New York City: Walking and Eating in Queens

A film crew sets up to shoot a scene from Ugly Betty.

It usually comes about 10 minutes into the conversation with a first-time visitor to NYC. We walked so much. It was exhausting.

I wait for it. I celebrate it. I love it. If they don’t say it, they’re not doing the city right.

While I will just smile and nod and allow you your (completely unfortunate) opinion that some other city has better bagels, pizza or baseball teams than New York, I will stomp all over any debate about which city’s denizens (and visitors) walk the most. It is NYC’s extreme walking culture that I love most.

Though there are plenty of made-for-visitors walking tours to choose from, a recommendation: hop the #7 subway out to Queens (and, facing forward on the left side of the train, snag a photo of the city’s best graffiti’d building) and get off at the 74th St-Broadway stop in Jackson Heights.

Oh, go hungry. You’re about to eat your way from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal to Thailand, Korea, and the Philippines, and then, Ireland. It won’t be the prettiest walking tour you’ll ever take; you won’t get a ton of exercise; and, thanks to the elevated subway overhead, it will be one of the loudest. But, on a 15-block walk from Jackson Heights to Woodside, you’ll experience a range of cultures (and their attendant tasty treats) that, unless, of course, you have the time and the money for an around-the-world plane ticket, you just can’t find together anywhere else in the world.

Exit the subway onto 74th Street. If you love glitz, your walking tour may get sidetracked: the street is loaded with shops that sell jewel-colored saris and exquisitely detailed gold jewelry. Or, after some window shopping, start your tasting with a samosa chat at the tiny snack shop attached to Delhi Palace (37-33 74th St.) and then move on to an order of  Tibetan dumplings – momos - in the back of Merit (37-67 74th St.).

You’re pacing yourself, right? Taste. Don’t inhale.

Photos by Jenna Schnuer

Then turn right on Roosevelt Ave. and follow under the elevated subway tracks. Breathe deep and do a few jumping jacks. You’re almost at the next stop: Unidentified Flying Chicken (71-22 Roosevelt Ave.). Space theme aside, this Korean fried chicken spot should not be ignored. At the very least, order a small. And get some pickled radish on the side.

For your next three stops, you’re spared any eating. It’s stocking up (and photo opp) time. The Phil-Am Market (70-02 Roosevelt Ave.) kicks off the Filipino section of the neighborhood. If nothing else, pop in to see the wonderful retro-ish packaging of some of the products. Blocks later, don’t miss a chance to take a photo with the plastic Jollibee mascot (pictured). He’s sweet, right? Then, your next stock-up spot:  SriPraPhai (64-13 39th Ave.). The cases in the front of the restaurant are loaded with Thai snacks. Of course, if you can handle more food right now, grab a table. SriPraPhai is, seriously, one of the best Thai restaurants in NYC. I am flat-out obsessed with the Chinese broccoli and crispy pork. And the curry puffs. And the rest of the menu.

Need a place to tally the calories, er, experiences? Stumble to Donovan’s (57-24 Roosevelt Ave.), a traditional Irish pub that pours a very good beer. Oh, and, well, they also serve a fine hamburger and a tasty shepherd’s pie. (Sorry.)

Maybe a walk back to Manhattan is in order? It’s just under eight miles to Grand Central. And think about all you’ll see!

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Tags: new york city

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under Food, Neighborhoods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.