The United-Nations-of-Queens Tour

SwingStreets

Zerve Seller: SwingStreets
Activity #533

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Unfortunately, there are no tours being offered at this time. Apologies, and thank you for your interest.

For more information, please contact SwingStreets.

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Description

As Rodney Dangerfield would have put it, "Queens don't get no respect!" In a sense, that's true. While Barnes & Noble offer a dozen volumes on Brooklyn, you won't find even a single book detailing the pleasures of New York's largest and most varied borough.

Queens is not only huge. It's also America's most diverse county, in terms of ethnic and religious groups. What's more, Queens is full of fascinating neighborhoods, great shopping and truly wonderful food.

On our six-hour tour:
  • Astoria: including a century-old outdoor Czech beer garden, several blocks lined with Egyptian hookah cafes and a splendid array of Greek and Italian cafes

  • Flushing: originally a Dutch village but now a bustling community filled with Chinese, Korean and South Asian families

  • Forest Hills: among America's most admired planned suburbs – still as green and gracious as it was back in 1913

  • Jackson Heights: designed as New York's first garden community and now a microcosm of the world, with cuisines from three dozen countries available within a relatively concentrated area

  • Roosevelt Island: once home only to TB hospitals and lunatic asylums – but now full of walking paths, parks and gleaming apartment towers, all linked to Manhattan by a thrilling aerial tramway
OK, we confess. This Queens tour is our favorite, since those coming along are so surprised and delighted by what they experience.

What Is Not Included?

Tour participants pay their own food and beverage costs – and are encouraged to purchase their own all-day MTA subway-and-bus passes before the tour begins.

However, each will receive a detailed listing of the most prominent sites seen during this outing; printed suggestions on great ethnic restaurants in the various Queens neighborhoods we visit; and useful information on other worthwhile New York attractions that visitors are unlikely to find on their own.

Meeting Location

Grand Central Terminal (New York, NY) (Exact meeting location details will be provided immediately upon purchase of tickets.)

FAQs

Does the tour take place rain or shine?
Yes, it does. We’d cancel only in the event of a blizzard serious enough to shut down the subway system.
Are children welcome?
They are. And if they’re under twelve years of age and come with their parents, there’s no extra charge for them.
Where does the tour end?
Believe it or not, back in Manhattan. We'll finish at a location on the East Side that's conveniently close to Bloomingdale's.
Are tours conducted only in English?
Yes, but we’ve found that even those of our guests whose first language is not English enjoy all our tours immensely. Besides, they’re meeting other tour participants with similar interests and enthusiasms. That’s a pleasurable bonus. (And since this is Queens, they probably have relatives living nearby!)
Does this tour have anything to offer a native New Yorker?
We think it does, particularly for those who don’t now live in Queens. Strange as it may seem, certain parts of Queens are now being touted in lifestyle magazines as newly hot (i.e. fashionable) neighborhoods, where housing costs are significantly lower, dining possibilities are endless and cultural venues like galleries and museums burgeoning. Who knows, our Queens safari might even help selected Manhattanites find hip new digs.
Can I book a private tour?
Yes. To set one up, click on the "Contact SwingStreets" link.
Are gift certificates available?
Yes, they are. To purchase one, simply click on the "Contact SwingStreets" link.
Do you offer discounts for travel agents?
Sure. Query Zerve for details.

About

SwingStreets

SwingStreets was established in 2001 by licensed New York City tourguide Paul Blair. After having taught school in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, worked for a decade as a freelance journalist in Indonesia, hosted a daily broadcast on Voice of America and written about music, food and Americana for at least two dozen publications worldwide, Paul currently edits Hot House, a New York jazz monthly that's been publishing since the early 80s. Now he looks forward to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with you on the streets of his favorite city.