Trip Report from Queens, New York
Oct 15th, 2002 | 02:46 PM
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Trip Report from Queens, New York
This past weekend (Oct 12-14) we visited New York City. On each trip to NYC, I try to spend part of a day exploring a neighborhood/area of the city I've never been before. In the past, I've explored Washington Heights/Inwood (Upper Manhattan), Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and Ditmas Park (all in Brooklyn).
This trip, I decided to head out and explore some of the neighborhoods of Queens. Queens is more spread out than either Manhattan or Brooklyn, and it usually requires taking the bus or subway between areas of interest.
We started out by riding the Q32 bus from Manhattan, across the Queensboro Bridge. It takes much longer than taking the subway, but you get a sense of the flavor of the area at ground level. In fact, I've found the MTA buses to be one of the best ways to travel around New York (yes, they are slow and should be avoided at rush hour but they give you great views, and they are CHEAP).
The first part of Queens you enter, around Queensboro Plaza, is fairly gritty. Not much pedestrian traffic, and a lot of car repair-type businesses. Plus, there is a maze of elevated lines overhead, carrying trains from Manhattan to Astoria and Flushing. The Q32 continues onto Queens Blvd, paralleling the #7-Flushing train. The streetscape becomes more interesting after you cross over the railroad tracks. This neighborhood is called Sunnyside, but we didn't get out to explore on foot. There seemed to be a fair amount of retail along Queens Blvd, and off on the side streets.
The bus veers onto Roosevelt Blvd, still under the #7 train. This is a narrower street than Queens Blvd, and even with the elevated train rumbling overhead seems to be fairly busy. We got off the bus at 74th Street, in the heart of Jackson Heights. This has to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods I've ever seen. Along Roosevelt are mostly restaurants, bars and small retail stores, primarily catering to the Hispanic community.
74th Street however, is the epicenter of New York's Indian community. We happened to hit it on the day of the annual Hindu festival, so the street was shut down for a few blocks and was jam-packed. There are a number of restaurants on this stretch. We chose one that looked particularly good. I don't know if I've ever had a better Indian buffet lunch (which also substituted for dinner). And all for $7.50!! I agree, most Indian buffet lunches can be disappointing, but this was AMAZING!! It's also spicier than most Indian fare you'll encounter.
After lunch, we walked around the festival area for a bit, and then headed a few blocks north along 74th. It quickly turns into a quiet residential area, with tidy two and a half storey homes abutting each other, mixed among larger 6-10 storey early-century apartment buildings (including a few Art Deco beauties) which looked to be in great shape. The one drawback to this area (as far as living, anyway) was the constant roar of planes overhead, landing at Laguardia.
We headed east for a few blocks along 34th Avenue, a tree-lined street with a very nice planted median. Most of the buildings on this stretch were the 6-10 storey apartment buildings. In the few blocks we walked in this area, it was quite clear that the residential make-up of the area was VERY mixed: Hispanics, Indians, Asians and Whites were all apparent.
(continued in next post...)
This trip, I decided to head out and explore some of the neighborhoods of Queens. Queens is more spread out than either Manhattan or Brooklyn, and it usually requires taking the bus or subway between areas of interest.
We started out by riding the Q32 bus from Manhattan, across the Queensboro Bridge. It takes much longer than taking the subway, but you get a sense of the flavor of the area at ground level. In fact, I've found the MTA buses to be one of the best ways to travel around New York (yes, they are slow and should be avoided at rush hour but they give you great views, and they are CHEAP).
The first part of Queens you enter, around Queensboro Plaza, is fairly gritty. Not much pedestrian traffic, and a lot of car repair-type businesses. Plus, there is a maze of elevated lines overhead, carrying trains from Manhattan to Astoria and Flushing. The Q32 continues onto Queens Blvd, paralleling the #7-Flushing train. The streetscape becomes more interesting after you cross over the railroad tracks. This neighborhood is called Sunnyside, but we didn't get out to explore on foot. There seemed to be a fair amount of retail along Queens Blvd, and off on the side streets.
The bus veers onto Roosevelt Blvd, still under the #7 train. This is a narrower street than Queens Blvd, and even with the elevated train rumbling overhead seems to be fairly busy. We got off the bus at 74th Street, in the heart of Jackson Heights. This has to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods I've ever seen. Along Roosevelt are mostly restaurants, bars and small retail stores, primarily catering to the Hispanic community.
