Forest Hills Stadium

There’s old legendary venues. Some are built in front of your eyes. Some you get to experience before they close down. Some you’re only able to hear stories about.
Forrest Hills is one of the most iconic concert venues in New York City that closed down for many decades. Luckily enough they came back, and came back hard.
My two times there are very different. The first was a Mumford concert when they just reopened. I’m not gonna hold it too much against them, but it was a little bit of a disaster.
They overbooked it for sure. The whole concert was GA, and you could sit in the stands up top or go into the crowd. The catch was though, that the crowd was first come first serve. The people who got there early and elected to go into the crowd got wristbands. The problem was when these people changed their minds and decided to sit up top. Then the seating up top was filled to capacity while they weren’t letting one in downstairs. Eventually I just forced myself into the crowd at a entrance with softer security. Great concert, awful execution. The second The Cave came on I knew that was the last song. Went by an exit to get ready to be out. I was on the train back to Brooklyn in no time flat.
More recently, I went to go see The Alabama Shakes there and that was more like it. Great experience. This is what this place should be.
Tons of room. Easy to access bathrooms. Lots of food options. And sponsors. Many many sponsors who want to hook me up with awesome deals. I was real glad to see Heineken sprawled out all over the place. Not because I care for the beer that much, but the company goes all out at Arthur Ashe, another great Queens venue. Figured they’d do the same and sure enough they did. Private sections, good deals, awesome time. The concert was much better this time around.
I’ll look forward to another great concert there again in the future.

I went to an Ed Sheeran concert here and I loved the outdoor seating, the vendors/​food trucks outside the stadium, and the ease (if you can call it that) of getting in and out. The sound systems were really good and i enjoyed the concert at this venue.

As long as you enjoy being outdoors this venue is amazing. The best concert experience I’ve had in NYC and one of the best I’ve had period. I came here to see the Alabama Shakes and had virtually no expectations of place, I did not even realize it was outside until the night of.
First off, when walking to this venue you will feel like you have stepped out of the concrete jungle of New York and into an old time New England cobble stone neighborhood. No forboding sky scrapers or industrial feel to this hidden NYC neighborhood.
A lot of reviewers complained about the security, my experience was very pleasant and standard. A quick wave of a security wand and a noninvasive pat down to see if you were sneaking booze in. Once inside it’s a quick pit stop for your 21+ wristband, and then off to a convenient outdoor food court for beer, nachos and some killer lemonade. This area was a nice mingling area and great way to hangout and meet up with your group.
The stage area is simple and fun; a tennis court with a stage in the front. No Frills, just a nice mob of people getting their groove on. If you’re going to the GA area they give you a wristband and you can come and go as you please; no need to flash your ticket every time you go in. I had GA standing tickets, but the seating seemed decent. It looked like bench seating, so I imagine that regardless of the girth of your toosh you would have ample room.
The only real negative thing I could say is the bathroom situation is lot full of port-​a-​potties. No big D, except for the lack of light. You are basically peeing by sonar (just let the stream go until you hear it hit water).
All and all awesome venue for a great concert.

Came here for Sutton Foster and the New York Pops! It was like stepping into history, except with awesome food stands and craft beer. We LOVED it! Will definitely come back for more concerts!

I saw Pink Martini with the NY Pops here. The sound and seats were lovely, but the staff were not helpful getting you to your seat. The seats were not clearly marked and had to ask multiple people for directions.
(Insert beer snob voice.) Beer was stupidly expensive for Heineken. I know it’s a venue, but come on, it’s Heineken.

