The Mayor That Once Lived in Forest Hills

A Spotlight on Two-Time NYC Mayor John Francis Hylan

By Michael Perlman

With much dialogue underway for what may be the most debated mayoral elections, it is time to take a step back to a century ago, and enter the world of a political figure of Forest Hills. Mayor John Francis Hylan (1868 – 1936) resided in a charming stucco early Spanish/Mediterranean Revival home at 2 Olive Place in Forest Hills Gardens, after serving two terms. A graceful approach from Continental Avenue features a curved planting bed accompanied by three flagstone steps, parallel to the house, erected in 1926. In May 1932, The New Yorker reported that two white light globes were installed in front to symbolize Hylan’s terms in office.

Forest Hills is an extensive cultural breeding ground for notables, whose trades,