Originally Posted by
sgrd0q
Don't go to Jamaica. Pretty rough neighborhood.
If you want to stay in Queens, look at Forest Hills, Jackson Heights east of Junction Boulevard, Woodside, Astoria, possibly parts of Flushing. All decent areas. Further west Floral Park is ok too.
Generally you don't need a car in the five boroughs of the city. You will need one in Long Island. Long Beach is fine but so are many other places in Long Island.
As far as being expensive – yes, the rents are high. Other than that, you can get great deals on almost anything you buy. If you are smart you can actually end up spending LESS money than anywhere else. Of course the converse is also true if you are not careful.
I crashed in Bayside and though it wasn't bad, and Whitestone as well. I agree with the other poster, the airport is a blast and you get to see ALOT of airlines you don't see elsewhere. The VOR approach to the 13's is a fun one. Always cool to watch a widebody trying to yank it over for the right side.