74th Street however, is the epicenter of New York's Indian community. We happened to hit it on the day of the annual Hindu festival, so the street was shut down for a few blocks and was jam-packed. There are a number of restaurants on this stretch. We chose one that looked particularly good. I don't know if I've ever had a better Indian buffet lunch (which also substituted for dinner). And all for $7.50!! I agree, most Indian buffet lunches can be disappointing, but this was AMAZING!! It's also spicier than most Indian fare you'll encounter.
After lunch, we walked around the festival area for a bit, and then headed a few blocks north along 74th. It quickly turns into a quiet residential area, with tidy two and a half storey homes abutting each other, mixed among larger 6-10 storey early-century apartment buildings (including a few Art Deco beauties) which looked to be in great shape. The one drawback to this area (as far as living, anyway) was the constant roar of planes overhead, landing at Laguardia.
We headed east for a few blocks along 34th Avenue, a tree-lined street with a very nice planted median. Most of the buildings on this stretch were the 6-10 storey apartment buildings. In the few blocks we walked in this area, it was quite clear that the residential make-up of the area was VERY mixed: Hispanics, Indians, Asians and Whites were all apparent.
(continued in next post...)
Oct 15th, 2002 | 02:54 PM
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(Part 2, continued from previous post)
We walked back to Roosevelt, and explored the heavily Hispanic influenced retail strip under the elevated. Then, we decided to ride the #7 train out to Flushing. The ethnic make-up of the riders on this line attests to the diversity of Northern Queens. Along the way, the train passes Shea Stadium (home of the New York Mets baseball team), the National Tennis Center (home of the US Open), and the Unisphere (leftover from the World's Fair). Finally, the train dives underground to the terminal at Main Street, Flushing.
As you exit the station, it is clear that you're in the middle of a VERY busy downtown of sorts. But in this case, most of the businesses cater directly to the Asian population of Queens. Both Chinese and Korean store signs are evident (and if I knew more about Asian culture, I might have been able to spot others). It's a little surreal to see Old Navy located in the midst of all this. I'm also sure, that you wouldn't have to walk more than a few feet after exiting the station to find amazing Chinese or Korean food (but we weren't hungry, and I'm personally not a big fan of Chinese fare).
After about a half-hour walking tour, we headed back west on the #7 train to visit the neighborhood of Corona. Exiting the train at 111th St, we walked toward 108th. I'd heard that 108th is a fairly busy Hispanic retail strip. As it was fairly late, there wasn't too much activity going on.
We walked south, and the area became a little desolate. We hopped on the Q23 bus heading south. We passed through some more vibrant areas, especially around 55th Ave or so. After passing the Long Island Expressway, 108th Street enters another small, busy retail strip. I'd heard that this area had a fair amount of stores run by and for Eastern European Jews. There were definitely some delis and stores catering to the Jewish population.
We continued on the bus, past many 6-10 storey apartment buildings, similar to the ones in Jackson Heights. Again, they were all in wonderful condition. This is part of the Forest Hills neighborhood. We got off the bus at Queens Blvd, and walked along Austin St (one street south/west of Queens Blvd). This is very clearly the retail center for this part of Queens. There is not nearly the same diversity in this area as in the previous Queens neighborhoods we visited. Forest Hills is one of the most affluent (and whitest) of Queens' neighborhoods. The retail district contains such staples of American culture as Starbucks (at least 2), Dunkin Donuts, Gap, Banana Republic, Body Shop, TGI Friday's, etc. After you cross the railway tracks, you enter a faux-Tudor village, with both apartments (or maybe office space) and huge, detached single-family homes on large lots. It gets very classically "suburban", although it certainly looks like it would be a very pleasant and peaceful area to walk.
By the time we were done, it was after dark. We hopped on the E train for the express (only 3 stops) ride back to Manhattan. For navigating the trip I just used the MTA Queens bus map, available on most Queens buses, many Queens subway stations and at the Transit Store in Grand Central Terminal, in the Shuttle Passage.
On future trips, I'd like to explore Astoria, Long Island City, Elmhurst and Jamaica. Does anyone have any helpful hints for any of these areas? And I'd love to hear your comments on my trip.
We walked back to Roosevelt, and explored the heavily Hispanic influenced retail strip under the elevated. Then, we decided to ride the #7 train out to Flushing. The ethnic make-up of the riders on this line attests to the diversity of Northern Queens. Along the way, the train passes Shea Stadium (home of the New York Mets baseball team), the National Tennis Center (home of the US Open), and the Unisphere (leftover from the World's Fair). Finally, the train dives underground to the terminal at Main Street, Flushing.
