St. Albans

The neighborhood.

St. Albans is a historically Black, middle-class, multi-generational neighborhood in southeast Queens — churches, civic groups, and families with decades on the same block. The community roots here run deeper than almost anywhere in the borough.

It is also sacred ground in American music: Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, James Brown, LL Cool J, and A Tribe Called Quest all lived here. Addisleigh Park, the historic-district pocket of 1930s homes, still carries that legacy in its streets.

Housing stock & prices.

Predominantly detached single-family and two-family homes on shady streets with larger-than-average Queens lots — many with garages. Styles run colonial, Cape Cod, Tudor, and Dutch Colonial; Addisleigh Park holds 1930s English Tudor, Arts & Crafts, and Neo-Colonial Revival homes. Essentially zero condos or co-ops: this is a house neighborhood.

Agent Pronto measured a rolling median sale of $785K (May–Jul 2026); Weichert estimated $832,500 in September; Prop-Metrics/Zillow put May at $748K. Addisleigh Park homes trade $800K–$1M — the premium pocket.

Getting around.

There is no subway in St. Albans — the nearest is the F at Jamaica–179 St, about a 24-minute walk. The LIRR's St. Albans station (West Hempstead branch) reaches Grand Central in 27–29 minutes, but trains run roughly hourly. Realistic door-to-door to Midtown: 45–60 minutes if you're near the station, 1h15m+ if you're not. Station proximity is everything here.

Walkability.

St. Albans scores 75/100 "Very Walkable" on Walk Score (138th most walkable neighborhood in NYC). The corridors — Linden, Farmers, and Merrick Boulevards — cluster groceries, banks, and Caribbean food spots within walking distance, but the residential side streets are deep and leafy, so most errands default to a car and parking is easy. Honest take: walkable for daily needs along the boulevards, car-convenient everywhere else.

Schools.

St. Albans is served by NYC District 29, and the school picture is the honest weak spot parents research most: P.S. 36, the "Jewel of St. Albans" (5/10 GreatSchools), is the neighborhood anchor; P.S. 360 (7/10, B on Niche, 52% reading proficiency) is the highest-rated option in the area; Pathways College Preparatory (7/10, 95% graduation rate) serves grades 6–12. Middle schools like IS 192 The Linden run 3–4/10. Buyers choosing the neighborhood for schools tend to cross-shop nearby charter options (Riverton Street Charter) or plan on the commute to specialized high schools.

Local favorites.

• Roy Wilkins Park & Recreation Center. 54-acre park on Merrick Blvd — Olympic-size indoor pool, tennis courts, cricket pitches, and the Black Spectrum Theatre; the neighborhood's gathering ground for concerts and festivals.
• Addisleigh Park historic homes. The jazz-era enclave of large Tudors and Colonials where Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie once lived — St. Albans' most prestigious streets and a quiet architectural walk.
• Linden & Farmers Boulevard food corridor. Some of the city's best Caribbean eateries — jerk chicken, roti, and oxtail — concentrated along the two main commercial strips.
• Black Spectrum Theatre. The 425-seat theater inside Roy Wilkins Park, a hub for Black theater, dance, and community productions in southeastern Queens.
• Irie Jamboree. The annual reggae and dancehall music festival that turns St. Albans into the city's Caribbean music capital for a weekend.

Living here.

• Roy Wilkins Park. 54 acres of sports fields, ball courts, a 4-acre community garden — and a recreation center undergoing a $92M city upgrade including an Olympic-size pool.
• Archie Spigner Park. Ball courts, playgrounds, a splash pad, and Musician's Oval — the lawn honoring the jazz heritage that hosts the annual St. Albans Jazz and R&B Festival.
• Linden Boulevard. The retail corridor: shopping, dining, and everyday services.

Best for.