Saw James Taylor last night at Forest Hills Stadium. Perfect Weather… perfect musician. I honestly cannot believe the things people complain about on here. I get the whole port-​a-​john complaints as well as the complaints about the venues upper level bleacher style seating but if people are going to complain about having places to eat their food, traffic, parking, crowds they just should not be going to any concerts, at least not any concerts with top acts.
Any amount of research «HELLO GOOGLE» will tell you that the LIRR is not the only way to get there. I am a nassau county resident and I got to the stadium in 25 minutes from my house, I prepaid for parking online at a parking garage and walked 10 minutes through a bustling and happening Forest Hills. You want cool bars/​restaurants/​hang outs? They got em. You want baked sweets after the show? They got em. Its obvious that this hell of an old stadium’s reopening in 2013 has pumped a lot of life into this area and it is great to see.
The stadiums acoustics are quite frankly excellent. People who complain about this? I do not get it. I’ve been to shows all over NYC and Long Island this year and this was the best sounding show to date, even beating Jones Beach Theater.
The sight lines? Excellent. The seats? They were good. I had a back on my seat and my advice to anyone who complains about comfort at any sporting/​concert/​comedy act should not be going. Its not meant to be your living room recliner. People who complain about traffic, lines and crowds should stay home and watch Palladia and eat microwave popcorn.
Id definitely go back.

I was surprised when I arrived here. Yeah, we should have taken the train but that would have created other transportation issues. Instead we opted to drive and unbeknownst to us, they close the street that the entrance to the stadium is on. While stuck in traffic, we spied what ended up being free parking… BONUS.
The venue itself is great, somewhat intimate. The amenities are great, food and beer as long as you don’t have to go to the bathroom, hence our visit to Buffalo Wild Wings on the way home!
I’d gladly go here for another concert!

I really want to like this place, but the lousy sound system and mediocre views really make it tough.
During what was my second visit to this venue, the bass was cranked to the point where that’s all that could be heard. It was like listening to beats rumbling from a car stereo — a disservice to the performer and the paying fan.
While my view of the stage was unobstructed this time (see earlier review), the seating is optimized for viewing center court, not the stage on the stadium’s far side. It’s one more reminder that the place is, after all, a sports arena and not a real music venue.
On the upside, it’s convenient for people who live in Queens. And the artists who play here are good enough to justify the $ 50 ticket price.
Whadya gonna do.

Well, here we are again. Gorgeous night. Perfect weather. Different crowd than Ed Sheeran… This time we are FAR from the oldest folks here. Great vibe. Craft beer and hipster eats. It’s a win win all around. Come with someone you dig.

I am a big supporter of Forest Hills Stadium, the mission to reopen and make it a concert and event destination. It is a place of historical importance (see my friend and Forest Hill’s native, Glenn V.‘s review for some of the storied history — Jimi Hendrix booed! too much!). In a city, especially in Queens, where we are too quick to tear down our historic structures, what is being done here should be celebrated and applauded!
Around the stadium there are plenty of stands with great local food & beer options which include Arancini Bros, Asia Dog, Little Munster, crepes, funnel cakes, fried oreos… a large selection with many stands. Although Heineken is the majority of the beer options a great local option was Finback, made right here in Glendale, was available.
Enjoying a concert in the open air, especially with great weather (such as when the Who played in May 2015) makes for a Queens experience that can’t be beat!
Now is it all sunshine and rainbows? No, of course not. The porta-​potties are never a favorite, but there are plenty, the seating which has been greatly improved since the general admission opening is still a majority of aluminum benches with assigned width, but it is not easy to make your way to your seat with the narrow walk ways made even more narrow when people fill those seats. This is a historic stadium (read OLD) located in a residential area that owns the street. Many concessions are made for the residents which includes narrowing and directing the majority of foot traffic to station square. It makes for a long, difficult entrance and exit. There is no street parking, so best to leave the car at home. Also, from my understanding, shows are required to end at 10pm.
Even with the drawbacks it was a privilege to experience a show here knowing the greats that performed and played here. We want this in our city! Always celebrate and remember our past while we improve upon it and update it for the times. It’s part of what makes NYC the greatest city in the world!

