From the Queens Chronicle:The rickety blue and green construction fencing could do little to hide the massive structure sprouting behind it: multiple balconies, brass railings, white columns, stone, bricks, arches and windows galore.
Others have statues of lions and eagles along five-foot brick or metal walls that enclose paved-over front yards and give the appearance of fortified compounds.
They are all opulent and in the Cord Meyer section of Forest Hills. And none of the neighbors like them.
From the Daily News:
Opponents of a plan to make it tougher to build McMansion-style homes in the Cord Meyer section of Forest Hills said they are bracing for a battle.
"We cannot fit into the houses they want us to fit into," said Albert Dayan, a lawyer who said he is serving as general counsel for the Bukharian Jewish community in Forest Hills. "Our families are very large."
Legal action isn't out of the question if the plan goes into effect, Dayan said.
44 comments:
If they can't fit into those houses they can build in another area with more open space on appropriately-sized lots.
It is not written that all Bukharian Jews must live in Forest Hills.
"We cannot fit into the houses they want us to fit into," said Albert Dayan, a lawyer who said he is serving as general counsel for the Bukharian Jewish community in Forest Hills. "Our families are very large."
Then don't friggin live there. Also there is no need to make them so garish. If you want compromise you can make them that big but they must be built in the style that the rest of the neighborhood is in.
I don't get it. Nassau and Suffolk counties are loaded with HUGE properties. Why don't they ruin those areas?
Exactly IG... There are huge empty lots out in Wading River, Shirley or Mastic... You wouldn't even have to pay to have the house knocked down. And even though it's Suffolk County the taxes aren't too bad out there yet.
Large immigrant families have fit into much smaller dwellings over the last few centuries. These new spoiled bastards are ridiculous!
It has nothing to do with the size of their families. It has to do with showing off.
"Others have statues of lions and eagles along five-foot brick or metal walls that enclose paved-over front yards and give the appearance of fortified compounds."
Man, I should take pictures of the crap on my block--although I wouldn't go so far as to call them fortified compounds, more like prison yards, bars, cameras and everything.
Their families don't fit in the houses that do exist, so the solution is to jam new construction into a smaller lot like you jam a size 10 foot into a size 8 shoe. There's no regard for the neighborhood or the neighbors. And yes, it DOES have to do with showing off--who has the higher metal gate, the more expensive brick, and it's all garishly awful. It's the new "keeing up with the Jonses" Queens style...
--Nightcrawler
Please do and send 'em to Crappy.
Thats why we are here!
What an idiotic article. Obviously the neighbors primarily DO like the new houses. Who do you think is building all these homes? Space aliens? It's residents of the neighborhood.
The real issue has nothing to do with big, nice new homes. It's the anti-Semitic loser old fogies that are getting replaced by new Bukharan money, and are mad that they work harder and make more money, and can afford nicer homes.
Boo-hoo, my property values are going up. Boo-hoo, suburban crapboxes are being replaced by mansions! What a pity!
Actually, if you read the article it says property values are not going up.
"McMansions do not have a negative impact on surrounding property values. If such a house goes into an area dominated by ranches, the ranches will continue to dictate prices for the area."
To the last poster. You are an idiot! The residents of Cord Meyer are NOT building these houses. And these shit box mansions that are being built are NOT raising the property values. And another thing moron, people move into Cord Meyer for the style and way of living and don't want some asshole building something that sticks out like a big wart on the ass of your wife!
Aha, thanks for confirming my point, Faster340. Too bad how your life turned out, eh?
You're one of the jealous old fogies living in a crappy home, and mad that "the Jews" are upgrading your neighborhood. Maybe you should have worked harder in school, and at least learned to write basic English! I speak four languages; you can't speak one!
You don't really know much about logical reasoning, do ya? You complain about all these people moving into "your neighborhood" (Ha!) "for the style and way of living and don't want some asshole building something that sticks out", yet for some reason, everyone who DOES move in builds a NEW home. I wonder why?
Please leave for Detroit, where you won't have to worry about nice, new homes, successful newcomers, and high property values.
It's ok, we have a way to take care of you. It's called zoning.
Now you can shit on someone else's neighborhood.
"everyone who DOES move in builds a NEW home. I wonder why?"
Because they're Buko-trash who feel the need to show off to other Buko-trash.
"You're one of the jealous old fogies living in a crappy home, and mad that "the Jews" are upgrading your neighborhood."
How stupid is this statement? Forest Hills has always been a Jewish neighborhood, it's just that the holocaust survivors had taste and class which seems to be lacking in this group.
Of course it's a stupid statement. These folks don't give a shit about the history or character of the neighborhood that they move into, they love insulting the people who live there and the attitude is "fuck you, I got mine." Then they cry anti-Semitism when people don't like them.
How Bukharians take care of things: Pay your uncle to shoot your husband in front of your child so you can get custody. I am so jealous of this culture.
Um, idiot Anonymous, the new homes are ZONED AS-OF-RIGHT. And the new zoning will not stop the new homes (thank God).
The majority of people in the neighborhood are Buhkaran Jews, and they can build their homes under the old zoning AND under the new zoning.