As you exit the station, it is clear that you're in the middle of a VERY busy downtown of sorts. But in this case, most of the businesses cater directly to the Asian population of Queens. Both Chinese and Korean store signs are evident (and if I knew more about Asian culture, I might have been able to spot others). It's a little surreal to see Old Navy located in the midst of all this. I'm also sure, that you wouldn't have to walk more than a few feet after exiting the station to find amazing Chinese or Korean food (but we weren't hungry, and I'm personally not a big fan of Chinese fare).
After about a half-hour walking tour, we headed back west on the #7 train to visit the neighborhood of Corona. Exiting the train at 111th St, we walked toward 108th. I'd heard that 108th is a fairly busy Hispanic retail strip. As it was fairly late, there wasn't too much activity going on.
We walked south, and the area became a little desolate. We hopped on the Q23 bus heading south. We passed through some more vibrant areas, especially around 55th Ave or so. After passing the Long Island Expressway, 108th Street enters another small, busy retail strip. I'd heard that this area had a fair amount of stores run by and for Eastern European Jews. There were definitely some delis and stores catering to the Jewish population.
We continued on the bus, past many 6-10 storey apartment buildings, similar to the ones in Jackson Heights. Again, they were all in wonderful condition. This is part of the Forest Hills neighborhood. We got off the bus at Queens Blvd, and walked along Austin St (one street south/west of Queens Blvd). This is very clearly the retail center for this part of Queens. There is not nearly the same diversity in this area as in the previous Queens neighborhoods we visited. Forest Hills is one of the most affluent (and whitest) of Queens' neighborhoods. The retail district contains such staples of American culture as Starbucks (at least 2), Dunkin Donuts, Gap, Banana Republic, Body Shop, TGI Friday's, etc. After you cross the railway tracks, you enter a faux-Tudor village, with both apartments (or maybe office space) and huge, detached single-family homes on large lots. It gets very classically "suburban", although it certainly looks like it would be a very pleasant and peaceful area to walk.
By the time we were done, it was after dark. We hopped on the E train for the express (only 3 stops) ride back to Manhattan. For navigating the trip I just used the MTA Queens bus map, available on most Queens buses, many Queens subway stations and at the Transit Store in Grand Central Terminal, in the Shuttle Passage.
On future trips, I'd like to explore Astoria, Long Island City, Elmhurst and Jamaica. Does anyone have any helpful hints for any of these areas? And I'd love to hear your comments on my trip.
Oct 15th, 2002 | 05:58 PM
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Thanks for a very interesting report James. I came across your other trip report on Brooklyn just the other day and was really fascinated by it. I only wished that I had read it prior to my last trip to NYC in July/August so that I would have been encouraged to be a bit more adventurous in my wonderings around NYC - but next time for sure.
Oct 16th, 2002 | 08:55 AM
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James:
Great report!
I am embarrassed to say that you've seen more of Queens, than I and I grew up in Richmond Hill.!!
It's great to see folks will venture from Manhattan to see the rest of NYC.
And all the subway lines eventually end up back in Manhattan! So now no worry about not being able to get back home.
Come and enjoy our great city again soon!
Great report!
I am embarrassed to say that you've seen more of Queens, than I and I grew up in Richmond Hill.!!
It's great to see folks will venture from Manhattan to see the rest of NYC.
And all the subway lines eventually end up back in Manhattan! So now no worry about not being able to get back home.
Come and enjoy our great city again soon!
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Oct 21st, 2002 | 07:26 PM
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James,
Another fine report and I second John's point that you do a nice job of capturing the tone of the areas you visit.
Re: your future visits.
Astoria will live up to it's billing for all things Greek. And so easy. Just walk down Astoria Blvd.
LI City may be somewhat of a letdown being mostly industrial (Queens Plaza is in LI City) but I've heard (not seen) that there is a degree of gentrification going on there - don't know if that's good or bad.
Elmhurst too might not be worth a trip as it's a lot of 50s' apartment buildings but does have a vibrant Latino community.
Haven't been thru there in a couple of years so YMMV.
Jamaica. Now that's an up and coming area w/a large Caribbean community and a great weekend food/general merchandise market. You want hot sauce, they got hot sauce.
Last but not least, and I suggested you try this area when you were planning your Brooklyn trip, try Greenpoint (just south of LI City - take the dreaded G train from Queens Plaza to Greenpoint Ave stop). This is a great Polish community w/an interesting mix of European and new world style of architecture along Manhattan Ave. and the side streets. Take a walk down Kent St going west from Manhattan Ave towards the river and see some of the best of the old and new world in the buildings and... you'll see where I played stick ball when we went to visit my grandparents. To get a feel for the area, it's best visited on a Friday day/evening or Saturday morning.
