HIGHLIGHTS OF FLUSHING: NYC TRAVEL GUIDE

Queens is one of the 5 major boroughs of NYC, but it is overlooked and overshadowed because of Manhattan, as it has most of the major visitor attractions, however, Queens is unique in its and is worthy of visiting too. Flushing is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City and one of the most popular and busiest intersections in the Downtown area is the intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue. It is the 3rd busiest intersection in New York City behind Times Square and Herald Square. 

In order to get into Flushing from NYC, you will have to either take the Subway 7 train from Grand Central to Flushing Main Street or take the Port Washington Branch train from Grand Central to Flushing Main Street. The method of transportation you choose will depend on how much time you have; taking the Port Washington Branch train, as taking the subway takes will take almost double the time the train would. The price for the Port Washington Branch train is $4-13, whereas the Subway takes $1-3 one way. It should be mentioned that there are express and Local 7 trains; express stops are indicated by a white circle or bar, while local stops are indicated by a black circle or bar. 

Grand Central Station is a historic world-famous landmark in Midtown Manhattan; not only is it an important transportation hub, but it is also a shopping, dining, and cultural destination all under one magnificent roof. Opened to the public in February 1913, Grand Central Terminal is a story of great engineering, survival, and rebirth. It also stands as a universal symbol between New York City’s past and present. New Yorkers in the early 1900s saw their city as the new cultural and commercial capital, deserving a majestic landmark. Grand Central satisfied both desires, invigorating midtown Manhattan, transforming regional transportation, and shaping the city we know today. There is quite a lot you can do at Grand Central Terminal, but this blog isn't about Grand Central Station, so if you want to plan your visit, you can visit their website. 

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If you are taking the 7 train from Grand Central to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, get off at Mets-Willets Point, and walk across a pedestrian bridge that will lead over to the park. 

One of the most popular attractions in Queens is Flushing Meadows Corona Park; the largest park in Queens has something for nearly everyone from recreational spaces for sports to countless exhibits to browse, this park has you covered. It was the site of two twentieth-century World's Fairs and continues to draw and delight visitors with its beauty. From historic walks to scenic trails to sports and activities,

there's always something to do here. There is a bit of history to unpack with this park, In the 1930s, engineer Joseph F. Shagden approached a group of businessmen to organize the 1939-40 World’s Fair. 

NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888–1981) saw the potential to restore the land and create Flushing Meadows Park after the fair ended. In 1967, the land was renamed Flushing Meadows Corona Park, now the largest in Queens was reverted to the City and was fully landscaped. The Unisphere (the iconic Sphere of Flushing Meadows Corona Park) was commissioned for the New York World's Fair of 1964-65, designed by architect Gilmore D. Clarke. The sphere features representations of the continents and major mountain ranges in relief and is encircled by three giant orbital rings that represent the tracks of early satellites. The Unisphere celebrated both the dawn of the space age and the fair’s broader theme of “Peace Through Understanding" and has since become a beloved symbol of Queens. There are 5 sites you should check out when in Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Citi Field (Home of the NY Mets), USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (home of the US Open), Queens Museum, Queens Zoo, Queens Drive-In. The park is also home to several cultural institutions, including the Hall of Science, the Queens Wildlife Conservation Center, Queens Zoo (part of the Wildlife Conservation Society), Queens Theatre, and Queens Museum. If you want to visit these place, you will need to purchase tickets in advance. All of these are worth visiting if you have the chance to but if you have a limited amount of time, I suggest walking the park itself and take pictures of the two major sporting venues. 

In 2009, the New York Mets began to play their home games at Citi Field which replaced Shea Stadium, the original home to the Mets since 1964, located at the north end of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The $850 million baseball park was funded with $615 million in public subsidies,  including the sale of New York City municipal bonds that are to be repaid by the Mets with interest. The payments will offset property taxes for the lifetime of the park. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center hosts the United States Open, one of four premiere Grand Slam professional tennis tour events, played every year in August and September, since 1978 and is operated by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). It is one of the largest Tennis venues in the world with 22 courts inside its 46.5 acres and eleven in the adjoining park. The complex's three stadiums are among the largest tennis stadiums in the world; Arthur Ashe Stadium tops the global list with a listed capacity of 23,200.

