Summer In The City: What To Do In Queens

Summary

Podcast Title: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart
Episode: Summer In The City: What To Do In Queens
Release Date: July 14, 2025
Host Station: WNYC
Description: ALL OF IT explores the rich cultural tapestry of Queens, New York, highlighting its diverse communities, unique attractions, and hidden gems through engaging discussions with local experts and listeners.

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Introduction

In this episode of ALL OF IT, host Alison Stewart delves into the vibrant borough of Queens, New York City. Titled "Summer In The City: What To Do In Queens," the episode serves as a comprehensive guide to the myriad activities, cultural spots, and hidden treasures that Queens has to offer during the summer months.

Guest Introduction: Rob McKay

Joining Alison is Rob McKay, the Deputy Executive Director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation. With a deep-rooted passion for Queens, Rob has authored several books, including Historic Houses of Queens and Famous People of Queens, showcasing his extensive knowledge and love for the borough.

Rob McKay:
"I grew up in Brooklyn, but Queens has become my home since 1991. Teaching English to immigrants in Woodside sparked my love for Queens, leading me to live, work, and raise my family here." [02:26]

Major Highlights

1. Unique Sports and Recreation

Maspeth Squash Court:
One of the most unique attractions in Queens is the Maspeth Squash, home to the world's only outdoor stainless steel squash court. Built by Jeff Anschlauer during the COVID-19 pandemic, this court stands out both aesthetically and functionally.

Rob McKay:
"Maspeth Squash has to be the most unique thing in the world. It's an outdoor stainless steel squash court surrounded by industrial facilities." [04:37]

Moreover, the court offers amenities for players of all levels, from free lessons to international matches organized by Rob’s friend, Rob Gibraltar.

Casino Velodrome:
Another historical gem is the Casino Velodrome, an Olympic-style cycling track built in the 1960s by Robert Moses. Originally intended for car races, it hosted Olympic trials and professional races, and remains a popular spot for cyclists and sports enthusiasts today.

Rob McKay:
"The Casino Velodrome is a true Olympic racetrack where people train, hang out, or just have fun cycling around the massive track." [06:22]

2. Cultural and Artistic Venues

Louis Armstrong House and Museum:
Located in Corona, the museum celebrates the legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong and has recently expanded to include a new performing arts space managed by Jason Moran. It's a cornerstone of Queens' rich jazz heritage.

Rob McKay:
"The Louis Armstrong House and Museum is a jewel in Queens, serving as the locus of the jazz trail with activities for everyone in the family." [19:54]

Queens Night Market:
A vibrant showcase of global cuisines, the Queens Night Market offers over 60 food stands every Saturday night. Founded by John Wang, it brings diverse culinary experiences inspired by Taiwanese night markets to Queens.

Rob McKay:
"Queens Night Market features everything from Trinidadian shark to Taiwanese and Sichuan dishes, complemented by live music and a beer garden." [24:03]

3. Parks and Outdoor Activities

Forest Park Carousel:
Built in 2003 by Daniel Carl Muller, the Forest Park Carousel is a stunning work of art with 36 moving horses and 13 stationary ones, accompanied by a beautiful mural and an organ that plays during rides. It holds both city and national landmark status.

Rob McKay:
"The Forest Park Carousel is just absolutely beautiful, with intricate carvings and artwork. It's a fantastic place for both art lovers and families." [12:37]

Hunters Point South Park:
This expansive park features volleyball courts, soccer fields, yoga sessions, and community murals. Frank Ottomanelli's concession stand enhances the park experience by providing food and supporting local artists.

Rob McKay:
"Hunters Point South Park offers a great combination of sports, yoga, and art, with spectacular views of Midtown Manhattan from the East River." [16:12]

4. Historical Insights

Vanderbilt Parkway:
Originally built in 1908 for early car races by William Kissen Vanderbilt II, the Vanderbilt Parkway later became a hotspot for Prohibition-era activities. Today, it offers a serene path for biking, walking, and enjoying nature within the city.

