Jackson Heights, The Most Diverse Neighborhood in NYC

Wanda at The Black Dress Traveler often posts her NYC picks for the upcoming weekend. Her choice of a Indian walking and tasting tour of Jackson Heights this Sunday gives me a great excuse to share more of my NYC trip pics...

Let's head to Jackson Heights, Queens, the most diverse neighborhood in all New York City...

{5th Ave to Queens}

I stayed in Jackson Heights with my sister-in-law, Italian brother-in-law and my wonderful little niece and nephew while I was at my jewelry conference. It's an E or F train out of Manhattan. The subway travels under the East River. (Always amazed a river is flowing above me!)

{a great time to sit and relax on the train in the evening, but prepare to stand during morning rush!}

{37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, Queens}

The streets of Jackson Heights are so much fun to stroll, listening to neighbors speaking thirty different languages. Two-thirds of Jackson Heights residents are born abroad.

{evening at the Trade Fair grocery}

Open-air displays of fruits and veggies. You can choose from not one, but many different types of oranges. I chose some tiny sweet ones for breakfast the next day.

{the good buys}

 My Puerto Rican mother-in-law always finds the produce so much cheaper in Queens then where she lives in Westchester County!

{I would have explored every aisle if I had more time}

So many different types of ethnic foods in the grocery stores. Are these corn and cheese cakes? Let me know if you know what "arepas" are...

{shop filled with colorful Indian Saris}

Those in-the-know head out of Manhattan (including my clothing designer friend Antoinette) to dine in Jackson Height's well-regarded Indian restaurants. You'll also find more amazing South Asian restaurants (Nepalese, Himalayan...) as well as distinct Latin American eateries and street carts representing Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, El Salvador, and Mexico.

Here's the full scoop on The Black Dress Traveler's weekend pick:

Indian Culinary Center: Jackson Heights Walking & Tasting Tour
Sunday, April 10. 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. $40
Explore the culinary delights of Jackson Heights with Geetika Khanna, founder of the Indian Culinary Center. Start your day with an authentic Indian breakfast with Masala chai and then visit stores that sell gold jewelry, saris and music. Stock up on exotic ingredients at a large Indian grocery store and get great deals on spices, veggies, and snacks. The adventure ends with a traditional Indian lunch. 

Next week we'll head off the bustling commercial streets of Roosevelt Ave and 37th Street to the quieter residential 35th Street. I'll show you the stately architecture of Jackson Height's pre-war brick garden co-op apartments in Jackson Heights: Part II!

Loretta
Have you been to Queens? Tell me about it!