Kew Gardens Hills:

Location Is The Key
Tucked into Flushing's southwest corner, on the east side of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, is the compact community of Kew Gardens Hills. Known for its large Orthodox Jewish population, Kew Gardens Hills is bordered by the Grand Central Parkway to the south, Cedar Grove Cemetery on the north, the Van Wyck Expressway to the west and Parsons Boulevard in the East.
Kew Gardens Hills is in close proximity to both New York City by way of the Long Island Rail Road in nearby Flushing, and Long Island via the Long Island Expressway.
Along Main Street, which leads up into Flushing, Kew Gardens Hills offers a variety of restaurants, a movie theater, shopping areas and transportation, with Jewel Avenue and Main Street the most populated cross street.
The neighborhood is primarily composed of garden apartments, co-ops, both new and converted, and private homes, mostly single-family in the price range of $500,000 to more than $1 million. There are also some two-family homes as well, most of which are brick colonial structures.
Perhaps the greatest asset of Kew Gardens Hills is its access to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the largest park in the borough of Queens.
In addition to the heavy Orthodox Jewish population, is a large contingency of Israelis, whose presence is noted by the variety of their businesses along Main Street.
Schooling is another popular reason for moving into this ever-growing community. Nearby high schools John Bowne and Forest Hills are the schools of choice, while elementary schools P.S. 164, 165 and 219 are all strong choices. Parsons Junior High School and Robert F. Kennedy Comprehensive School are also solid.
Beyond that, why would someone want to move into Kew Gardens Hills?
&#8220I'd tell them we have a very low crime rate,” said Pat Dolan, president of the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association. &#8220Convenient to Long Island and both Manhattan and Brooklyn, it's centrally located and we have good schools, good public services.”
As the only functioning civic association in Kew Gardens Hills, they have been trying to improve the business area specifically along Main Street, over the past few years.
They've obtained support from Councilman James Gennaro to arrange daily clean-ups along Main Street. They've also secured a grant from Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn for an anti-graffiti project.
&#8220We feel we've made substantial steps in the direction of encouraging and helping the economic health in the community,” Dolan said.
They've succeeded to such an extent Central Savings Bank has agreed to open a new branch in the area in the near future.
The community is also home to such historic landmarks as Rabbi I. Usher Kirshblum Traffic Triangle, 73rd Avenue and Main Street, which honors a former rabbi of the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills. Kirshblum came to Kew Gardens Hills in 1946 and helped build the center's congregation and a new building. He died in 1983; the triangle was dedicated in 1986. There is also Queen of Peace Church, on 77th Road and Main Street, which opened in 1939.