Maspeth

By: Josue Carreno

Maspeth, “Home of heroes” and crossroads of both Brooklyn and Queens, is my home. I was born in Brooklyn, but it’s in this small “Queens” community where I hang my hat. I use quotation marks because there are a good number of streets that have no identity as far as what Borough they pertain to! I guess you can say, we have the best of both worlds! From the thriving and continually changing neighborhoods of Bushwick and Williamsburg to the west, to the slavically and hispanically diverse neighborhood of Ridgewood to the south, Maspeth is conveniently located between them, broadening your options for a weekend activity to say the least. Though Maspeth is dwarfed in popularity by it’s surrounding neighborhoods, it’s the smaller things here that gives it its charm. O’neills Bar and Grill, for example, is our pride and glory. Seldom few places in New York City offer better hot wings at such moderate prices. If it’s good enough for super-stars like Derek Jeter to make the trek from The Bronx, then they’re doing something right! Now, back to my opening sentence, there’s a reason Maspeth is called “Home of Heroes”. Did you know that our local Firehouse’s casualties from the World Trade Center attacks on September 11^th, 2001 were the largest of any FDNY unit? That’s something I am eternally grateful for and reverently proud of. I’ve been living here since I was 5 years old, and quite frankly, not much has changed. The neighborhood remains heavily influenced by the polish community. If you’re in the mood for the best pork sausage Poland has to offer (kielbasa), then this is the place for you! Up until my High School years, I attended a Polish-American school. My first crush was a cute, blonde Polish girl, my two best friends were Mariusz and Jaroslav (also Polish), and instead of singing “Happy Birthday” on someone’s special day, we’d sing “Sto lat, sto lat, Niech zyje, zyje nam!” There are also very many Catholic churches for worship around here. As a kid, I recall waking up to church bells every morning before school. So yeah, you get the picture! Though I love this place dearly, it does have its cons. Public Transportation is just as frustrating now as it was back then. Buses, buses and more buses. You’d think after years of delays and cramming people into these vehicles to the point where commuters would ride on the steps of the bus entrance, they’d make a change. The lack of Subway trains in the neighborhood is criminal. On the bright side, my cardio is in good shape thanks to the countless times I’ve ran for any Queens bound buses. Luckily, the Brooklyn bound bus right outside my doorstep is my silver-lining. It’s always on time, and I see it coming through my living room window. This is when I choose to identify myself a little more with Brooklyn. For my favorite slice of pizza, I’m stuck in the middle. Literally. One restaurant is located south of home (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and the other north (North Maspeth). The Brooklyn-Queens and the Long Island Expressways are within equal distance to each other in Maspeth. In fact, they connect here. Though seemingly convenient, they both give me migraines with their intolerable traffic-jams. This is when I refuse to identify myself a New Yorker as a whole.

In conclusion, Maspeth is simply home. It’s seen me grow. The afternoon church bells ring as I wrap this up. A reminder that I must catch the B57 in order to make it to school on time. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”. Maspeth remains the same, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!