Similarly, jealous old anti-Semitic fossils like you will complain about the Jews and their nice, new homes under the old zoning AND the new zoning.
Time for you to leave for the old-folks home. We can demolish your crapbox and build a nice home for a more successful family that won't trash the neighborhood like your generation.
LOL, someone thinks that Forest Hills was always a Jewish neighborhood. No, it was a WASP neighborhood, which is who built Cord Meyer.
The Americanized Jews only arrived in the 1950's, and are now mostly elsewhere.
The anti-Semites who oppose the nicer, newer homes are mostly non-Jewish.
I guess Melinda Katz is anti-Semitic. Because she is the one who pushed for the zoning. And no, you can't build these once the new zoning passes, which it will, that's why the backwards thinking among us are already threatening lawsuits.
When Jews complain about Bukharians, they are labeled anti-Semitic. That's soooo funny!
"Similarly, jealous old anti-Semitic fossils like you will complain about the Jews and their nice, new homes under the old zoning AND the new zoning."
I really don't think anyone here is anti-Semitic. Just anti- out-of-character housing. Why are you so touchy?
They can build under the old zoning and new zoning. It will just be a minor modification.
Immigrants are the lifeblood of NYC. Queens Crap-style NIMBYs are the bloodsuckers of NYC.
If it will just be a minor modification why are the Bukharians threatening to sue? And do you really think that you will fight the "anti-Semitic" attitudes you perceive by resorting to childish name-calling yourself? You really have no credibility.
You're forgetting a small detail. Immigrants from the past desired nothing more than to assimilate into the American culture. And were very proud to call themselves "American". Today's immigrants have downright contempt for our culture and criticize it at every opportunity. And do nothing but dream of the old country.
Read your history, Italian Girl.
70% of Italian immigrants to the U.S. returned to Italy following a few years of work.
Up until the 1970's, there were plenty of neighborhoods in NYC where you could find large concentrations of Italians who could not read or write English.
If anything, today's immigrants are MORE Americanized and rooted in the U.S. than immigrants in past generations.
Care to cite your source?
Please keep in mind that Bukharian Jews are also former Soviet Citizens. I think we can all agree that a disproportionate number of former residents of the USSR seem to have crappy aesthetics. Perhaps it comes from having lived in those socialist tenements?
Forest Hills has maintained a significant Jewish population for over six decades. Claims of anti-semitism are preposterous and a poor attempt to skirt the issue at hand. As for claims that those concerned with the character of their neighborhood are simply jealous of others; Forest Hills Gardens, which is one of the most exclusive suburbs of New York City, has been standing for nearly one century now. The homes are beautiful and the streets were laid out by renowned landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead. Local residents enjoy walking through Forest Hills Gardens and admiring the magnificent architecture, and will thankfully continue to do so as the neighborhood is under the protection of restrictive covenants. The wealth of the inhabitants of the area has no impact on the appreciation of fine architecture.
Ugly is ugly, whether it is monster mansions shoe-horned into tiny lots in Forest Hills, or the same in Old Astoria, where a different group is demolishing all the beautiful old homes and putting in non-descript "Fedders Boxes."
Still like to know where they get all of this money???? At least $3million is in play for each of these properties. Izbekistan is not a wealthy country. When you enter a new country, have some respect for those who are already here and have spent decades building a community. Are you trying to build a settlement like on the Gaza strip? How do all of these families living in 1 house report their income tax? Are they not paying taxes? Buying a 2 or 3 family house might be the better solution rather than breaking laws and building illegally.
"Still like to know where they get all of this money???? At least $3million is in play for each of these properties. Uzbekistan is not a wealthy country"
There are several rumored sources.
First, in their native countries these people pretty much cornered the jewelery and precious metals markets. They trafficked in a certain kind of fake gold castings, statues and jewelery. They also ran local real estate business and to some extent "professions" such as dentistry and medicine. The parenthesis because the educational systems in that country was/is highly suspect.
If you pay attention to local news you'll note that most of the people arrested for insurance fraud (crash&cash) Medicaid and Medicare fraud and phony documents etc, have mostly Russian names and their addresses are in both F.H. and Brighton Beach areas.
As is the norm, we have let political considerations and inefficient bureaucracy run immigration policy. we will be regretting this for decades.
Try to understand that for the owners of these McMansions, it is the American dream to build big, and sell the property at a higher price.
The style of the homes appears more faux-Italianate than Central Asian.
"The anti-Semites who oppose the nicer, newer homes are mostly non-Jewish."
That's the biggest joke EVER...
Believe me, I've lived Forest Hills for 33 years and the people who hate the Bukharians the most are other Jews. They are embarassed by them.
And why would anyone be jealous? The money is obtained through illegal means, and NO ONE thinks those ugly, steel-fenced McMansions the Buhkarians build are NICE. Poll anyone who is non-Buhkarian and they'll agree the houses are HIDIOUS!
Maybe that's the reason they keep to themselves. They feel criticism from outsiders and therefore don't want to deal with us. Typically when some people feel criticism they immediately blame jealousy as the reason.
