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36 Hours in Queens, New York

By: Anahi Rodriguez

Founded in 1683, Queens is the nation’s fourth most populous and the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world. Queens is made up of cultures ranging from American, Hispanic, Greek, Asian and so much more, which makes it very unique. Despite its large size and cultural attributes, as travelers make their way to New York they quickly overflow Manhattan for it’s bright buildings and crowded streets, Queens remains nearly untouched. With it being so big, there are a variety of things to do and try, such as diverse cuisines and iconic attractions.

Friday

1. 2:30pm. Explore Main Street, Flushing

As you exit the Flushing-Main Street train station, after sitting in the 7 train for about 20 minutes, the sound of Asian dialects increases. Main Street is surrounded by local vendors, stores, food and noise. In terms of food options, it’s practically endless here. Some of the best Pork Buns are just a two minute walk, located in The Good Fortune Supermarket. You can get three freshly made pork buns for $2.00 from Dumpling Galaxy. The market not only has Pork Buns but has bowls of Pho, Dumplings, Ramen, Sushi and more. There are also more food markets that offer much more food such as The New York Food Court and The Food Hall at Queens Crossing Then, about a five minute walk you end up at The Shops at Sky view Center, which has stores ranging from Target to Bed Bath & Beyond, in case you are in need of any important essentials. Aside from the mall, Main Street is surrounded by stores like Macy’s, Footlocker, Rainbow and Modell’s.

2. 4:30pm Flushing Meadow Park

Just a 10 minute walk from Main Street, you reach one end of the Flushing Meadows Park, which is the fourth largest public park in New York City. This park holds the iconic Unisphere, which was initially built because the park was supposed to be a Disney amusement park. The park also has the Shea Stadium, Queens Zoo (Adults $8, Seniors $6, Children from ages 3-12 are $5 and Children under 3 years old enter free), New York Hall of Science (Adults $16, Seniors $13, Children $13), the Botanical Garden (Adults $23-$28, Seniors $20-$25 and Children $10-$12), tennis courts and a small golf course (Adults $18.75-$21, Seniors $12-$13 and Children $7-$8, for club rentals $2 each and 3 packs of balls for $6).

3. 5:30pm. Sing your heart out

K-Show is a karaoke place that offers a private room for you and your group to sing along to a wide range of songs. The prices range depending on the size of the room that you want to rent out. For a small room $38, Medium $58, Large $78, VIP $98 and VVIP $138, they all include one or more food item. Aside from the free food item, you can order small food portions and drinks that you can enjoy as you watch your friends and family sing.

4. 7:00pm. Xiang Hot Pot

Located in the New World Mall, this hot pot restaurant has been serving high quality food since 2003. Some of the classic food items are sliced beef, pork, chicken, seafood, dumplings,tofu, mushrooms, eggs and more. For a two pot combo it cost $20 and the price increases depending on them more meats and spices you order.

5. 9:00pm. Never too late for Bubble Tea

Flushing is surround by various of bubble tea shops but this one in particular always has a line. After eating a lovely meal and as your heading back to your hotel, you can stop by Coco to order some bubble tea that range from$5-$10 depending on what you order.

Saturday

6. 10:00am. Astoria Park

A great way to kick start your morning is simply walk around Astoria park and enjoy the tall green trees, the sound of birds chirping, the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and looking out to the view of Manhattan. If your feeling more in the active spirit, you can go on a jog/run around the track, play soccer on the newly developed soccer filed or walk around the outer area of the track and try out the exercise equipment. No matter what you do, you will enjoy the scenery and openness that Astoria Park has to offer.

7. 12:00pm. Time for Lunch

After enjoying a wonderful walk around Astoria Park, head towards Crescent Street to eat at the iconic Crescent Kitchen for lunch. This mini diner offers various types of diner foods that anyone can enjoy for reasonable prices. For instance, the burgers served with fries, coleslaw and pickles is only about $5-$10. Their signature Philly Cheese Steak with sliced steak, melted mozzarella cheese and rich caramelized onions in only $7

8. 2:00pm. Chip

Chip offers some of the softest and most delicious cookies that keeps you wanting more, which explains why they constantly have a long line that can wrap around the corner! You can enjoy a variety of cookies ranging from chocolate chip, white chocolate with raisins, funfetti and more but some flavors are only available on specific days so visit https://www.chipnewyorkcity.com/ to make sure you go on a day that offers your favorite flavor. The cookies can range from $3 to $4. Chip also sells some warm delicious drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate.

