I’ve returned from Oklahoma just in time to discover that my home borough has New York City’s largest inferiority complex, though I could have told you that. Apparently the hot new term is “third borough syndrome,” as coined by the Queens Tribune, and surely this is the first time the Trib has ever come up with a phrase that garnered coverage in The New York Times. You know what my favorite thing about third borough syndrome is? The implicit disrespect to the Bronx and Staten Island, which have apparently dropped off the list — if they were ever on it in the first place — of boroughs even worth a moment of consideration. Doesn’t this sorta prove that Queens is now big time? The NYT deigns to mention it in the same breath as Manhattan — ritzy! – and Brooklyn — super hip! The buzzword for Queens is real, as “third borough syndrome” originator Tom Finkelpearl (great name) puts it.

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In a borough where rules are constantly changing to allow for high-density development, part of Forest Hills might be getting rezoned — but, unusually enough, to restrict development, not to encourage it. That area is South Forest Hills, the freestanding-house-dominated neighborhood surrounding the quaint, suburbish Metropolitan Avenue shopping strip — not to be confused with Forest Hills South, the adorable co-op development a few blocks from where I live and nowhere near the neighborhood in question. Says FH Community and Civic Association prez Barbara Stuchinski:

The zoning is to correct that [the current] zoning allows for community facilities, such as the monstrosities on Austin Street, of private homes being turned into large medical clinics.

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A couple weeks ago, when I got my panties all in a bunch about congestion pricing, it did occur to me that maybe there was a solution for the working-class stiffs from neighborhoods with limited public-transit options who would potentially be forced to pay $40 a week to get into the city. Despite the inconvenience, at least they could drive to Long Island City or Brooklyn Heights, park and take the subway from there.

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Flushing does not fall under the arbitrary definition of “Central Queens” employed by this site, but the plans Michael “Mike” Bloomberg announced today to completely transform Willets Point are so earth-shattering that they should be of interest to everyone around here. Huge things are going on right next door, and all of Queens will probably be affected in one way or another.

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I attended the third annual Taste of Forest Hills this Saturday and have been meaning to post a review, but a visit from the in-laws has made me a little strapped for time. In the meantime, I’ll give you this:

Been perusing the notorious PLANYC 2030. Forest Hills 72 was impressed by the routing of Forest Hills LIRR trains into Grand Central, but honestly, I didn’t see much there for Central Queens. I saw a lot of unspectacular numbers (”Driving speeds in Queens will increase by 2%”!) and few details on how to achieve even those modest gains. What did strike me was what the city apparently considers the state of utter disrepair of all our subway stations. If I’m reading this correctly, every single one is listed as “in need of repair” — and as you might have expected, every single one is now scheduled for an overhaul. I’ll believe that when I see it. Hopefully it won’t take until Dec. 31, 2029. But even if 75th Avenue winds up a gleaming jewel of the New York City Transit Authority, I have to ask: What took so long?

Here’s the Queens plan (warning: PDF).

I hate graffiti, but I’ve always had to admit I kinda like the Forest Hills Sticker Kid. If you spend any time in the more densely populated parts of the Hills, you probably know who I mean: the guy who slaps down stickers all over town saying things like “BUSH = EVIL LIAR” and “BLAIR = bLIAR.” (The Flickr photo linked is somewhat atypical of the Sticker Kid’s body of work, as “BUSH” is not crossed out in a different color of marker.) I continue to hold the unfashionable belief that graffiti is nothing but selfish, landscape-marring vandalism, but political graffiti gets a bit of a pass from me because it’s political, and that’s awesome.

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And it’s not good. Central Queens residents seem to hate the plan to charge drivers $8 to enter Manhattan during peak hours. Though I don’t have a car, I can’t say I blame them. I thought it was unfair when I heard about it in London years ago, and I think it’s unfair now. Really, getting from point A to point B should always be free, or at least as inexpensive as possible. Freedom of movement is a basic right, like air or water or universal health care. For this reason, I’m not much of a fan of toll roads, either.

How can you tell congestion pricing is bad for Queens drivers? Simple: Though it’s hailed by environmentalists, party-line liberal Anthony Weiner is against it. Any congressman will tell you, after a few stiff drinks, that kowtowing to the party is a close second, but pandering to the constituents is Job One.

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