Rob McKay:
"Vanderbilt Parkway is a wooded path perfect for biking or walking, with historical markers explaining the region's glacial history from 75,000 years ago." [10:05]

Listener Contributions

Throughout the episode, Alison invites listeners to share their favorite Queens spots, leading to a rich tapestry of recommendations:

Luke from Crown Heights:
Highlights the diverse dance scene in Queens, mentioning venues like Earthly Lights, Trans Pecos, TVI, Iconic Community Dancing, Basement, and Knockdown Center.

Asia from Astoria:
Shouts out The Deep End in Ridgewood, known for its community-building ethos and the monthly Yala Party project, a SWANA (South West Asian and North African) party featuring world music and global grooves.

Andrea from Hell's Kitchen:
Praises the Louis Armstrong House and Museum, emphasizing its role in the local jazz scene and its new performing arts space.

Howard from Forest Hills:
Recommends the Hall of Science and the Museum of the Moving Image, as well as dining options in Flushing, Queens.

Hidden Gems and Additional Recommendations

• Addesley Park in St. Albans: Once dubbed "Black Hollywood East," it's home to legendary figures like James Brown, Lena Horne, and Mercer Ellington. The neighborhood boasts Garden City-style architecture with spacious lawns and diverse architectural styles.

  Rob McKay:
  "Addesley Park was originally farmland until the Long Island Railroad stop in 1898 spurred development. It became an upper-middle-class African American neighborhood with beautiful houses and rich cultural history." [20:26]

• Culture Lab in Long Island City: A hub for live music and visual arts, Culture Lab is hosted by Plaxol and offers expansive outdoor spaces with stunning Manhattan views.

• Queens Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park: These institutions provide extensive cultural exhibitions and outdoor art installations, perfect for a full day of exploration.

Insights and Conclusions

Rob McKay passionately underscores Queens' unique blend of cultures, historical significance, and modern attractions. His comprehensive knowledge and personal anecdotes paint a vivid picture of why Queens is an indispensable part of New York City's cultural landscape.

Rob McKay:
"Queens is a marvel of diversity and history, where every corner offers something new to discover, from hidden sports courts to vibrant night markets." [Various Timestamps]

The episode effectively showcases Queens as a borough teeming with activities for all interests, emphasizing its role as a cultural melting pot and a community-centric area worth exploring.

Final Thoughts

Alison Stewart wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to explore Queens and engage with its dynamic offerings. Whether you're a local or a visitor, Queens promises an enriching summer filled with diverse experiences and cultural discoveries.

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Notable Quotes:

• Rob McKay on Maspeth Squash:
  "Maspeth Squash has to be the most unique thing in the world." [04:37]

• Rob McKay on Louis Armstrong House:
  "It's the locus of the jazz trail that so many jazz musicians lived in Queens." [19:54]

• Rob McKay on Queen's Night Market:
  "You could even get shark there from the Trinidadians. You could get Haitian food." [24:03]

• Rob McKay on Addesley Park:
  "Addesley Park was originally farmland until the Long Island Railroad stop in 1898 spurred development." [20:26]

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Resources Mentioned:

• Maspeth Squash: maspathsquash.com
• Culture Lab: Visit Culture Lab Website (Assumed placeholder)
• Louis Armstrong House and Museum: Louis Armstrong House (Assumed placeholder)
• Queens Night Market: Queens Night Market (Assumed placeholder)

For more detailed information and additional recommendations, visit wnyc.org/allofit.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. News flash. If you have been meaning to sign up for our summer reading challenge, the deadline is today, as in midnight tonight. Here's the deal. We are challenging you to read five books by the end of Labor Day weekend. Last year it was four. This year we're upping the ante. You need to read one book every in each of the following categories. And no, a book can't double count. The categories are a classic you've been meaning to get to, a book about or set in New York City, a memoir biography, a recent debut novel, a book published in 2025. If you finish the challenge by the end of Labor Day weekend, you get a special prize. To sign up, head to wnyc.org summerreading by midnight tonight. Again, that's wnyc.org summer summer reading. Now let's get this hour started in Queens. Each day this week, we're talking about the things you can do in each borough. Today, we're talking about the food views and hidden spots that make Queens special. As one of the most culturally diverse areas in the world, Queens offers a mix of cultures, cuisines and experiences you can't find anywhere else. Now, if you feel overwhelmed by everything the city's largest borough has to offer, Our guest, Rob McKay can be your guide. Rob is the deputy executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation. He's in charge of informing the public on what's happening in Queens. Rob joins us now in studio. Hi, Rob.

