A Stop on the 7 Train----Jackson Heights
Oct 07 '03 (Updated Mar 17 '05)
The Bottom Line Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City, and it is a cheap eats paradise.
Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City, and it is a cheap eats paradise. Just by walking a short stretch of 37th Ave, or even Roosevelt Avenue, from the mid-70s into the 80s, one would come across everything from Filipino barbecue, Columbian and Argentinian mixed grill, Indian sweet shops, Mexican tacquerias, Korean, Ecuadoran, Dominican eateries, Afghan kebabs, Thai, Polish, Italian, and more, and not have the bill go any higher (with exceptions) than $8.00-10.00
For the curious, the layout of Jackson Heights is as follows... The main shopping throughfare is Roosevelt Avenue. It's a pretty gritty, and noisy street with a lot of street traffic, and not to mention the 7 train rumbling down the tracks above you. 37th Avenue, located one block over, is a smaller and nicer street. It is also a bit more diverse than Roosevelt Avenue. 74th Street is the heart of the Indian/Pakistan/Bangladesh community. It is a short block literally glittering with dozens of 22k gold jewelry shops, and South Asian owned businesses. The side streets in Jackson Heights are a mix of one family houses, and elegant european styled apartments, all middle-class.
Highlighting a few places in the area...
INDIAN/PAKISTAN/BANGLADESH
Jackson Heights features a sizeable Indian community, and a growing Bangladeshi population as well ---I don't know about the Pakistani situation, The New York Times, June 7, 2003 reports up to 40-50% of the 120,000 strong Pakistani population in Midwood, Brooklyn have either been deported, detained, or left after the events of Sept 11, 2001 Most of the South Asian eateries in Jackson Heights are the small fast food type of place featuring chaat, dosa, and mithai on the menu. Among the sweets restaurants, there are two that are good. Maharaja Quality Sweets and Snacks, and the Delhi Palace.
Maharaja Quality Sweets and Snacks (73-10 37th Ave) is perhaps the best. They feature a large variety of sweets, kulfi ice cream, chaat, as well as drinks. All of the products look fresh, and taste better than average. The gulab jamums are covered with coconut, the peda, and ladoo, etc are also good. Perhaps the best part, for those new to indian cuisine, is the fact that all the trays are labelled so you know the name of each sweet. The shop is well-lit and well-kept with seating in the back.
The Delhi Palace (37-33 74th St, bet. 37th Rd, and 37th Ave), a very popular indian restaurant, is located sandwiched in between 22k gold jewelry stores, and sari shops in Little India's main shopping street, 74th St. Their sweet shop is located next door to the restaurant which you could buy their desserts for takeout. They only sell the most popular sweets--jalebis, ladoo, gulab jamums, etc. The shop also sells lassi (smoothies). For the moment, I only tried the gulab jamums. These were huge, almost 2 inches in diameter, and tasted fine.
Grameen (75-18 37th Ave, bet. 75 + 76 sts.) is a nice authentic Bangladeshi place featuring bhortas, and lots other appetizers in addition to fish dishes, rice, and curry dishes. Grameen also feature an extensive juice bar, and well-made sweets.
Patel Brothers (37-07 74th St, bet 37th Rd, and 37th Ave), is a large Indian supermarket well-stocked with fresh and frozen foods, spices, produce, toiletries, and household goods. Equally good is Subzi Mandi (72-30 37th Ave), on the corner of 73rd St, and 37th Av right next door to Apna Bazaar. They are not as well-stocked as Patel Brothers, but they attract more customers because of the fresh produce.
If you want to catch the latest Bollywood movie with actors dancing larger-than-life on the big screen, then the Eagle Theater (73-07 37th Rd) is the place to be. Located right next ot the G, R subway entrance.
For info on 22k gold jewelry shops, and about Indian marriages, find the New York Times article "The Jackson Heights Gold Rush" dated March 23, 2003.
FILIPINO
Jackson Heights boasts a small Filipino community located mostly in and around Woodside, near the border of Jackson Heights. The neighborhood anchor is Phil-Am Foodmart (70-02 Roosevelt Ave, corner of 70th St.) selling Filipino groceries, baked goods, and fresh sausages. Located just around the corner from Phil-Am is Ihawan (40-06 70th St), currently the city's best Filipino bbq restaurant.
SOUTH, AND CENTRAL AMERICAN
There are many South American, and particularily Columbian eateries up and down Roosevelt Avenue, and along 37th Av. Some of the best places to eat is in one of the rotisserie chicken restaurants such as Gusty Chicken (GC#2 40-10 82nd St, GC#1 79-19 Roosevelt Ave.) or Pollos A La Brasa Mario (PBM#1 81-01 Roosevelt Ave, PBM#2 83-02 37th Ave) where whole rotisserie chickens typically cost around $6.50..
The brightly-lit Cositas Ricas (79-19 Roosevelt Ave, corner of 79th St), may not have the best grill, it does seem nice for a drink from the soda fountain, or a hot chocolate, or coffee. For mixed grill, or Argentinian steak houses, and bakeries, head on over to Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Ave in the upper 80s, there are a couple of options there.
Los Paisanos (79-16 Roosevelt Av) is a small grocery that's adequately stocked with a small variety of Columbian, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian groceries. If you cannot find what you want, also by the Trade Fair (75-07 37th Av) supermarket. Trade Fair is a local supermarket chain with locations all over Queens. They often stock products reflecting the tastes of the neighborhood they are located in. In Jackson Heights, this means more South American, and South Asian groceries in addition to regular supermarket items.
MEXICAN
Most people find Mexican food in NYC to be lacking. It usualy boils down to two problems. One, they aren't looking in the right neighborhoods, and two, they are looking for the wrong things, like burritos. Well, you won't find burritos here--most Mexicans in NYC are from central Mexico--but you will find plenty of tacos, and other specialities of the region. Most of the tacquerias are found along Roosevelt Avenue. Try the taco cart run by the three women located in front of the bank on the corner of Gleane St (84th St), and Roosevelt Av.
TIBETAN
Currently, there's one Tibetan restaurant, Tibetan Yak (72-20 Roosevelt Ave. at 72nd St.) in Jackson Heights/Woodside, I haven't eaten there, but it has been given very favorable reviews by other people. btw, you can buy yak cheese from Tibet at the Ideal Cheese shop in manhattan.
KOREAN
Most Koreans live in various neighborhoods throughout Queens, particularly in Flushing, and Elmhurst. In Jackson Heights, the place to shop for Korean groceries is at the large New York Chong Hap Market (72-11 Broadway) near the intersectino of Roosevelt Av, and Broadway.
TEXAS
One of the best wood-smoked briskets in New York can be found at Jackson Heights inside a dark sports bar on a quiet 35th Av street (71-04 35th Av, at 71th St). If the atmosphere inside is not to your liking, Pearson has recently opened a full barbecue restaurant in the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 170 East 81st St, at 3rd av.
AFGHAN
Afghan Kebab House (74-16 37th Av, bet. 74th and 75th Sts.) has many branches in the city now. The kebabs, cooked over charcoal using sword-length skewers, is always a good choice as are the other dishes.
ESSENTIALS
By Subway, the 7 train makes several stops along Roosevelt Ave at 74th st, and at 82nd st. The E, F, G, R, and V train also stops here at 37th Road (Roosevelt Av) and 73rd St. You can also take the Q32 Bus from midtown Manhattan. If you have go pick something up in under one hour and a half, take the bus, then use the free transfer back on the subway.
footnotes:
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/07/nyregion/07BROO.html?ex=1370404800&en=bcc1c32a535d60d6&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND
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lucky_dog89 (at) yahoo.com
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