And John is right, you do have to do "da Bronx" some day.
Another fine report and I second John's point that you do a nice job of capturing the tone of the areas you visit.
Re: your future visits.
Astoria will live up to it's billing for all things Greek. And so easy. Just walk down Astoria Blvd.
LI City may be somewhat of a letdown being mostly industrial (Queens Plaza is in LI City) but I've heard (not seen) that there is a degree of gentrification going on there - don't know if that's good or bad.
Elmhurst too might not be worth a trip as it's a lot of 50s' apartment buildings but does have a vibrant Latino community.
Haven't been thru there in a couple of years so YMMV.
Jamaica. Now that's an up and coming area w/a large Caribbean community and a great weekend food/general merchandise market. You want hot sauce, they got hot sauce.
Last but not least, and I suggested you try this area when you were planning your Brooklyn trip, try Greenpoint (just south of LI City - take the dreaded G train from Queens Plaza to Greenpoint Ave stop). This is a great Polish community w/an interesting mix of European and new world style of architecture along Manhattan Ave. and the side streets. Take a walk down Kent St going west from Manhattan Ave towards the river and see some of the best of the old and new world in the buildings and... you'll see where I played stick ball when we went to visit my grandparents. To get a feel for the area, it's best visited on a Friday day/evening or Saturday morning.
And John is right, you do have to do "da Bronx" some day.
Oct 21st, 2002 | 09:23 PM
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To me, New York is the most fascinating city in the world. I mean, I've visited at least a dozen times and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface.
Thank you so much for all your suggestions MJ!! I'm still kind of working up the courage to visit the Bronx ;-) I definitely want to check out the Grand Concourse. It sounds like a masterpiece of urban planning (yes, I understand it's fallen into a bit of disrepair). And i ADORE Art Deco, so I'm looking forward to checking out the apartment buildings. I'm thinking I may just take the bus that runs most of the length of it.
There are still a GREAT many Brooklyn neighborhoods I want to visit too. (Greenpoint, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Flatbush).
Most people must think I'm crazy, but I love cities and exploring the neighborhoods and infrastructure that hold the city together.
By the way, the Forgotten New York website had a couple of features that made two "out of the way" neighborhoods look somewhat interesting, Mott Haven:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/motthaven/mott.html
and East New York:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/eastnygardens/oases.html
Still, I think I'll do a little more research before I venture to some of these places.
I asked before, but I'll ask again: are there any areas of the Bronx that would be interesting to check out? Everyone says Belmont. And Riverdale sounds nice, but fairly boring.
Thanks again ;-)
Thank you so much for all your suggestions MJ!! I'm still kind of working up the courage to visit the Bronx ;-) I definitely want to check out the Grand Concourse. It sounds like a masterpiece of urban planning (yes, I understand it's fallen into a bit of disrepair). And i ADORE Art Deco, so I'm looking forward to checking out the apartment buildings. I'm thinking I may just take the bus that runs most of the length of it.
There are still a GREAT many Brooklyn neighborhoods I want to visit too. (Greenpoint, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Flatbush).
Most people must think I'm crazy, but I love cities and exploring the neighborhoods and infrastructure that hold the city together.
By the way, the Forgotten New York website had a couple of features that made two "out of the way" neighborhoods look somewhat interesting, Mott Haven:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/motthaven/mott.html
and East New York:
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/eastnygardens/oases.html
Still, I think I'll do a little more research before I venture to some of these places.
I asked before, but I'll ask again: are there any areas of the Bronx that would be interesting to check out? Everyone says Belmont. And Riverdale sounds nice, but fairly boring.
Thanks again ;-)
Oct 22nd, 2002 | 08:21 AM
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Hi Anthony:
Thanks for the info, it's only from people like you that i learn about these places
Now, is Arthur Ave the same thing as Belmont? I seem to remember reading somewhere that the main retail strip in Belmont is Arthur Ave. Can someone confirm this?
Looking at the Bronx bus map, the only Arthur Ave I see is located between 183rd and Fordham Rd. Is this the correct location? Thanks for all your help!!
Thanks for the info, it's only from people like you that i learn about these places
Now, is Arthur Ave the same thing as Belmont? I seem to remember reading somewhere that the main retail strip in Belmont is Arthur Ave. Can someone confirm this? Looking at the Bronx bus map, the only Arthur Ave I see is located between 183rd and Fordham Rd. Is this the correct location? Thanks for all your help!!
