Queens, NY

For me, home is Queens, NY. Because it is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City, I techinically consider my hometown New York City. But because I’ve lived in Queens my whole life, I’ll focus on that. Queens is the second most populous borough of the five, the largest being Brooklyn. It has a population of about 2,229,379. Queens is considered urban, but is mostly made of urban neighborhoods and business districts. Because it’s urban, public transportation is the main means of traveling for many people. Commuting by way of subways and busses is common.


It’s home to a large immigrant community, with nearly 50% of Queens made up of immigrants. There a particularly large Indian American and Jewish population in Queens. Although this is true, it’s hard to associate Queens with just one main background because there is such variety there. Different neighborhoods are often associated with different ethnic backgrounds. Flushing is known for being largely Korean and Chinese while Astoria is known for having a large Greek population. Because of its cultural diversity, Queens is also known for the many restaurants they offer. The options are wide open.

Queens is also home to the Mets. As we speak, they are building a new stadium in Willets Point, replacing Shea Stadium with Citi Field. Despite New York being mainly associated with the Yankees for the Red Sox fans here, Queens residents are huge Mets fans. For them, there’s more of a Mets/Yankees rivalry than anything else. Queens is also home to the U.S. Open tennis tournaments.
For all the dirt, grime, and urban oddities the city is known for, I love it.

Links:
http://queens.about.com/
www.nycvisit.com/
newyork.metromix.com/