Rego Park/Forest Hills Foodscape
About Foodscapes
Access to affordable and nutritious food is one of the cornerstones of good health. Without this, individuals—and communities—are at a higher risk of food insecurity and serious chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. To improve the health of New Yorkers, we must recognize that each neighborhood has a distinct food environment.
Purpose
These Foodscape reports provide a community-level snapshot of a community’s food environment, including data on healthy and unhealthy food consumption, food access, and diet-related diseases. Additionally, the reports detail a comprehensive guide of the many food-related resources available to residents within their neighborhoods to support them in eating healthier. The Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center has compiled this information from various sources, presenting it in a user-friendly format to help NYC residents and communities better understand their local foodscapes.
*All data from Community Health Profiles includes Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens and Rego Park
Zip codes include: 11374, 11375
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- DEMOGRAPHICS
- NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD
- FOOD CONSUMPTION
- HEALTH AND DISEASE STATUS
- ECONOMIC AND LIVING-CONDITION STRESS, CONTRIBUTORS TO FOOD INSECURITY
- EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BURDEN
- SUMMER MEALS
- COMMUNITY GARDENS
- GREENTHUMB GARDENS
- SCHOOL GARDENS
- FARMERS’ MARKETS
- OFFICIAL SNAP ENROLLMENT SITES IN NYC – HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION
- FOOD PANTRIES AND SOUP KITCHENS
- RETAIL FOOD STORES
- ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
DEMOGRAPHICS:
- Total Population: 115,119 (1.35% of NYC population) (1)
- Population by Race and Ethnicity of Rego Park/Forest Hills and New York City (1)
- Rego Park/Forest Hills: 14% Latino | NYC: 29% Latino
- Rego Park/Forest Hills: 3% Black | NYC: 22% Black
- Rego Park/Forest Hills: 51% White | NYC: 32% White
- Rego Park/Forest Hills: 30% Asian/Pacific Islander | NYC: 15% Asian
- Rego Park/Forest Hills: 2% Other | NYC: 2% Other
- Rego Park/Forest Hills Population by Age: (1)
- 0-17 years: 16%
- 18-24 years: 5%
- 25-44 years: 31%
- 45-64 years: 28%
- 65+ years: 19%
- Life Expectancy:
- Born Outside the US:
NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD:
- Supermarket to Bodega Ratio: One (1) supermarket in Rego Park/Forest Hills to 5 bodegas (1)
- Meal Gap (# of meals needed per year for food security): 2,240,495 (2)
- Food Insecurity:
- Residences that Lack a Kitchen:
- Households Receiving SNAP Benefits:
- Walking Distance to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: (4)
- Includes data from Ridgewood/Forest Hills (Zipcodes 11374, 11375, 11379, 11385)
- 5 minutes or less: 53% (Compared to 49% New York City-wide)
- 5-10 minutes: 17% (Compared to 18% New York City-wide)
- 10 minutes or more: 29% (Compared to 32% New York City-wide)
- Includes data from Ridgewood/Forest Hills (Zipcodes 11374, 11375, 11379, 11385)
FOOD CONSUMPTION:
- At Least One Serving of Fruits or Vegetables Per Day (percent of adults):
- No Fruits and Vegetables Yesterday:
- One or More 12-ounce Sugary Drinks Per Day (percent of adults):
HEALTH AND DISEASE STATUS:
- Adults Reporting Their Own Health as “Excellent,” “Very Good” or “Good” (percent of adults):
- Obesity (percent of adults):
- Childhood Obesity (percent of public school children in grades K through 8):
- Diabetes (percent of adults):
- Hypertension (percent of adults):
ECONOMIC AND LIVING-CONDITION STRESS, CONTRIBUTORS TO FOOD INSECURITY:
- Median Household Income:
- Poverty (percent of households with incomes below poverty):
- Unemployment (percent of people ages 16 and older):
- Extreme Housing Burden (percent of renters):
EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BURDEN
- Air Pollution (micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter):
- Bicycle Network Coverage (percent of streets with bike lanes):
- Pedestrian Injury Hospitalizations (per 100,000 people):
- Any Physical Activity in the Past 30 Days (percent of adults):
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS SUMMER MEALS:
To ensure everyone has access to nutritious meals, the Department of Education’s Meal Hubs were created in response to COVID-19 and have expanded service to all children and adults across the five boroughs. Sites serve grab-and-go meal service for adults and children and no one is turned away. No registration or identification is required.
During the summer of 2020, over 400 Meal Hubs operated from 7:30am-11:30am for children and families and 11:30am-1:30pm for adults. Starting September 29, 200 Meal Hubs continue to provide grab-and-go meal service for all New Yorkers on Monday-Friday between 3-5pm.
Please check the DOE website for updates and search for Free Meals at the select public school buildings here or text “NYCFOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877.
