At NabeWise we can’t think of a better way to get the feel for neighborhoods than to simply walk around for a few hours, taking in the sights, smells and sounds. So a few days ago we went exploring in Jackson Heights, Queens.
NabeWise tech dream-team & friends.
Getting off the train at Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights, you take a step back about 100 years to the time of the el, the elevated train tracks built before 1913 to usher in the era of “rapid” transit. There are only a few neighborhoods (Brighton Beach, Jackson Heights) in New York where a visitor can see (and hear!) the noisy, massive construction that tends to block out most of the sunlight along the lucky avenue. In the case of Jackson Heights, the avenue to win the lottery is Roosevelt.
To walk along Roosevelt is to travel through Southeast Asia and the Middle East by way of Latin America. The abundance of languages spoken in the diverse neighborhood is astonishing even for New York. Spanish entwines with Hindi, crosses over to Arabic, runs back across the street to Greek, and that’s not to mention the Eastern European representative bloc. With mildly hungry stomachs and a looming indecision on where to eat, we decided to explore a bit more of the neighborhood before we stuffed ourselves with some fancy international fare.
QueensFlea, Jackson Heights
Without a set itinerary, we headed over to QueensFlea, a flea market at P.S. 69Q school yard, between 37th Ave. & Roosevelt Ave. Among the colorful beach umbrellas covering the merchandise (and the vendors) from the summer sun, everything from vintage clothing to vegetables is waiting to be picked, haggled over, and finally sold to you.
QueensFlea, Jackson Heights
QueensFlea, Jackson Heights
Garden City Trail, Jackson Heights
With lunch money quickly running out, we tore ourselves from QueensFlea to walk over to the Jackson Heights Garden City Trail. Mostly hidden from view by the surrounding buildings, the private gardens are part of the Garden City Movement, an effort begun circa 1900 to create a planned, self-contained green spaces in urban areas. Similar to the exclusive Gramercy Park in Manhattan, entry is restricted to property owners around the garden’s perimeter. With no private invitation forthcoming, we resorted to just enjoy walking around this leafy, more affluent part of the neighborhood.
Garden City Trail, Jackson Heights
If Jackson Heights can be summed up as an exercise in international relations, then food is the primary negotiator at the table. It’s everywhere; in every variation of spicy, mild, vegetarian, meat-stuffed, raw, and cooked to perfection. Since Indian is the cuisine of choice for the NabeWise team, we decided to head over to Jackson Diner on 74th St. at 37th Ave. for some buffet-style Indian plates. The food was awesome, and the common adage is certainly true here: “when you see natives eat it, then you know it’s good.”
Indian Food at Jackson Heights Diner
Stuffed, satisfied, and penniless, we thought this was an appropriate time to hop back on the train to head home. We’re already planning our next field trip to explore more neighborhoods in, and around, New York. Email us with tips, ideas, or recommendations on where the NabeWise team should go next!
