Queens for A Day…or 1,068, Give or Take

Karlehmer
Wow, it only took ten years. Lovely Ridgewood, Queens, the neighborhood I unknowingly moved into in 1998 is now being hipsterfied? I figured it would eventually happen (and frankly, much sooner). I haven’t visited the heart of Ridgewood in ages (I just frequent the outskirts on my regular Western Beef treks) so I can’t verify that this demographic change is true. But I suspect the facts are a bit off, it sounds like they’re referring to Bushwick.

The Observer article (which interviews my old landlord–probably the easiest source to identify since her office is literally next to the Fresh Pond Road M station) reports that Ridgewood is on the L train. That’s not true. The Myrtle-Wyckoff L/M station is still Bushwick. You don’t get to Ridgewood until you reach the Seneca Ave. station on the M. I'm fairly certain that the L doesn't even run through the 11385 zip code, which sprung from a contentious split from Brooklyn in 1979.

Secondly, I never encountered any “drunks or crackheads,” just lots of scowly Poles, Archie Bunker types and a few ruddy faced old men coming out of The Everglades around the corner. The neighborhood was about as quaint and un-rough as a NYC neighborhood can be, that’s why I was initially attracted to it. As a Portlander, I couldn’t deal with grime and sketchiness. Oh, and speaking of Portland, Ridgewood is also overwhelmingly white (which isn’t to say that Caucasians can’t be drunks and crackheads) but not like Carroll Gardens white. I swear 90% of the residents were recently arrived Eastern Europeans, and too freaky and poor for Greenpoint at that.

It was no place for a non-native single 25-year-old, for sure. But the main reason I chose Ridgewood was because it was the only non-creepy neighborhood where I could afford not to share (I’ve never had a roommate in my life) and they’d rent to me with no job and no credit check. A one bedroom for $580 was a bargain a decade ago. And that’s why I got stuck there for three years, there were no comparably priced places to be had any closer in. Eventually, I discovered Sunset Park, which now seems to be on a little gentrification bender of its own.

So goes the cycle. Next stop…Bellerose?

Photo from Bridge and Tunnel Club

5 thoughts on “Queens for A Day…or 1,068, Give or Take”

  1. Actually, the L train does run along the Ridgewood border and a couple of the stations have entrances / exits in Ridgewood including the Wyckoff / Myrtle station. Since the Brooklyn line runs in the middle of Wyckoff Avenue in part of Queens under which the L train runs, you could say part of the L runs through Ridgewood Queens. It is true that Ridgewood is so quiet, family oriented, has a lot of seniors, and doesn’t have much nightlife that it is not a preferred neighborhood for young people but I think that is changing without destroying what is endearing about Ridgewood. In some neighborhoods young people need their parents to cosign for them to get in – you won’t find that in Ridgewood. It is only 20 minutes on the L to Manhattan. Also, Ridgewood has some very interesting architecture and places to shop with great interesting ethnic food. You can go into Karl Ehmers and hear customers order in German. You can go into Morsher’s Pork Store where they can speak five languages. It also has been more moderate in rent than other safe neighborhoods. Starbucks is looking for space to open in Ridgewood and the NY Sports Club is building a new club in Ridgewood. Oh, about the comment that Ridgewood is white is misleading. It is a diverse neighborhood and it is overall 40% Hispanic and about 9% Asian. I moved to Ridgewood when I was in my 20’s, fell in love with it and never left.

  2. Ridgewood Civic: ok, fine, the L brushes against the Ridgewood/Bushwick border. When I think Ridgewood, I imagine where I used to live on the Fresh Pond Rd. stop, but yes, as you go closer to Wyckoff it becomes more diverse. I liked that it was quiet, but it was a bit too sleepy for my taste when I was in my twenties.

    NewYorkDave:I’d actually be shocked if Ridgewood truly became hipsterfied. But who knows? Strange things happen–Middle Village could become the “it” neighborhood by 2015.

  5. delivered back not one but two pairs of the above definitely unnice high priced %anchor%!!these sole hurt at the original pair of shoes and then the thong slash our epidermis inside the moment pair of shoes..Handed they an affordable wring by working with several sets!! Could very well multiple sets in %anchor% and simply not found something.

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