The hub: 44th to 50th Avenues, 23rd Street to the East River; Long Island City, Queens
The story: One of New York’s old manufacturing centers met a crowd of latte-drinking, Sunday-brunching pioneers a decade ago when this Queens burg first caught the attention of rabid developers. The area’s soul persists in old-timer restaurant Manducati and newer staples like Communitea and Lounge 47, both of which draw longtime locals and new residents alike.
The future: “The good news and the bad news is this: The neighborhood is changing,” says Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2. Indeed, LIC is the site of unabashed construction, like that of the Rockrose Development building on the waterfront and the W Development tower going up on 44th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard. “People who have lived here for three generations have seen a tsunami of development—all out of character with the neighborhood,” laments Conley. The benefit of this activity is the arrival of more amenities—a supermarket is on its way, and there’s talk of putting in a library—and hence more foot traffic in an area that was once deserted on evenings and weekends. “Long Island City is a special place,” Conley says. “But when development happens this rapidly, it’s hard to keep it that way.”

Jackson Heights

Photo: Michael Kirby

The hub: Astoria Boulevard to Roosevelt Avenue, 94th Street/Junction Boulevard to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway; Jackson Heights, Queens
The story: Get off the 7 train (at either 74th St–Broadway or 82nd St–Jackson Heights) and you’re in India. Or Mexico. Or Brazil. The ethnic identity changes by the block (the restaurants give it away), making Jackson Heights a diverse enclave without a hint of megachain.
The future: “We’re about to get our first Starbucks,” says Josh Weiss, vice president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, an all-volunteer organization striving to preserve the neighborhood. But in this case, the java-serving bellwether of massive development doesn’t point to any condo construction on the horizon: Roughly 36 blocks in the ’hood are designated a historic district, so it’s likely to remain largely unchanged in the coming decades. Weiss says the most pressing danger is that of “losing single-family houses in exchange for Fedders buildings—those crappy three-family residences you see in Queens. That has already happened and will continue to outside of the historic district.” However, the area has been spared massive development and the encroachment of most large chain stores, which Weiss chalks up to the fact that many national chains overlook the outer boroughs. But what about that Starbucks? “There’s an independent coffeeshop called Espresso 77 opening two blocks away,” says Weiss. “And a lot of people are rooting for it.”

The hub: Fourth Avenue to Prospect Park, Park Place to 12th Street; Park Slope, Brooklyn
The story: Sure, it’s known for its Bugaboo-pushing moms, but this “bedroom community for the publishing industry” (as one writer resident called it) is also the unofficial stoop-sale capital of the city and one of the most socially cozy ’hoods around. It bursts with amenities, including excellent restaurants and a nearly superfluous number of independent coffee houses, and holds such heartwarming community events as the children’s Halloween parade.
The future: “Park Slope has a historic district, but it doesn’t cover most of the neighborhood—a significant proportion is unprotected,” says Craig Hammerman, district manager of Community Board 6. Though much of the area is vulnerable to potentially garish development, Hammerman explains that there is major social pressure to keep new buildings in character with the leafy enclave (“No one wants to be a bad neighbor,” he says). Sadly, community members have had less control over the mallification taking place on Seventh Avenue, which has seen “substantial turnover from mom-and-pop stores to more national chains,” as Hammerman puts it. There are no regulations in place to prevent such change, though recent City Council meetings have discussed the possibility of instituting some. One final worry for Park Slope’s future comes in the form of the controversial Atlantic Yards development, which would abut the district. “There will be a ripple effect for all the surrounding brownstone neighborhoods,” says Hammerman, citing a huge increase in traffic as one of the many concerns. “The community is trying to brace for the impact of construction, but we need to know more about the what and the how before we do.”

Cobble Hill

Photo: Michael Kirby

The hub: Henry Street to Smith Street, Atlantic Avenue to DeGraw Street; Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
The story: Okay, we know. This place is almost uncomfortably cute. While its pristine, sun-dappled blocks might run counter to much of New York’s smut-loving image, the area has the kind of street life that would make most neighborhoods drool. The always-busy Smith Street welcomes residents with sidewalk cafés and bodegas galore, lines at the legendary Sahadi’s on Atlantic Avenue foster friendly conversation, and Cobble Hill Park seals the deal with flower markets in spring and wintertime Christmas-tree mulching.
The future: Cobble Hill is almost entirely protected by historic-district preservation (it’s the borough’s second-oldest landmark district, after Brooklyn Heights), and also has zoning in place to prevent developments any taller than 50 feet (a regulation that has recently been put to the test by Two Trees Management’s plan to put up a 60-foot structure—discussions about the acceptability of this breach are ongoing). “Cobble Hill is safe for now,” says Community Board 6’s Hammerman. “But we can never guess when another application will make its way onto our desks for review.”