Moving to Forest Hills: a practical guide
Housing and what it costs
Forest Hills is a Queens neighborhood, so the housing is largely co-ops, condos, and apartment buildings rather than the single-family stock of the suburbs — with some detached homes in the quieter sections. Prices sit below Manhattan and below much of the Five Towns while offering a genuine city neighborhood with subway access. Figures are approximate as of mid-2026 — use the apartment search above for live listings.
Picking a block
The observant community is concentrated within walking distance of its shuls, and proximity is the practical question since most residents do not drive to daven. Congregation Machane Chodosh on 108th Street is among the established anchors. Forest Hills also has a substantial Bukharian community with its own institutions alongside the Ashkenazic ones, so the character varies noticeably block to block. Confirm eruv coverage for a specific address with your rav.
Kosher and daily life
Forest Hills supports real kosher shopping and dining without leaving the neighborhood, and the wider Queens kosher infrastructure — including Kew Gardens Hills, a short drive away — fills in the rest. For a city neighborhood, day-to-day observant life is unusually convenient.
Schools
Families draw on the Queens day school network, with Kew Gardens Hills and the surrounding neighborhoods supplying much of it. Confirm current admissions and busing from your specific address directly with each school.
Commuting
This is the core of the Forest Hills case: express subway service puts Midtown Manhattan within roughly 20 minutes, and the Long Island Rail Road stops here as well. Few Orthodox communities anywhere combine that commute with a settled neighborhood and city amenities, which is why Forest Hills retains professionals who would otherwise move to the suburbs.