April Fool's Day

This neighborhood used to have a large number of Irish and Italian immigrants. These days, Northern Blvd is an extension of Koreatown, originating at Main Street in downtown Flushing. Increasingly prosperous Chinese and Korean buyers are dominating the housing market. 


Last year on April 1st, my sister-in-law's husband drove a "For Sale by Owner" sign into the grass in the front yard of my in-law's house. When my father-in-law got home from work he took it down, but the front door was already framed on every edge with tucked in realtor's cards. The old answering machine was already filled with messages and there was a steady stream of interested buyers, like trick or treaters, at the front door for days.