9. 3:30pm. Steinway

In the mood for more shopping? Steinway is the place to go. As you walk down the long streets of Steinway, you can stumble upon stores you know and may not know. There are stores that range from Footlocker, antique shops, pet stores, Gap, Express, Bath and Body Works, Payless and much more. You will find yourself going into every store and finding something new in each one of them. Aside from the clothing shops, Steinway also has shops that offer a wide range of food options such as pizza, sandwiches, chicken, bagels, Hispanic food and many more. Walking around Steinway is also very relaxing and entertaining.

10. 6:00pm. Gyro World

After you have done all that walking and shopping through Steinway, you can make a stop at Gyro World. Gyro World offers some of the best Gyros you can find in New York City, you will never find this shop empty or not upbeat. The welcoming employees make you feel right at home and are willing to always help if you have any question or concerned about the food. The delicious gyros, range from $6-$10. The gyros are reasonable prices and are a pretty decent price. The rich and yummy spices that seep through, are to die for.

11. 8:30pm. Viva Viva

What a long and eventful day, it’s time to wind down and enjoy the company of friends and family, Viva Viva is a newly opened but popular taqueria cantina (taco place). This cantina has such a lively ambiance that brings everyone together. If you don’t want or are not at the legal age to drink, you can enjoy their non alcoholic beverages that are all infused by fruits of your liking, which makes them very yummy. For the alcoholic drinks, there are a range of cocktails, sangrias, margaritas and wines. Overall, the drinks range from $8 to $15. Then food wise, the cantina offers delicious tacos with roasted pork and pineapple, grilled steak, fish and chicken that range from $3.74 to $4 each.

Sunday

12. 10:00pm. Socrates Sculpture Park

As you walk through the park, you feel the cool breeze from the river. People are laying on the grass, walking their dogs or dancing to music. There’s various of art pieces scattered around the park. Socrates Sculpture Park offers land for local artist to display their artwork. The art pieces range in size, color and meaning. Sometimes there are some art pieces that can seem kinda funny or odd but once you actually analyze them and read the description, you realize the deeper meaning of each sculpture.

13. 12:20pm. MoMA PS1

While in the spirit of looking and critically analyzing art, you can make your way to the MoMA. This art museum has various exhibitions that has colorful, dark, odd, fascinating art pieces that you can find just anywhere. The MoMA really creates a space for true artist to showcase their unique artistic expressions. The MoMA also has different events and festivals that are open to the public but cost $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. This art museum is very intriguing and such a hotspot for tourist and locals.

Lodging

1. The Z New York City Hotel is located in 11-01 43rd Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101. This hotel has a very simplistic and elegant feel through its white, black, red color scheme. This hotel has a large lobby that has a sitting area that consists of leather couches and has a rustic vibe. This hotel offers free breakfast and a spa. A typical night this hotel with a queen bed cost about $330 and for king sized bed, it costs about $395.
2. The Collective Paper Factory is located 37-06 36th St, Long Island City, NY 11101. This hotel has pops of color through their decor and structure. The hotel incorporates wood and metals to create a rustic but modern vibe throughout the hotel, A lot of the rooms are really big and has their own color scheme but they seem to sick with darker and neutral colors. This hotel offers a business center and a spa for their guests. Each night, at this hotel with a superior queen bed is about $193 and for a king sized bed, it cost about $202 each night,

Sources:

1. Queens. (2019, December 6). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens.

2. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. (2019, November 14). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flushing_Meadows–Corona_Park.

3. Sing Karaoke @Kshow KTV™: Enjoy a Private Karaoke‎ in Flushing NYC. (2019, September 5). Retrieved from https://www.kshowktv.com/.

4. America’s Finest Hotpot Dining Experience. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://xianghotpot.com/.

5. Our Menu – CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice New York. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cocobubbletea.com/menu/.

6. Astoria Park. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/astoria-park.

7. Chip New York City: Cookie Menu: Bakery Locations. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.chipnewyorkcity.com/.

8. Viva Viva: Taqueria & Cantina. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.vivavivanyc.com/.

9. Socrates Sculpture Park. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://socratessculpturepark.org/.

10. MoMA PS1. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/ps1.

11. Z NYC Hotel in Long Island City. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.zhotelny.com/.

12. the collective paper factory. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thecollective.com/locations/paper-factory

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