queens Boulevard. Music and gymnastics options are thinner, though one dedicated spot covers each. Two movie theaters give you backup for rainy weekends.
Daycare & informal care9 places
Forest Hills offers a deep bench of early childhood options, with universal Pre-K sites outnumbering private daycares roughly 2:1. The cluster around Queens Boulevard and 69th Avenue gives families a few nodes to explore, though morning drop-off traffic on those thoroughfares can get dicey. The religious and cultural program options run broad here — from Jewish center preschools to Catholic academies — which means some families will find strong community fits while others may want to dig into waitlist timelines early.
Family Resources11 places
Forest Hills has a solid bench of public resources for families. The three branch libraries — FOREST HILLS on 71st Avenue, MCGOLDRICK near Northern Boulevard, and NORTH FOREST PARK on Metropolitan — are well-distributed across the neighborhood. Playgrounds pop up everywhere, from Russell Sage Playground to the newly opened Playground Sixty Two LXII, giving kids plenty of options. The Forest Hills Greenmarket runs seasonally on Queens Boulevard, a nice anchor for fresh produce runs.
Healthcare72 places
Forest Hills holds its own on the healthcare front — Long Island Jewish Forest Hills and Atria Forest Hills are the two main hospitals here, with a few smaller clinics scattered around. Pediatric care runs deep with nearly two dozen private practices and group offices concentrated around Queens Boulevard and Austin Street, plus PM Pediatrics for after-hours needs. Urgent care is well covered too, with CityMD, GoHealth, and several independent operators giving you same-day options without heading to the ER. One gap worth noting: dental options didn't make this dataset, so you'd be looking outside the neighborhood for most dentist needs.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Forest Hills
Schools in Forest Hills
19
- AIM HIGH CHILDRENS - RISE AND SHINE
- EZRA ACADEMY
- Forest Hills High School
- FOREST HILLS MONTESSORI SCHOOL
- J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey
- J.H.S. 190 Russell Sage
- KEW FOREST SCHOOL
- Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School
- OUR LADY QUEEN OF MARTYRS CATHOLIC
- P.S. 101 School in the Gardens
- P.S. 144 Col Jeromus Remsen
- P.S. 175 The Lynn Gross Discovery School
- P.S. 196 Grand Central Parkway
- P.S. 220 Edward Mandel
- P.S. Q233
- Queens Metropolitan High School
- The Academy for Excellence through the Arts
- THE CHEDER
- YESHIVA SHA'AREI ZION OHEL BRACHA
Early education in Forest Hills
37
- All My Children Day Care (69Th Avenue)
- ALL MY CHILDREN DAY CARE AND NURSERY SCHOOL
- B'ABOVE FOREST HILLS
- Baby Steps Daycare Center II
- BABY STEPS DAYCARE CENTER II LLC
- Beth Gavriel/Sha'Arei Zion Ohel Bracha
- BETH JACOB - FOREST PARK PRESCHOOL
- Bnos Malka Academy
- BRIGHT KIDS OF AMERICA LLC
- CENTRAL QUEENS CENTER
- Community Nursery School Coth
- Fairytale Daycare Inc
- FOREST HILLS JEWISH CENTER
- Forest Hills Jewish Center Nursery And Pre-K
- FOREST HILLS MONTESSORI SCHOOL
- Forest Park - Beth Jacob
- Ivy Day School
- KEW FOREST SCHOOL
- KLECC REGO PARK
- Kuei Luck Early Childhood Center
- Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy
- OUR LADY QUEEN OF MARTYRS CATHOLIC
- Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Academy
- P.S. 101 School in the Gardens
- P.S. 144 Col Jeromus Remsen
- P.S. 175 The Lynn Gross Discovery School
- P.S. 196 Grand Central Parkway
- P.S. 220 Edward Mandel
- P.S. Q233
- Samuel Field Ym & Ywha
- The Academy for Excellence through the Arts
- THE CHEDER
- The Church In The Gardens
- THE CHURCH IN THE GARDENS NURSERY SCHOOL
- THE JEWISH DAY CARE INC. DBA WONDERLAND DAY CARE
- YESHIVA SHA'AREI ZION OHEL BRACHA
- YESHIVA SHOLOM SHACHNA DBA THE CHEDER
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Forest Hills a good neighborhood for families?
- Forest Hills scores 71/100 for families on Motley — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. The Family Fit score blends six parts: how many families live there, schools, affordability, weekday-morning transit time to job centers, safety, and air quality and child health.
- What are the pros and cons of Forest Hills for families?
- For families, Forest Hills stands out for strong results at the public and charter schools serving it; quick weekday-morning transit to the city's main job centers; and cleaner air and better child-health measures. None of its Family Fit scores is below average; its lowest is Affordability (53/100). Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods. They don't measure how a block feels on foot or whether a particular school suits your child, so walk it before you decide.
- Is Forest Hills safe?
- Forest Hills scores 63/100 on safety — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods. We build the score from NYPD crime complaints, pedestrian and cyclist injuries, and serious (Class C) housing violations, each counted per 1,000 residents.
- How are the schools in Forest Hills?
- Forest Hills has 19 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 92/100 for schools — ahead of most NYC neighborhoods.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Forest Hills?
- Middle school: families in Forest Hills apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 28's 15 middle school programs admit by method: 9 unscreened, 3 charter lottery and 3 screened. High school: one citywide application in 8th grade lets a family rank programs anywhere in the city, and the eight specialized high schools admit on the SHSAT alone.
- Is Forest Hills affordable?
- Forest Hills scores 53/100 for affordability on Motley — mid-range on cost for the city.
- Which borough is Forest Hills in?
- Forest Hills is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City.
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