He Lives In His Own Heaven — Collects It To Go From The 7-Eleven

How suburban is Forest Hills? Forest Hills is so suburban that local leaders are less worried about maintaining a Jane Jacobs-friendly 24-hour block watch than they are fearful about teenagers congregating until all hours at a proposed 7-Eleven:

Workers are renovating the former Ash-By Cleaners site at 101-04 Metropolitan Ave. and plan to hand it over to 7-Eleven management in late May or early June, according to Maureen Abdelnour, a consultant for the convenience store chain.

The likely franchisee and his wife have operated another 7-Eleven in Queens for four years and are “very successful and well respected,” Abdelnour said.

Local residents aren’t convinced. When Ash-By closed a year ago and the 7-Eleven rumors began circulating, Forest Hills civic leaders tried to contact the company to find out what would happen. The chain never returned their calls.

. . .

The surprise opening added to initial fears that the 24-hour, seven-days-a-week store would be out of place on a strip where most establishments close by early evening.

Leslie Brown, executive director of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, worried that troublemakers might loiter outside the store, bringing unwanted noise.

“We know that change happens,” Brown said, “but it’d be nice to see a mom-and-pop type of store or restaurant move into that space that would maybe draw a different kind of customer.”

7-Eleven insisted it’s coming in prepared.

Spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said the chain will focus its lights on the parking lot, not nearby residents’ homes, and work with local police to prevent other problems.

The chain also has an especially creative way of deterring loiterers by “piping in music that might not be so popular,” Chabris said.