Discover The Worlds Second Home In Queens

8/1/06

DISCOVER THE WORLD’S SECOND HOME IN QUEENS



 



—A Burgeoning Arts District, Jazz Lovers Paradise, Pre-Revolutionary War Sites and Great Ethnic Neighborhoods are Some of the Borough’s Delights—



 



 



New York, NY (August 1, 2006) – While people may know about Queens’ airports (JFK and LGA) and sports facilities (Shea Stadium, home of the Mets and the USTA National Tennis Center, the venue for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships), this New York City borough is also home to world-class cultural attractions, historic sites, 7,000 acres of parkland and the most diverse population in the United States.



 



 



Museums and Attractions
Long Island City is a leading international center for cutting-edge art with P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, The Noguchi Museum, the Museum for African Art, Socrates Sculpture Park, SculptureCenter and the Fisher Landau Center for Art. In Astoria, visitors will find the country’s only museum dedicated to the history, technology, and art of film, the Museum of the Moving Image.



 



The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning hosts a variety of performing arts, visual arts and education programs, and Queens Theatre in the Park showcases performing arts and highlights cultural arts from African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities. More world music can be enjoyed at Flushing Town Hall. Musical Reginae presents classical music, opera and performances from new artists.



Several attractions are located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which has 1,255 acres of meadows, lakes, and athletic fields, including the Queens Museum of Art and The New York Hall of Science, the city’s only hands-on science and technology museum. The 39-acre Queens Botanical Garden includes a Japanese garden and is free. The Queens Zoo has more than 400 animals of nearly 70 species. Also in the park are the stunning Unisphere, Shea Stadium and the USTA National Tennis Center.



The brand new Shops at Atlas Park is New York City's first lifestyle shopping center surrounding a two-and-a-half acre park.



 



Historical Sights
Queens has many historical sites including the 47-acre Queens County Farm Museum, the oldest and longest continuously farmed site (c. 1697) in New York State. Visitors will encounter livestock, planting fields, an orchard, an herb garden, nature trails, and a private event center in the renovated barn. Admission is free.



 



The farm museum and the following two historic properties are under the auspices of the Historic House Trust. The King Manor Museum, the circa-1800 former home of antislavery stalwart, U.S. Constitution signer, and New York senator, congressman, and governor Rufus King, is surrounded by 11 acres of original farmland. The first floor of the circa-1785 Kingsland Homestead provides visitors a glimpse of Victorian life through a furnished parlor room in addition to special exhibits staged by the Queens Historical Society.



Nearby is the National Historical Landmark, the Bowne House (718-359-0528), which was built in 1661 and was home to John Bowne (1628-1695), a Quaker convert who settled in Flushing to escape the religious persecution he confronted in New England. The Quaker Meeting House (718-358-9636) is New York City's oldest house of worship, having been used continuously since 1694. You can tour the timbered building Sundays at noon. Learn about the history of Bayside at the Bayside Historical Society & Museum. Located in historic Fort Totten, this cultural attraction preserves the history of Bayside through its archival collections.



 



All that Jazz
Many jazz greats once lived in Queens. You can walk through Satchmo's house to see music, photos, films, trumpets, and awards at the Louis Armstrong House & Archives. And join a tour of the Queens Jazz Trail, a tour run by Flushing Town Hall that visits the neighborhoods, clubs, and museums that relate to jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald.



 



 



A Diverse Destination
The residents of Queens are one of the most diverse groups in the country – so diverse that the local subway line, the number 7, is called the “International Express.” As home to the largest Greek population outside of Greece, Astoria is the Athens of the United States, with authentic restaurants and markets on Ditmars Boulevard. Move onto India and the rest of South Asia with a visit to Jackson Heights. Queens is also home to a big Latin community with a strong presence in Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst and Astoria. The neighborhood of Flushing is a big draw with Chinese and Korean restaurants, herbalists, and other Asian businesses.



 



Hotels
Hotels in Queens offer visitors great value and convenience. There are plenty of places to check into including the Comfort Inn Long Island City (718-303-3700, www.comfortinn.com), Comfort Inn La Guardia Airport, (718-939-5000, www.comfortinn.com), Comfort Inn & Suites (718-457-5555, www.comfortinn.com), the Holiday Inn Express Queens-Midtown Tunnel (718-706-6700, www.hiexpress.com) and the Courtyard by Marriott JFK (718-848-2121, www.marriott.com).



 



Delicious Dining For views of the skyline reserve a table at the Water’s Edge Restaurant and the Riverview Restaurant. Delicious northern Italian cuisine is served at Ponticello Ristorante, while Uncle Jack's Steakhouse Bayside is the place for steak. Contact the Queens Tourism Council, a source for special events, attractions, hotels, and restaurants in Queens. Queens Council on the Arts (718/647-3377, www.queenscouncilarts.org) features Queens information including a searchable calendar of Queens cultural events and links to other arts and/or Queens web sites. For more information on Queens and other boroughs of New York City go to nycgo.com.