Jackson Heights is the answer when somebody asks where to eat in New York and you want to end the conversation. Walk Roosevelt Ave under the 7 with the train screaming overhead, and in ten blocks you'll pass momos, arepas, tacos, samosa chaat and a sweets counter that will ruin you.
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The Jackson Heights vibe and the trains
This is one of the most mixed neighborhoods on earth, and you can hear it from the platform. South Asian shops around 74th St, Latin American bakeries east along Roosevelt, Tibetan and Nepali spots tucked up flights of stairs. Then you turn a corner and it's garden apartments with courtyards behind them, quiet as a library.
Trains: the 7 stops at 74th St-Broadway and 82nd St. The E, F, M and R all hit Roosevelt Ave, connected to the 7, so it's fast from almost anywhere. Next door east is Flushing, and back west is Long Island City.
Jackson Heights munchies: momos, arepas and Roosevelt Ave
Momos first. Phayul is the Tibetan spot people send you to, and those dumplings with chili sauce are exactly what you came for. The Arepa Lady started as a street legend and now has a counter, and an arepa with cheese oozing out of it is a perfect object when you're baked. Jackson Diner is the big name for Indian food, a full sit-down spread.
After that, it's types. Taco trucks and tamale carts along Roosevelt. Colombian bakeries with trays of pandebono. Bangladeshi and Indian sweets shops on 74th St with cases you'll stare at for a long time. Steam tables on the side streets. Point at what looks good. Everything's cheap, nothing needs a reservation, and the cash in your pocket goes far. Citywide picks are in NYC munchies, and the late version is in late-night NYC.
Things to do in Jackson Heights when you're baked
Walk. This is a neighborhood you do with your feet and your stomach. Diversity Plaza at 37th Rd is the little pedestrian square where everybody ends up, and it's better for people watching than half the museums in town. It's a plaza, so it's smoke-free. Browse the sari shops and jewelry windows on 74th St, then head to the historic garden blocks north of Roosevelt to see how nice those buildings are.
For something bigger, ride the 7 east to the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows and see the Panorama, then come back for dinner. It's in things to do high in NYC.
Where you can sesh near Jackson Heights
Parks and plazas are smoke-free, so Travers Park and Diversity Plaza are for after. Have your sesh at home, then get on the train. The plain-English version is in where you can sesh in NYC.
Jackson Heights: the good and the annoying
The good
The best cheap eating in the city, five subway lines, and a block-by-block mix you can't find anywhere else.
The annoying
Roosevelt Ave is loud, crowded and permanently under a train. Sidewalks get tight on weekends. And you will always order too much, which is not really a complaint.