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS COMMUNITY GARDENS:
- Forest Hills Community Garden: Forest Hills High School, Grand Central Parkway
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS GREENTHUMB GARDENS:
There are over 600 GreenThumb community gardens across the city, and any resident can join a garden. Find the most up-to-date list of gardens using GreenThumb’s searchable Garden Map. (5)
- Project Eden: 67-2 Kessel St
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS SCHOOL GARDENS:
-
PS 233 P233Q@686: 91-30 Metropolitan Ave
- HS 440 Forest Hills High School: 67-01 110th St
- PS 220 Edward Mandel: 62-10 108th St
- PS 206 The Horace Harding School: 61-02 98th St
- MS 190 Russell Sage: 68-17 Austin St
- PS 174 William Sidney Mount: 65-10 Dieterle Crescent
- MS/HS 167 Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School: 91-30 Metropolitan Ave
- JHS 157 Stephen A. Halsey: 63-55 102nd St
- PS 196 Grand Central Parkway: 71-25 113th St
- PS 101 School in the Gardens: 2 Russell Place
- PS 303 The Academy for Excellence through the Arts: 108-55 69th Ave
- PS 175 The Lynn Gross Discovery School: 64-35 102nd St
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS FARMERS’ MARKETS:
To ensure the below farmers’ markets are open, please call or check the listed websites for the most up-to-date information.
- Forest Hills Greenmarket
S Side of Queens Blvd at 70th Ave, Sunday 08:00AM-03:00PM, Year-Round
Many farmers’ markets accept cash, SNAP/EBT, debit/credit, WIC and Senior FMNP coupons. They may also offer Health Bucks for EBT users — for every $5 spent in EBT, customers receive a $2 Health Buck coupon to purchase additional fruits and vegetables. For an updated list of farmers’ markets near you (including days/hours of operation) visit nyc.gov/health and search “farmers markets” or text “SoGood” to 877-877.
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS OFFICIAL SNAP ENROLLMENT SITES IN NYC – HUMAN RESOURCES ASSOCIATION (HRA):
Data is updated on a continuous basis in collaboration with the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center’s Neighborhood Food Resource Guides.
- East New York S28: 404 Pine St, 1st Floor
- Rockaway S79: 219 Beach 59th St, 1st Floor
- Queens S53: 32-20 Northern Blvd, 2nd Floor
- Jamaica S54: 165-08 88th Ave, 3rd Floor
*It is possible to apply for SNAP benefits online at https://www.ny.gov/services/apply-snap
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS PANTRIES AND SOUP KITCHENS:
Data is updated on a continuous basis in collaboration with the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center’s Neighborhood Food Resource Guides.
- Masbia of Queens - Soup Kitchen
105-47 64 Rd, 11375, (718) 972-4446 - Queens Jewish Community Council
119-45 Union Tpke, 11375, (718) 544-9033 - Masbia of Queens - Food Pantry
105-47 64 Rd, 11375, (718) 972-4446 - Masbia of Rego Park - Soup Kitchen
98-08 Queens Blvd, 11374, (718) 972-4446 - Educational Center for Russian Jewry, Ohr Natan
98-12 66th Ave, 11374, (718) 997-1310 - Young Israel of Forest Hills
68-07 Burns St, 11375, (718) 268-7100 - Commonpoint Queens (Central Queens Y/Esther Grunblatt Russian Service Center)
108-13 67th Rd, 11375, (718) 268-5011 x433 - Masbia of Rego Park - Food Pantry
98-08 Queens Blvd, 11374, (718) 972-4446 - Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, Our Lady of the Angelus
63-63 98th St, 11374, (718) 722-6001, (347) 957-2450 - Beth Gavriel Shaare Zion
66-35 108th St, 11375, (718) 268-7558 - Forest Hills Seniors Center
108-25 62nd Dr, 11375, (718) 699-1010, (718) 592-5757
*Food pantry and soup kitchen hours subject to change, and requirements may be needed to register for food pantries. Call a specific location for more information before going for the first time.
REGO PARK/FOREST HILLS RETAIL FOOD STORES:
*This list below includes all retail food stores from a Google Maps Places API search with keyword search terms “bakery, cafe, convenience store, deli, food, grocery, supermarket.”
Data is updated on a continuous basis in collaboration with the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center’s Neighborhood Food Resource Guides.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Coronavirus NYC Food Resource Guide: Rego Park/Forest Hills
- Commonpoint Queens
- Rego Park Library
- Queens Community House
- Child Center of NY
Last updated: 3/30/21
REFERENCES:
-
- Hinterland, K, et al. “Community Health Profiles 2018, Queens Community District 6: Rego park and Forest Hills.” Community Health Profiles 2018, Queens Community District 6: Rego Park and Forest Hills, 2018, pp. 1–20.
- “Data2Go: Forest Hills & Rego Park.” data2go.Nyc, Measure of America of the Social Science Research Council and Helmsley Charitable Trust, https://data2go.nyc/map/?id=111*36047015900*meal_gap_puma!undefined!ns*!other_pop_cd_506~ahdi_puma_1~sch_enrol_cd_112~age_pyramid_male_85_plus_cd_20~median_household_income_puma_397~median_personal_earnings_puma_400~dis_y_perc_puma_102~poverty_ceo_cd_417~unemployment_cd_408~pre_k_cd_107!*air_qual_cd~ahdi_puma*family_homeless_cd_245#12/40.8086/-73.9294.
- “Annual Vital Statistics Data Show Fewer Premature Deaths and Fewer Births in New York City in 2017.” NYC Health, The City of New York.
- “A Foodscape of Ridgewood/Forest Hills.” New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College, Mar. 2017, https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FS405_2017.pdf.
- “Green Thumb Garden Map.” NYC Parks, https://greenthumb.nycgovparks.org/gardensearch.php.
Article Image: “New York City (NYC) Neighborhood Maps – By Borough – Queens.” NYCdata, Baruch College Zicklin School of Business, https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/population-geography/maps-boroughs.htm.
