Steven Benshabat
Responds Quickly
Exit Realty First Choice
(866) 823-6280
7 Total Sales
1 in Hillcrest
$925,000 Price
Hillcrest
Urban Core Neighborhood in Queens, New York
Queens County 11365, 11366, 11432, 11439
Hillcrest is like a tiny college town the middle of Queens. Like any college town, the neighborhood benefits in both practical and intangible ways from its proximity to an august institution of higher learning. According to licensed real estate agent Chatter Singh with Keller Williams Liberty, St. John’s College is “one of the most important parts of this community. It also makes the neighborhood a great investment for owning because you can rent to college students.” As the site of several yearly cultural events and home to formidable sports teams – the Red Storm men’s basketball team has made the NCAA Final Four twice – St. John’s University is a gift that keeps on giving for Hillcrest homeowners.
Pretty colonial revivals on small lots, original and renovated Cape Cods and new constructions line these wide streets. The sky is wide open here, making the horizon look more like nearby Long Island than New York City – even though the subway is just three avenues away. Prewar Colonials with siding painted in pastel colors, three bedrooms and walk out basements are selling for $800,000 and up. Renovated homes on corner lots with landscaped backyards sell for $1 million. A recently constructed neo-Italian Renaissance brick mansion with four bedrooms – two of them with balconies – is on the market for $2.3 million. Attached colonial row houses are less expensive with three-bedroom brick homes listing for closer to $700,000.
The Red Storm men’s basketball team is probably the most famous athletic team at St. John’s University, but the athletic department consistently performs well in nearly every sport in the competitive Big East conference and all games are open to the public. The Catholic college offers daily mass for residents and its campus bookstore and Yeh Art Gallery, which shows both amateur and professional exhibitions, are open to visitors. “Queens is a melting pot – we know this,” says Singh. The presence and popularity of the kosher supermarket down the street from St. John’s is a great illustration of this, as is Boon Dee Moo Ka Ta Thai BBQ, which has an all-you-can-eat hot pot bar that was singled out by Eater Magazine as one of the best in the vicinity. More intrepid foodies can walk south to Little Guyana for some of the best West Indian food in NYC along Hillside Avenue where the E/F subway train runs. But this being a college neighborhood, there are pizza restaurants and donut shops galore along Hillcrest’s main thoroughfare, Union Turnpike.
Utopia Playground offers play structures and shady benches under old growth London plane and cherry trees. But Cunningham Park is the most popular around here. This 350-acre wooded green space is just 10 blocks or a couple of bus stops west and is the site of innumerable sporting fields and courts plus a lovely meandering and oft-visited greenway. Schools are excellent in this part of Queens. Fresh Meadows Elementary is ranked in the top 10% of schools in New York City by the Department of Education and won the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award. The local middle school, JHS 216 George J Ryan, is ranked in the top 3% of city schools. The Small Learning Communities model at Hillcrest High School makes it feel like several small schools within one. Its Model UN and journalism electives are standouts.
With Midtown Manhattan under 40 minutes away during rush hour and the Long Beach, Long Island boardwalk just 20 miles south, residents of Hillcrest get the opportunities and amenities of New York City and the calm vibes and outdoor recreation of Long Island for a very competitive price.
Written By
Abbot Street
Photography Contributed By
Amanda Kirkpatrick
Video By
Andrew Sutton
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Agents Specializing in this Area
-
Steven Benshabat
-
Cindie Zhen Chen
Cindie Zhen Chen
E Realty International Corp
(917) 905-7659
33 Total Sales
2 in Hillcrest
$770K - $875K Price Range
-
Thomas Caramanno
Thomas Caramanno
Responds QuicklyCompass Greater NY LLC
(646) 846-4324
64 Total Sales
1 in Hillcrest
$950,000 Price
-
Michele Cheng
Michele Cheng
Keller Williams Realty Greater
(516) 550-4473
21 Total Sales
1 in Hillcrest
$815,000 Price
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King Hong Chin
King Hong Chin
Keller Williams Rlty Landmark
(844) 708-2647
37 Total Sales
2 in Hillcrest
$790K - $850K Price Range
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Yaron Cohen
Yaron Cohen
Responds QuicklyRivertown Rose, Inc.
(914) 826-8687
16 Total Sales
1 in Hillcrest
$675,000 Price
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 6th to 12th
- Public
- Pre-K to 8th
- Public
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Parks in this Area
Judge Moses Weinstein Playground
Joseph Austin Playground
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Playground
Fresh Meadows Playground
- Basketball
- Playground
Electric Playground
Utopia Playground
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Playground
Emerald Playground
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Hillcrest | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 2 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 2 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 2 | 4 |
| Robbery | 3 | 4 |
| Burglary | 1 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 2 | 4 |
| Larceny | 2 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 2 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Hillcrest Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Hillcrest, Queens sell after 65 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Hillcrest, Queens over the last 12 months is $980,000, up 10% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$1,050,000
Median Sale Price
$980,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,009,500
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$907,500
Median Change From 1st List Price
2%
Last 12 months Home Sales
72
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
10%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$715
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
439
Number of Homes for Sale
14
Median Year Built
1950
Months of Supply
2.30
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,878
On par with the national average
1,933
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
1,576
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
802
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
700
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
3,920
Open Houses
-
Sunday, Jun 1512 - 1:30pm
-
Saturday, Jun 1412 - 3pm
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
17,229
Median Age
36
Population Density
72 ppl/acre
Population under 18
23.9%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
19.5%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$86,202
Above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$112,300
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
87.9%
College Graduates
44.2%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
17.2%
On par with the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
61.4%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
43''
Average Winter Low Temperature
26°F
Average Summer High Temperature
83°F
Annual Snowfall
2''
Area Factors
Very Bikeable
Bike Score®
72
/ 100
Somewhat Walkable
Walk Score®
56
/ 100
Excellent Transit
Transit Score®
72
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Jamaica Hills
Peaceful, multi-ethnic enclave near St. John's University
Utopia
A small urban community bolstered by retail along Union Turnpike
Fresh Meadows
Primarily residential neighborhood near green spaces in Queens
Briarwood
Diverse suburbia in eastern Queens near JFK Airport and sprawling parks
Reviews
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