"Comfortable, affordable, friendly, tree-filled area"
For the past year I've lived in Woodhaven, up near the park. It's great for city people yearning for a little nature, or a lot of nature. Forest Park has acres of woodlands and hiking trails, and a pond, a dog run, a carousel, playgrounds, bird watching, concerts, and more. The housing stock in the area is good, the population is very diverse, and people are friendly. The J train runs right through the neighborhood, which is really convenient, although the commute into the city is pretty long, about an hour (or more, depending on where you're going). There are also express buses, and the LIRR isn't far away by car. It's easy to get to and from the airport if you travel a lot or have lots of visitors. It's true that the area gets pretty quiet at night, but Forest Hills and Kew Gardens, which have lots of restaurants and some movie theaters, are nearby. There's also lots of great food in Glendale and Elmhurst. And it's not hard to get to A/C train Brooklyn or L train Brooklyn from here. With the park and all the other amenities, and the lower cost of living, I don't particularly miss living in Brooklyn, where I'd been for more than fifteen years before moving here.