March 19, 2024
Lila had been to New York so many times. On her latest visit, she called me and wanted to escape Manhattan. Lila wanted to see some of QUEENS.
Queens is a borough I rarely take people to. WHY? It’s 3.5 times bigger than Manhattan. It’s huge, and the sightseeing “things” are fewer and quite spread out – not ideal for a walking tour. But Lila just wanted to get the feel of the borough and stop for some of those yummy snacks she’d heard Queens was known for. THAT was very doable.
We took the subway to Astoria first to give her a sense of community feel – homes, streets, cafes, people – it had. We also stopped for a nosh at the Greek bakery who made the cake from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then onto Jackson Heights for a stroll through Little India and a coffee at a local shop. We also stopped by the corner of the church where SCRABBLE was invented!!! Look closely at the street sign. Cute tribute, huh? We had planned to check out Flush Meadows Corona Park, where the 1964 World’s Fair was held, but heavy rain and some weary legs rerouted us. Last stop was a dumpling place Lila had been once before and LOVED! NAN XIANG XIAO LONG BAO. There, we shared chicken soup dumplings and vegetable dumplings. She then jumped in a cab and headed back to Midtown for a taping of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. (Lucky duck!) We shared a lot about each other’s lives all day long, which was so pleasant and personal. It was more taking a stroll with a new friend rather than a traditional tour. And that’s just what it should have been. Thanks, Lila for the great company and conversation. Now you can say you know Queens… a bit at least!
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