It couldn't possibly be their lack of taste, disregard for zoning laws and reluctance to become a part of the communities they buy into.
This stream of commentary is unbelievable. People with a stake in a community who oppose massive, cheaply built, ostentatious and poorly maintained eyesores are immediately accused of being anti-Semite xenophobes. These are not mansions. Some of them are already falling apart. The term "shitbox" is too kind. These buildings are the fruit of illicit funds received by this particularly aggressive and obnoxious mileu of the nouveau riche.
There's a lot of room in Uzbekistan to house these 15-room monstrosities. The citizens of Forest Hills have every right to raise their voices against the vulgarization of their neighborhood.
Hilarious! More anti-Semitic crap.
For all you Queens Crap losers who hate successful Jews, here's how "these people" get the money to buy beautiful homes, while you're stuck whining and jealous in your crappy homes.
1. Saving: Unlike you morons who are buying SUVs and other garbage on a salary of $35.000, this community saves every penny.
2. Upward mobility. Unlike the fossils posting on this blog, the community has dreams and goals. All the people living in these homes first lived doubled and tripled up in Lefrak City, Corona, and more modest parts of Rego Park. At the same time, they were working two and three jobs, and always looking for a better opportunity.
3. Education. Unlike the brain-dead forumers making these idiotic comments, the community has all its children going to Ivy League schools, or the full-scholarship Honors college at CUNY. They all become doctors, lawyers, and businessmen.
o man your living in a fantasy world loser
youll always be second rate
dont forget that
now go collect that welfare check asswipe
Anon Bukharian Apologist/Fantasy spinner: People are envious of the Bukharans for building "beautiful homes." That would be laughable if it weren't so outrageously ignorant.
The commenters are not jealous of the individuals who are erecting these megashitboxes. Rather, they're appalled at the impact it's having on their neighborhood, quality of life, and property values.
There's a lot to be said about the current spate of immigrants' utter contempt for their American neighbors and their refusal to assimilate. The Forest Hills Bukharans are extending a giant middle finger to their fellow inhabitants by building overly large homes that are uncharacteristic of the neighborhood and don't fit in. Those who build these eyesores may think they're screaming out wealth. Perhaps that would be the case if they were still in the former USSR. To the rest of us, it spells out vulgarity in taste and a big fuck you to their neighbors. To be pissed off by the gesture is not anti-Semitism.
BTW, could the showy display of richness--whether real or not--have caused the home invasion that just occurred in FH? Add crime to the list of concerns when these atrocities go up.
odd--I thought most of the bukharians are responsible for hte massive fraud with welfare, medicare and medicaid. The woman was just convicted for having her ex-husband murdered before her daughter's eyes by her cousin/hitman. There's a lot to admire! Oh, did I say something anti-Semitic by reciting a few facts?
I don’t understand why we are being so negative with one another. I think we should just agree to disagree and let elected officials decide what will be done. At the end of the day, we all live in one community. If we want the Bukharian community to be more knowledgeable and in the mix with the American community than we just need to make sure that they attend the same meetings and express their opinions there as well. And, not allow for it to get out of hand. Whether you are Jewish or not or some other race, we all know how it feels to be discriminated against. I happen to be Bukharian and I try to attend various civic and community meetings. I think we should get that negative energy out and start thinking how we can live together positively. There are obviously differences in styles between these two cultures; we just need to find a middle ground some where.
The "goombahs" in Malba build even worse!
The Russkies settling in Little Neck Hills are having a Mc Mansion competition block by block with the Jones-kies trying to keep up with the Jones-kies!
Low class is low class.
Whatever their country of origin...
when a peasant comes into some money he puts on airs to impress his neighbors.
Ignorant and uneducated these folks lack any sense refinement in the way the act or build.
They're tribal barbarians....as crude & rude as they come.
As a simple Catholic resident who rents in Cord Meyer, I park there and walk by them everyday. I appreciate the Italianate arcitecture, even the balconies, and strips of gold. I do not think they bring down the neighborhood but they do make every third house look out of sync. I never knew where the people were from or thought about it. That being said what stood out to me were the walls and it being out of character with the neighbors. I walk by and the people seem to run behind the walls. I have smiled only to have had backs turned to me. And this is daily. Yes some of the houses may be over the top, or garish to some people, for me most are fine, I appreciate the detail, but it is the attitude that is the real turn off. The walls seems symbolic of a isolation attitude that just does not represent the way of American life here. What they may see as "privacy" is to the rest of us "rude, and unfriendly or uninviting". My simple question is do you care about that? But let's call a spade a spade and within the circle it is well known that they do not want to fit in here (in a tradtional immigrant sense) and find a balance, but an attempt to monopolize,and re-nationalize an existing area. That is where the offense lies really. As far as the anti-semetic accusations, anon you are way off base. This Catholic knows we are all praying to the same thing and have different ways of expressing that faith. But I would bet your million dollar home that walking down the street tomorrow if I smile at you or say Hello, you will look away, or get behind a wall as fast as you can. And if our eyes meet you will never say Hello to me first. So it isn't really about your house to many residents here.
Post a Comment