North Queensview Homes

I’ve lived in NQV with my wife since 2009. We like our neighbors and the community. There is a mix of young and old cooperators, and you’ll find the playground buzzing with kids and the park benches occupied by pensioners. The grounds and facility are extremely well maintained, and the coop financials are exceptionally strong. The coops mortgage was paid off recently so there is no debt. There is a 20% (of profit) flip tax which keeps prices low and the coop’s capital account well funded. There are a number of older cooperators on fixed incomes so the board makes a point of keeping maintenance and assessments (of which there have been surprisingly few) low. That’s great for the checkbook, but it does mean that coop amenities are at a minimum (e.g. no buzzer system, no gym and no roof access). There is a very active Facebook group for the coop and people share everything from community events to babysitter contacts. We are extremely happy here and look forward to raising our kids here.

A great place to live with kids (and probably without them as well).
Feels like we live in a small village. Most everyone is friendly. People know their neighbors and watch out for them. We exchange favors and share extra homemade desserts. The kids all mingle on the playground — and learn to share their toys and play with kids of all ages.
The apartments are the most affordable in Astoria. 3 bedroom 2 bathrooms can sell in the low 300s (unrenovated) and 2 bedrooms can be had for under 300K.
There are a lot of rules as it is a co-​op. The lack of a buzzer is the most annoying thing. But on the scale of possible annoyances… these are pretty mild.
Costco, Socrates (farmers market, free yoga and other classes in the warm months), Noguchi, Express bus are all nearby. N/​W is a 12 min walk and the F is 13 min if you don’t want to wait for a bus.