Taken from the Queens Chronicle Ridgewood — The Next Hipster Hot Spot by Austin Considine, Assistant Editor

Brooklyn Border Town Not too long ago, Williamsburg, in northwest Brooklyn, was a tough place to live. A broad, low-lying swatch of industrial cityscape that clung to the shores of the East River, dominated by rising smokestacks and dingy brooding warehouses, factories, and tenement housing, the neighborhood was among the most crime ridden in the city, riven to pieces by drugs, crime and gang rivalries. Its neighbor to the east, Bushwick, was even worse. Once an integral part the city’s industrial heart, in the 1970s it became a proverbial example of what happens when industry leaves a city: urban blight took hold, accompanied by a deep and growing social and cultural malaise. The breaking point came during the New York City blackout of 1977 — when much of Bushwick was burned to the ground during race riots that would devastate the neighborhood in ways still visible today. According to information provided by the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, widespread looting and fire destroyed numerous businesses and residences, particularly along Broadway, which saw a 43 percent vacancy rate following the riots. Although most of Ridgewood lies in Queens (a smaller part of it is in Brooklyn) the neighborhood — along with its Queens neighbor, Glendale — historically held a Brooklyn zip code, and was served by the Brooklyn postal service. After the riots, however, residents of Ridgewood and Glendale — traditionally quiet, residential communities — sought to distance themselves from their riotous neighbors. In 1979, both neighborhoods received Queens zip codes, further severing their Brooklyn ties. For anyone who’s been around long enough to remember the riots, and the catastrophic crime rates that plagued Bushwick (and Williamsburg) in the decades following, there’s a special irony to the fact that these Brooklyn neighborhoods have become hipster hotbeds, driving property values sky high, while bringing down crime rates and letting in a flood of new cultural amenities, from art galleries to bars to theaters, and some of the hottest restaurants in the city. Suddenly, being next door to Brooklyn doesn’t seem like such a bad thing after all. In fact, Ridgewood’s proximity to Bushwick and Williamsburg is what has made Ridgewood so hot — with it’s big industrial spaces near the Bushwick border, and its lovely, affordable brick homes further in. For young professionals and struggling artists looking for quick access to Manhattan, it’s the new place to go without going broke. A Family Feeling Piotr Czekan, a 31-year-old immigrant from Poland, came to America as a high school student in the mid-1990s, and, like many Polish immigrants, settled in Williamsburg, where the rent was cheap and the Polish community was strong. That was fine when he was younger and living at home. But once he got married to his wife, Jola, his high school sweetheart, it became clear that Ridgewood was a better place to raise a family. “This community is so tied together,” he said. “I love that it’s like a family feeling. Everybody says ‘hello, how are you.’” Czekan described the neighborhood as “peaceful and quiet,” but also safer than Williamsburg. “Right now I have kids, and I’m not afraid to let my kids play in the street,” he said. Of course, the cheaper prices were also a huge motivation, which he noticed had been drawing more and more young people to the area. “There were more older people before, but there’s a lot of younger people now.” A lot of them were Polish and Eastern European, he said, but he had also noticed a recent jump in what he called “Williamsburg type” people. “The way they dress, you know they’re not Polish,” he laughed. “They remind me of people when I go to Williamsburg, to the Bedford area. I think that properties in Ridgewood are becoming more affordable and more appealing to younger people because it’s cheaper. It’s not that far from the city ... but the area is more quiet, it’s more relaxed.” Though he doesn’t go out the way he used to when he was younger, he did wish there were more hip bars or clubs in the area, and has noticed that a few new ones had cropped up. Just recently he heard an advertisement for M2 Lounge (52-35 Metropolitan Ave.) on the Z100 radio station, and was meaning to go. “Hearing it on Z100, saying it’s the same setup as in the city tipped me off. I said, ‘I gotta go check this out.’” A History Of Migration “The story of Ridgewood has always been a migration from Manhattan and Brooklyn into Queens,” said Paul Kerzner, a property owner, civic leader, and owner of Kerzner Realty Inc. Kerzner wears a lot of hats in the area. As a lifelong resident, a realtor, civic leader and public affairs manager for Con Ed’s Renaissance Housing Program, he is also something of an historian when it comes to anything and everything Ridgewood. As he described it, the migration Ridgewood is experiencing today is nothing new. An early wave came in the 19th century, when German beer barons set up numerous breweries and sunk their profits in the neighborhood, which at the time was largely farmland. Notably, Gustav Mathews, a 19th century developer, constructed eight hundred three-story six-family houses, known as the “Mathews Flats”: beautiful brick houses that form a major part of the historical heart of the community. So-called “Stier Houses” (named for builder Paul Stier), make up the other major component of Ridgewood’s historical housing areas (between 67th and 70th avenues). Built just after the turn of the century, the bay-windowed, three-story townhouses are reminiscent of the brick and brownstone townhouses found in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Park Slope or Fort Greene. Kerzner said that, at the moment, homebuyers could still get a home in a two-family historic brick townhouse for around $650,000. He cited another location where an old six-family building at 1865 Linden St., was being converted into three 1,200-square-foot condos, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a washer, dryer, fireplace, mahogany cabinets and new stainless steel appliances: the sale price will be in the low $500,000’s. Rental prices are just as appealing. Although they are slowly rising, they still come out to about a dollar per square foot — an absolute steal compared to neighborhoods like Williamsburg, where rents can be more than double that. Kerzner cited a three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot corner