Amazing place for a concert.
I have been here twice so far.
Mumford and sons was great but the stadium had some growing pains. I believe they sold 17k tickets. Today they keep the crowd at 13k. This makes a world of a difference to the overall atmosphere and comfort.
A lot of the early reviews are about the lack of seats and bathrooms. They seem to haVe fixed both of these issues. They installed benches for the bowl seats and they definitely have more bathrooms.
Food is great, beer options are ok but the most important part is that the stadium really is an amazing place to watch a concert!

The number of years the old neighborhood tennis stadium remained completely unused, for the most part, predates my fourty years of Forest Hills living.
Growing up a few blocks away and being of a mischievous age, my friends and I would sell parking spots to event goers in our neighbors driveways. Not necessarily with the home owners permissions, narrowly evading any punishments. I stood outside when YES played, Jimi Hendrix getting booed, I guess the fans couldn’t wait for The Monkees, who headlined the show to take the stage. (True story) Sinatra, The Beatles, Joan Biaz and others all performed at the tennis stadium.
I keep pressing the ‘tennis stadium’ mantra as was its intention and how we spoke of the old gal.
The proposed plan of a museum, and a luxary high rise apartment building had no traction as residents own the streets and voted down the proposals for many reasons.
The streets have always been private since Forest Hills was designed and built by Olmsted, same gent that designed Central Park. Snow and garbage removal, road repairs, literally every infrastructure need is contracted outside of the city’s workers.
Three years ago, architects, engineers and contractors were addressing some needed structural and cosmetic improvements. A daily walk of the dogs provided little insight as to what was happening behind the tall, chain linked fences.
Shortly there after, The Summer Concert Series was announced and the news was received very differently, depending on who you were asking, merchants or residents.
Either way, the plan was approved the stage lights and artists that performed underneath have returned.
Minus being hearded like cattle out the Burns St exit toward Station Square, I feel the venue from vendors to security and obviously seating within the tennis stadium are well done.
Confession: the great officers we have at the 112 precinct allowed me to exit stage left after The Who’s fantastic performance, as it cuts a few blocks off the walk to my house.

Forest Hills Stadium has mastered the art of crowd control and for that I am eternally grateful. I came here on Saturday night to see The Who play a sold out show. Five stars for the performance, but now let’s talk about why the stadium gets a stellar rating as well.
Just the thought of thousands of people squishing into one confined space gives me the heebie-​jeebies. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve waited on an endless security line to get into a concert. Forest Hills has the operation down to a science and getting into the venue was a smooth and flawless experience. Don’t get me wrong– there were a TON of people trying to get in. They had an ample amount of security lines and the folks in charge were very skilled at directing people where to go.
Once inside, a lack of lines was still present! You would think, sold out show means a line for food and beer right? Never that! There were so so so many beer and food vendors set up that it was impossible to wait on a line. This place really knows how to do it right. They are sponsored by Heineken so about 95% of the beer tents were heiny but there was also a Single cut brewery table for the hoppier minded as well.
Food vendors were delish. Lot’s of really funky food stands like Asia Dog, Little Munster grilled cheese and Arancini Bros rice balls. Definitely don’t worry about eating before the show, as you’ll probably want to eat again when you check out the food area.
Food and drinks are important, but nothing is more critical then a venue with good acoustics, visuals, lighting and views. Even from a fairly high up section (tickets were pricey, okay!) we had a perfect view of the stage. It’s just something about the layout– every seat feels like a good one. The sound and visuals were great and I felt like I was on the stage rocking out with Townshend and Daltrey.
Unfortunately, this venue doesn’t typically bring in acts that I would trek out to Forest Hills to see, but next time they do I’ll undoubtedly be there.

