2. Many of Forest Hills’ Historic Street Names Have Been Lost
During the early years following the establishment of Forest Hills, many of its streets had a wide and eclectic range of alphabetical names that over time have been replaced by more common numerical names. One of the first street names that changed was Roman Avenue, located between Queens Boulevard and Austin Street. Today it is known as 72nd Avenue, with the only section of its name preserved in the Forest Hills Garden enclave. In fact, the enclave is the only section of the neighborhood that still fully recognizes all of its original street names.
Many of the neighborhood’s changed street names are located south of Austin Street leading to Metropolitan Avenue and include the streets of DeKoven, Pilgrim, and Zuni, now 72nd Road, 67th Drive, and 63rd Drive respectively. Others include streets that were originally named to reflect the area’s farming practices. These included the streets of Sample, Quality, and Harvest, which are now 66th Road, 67th Road, and 70th Road respectively. However, not all of the neighborhood’s original street names have been changed, with much of its thoroughfares retaining their authenticity. Some of the most important which still remain are Yellowstone Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue.
Moreover, remnants of these forgotten street names exist in buildings across the neighborhood, which were named after their street’s original alphabetical name. These buildings and many others were named by the Cord Meyer Development Company, which has played a crucial role in Forest Hills’ development since its founding. Some examples include the apartment houses The Kelvin, now located on 69th Road, and The Livingston, now on 69th Avenue.