apartment in an historic building on tree-lined 69th Avenue as an example. The rent? An astounding $1,400 a month. Kerzner called the property changes a “normal progression, and the influx of new residents a positive thing for the community. “It was fine for Williamsburg, fine for Greenpoint, and it’s fine for Ridgewood,” he said. Great Private Schools Ridgewood is still very much a traditional community, and the strength of its school system lies primarily in its wealth of private, Catholic schools. St. Matthias, St. Aloysius, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and St. Brigid are all located in Ridgewood, each of them elementary schools, making the area very attractive for young parents with small children. Czekan, whose 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old son both attend St. Matthias, said he was “very, very happy” with the school. “They’re helping me with the bills and everything” he added. “That church is just great for everybody.” In terms of public schooling, the area is served by five elementary schools, with another on Seneca Avenue -— to seat more than 400 pre-K through second-graders — on its way. As small as the neighborhood is, Ridgewood is also served by two Intermediate schools: the massive I.S. 93 on Forest Avenue and Madison Street, and J.H.S. 77, further up on Forest Avenue, just north of Butler Avenue. Only one high school exists in the neighborhood: Grover Cleveland High School. Like most Queens public high schools, it has experienced some serious overcrowding issues. However, a new, 1,650 seat high school may be in the works for neighboring Maspeth. Classic Meets Contemporary While the young and the hip are slowly making migratory forays into the area, Ridgewood is yet to be overwhelmed by trendy cafes and upscale eateries. And though some younger residents expressed a desire for more Williamsburg-style hangouts, part of Ridgewood’s charm is its abiding low-key, family-style ambience. With the recent influx of Polish immigrants, one of the neighborhood’s burgeoning culinary strong points is its Polish cuisine, which runs the gamut from high end to low. On the nicer end (still cheap by most standards), try Kredens (66-36 Fresh Pond Rd.) for borscht, potato pancakes, and wine-marinated veal with baked apples. Stay on Fresh Pond Road for great Italian food, too. Antica Trattoria, at 68-10 Fresh Pond Rd. (one of Czekan’s favorites) is a preferred spot for locals, as is Joe’s, just a few blocks away at 66-11 Forest Avenue (one of Kerzner’s favorites). Closer to the Brooklyn border, the flavor veers toward Latino cuisine at places like Enchilada, a brand new Mexican joint at 59-24 Myrtle Ave. Back in the historic heart of Ridgewood, Ridgewood Eats, located at 903 Seneca Ave., is already a neighborhood favorite after three years in business. Open for breakfast lunch and dinner, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., it serves up very affordable, diner-style grub with a more upscale feel. For breakfast, the staples can’t be beat, whether it’s the Belgian Waffles ($5.50 with two eggs) or the buttermilk pancakes ($4.95 with two eggs). But the place also serves up specialty omelettes, like the wild portobello mushroom omelette ($6.95) or the Ridgewood omelette, topped with broccoli, chicken breast, onion, cream cheese, Hollandaise sauce and green scallions ($7.25). For lunch and dinner, items are equally delicious and affordable, from the avocado burger ($5.50, served with creamy bleu cheese) or a heaping plate of spaghetti putanesca, with anchovies, garlic, pepperoncini, capers, olives and marinara ($8,75). John, the owner (who asked that his last name not be published), grew up outside the neighborhood, but chose Ridgewood because it was a great location. “This whole area’s up and coming,” he said. “You can see how everybody from Williamsburg is moving this way now. Rents are cheaper here than anywhere else.” But like so many other aspects of the neighborhood, part of the Ridgewood appeal is its traditional mainstays. Right next door to Ridgewood Eats is Rudy’s Pastry Shop, the perfect place to stop by for an after-dinner desert, or in the morning, for a fresh-baked pastry. With all the delicious smells wafting out the front door, it’s pretty tough to walk by in the early morning without stopping in for a fresh danish. Owner, Toni Binanti, opened the place with her uncle in 1982. These days, business is better than ever. “A lot of my new customers, they’re all coming from Williamsburg,” she said. “My recipes here are so old-fashioned, that I get impressed how the new generation enjoys it. That makes me feel good.” Like other businesses in the neighborhood, she had already adapted in small ways to the recent influx of new, young customers. She has added a new, refrigerated display case, serving individual desserts, something she never did before. Soon she hopes to add more tables, possibly even on the sidewalk. Yuppies Not So Bad In a recent speech about the changing face of Queens, Seth Bornstein, assistant dean for economic development at LaGuardia Community College and former director of economic development for Borough Presidents Claire Shulman and Helen Marshall, pointed to Ridgewood as an example of of one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Like Kerzner, he cited the L train with the quick access it provides to lower Manhattan, as a major force in the area. “Ten years ago you didn’t think anybody cool would live in Ridgewood,” he said. “But it’s happening.” Kerzner, who, on top of his other titles, is also president of the Ridgewood Property Owners Association, and a 36-year member of Community Board 5, said that there was a “resurgence of yuppies from Williamsburg coming in,” but that the neighborhood was “moving in the right direction.” As he described it, a similar trend had begun around the turn of the millenium, when the economy was booming. But at the time, the rapid influx of new residents and development had threatened to change things too quickly. These days, two concomitant forces are at work: rising prices in Williamsburg and Bushwick have begun to push young artist-types and professionals into Ridgewood again, but the economic slowdown has kept things at a more even keel. Like many longtime residents, the changes he has witnessed recently are refreshing. “Being a lifelong resident of Ridgewood, I’m used to hearing people in Ridgewood saying that Ridgewood doesn’t have a future,” he said. “I’m happy that we’re getting this new resurgence.”

12 Jun 2008 by DGroppe