Getting from Flushing Meadows Corona Park to Flushing Main street is easy; just take the 7 train from Mets-Willets Point to Flushing Main Street.  It's worth noting that if you need to go back into Manhattan, 7 train service is only available during special events from Mets Willets Point, so you would have to go back to Main Street to take the Subway or take the LIRR from Mets Willets Point to Grand Central. 

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Chinatown has a lot of outstanding restaurants to choose from as Flushing's Chinatown is infamous for having a wide variety of food choices to choose from. Unlike Chinatown in Manhattan, the one in Flushing offers a much more fast-paced way of living.  While Chinatown Manhattan looks a lot like the older, working-class neighborhoods of Chinese cities, in Flushing you will see a lot of young people in the streets sporting the latest Chinese street fashion and dining and shopping at chic and modern places. The Flushing Chinatown houses over 30,000 individuals born in China alone, the largest Chinatown by this metric outside Asia and one of the largest and fastest-growing Chinatowns in the world. The commercial heart of the area is the intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which extends for several blocks in all directions. Since the 1970s, the population in Flushing has shifted from being predominantly white to being predominantly Asian. Flushing’s first wave of immigrants came from Taiwan, starting the area’s shift into the Little Chinatown that it is today.

New World Mall, which opened in the heart of downtown Flushing in 2011, is New York's largest indoor Asian mall, a three-story glass structure dominated by a massive Asian supermarket 

and dozens of food vendors on the lower level. The mall also features 108 retail shops, located on the third floor is one of the largest Chinese dim sum restaurants and banquet halls in the Tri-State area with a capacity of hosting 1,500 patrons. The facility also includes a food court, supermarket, karaoke lounge, and an underground valet parking garage. New World Mall is known for its always busy food court downstairs with a wide range of cuisines to choose from. It is always packed, so if you have other people with you, I would suggest getting a table first and then look for food to eat. The mall features an exciting food court on the lower level with over 32 different Ethnic food vendors. With a wide range of foods from different areas of North and South-East Asia. 

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There are some other fantastic Asian restaurants in Flushing's Chinatown as well like Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, Joe's Steam Rice Roll, Shanghai You Garden, Asian Jewels, Maxi's Noodle, and Chongqing Lao Zao. The two restaurants I want to highlight are Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao and Joe's Steam Rice Roll. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao has been selected as Michelin-recommended Shanghainese food for 9 consecutive years since 2007 and has been featured on various media and websites as “The City’s Best Soup Dumplings”. Unlike most restaurants nowadays simply use machines to produce rice batter, which makes the rice rolls less smooth and silky, Joe's Steam Rice Roll insist on using the traditional method to grind down the best selection of rice that they can find with our imported grindstones. To ensure everyone gets a real taste of traditional Cantonese Style steamed rice roll,  they search for the best and freshest ingredients daily because the customer's satisfaction is greatest sense of accomplishment.

Flushing's Chinatown also has amazing options for desserts and bubble tea. For dessert, I would suggest a place like Prince Tea House for some traditional Hong Kong Style afternoon tea. Spot Dessert Bar and Eggcellent Souffle Pancake are other dessert places you may want to try out. Because of the massive population of Taiwanese people, there are a lot of good Bubble tea places in Chinatown as well. Some of these places include Xing Fu Tang, Chun Yang Tea, Tiger Sugar, and The Alley. 

Flushing, Queens is a pretty neat place to go for a day trip, just make sure you allow time for transport between Manhattan and Queens, so you can take your time trying the various food options in Flushing. 

 

Check out my Youtube Video on Flushing as well: