Hollis Hills, Queens

Hollis Hills is an upper-middle class neighborhood in the north-east section of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bound by the Grand Central Parkway to the south, Kingsbury Avenue and Richland Avenue to the north, Hollis Hills Terrace to the west and Springfield Boulevard to the east.

Most homes in Hollis Hills are of the Colonial, Tudor, and Ranch styles. Lately, the McMansion phenomenon has affected the area, causing the property values to rise significantly. Some houses in the area can fetch prices of $800,000 or higher. Surrey Estates is a smaller triangle of architecturally notable homes surrounded by old, large trees and is bound by Union Turnpike, Springfield Boulevard, and Hartland Avenue within Hollis Hills.

Hollis Hills is physically distinguished from the neighboring areas of Holliswood and Hollis by a slight elevation above sea level, thanks to a quirk of a retreating glacier from the last Ice Age. The neighborhood is flanked by Cunningham Park and Alley Pond Park, as well as the historic Long Island Motor Parkway, home of the turn of the century racing competition, the Vanderbilt Cup. The parkway was built by William Kissam Vanderbilt, a descendant of the family that presided over the New York Central Railroad and Western Union. The parkway is now home to bikers, joggers and nature trail lovers.

Notable institutions in Hollis Hills are The Chapel of the Redeemer Lutheran, The [http://www.hollishillsjc.org/ Hollis Hills Jewish Center] (founded in 1948), American Martyrs Catholic Church, the Windsor Park Branch of the Queens Borough Public Library, and [http://schools.nyc.gov/schoolportals/26/Q188 P.S. 188] (The Kingsbury Elementary School).

The neighborhood is home to the Hollis Hills Civic Association as well as the Surrey Estates Homeowners Association.