Oct 22nd, 2002 | 01:40 PM
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James:
You got it! 187th street and Arthur Avenue is the bullseye! But, it is mostly for food crowd. (check out www.chowhounds.com) I use to live on the Grand Concourse. It was once the 5th avenue of the Bronx! Many, Many art deco bldgs. Take the D-train to 206th street stop and head back down the concourse to Fordham Road. Should see a bunch of Art Deco Bldgs. As a matter of fact, my old apt. bldg. was in an art deco book! 185 east 206th street. Check it out and let me know if it is still standing!
JOHN
You got it! 187th street and Arthur Avenue is the bullseye! But, it is mostly for food crowd. (check out www.chowhounds.com) I use to live on the Grand Concourse. It was once the 5th avenue of the Bronx! Many, Many art deco bldgs. Take the D-train to 206th street stop and head back down the concourse to Fordham Road. Should see a bunch of Art Deco Bldgs. As a matter of fact, my old apt. bldg. was in an art deco book! 185 east 206th street. Check it out and let me know if it is still standing!
JOHN
Oct 24th, 2002 | 06:06 PM
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Sorry if this was brought up already....I only have time to scan messages nowadays.
Is Daize's Italian Restaurant still open in Queens (Sunnyside)? I used to go there with a dear old friend that lived nearby. I love the place and look forward to returning on a future trip.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Is Daize's Italian Restaurant still open in Queens (Sunnyside)? I used to go there with a dear old friend that lived nearby. I love the place and look forward to returning on a future trip.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Oct 25th, 2002 | 07:24 AM
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James you are truly a traveler. I've always felt that you can't know a city until you have walked around it. I get so tired of tourists who think they know New York when they've stayed in Manhattan, taken in a Broadway play and ate at Tavern on the Green.
Kudos to you.
Kudos to you.
Oct 25th, 2002 | 10:56 AM
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James, I love to explore all the nooks and crannies of NYC too and I love to hear your trip reports. As for the Bronx, heading to Riverdale was not boring from my perspective. It is not like visiting the other neighborhoods you have been to in Qns and Bklyn, but it has character too albeit a more suburban feel. There is a garden up there, that I have forgotten the name of, that was beautiful with a lovely view over the Hudson. The major problem with Bronx destinations is they are a lot harder to get to by publich transportation then the other boroughs.
Oct 27th, 2002 | 05:45 PM
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Thanks for your kind words I also love to explore all the areas of New York, there just isn't enough time to see everything, even in the many trips I've taken up to this point.
On our next trip to NYC, we are going to rent a car for the first day and drive around the outer boroughs, checking out some different areas. We might take a swing through Riverdale, just to see it. I was also thinking of driving the Grand Concourse to see the Art Deco apartments, and driving the parkways (Mosholu, Pelham).
Might sound weird, but I've always been very interested in transportation and love seeing different forms (subways, light rail, boulevards, parkways, pedestrian walkways, airports, ferries, tramways, etc). I'd love any other ideas on this theme that people have (for NYC) ;-)
John, I'll try and remember to check out your building if we get near it. Maybe I'll take a photo and scan it or something. ;-) BTW, this trip isn't until mid December, so it'll be a while before I get to it.
For some reason, I have a feeling that in the not-too-distant future, people are going to "rediscover" Grand Concourse and it will become a well known address again. In a city like New York, it just seems that something that beautiful and grand will go unnoticed forever.
Thanks again for everyone's kind words. Maybe I can make some sort of career out of visiting urban neighborhoods and writing trip report or guides or taking people on guided tours.
I also love to explore all the areas of New York, there just isn't enough time to see everything, even in the many trips I've taken up to this point. On our next trip to NYC, we are going to rent a car for the first day and drive around the outer boroughs, checking out some different areas. We might take a swing through Riverdale, just to see it. I was also thinking of driving the Grand Concourse to see the Art Deco apartments, and driving the parkways (Mosholu, Pelham).
Might sound weird, but I've always been very interested in transportation and love seeing different forms (subways, light rail, boulevards, parkways, pedestrian walkways, airports, ferries, tramways, etc). I'd love any other ideas on this theme that people have (for NYC) ;-)
John, I'll try and remember to check out your building if we get near it. Maybe I'll take a photo and scan it or something. ;-) BTW, this trip isn't until mid December, so it'll be a while before I get to it.
For some reason, I have a feeling that in the not-too-distant future, people are going to "rediscover" Grand Concourse and it will become a well known address again. In a city like New York, it just seems that something that beautiful and grand will go unnoticed forever.
Thanks again for everyone's kind words. Maybe I can make some sort of career out of visiting urban neighborhoods and writing trip report or guides or taking people on guided tours.
