The city’s annual school report cards are out, and though The New York Times’ spin is how surprisingly tough the grades were, here in Queens, things went a little more smoothly. PS 101 (in the Gardens) and PS 196 (on the parkway) got A’s, just like you expected. But which one is better? The graders are nice enough to settle the great elementary-school debate: Grand Central Parkway’s A is based on a score of 78.88, while School in the Gardens slides by with a 76.91. Eat that, Gardens!

The widely loathed Russell Sage Junior High got a C, whereas the not so widely loathed Forest Hills High made out with a B. Here’s one surprise: If you can, send your surly adolescent to Halsey Junior High, up by NOVO 64, instead of Sage. It scored a solid B.

Other area schools and how they scored after the jump.

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Did you know there’s a site that will tell you whether your property values are doomed? It’s true! ZIP code by ZIP code, PropertyShark’s handy Bubble Trouble map lets you know whether you’re still breaking even or should probably go ahead and start selling off pieces of your home as lumber.

The verdict for Central Queens? You’ll be pleased to know that Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and Briarwood are all doing great. Rego Park, however, is in “Triple Bubble Trouble,” the site’s most heinous designation, with drops in number of sales and value of sales plus increased foreclosures. I find this odd considering that Rego Park might be the neigborhood I’d least expect to be in Triple Bubble Trouble. It is, after all, right next to prestigious Forest Hills while being significantly cheaper, and the home to a fairly wide selection of shopping, restaurants and services. It’s got a subway stop and a big community of one of the more affluent immigrant groups out there. If it’s overvalued — and I’m not saying it isn’t — all neighborhoods are overvalued. So what’s the problem? I could understand a drop if the surrounding areas were also affected, but PropertyShark says they’re not.

I’m personally a fan of Rego Park and think the neighborhood has great potential — I would and do recommend it to anybody who’s budget-conscious but still wants a safe, busy and diverse place to live. But it looks like that sentiment is all too rare these days. Three frowny faces don’t lie. Of course, all this gloom only applies to current residents. If you’re looking for a deal and don’t mind taking a little gamble, the market’s loss is your gain.

This week’s Times Ledger has a report on the progress of what promises to be a massive development project on the current site of the Borough Hall garage, where Kew Gardens meets Briarwood and a brief jaunt from Forest Hills, too. Sounds like it’ll be mainly offices, but there’s more, lots more: Stores! “Affordable and market rate [read: expensive]” housing! And yes, yet another high school! Parking issues are holding things up and there’s no developer signed on yet, but construction is still scheduled to start in around a year.

This could be just the ticket for a somewhat-grungy strip that’s currently home to a lot of unattractive courthouse-related commerce — bail bondsmen, cheap lawyers, fast food — but just a stone’s throw from tons of public transportation and some truly beautiful low- and high-density housing, not to mention the charming Lefferts Boulevard shopping district.