Or almost (depending on your time zone!)
Honestly, I may have made too big a deal out of this trivia I wanted to write about – but I’ve been slightly obsessed with Forest Hills Gardens in Queens since my friend took me walking around it the other day. I happened to be in the library the other day and read about Jacob Riis, who happens to be pretty much the-first-ever American journalist to use photography (and moreover FLASH photography) to document the wretched living conditions of the poor New York laborers (often immigrants). Before his photographs people could easily read about the negative conditions of overpopulation in lower Manhattan, but no one had ever seen it. His photographs, however, were extremely powerful and therefor influential in igniting reform in housing, improving sanitation, education, and the creation of public parks. They also played a part in the conception and creation of Garden Communities (at least in the United States) – which were initially created to be nice living areas for the low-income working class. Suburbs in the 1900′s did not exactly exist as we know them today. Garden communities were created to get people out of squalid, overpopulated areas and into communal, healthy, garden-centric environments.
Even more trivia? The world’s first radio commercial advertised homes for sale in Forest Hills.
Of course I have read a lot more about all this, but will spare you for now! :) I hope you are all ready for Wellness Wednesday! Hint: If you’re feeling stressed – Lavender can sooth your mood! :)
Oh, and take part in my sister’s quiz (located just below this on the page.) If you know the answer you’re a better scholar than I!
-Val!
5 responses so far ↓
1 Spexorama // Apr 9, 2008 at 12:42 am
Ah, the early 20th century. What a fine and interesting time to be in New York City! The first garden *apartment* community I believe was Jackson Heights, Qns. Populated with the well off (but not rich), the community boasted apartment buildings (not tenements) with lush gardens in the back for the residents. There were golf courses and tennis courts and of course, plenty of antisemitism (I have seen the photo of an advertisement for an apartment there circa 1930 that read “No dogs, no Jews”).
The area is now a historic and landmarked neighborhood with several –still fabulous–garden apartment buildings with still gorgeous gardens in the backs of the building (The Towers, The Chateau).
All things must change and Jackson Heights changed over the years evolving from semi-exclusive addresses for the well off to a good solid middle class neighborhood in which you can still see the vestiges of a era gone by!
2 Vanessa // Apr 9, 2008 at 8:48 am
Val! this is such an interesting entry! I loved learning about the neighborhood just blocks away from me. Strange how it is definitely unaffordable for the low-income working class now! :) Still a beautiful place for a stroll, though.
Spexorama, thank you for the other interesting trivia! I am really surprised at the Jackson Heights you describe and the one I’ve visited. Now I want to seek out these old buildings so I can see the contrast in how they look thrown against the modernity of the present buildings.
3 Val // Apr 9, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Ness,
First let me say the book I got this info from in the Midtown library is just great – really an interesting book to peruse. Ironically, even as the Forest Hills Gardens were being built for the middle class – once they were completed – the idea had somehow transformed into a fleeting notion and from the start it was inhabited by more well-to-do New Yorkers.
Another great thing about the book (which name I should’ve written down) – it begins discussing the area of Forest Hills as being one that includes three very different sorts of gardens. First, the actual 300 some-odd acre forest park built (or, well, semi-landscaped, semi-conserved) in the 1800s, then the not-exactly-at-all ‘forest’ suburb of Forest Hills Gardens of the early 1900s, and then finally – the forest of high rise apartments that started around the 1930′s and continues to this day. “Three very different ecosystems,” says the book.
ALSO (sheesh!) the book suggests Forest Hills Gardens and Kew Gardens collectively may house the most Tudor-style homes outside of England. Pretty nifty huh?
4 Spexorama // Apr 9, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Tour guide available!
Follow Your Happiness to Jackson Heights!
As for Tudor homes, along with that style revival in New York in the very late 1800′s in New York City also came Queen Anne-style homes. Both became very popular house designs and there are still many remaining QA examples all over Brooklyn. Also worth a look at!
5 Vanessa // Apr 9, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Maybe we can have a photo walk one afternoon. :)
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