Two years ago when concerts returned to Forest Hills Tennis Stadium I was excited! As a resident who lives a block and half away in Forest Hills (proper) I couldn’t wait to go to a show. Last night I went to my first show, The Who. The venue as everyone says is great. While the seats are mainly benches it matters not as the small venue gives you a close-​up and personal concert experience you can’t get in most places. I was in the last row and had a great view! While the show itself was great, it was what happened after the show that angered myself and a great many people trying to leave!
To the disgust of many, it was taking forever to get out of the stadium. Lines of people trying to leave moved at a snails pace. I witnessed two different people fall down trying to leave. They both looked quite sober, so please don’t think otherwise. The problem was EVERYONE IN A VENUE THAT HOLDS 13.000 people were BEING SENT OUT OF THE SAME EXIT!!! Then when you exited the stadium the staff was trying to divert everyone who didn’t live in Forest Hills down to 71^st Avenue a shopping area. I witnessed a helpless middle aged couple trying to explain that their car was parked on Exeter street just 3 blocks away but the staff did not care and told them they could not go get their car and had to go the other way.
I was told to show ID to enter my own street but I argued loudly that I didn’t live in communist nation and did not have to prove I live down the street. I finally was able to speak with a very helpful plain-​clothes police officer and explain to him how dangerous it was sending 13,00 people through one exit especially when several other exits were being left closed. THE POLICE OFFICER EXPLAINED THAT MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PUSHED FOR THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS because they don’t want people leaving the concert going up their streets after the shows. I told him that I live here and that this is ridiculous and dangerous. The crowds that left were pleasant and not at all unruly. The only thing that angered people was the delay in leaving caused by so called– neighborhood members.
I am so angry that I was subjected to a 30 minute trip home that should have taken at most 10 minutes that I am going to attend the next neighborhood board meeting and try and fight this ridiculousness. Thousands of people should be crushed like cattle so some people can’t walk down a street in what I last knew to be a free democratic country? No way!

Ed Sheeran (Lisa E. And I chaperoning my teen) Thursday night. This was a fantastic venue to see an open air concert. Mother Nature cooperated, even though my phone alerted me of severe thunderstorms in the area, not a drop of rain. This is an Intimate venue with few obstructed seats near side stage. Seating in our section was bleacher style, but the benches were comfortable ergonomic with more than ample space between each numbered seat. Sound system and acoustics were excellent.
The only thing that prohibits 5 star rating is difficult access to and from the stadium. We stepped out of Austin Public at 6:20 pm after pre show meal and drinks and found the sidewalk congested, 5 abreast snaking down Austin Street. It took nearly a half hour from there to reach security checkpoint. After the show, we were funneled through a single exit with poor lighting and tripping hazards throughout. I had just finished s novel last week about a killer who triggers stampedes in public places, and my mind kept going to that as bodies were pushing up against each other and seemingly moving as one slow organism. As we finally came out of the bottleneck, we noticed people searching through hundreds of umbrellas on the ground that were confiscate before entry creating another cluster.
A shout out however to the MTA and LIRR who made the eastbound exodus seamless.
TIP– try to approach the venue from another angle, perhaps from the east and avoid the line on Austin and near the Forest Hills Station

This venue is amazing!!!
We didn’t have the best seats in the house to see Ed Sheeran in action, however we were fully engaged with the full concert experiences.
Just going for a concert at the Forest Hills stadium is pretty historical considering it was the first US Open tennis court. Additionally, lots of famous tennis players and musicians played here as well.
The sound effect was incredibly acoustic.
Pretty much all the bars within station square and Austin street offers discounted drinks before and after the concert.
The LIRR is a block away from the stadium and two short blocks to public train station such as the E/​F/​R trains.
Drinks are extremely pricey at the stadium, but can be worth it if pregame properly before at the local bars in the neighborhood.
They have a variety of vendors at the stadium and I’m looking to explore the food selection at the Who’s concert this coming Saturday.

