Queens Apartment
Rental Info:

Rego Park is named for the Real Good Construction Company that developed this area in the mid-1900s. Back in 1665, it was part of the vast central Queens area that the English settlers called New Towne (or Newtown). For a long time, Rego Park was isolated- you could only reach the area by taking the Jamaica trolley from the Queensboro Bridge. That changed in 1928 when the Long Island Rail Road station opened, and the population swelled. Beginning in 1970 the area attracted many immigrants from the Soviet Union and Asia. Included in the mix are Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union, Iran and Israel, as well as enclaves of Indians, Colombians, Koreans and Romanians. Rego Park has more rental buildings than the other areas. After all, this area is home to LeFrak City, the huge apartment complex alongside the Long Island Expressway. It also has slightly lower rents than Forest Hills, and a few more immigrants, especially Russians, Israelis, and Iranians. Directions can be confusing here: you’ll find numbered avenues, drives, and roads. Be sure to know the whole address when you’re visiting! Shopping and restaurants can be found along Queens Blvd. from the Long Island Expressway to 67th Ave.

Middle Village is (surprise!) between Rego Park and Forest Hills. It was established as a village in 1816. After the Civil War, the population was mostly German, but the growth of Middle Village was limited because most of the land was cemeteries or swamp (Juniper Swamp, filled in 1915 to make Juniper Park). It wasn't till after the Second World War that housing finally caught on with Jewish, Italian and a number of immigrants from Yugoslavia and the Balkans settling into Middle Village. It's a solidly middle class neighborhood of one and two-family houses and some condos, making rentals few and far between.


Kew Gardens is named for Kew, the English village in which the Royal Botanical Gardens are situated, which shows what the original developers aspired to. For the most part, the aspiration is a success with lots of front and back yards. However, you'll find more rentals here than in any of the neighboring areas, meaning there's more singles here, too. And there's lots of shopping: Austin St, Metropolitan Ave, Lefferts Blvd and Queens Blvd are the places to go.