Queens is definitely off the radar for the tourist or Manhattanite. Yet, for a real slice of New York life, this is the authentic NYC, where 46% of the population is foreign born. I had heard of Jackson Heights for years, but yesterday I traveled there for the first time with a friend, also a long-time New York resident (Brooklyn) who had not been there. We were both astounded and are still reeling from the experience. Keep in mind, this is coming from New Yorkers who live in one of the most diverse cities in the US. We have Chinatown and Little Italy. But Jackson Heights is a whole other world - I have never seen such a ethnically and culturally varied neighborhood - it has been called a "utopia of diversity." From the New York Times: "In the 2000 census report, fewer than 20 percent of the households reported that English was the only language spoken at home. More than half also speak Spanish. And Arabic, Chinese, French (including Cajun and Creole), Greek, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Urdu and Yiddish were among the more than 30 languages tallied." The neighborhood, much of it an historic district, is also unique with its prewar buildings with huge private gardens. This photo was taken on 74th Street's "Little India." I will do a future post on our dining and shopping experience there...
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Jackson Heights
Queens is definitely off the radar for the tourist or Manhattanite. Yet, for a real slice of New York life, this is the authentic NYC, where 46% of the population is foreign born. I had heard of Jackson Heights for years, but yesterday I traveled there for the first time with a friend, also a long-time New York resident (Brooklyn) who had not been there. We were both astounded and are still reeling from the experience. Keep in mind, this is coming from New Yorkers who live in one of the most diverse cities in the US. We have Chinatown and Little Italy. But Jackson Heights is a whole other world - I have never seen such a ethnically and culturally varied neighborhood - it has been called a "utopia of diversity." From the New York Times: "In the 2000 census report, fewer than 20 percent of the households reported that English was the only language spoken at home. More than half also speak Spanish. And Arabic, Chinese, French (including Cajun and Creole), Greek, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Urdu and Yiddish were among the more than 30 languages tallied." The neighborhood, much of it an historic district, is also unique with its prewar buildings with huge private gardens. This photo was taken on 74th Street's "Little India." I will do a future post on our dining and shopping experience there...
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6 comments:
Many people coming from Brittany around 1960 have been living in Queens. I'm waiting for your future post on food and shops there. Have a nice sunday!
So many interesting things to post about in that area -- I look forward to more from you...
We focused mostly on the Indian section - I look forward to going back and doing a more thorough exploration.
Brian
jackson heights has redonkulously good food.
Not just a great photo Brian but also incredibly informative text. Amazing isn't it, the way the world has shrunk. We have kids in Germany, Switzerland, London UK, Sydney and, of course, Adelaide. The world is truly their oyster but for so many others, as your report attests, New York is simply the centre of the world! Sydney, Australia has a similar ethnic mix to that of NY, although Spanish is not widely spoken here and Melbourne, Australia has one of the largest Jewish populations in the world, outside of Israel. Hope you find time to visit us at AdelaideDP.
An interesting photograph to be sure and a very interesting bit about it.
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