New York Like a Native
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Jackson Heights (Queens) tour


The most interesting neighborhood in Queens: immigrant mix (Indian, Nepalese, Colombian, Mexican, etc.), a once-planned community of garden apartments, bustling and contested shopping streets, many food options.

Note: we can combine Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, and Long Island City--truncating each--into one "Slice of Queens" introductory tour, probably about 6 hours including a stop for lunch.

Jackson Heights is a big cousin of sorts to Sunnyside: both were planned communities in western Queens. The latter stressed individual houses, while Jackson Heights contains stunning apartments with courtyards ; it was where the garden apartment was pioneered in the United States (and later diminished as the Queensboro Corporation's control waned).

But Jackson Heights is much larger and contains multitudes, including the center of Queens' LGBT life and the arrival of numerous immigrant communities in recent decades, transforming into what some academics call "hyperdiversity." (See this article on the successes, complications, and tensions regarding Diversity Plaza.)

Parts of it are gentrifying/gentrified; others are more working-class, full of street vendors and street life, especially at Diversity Plaza, near the 74th/Broadway subway complex, and along Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard. Roosevelt has many businesses aimed at immigrants, such as travel agencies and money transfer companies. Several nonprofit organizations help immigrants avoid exploitation as workers and tenants.

The neighborhood was depicted in Frederick Wiseman's fascinating 2017 documentary, Jackson Heights, which highlighted "one of the world's most diverse communities." It was the site for the affecting film Maria Full of Grace, about a young Colombian woman who becomes a drug mule and is helped by the local "mayor."

It's also the home of the annual Queens "Momo Crawl," in which attendees can taste--and rate--momos (dumplings) from a variety of Tibetan, Nepalese, and Indian restaurants, food stalls, and food trucks. 

While others'  tours focus on food in Jackson Heights, or the neighborhood's history, architecture, and (mostly private) gardens, I am to bridge the two, with optional food and shopping stops, aiming to give visitors a broader understanding of a large and complex neighborhood. (I'm not the Queens food expert, but you can't ignore food--or snacks--in Jackson Heights.)

It is also the home of activism on behalf of undocumented workers,  street vendors, and LGBT Queens residents (especially Latinos). More soberly, nearby Elmhurst Hospital was "Ground Zero" of the COVID-19 crisis.

Depending on our pace, we may extend slightly beyond the borders of Jackson Heights to see a bit of Woodside to the west, Corona to the east, and Elmhurst to the south--all contributing to the area's ethnic mosaic and offering lower-cost housing.


Distance from Midtown Manhattan: 15-20 minutes via subway

Basic tour length: 2-2.5 hours (see fees), unless combined with other neighborhoods

Starting place: variable

Ending place: variable

Highlights: History, architecture, parks, public institutions, ethnic diversity, food

Before/after/during tour: Eat!

Potential tour extensions with me: Sunnyside or Long Island City, both relatively nearby on the 7 train.


Why I like leading this tour: Jackson Heights can be overwhelming. I aim to make it more legible, and untangle some of the layers.
Contact me
New York Like A Native: Energetic, eclectic tours of Brooklyn & beyond. Experienced guide. Personal service.
  • Home
    • Brooklyn 101 tour >
      • Brooklyn 202 tour
  • Brooklyn tours
    • North & west of Prospect Park >
      • Fort Greene & Clinton Hill tour
      • DUMBO, Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn Heights tour
      • Park Slope tour
      • Brooklyn Bridge (and more) tour
      • Atlantic Avenue & Downtown Brooklyn
      • Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens tour
      • Red Hook tour
    • Williamsburg & north Brooklyn >
      • Williamsburg tour
      • Greenpoint tour
      • Bushwick and East Williamsburg tour
    • Central Brooklyn >
      • Bedford-Stuyvesant tour
      • Crown Heights tour
      • (Not Just) Victorian Flatbush tour
      • Green-Wood Cemetery tour
    • Coney Island and southern Brooklyn >
      • Coney Island Webinar, Virtual Tour, & Resources
      • Coney Island (& Brighton Beach) tour
      • Sunset Park tour
      • Bensonhurst tour
      • Bay Ridge tour
    • Jewish, food, and Xmas lights tours >
      • Jewish Neighborhood Tours
      • Food, dessert, ice cream tours
      • Dyker Heights Christmas Lights tour
    • Moving to Brooklyn/layover tours >
      • Moving to/Studying in/Retiring in Brooklyn
      • Airport/Cruise/Layover tours in Brooklyn
    • Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park/Barclays Center
  • Beyond Brooklyn
    • Jackson Heights tour
    • Lower East Side tour
    • Long Island City tour
    • Ridgewood tour
    • Sunnyside & LIC East
  • About your guide
  • Fees/Schedule/FAQ
    • Fees for private tours
    • Schedule
    • FAQ
    • Vehicle and custom tours
    • Tours for classes
    • Resources on Brooklyn
    • How to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Contact me/Book
  • Blog