Glendale, Queens

Glendale is a lovely middle class community with a strong sense of unity. This is definitely more of a town for homeowners than it is a town for renters. Residents tend to stay for the long haul, and contribute to keeping the neighborhood clean by maintaining their homes and streets. The civilian patrol helps to keep the town's crime rate low and residents have a no-tolerance policy for graffiti. There is a homeless shelter that is run by volunteer residents. This is a highly family-oriented town. Most of the housing consists of single or multi-family private homes. The school district is pretty good, and there is a fair selection of private and parochial schools with competitive tuition rates. There are parks, playgrounds, and a great public library. There is public transportation, but most of the residents own cars. There are plenty of stores for shopping and lots of restaurants for dining out. In short, Glendale is not for everyone. It is not a place for singles or young people looking for a bustling night life. However, it is a great place for families with children and retirees.

Glendale is located in west central Queens (nearly at the epi-center of the borough). Glendale is surrounded by Ridgewood, Cypress Hills Cemetery, Forest Hills, and Middle Village. The area is characterized as a low-scale residential community in relation to the more developed neighborhoods that surrounding it.

Over the years, Glendale has evolved from a large farming community to textiles and breweries. There is a huge shopping center called “The Shops at Atlas Park” - which opened in May of 2006. The shopping center has absolutely every retail shop you can imagine and then some. Eateries are also abundant in this area.

Glendale is also known for its high concentration of German Restaurants, including Zum Stammtisch (the Family Table). Stammtisch Restaurant is found in most New York City restaurant guides and is highly regarded as a great place to eat.

There are many schools in the neighborhood which make this area popular with young families. Over six elementary schools, as well as intermediate schools make transporting kids a little less hectic.

This middleclass Queens neighborhood is host two one- and two-family homes, and has looked the way it does now for quite some time. The community is tight-knit, and boards and volunteer programs here work to keep the feeling of community safety alive. This is a clean place (no dirt streets, no graffiti) that features homes with well-kept yards, and it seems like a place where residents move in, but hardly ever want to leave. That means that if you’re looking to rent a home, this neighborhood is not a good bet. Buying a home for a family, however, may be a great option.