The worst concert venue of all-​time except all the other ones?
Sometimes on Unilocal I’ll arrogantly think «THIS burrito joint needs Josh B.‘s critical perspective» or «How has this barbecue joint not gotten any reviews?» This time around everyone beat me to the punch before I caught the Replacements here last Friday. So, to recap: porta-​potties, concerts end at 10pm, no parking, metal benches instead of actual seats.
The neighborhood has been in an uproar about the concerts here. (Side note — are those private streets really legal?) That’s the reason for the curfew. I also suspect it had an influence on the sound quality. While I don’t expect perfection from outdoor shows I felt like the volume wasn’t high enough. And I also believe NIMBY-​ism is a factor in the strange entry/​exit patterns. It wasn’t bad getting into the stadium but exiting was absurd.
The parking situation is as awful as everyone says, but there’s some Manhattan-​centric exaggeration going on about the vast distance one must travel to reach Forest Hills. The E, F and LIRR will bring you close to the venue at reasonable speeds.

This place gets a big meh.
It’s basically a tennis stadium retrofitted into a concert space. What that means is that the sound system sucks, and acoustics are terrible. If you want to come here for a loud rock show, prepare for muffled sound.
Seating isn’t the most comfortable (back-​less hard benches).
I was there for the Modest Mouse/​Brand New concert, and Heineken was there as a sponsor. It was only them and I think one or two other beer vendors, so not much choice. Booze and food was relatively expensive. Bottle of water was $ 4.
There were long lines for the porta-​potties.
Also, Forest Hills has a curfew, so shows have to start early and they have to clear out by 10.

I read the older reviews about the venue before going to the Brand New + Modest Mouse show so I would know what to expect. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. However, to my surprise, I had a delightful experience! Apparently the venue had been renovated, so I can’t really compare how it was before to how it is now.
Getting into the place is some sort of a trek, and lines for getting bracelets for alcohol were somewhat unorganized. Other than that, I have no major complaints.
I think every seat in the stadium is a good seat. I sat in portal 6 lower bowl 12 and had a great view of the stage. I would come here for a show again.

I just saw Zac Brown Band at this stadium and although this show was one of the BEST concerts I have ever attended, the stadium was an epic fail. The nonsense started when everyone had to line up down a long narrow block to have their tickets scanned and then make a sharp left through a narrow gate to enter the actual stadium grounds. Once inside the gate, there was security checking IDs and issuing wristbands that were required if you wanted to buy beer. There were no signs advertising this policy and when waiting for beer, multiple people were turned away after waiting on a 15 – 20 min line because they didn’t have a wristband. All of these people were well over 21 and were attempting to show the beer stand staff their ID but were still turned away. The stadium only offered Heineken, which is an odd choice and charged $ 8 for the honor of drinking it.
We had reserved seating in the «lower bowl» which is an appropriate name for this shitty venue. To access our seats, we had to walk up a narrow staircase, with security checking everyone’s tickets at the bottom and top of the staircase. This created yet another unnecessary bottleneck and it took us almost 20 mins in line to get up the stairs. The seats themselves are nothing more than aluminum bleachers with numbered labels spaced every few inches. The ushers had no idea where the sections were located and many people were wandering around trying to find the correct seat.
Now, on to the worst part of this fiasco, the bathroom situation. There are NO bathrooms located anywhere on the stadium grounds. Instead, multiple porta-​potty «gardens» of 5 – 15 shitters were set up around the stadium. These porta-​potties had no staff attending to them, and lines easily stretched 20 – 30 mins to take a leak. The inside of both units I used during the concert were absolutely disgusting, even for a porta-​potty, with no toilet paper and garbage all over the floor. Keep in mind there was no place to wash your hands afterwards.
All in all, I would NEVER attend another event here. As is said earlier, ZBB was incredible, as were the majority of other concertgoers. Everyone was polite and patient and seemed to be trying to make the best out of the situation Stadium management put us in. Tickets were not any cheaper than Jones Beach or PNC Arts Center and for the price this venue charged, they should either knock the place down and start over, or get out of the concert business.