[Rob McKay]

Hi. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

So happy you're here, listeners. We want to hear from you. One, are you from Queens? What are your favorite things to do in Queens? Is there a restaurant you want to shout out, a site you visited?

[Rob McKay]

A.

[Alison Stewart]

Our phone lines are wide open. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. You can call in and join us on air. We want to remind you, don't call us if you're driving. You can't call us if you're driving. Or you can text that number. You also can't text us when you're driving. But that number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. If I believe the Internet, it says you have lived in Queensland since 1991.

[Rob McKay]

Yep. With a one year break when I lived in Honduras.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, that's another conversation.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah, sorry. Throw that out there. In the beginning, why did you decide.

[Alison Stewart]

To make your lives work promoting Queens.

[Rob McKay]

So Basically, I grew up in Brooklyn. That's my dirty little secret. And when I was actually studying at nyu, I got a job teaching English to immigrants in Woodside, Queens. And that led to four years of teaching. And while I was there, there, I would always take walks and sort of started falling in love with the borough. Then I ended up renting an apartment. Then I ended up working in Queens. Then I ended up getting married in Queens and buying a house in Queens and raising children in Queens, and God willing, I'll die here too.

[Alison Stewart]

But you've actually written several books about Queens.

[Rob McKay]

I've written, yes. I'm always pretty much obsessed with Queens. I've written Historic Houses of Queens and Famous People of Queens with Arcadia Publishing.

[Unknown]

All right, we're gonna dive right in.

[Alison Stewart]

Queens is home to the first outdoor.

[Unknown]

Squash court made of steel walls. Tell us about mass Beth squash.

[Rob McKay]

Okay. Yeah. So mass Beth squash has gotta be the most unique thing in the world. You know, we're sort of focusing on off the beaten path. This is off the beaten path, and then off that beaten path, and then off that beaten path, basically. Maspeth, Queens has a residential neighborhood, but it also has an industrial business or an IBZ. And MassPath Welding is a big company there, located in the ibz. And the president is a guy named Jeff Anschlauer, who happens to be a squash fanatic. And during COVID he built. Because he's in the welding construction business, he built the world's only outdoor stainless steel squash court. And it is exactly to all the professional, the tin is where it's supposed to be. The lines are where they're supposed to be. And so you basically, if you get there, from where I live in Queens, you either drive or bike by all of these distribution centers for Chinese herbs. And you go by the Amazon distribution center, the huge MTA bus depot. I think there's a Pepsi Cola plant there. And then you make a right turn, and you're at. You're at a squash court, which is surrounded by welding facilities, where you might even see people welding.

[Unknown]

Does it look really cool?

[Rob McKay]

It's really cool. It's unfortunately, that we're on radio. And the great thing about this court is that Jeff best friend is a guy named Rob Gibraltar. And he is, I would say, a squash addict, but addict sort of. That could mean it can be bad. You know, if you're cocaine addict. He's a positive squash addict. He just loves the game. He's retired after a long career, and he's there all the time. He organizes international Matches. He gives free lessons. You can call him up and sign up to play for free. I, unfortunately, my, my knees don't allow me to play squash. But for Christmas last year, I gave my daughter a free squash lesson with him. And about two weeks, three weeks, four weeks ago, he gave my, my, my daughter Asha and her two best friends a free lesson one afternoon while I was there. So if you want to learn how to play, you just contact him. If you want to sign up for a court, contact him. If you want to watch professional squash matches, I mean, he has the best players from all over the world.

[Unknown]

Do you have people who are novices to pros?

[Rob McKay]

Yes, it's the whole, it's the whole gamut and it's, you can learn, you can play, you can watch.

[Unknown]

It's called Maspeth Squash.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah, it's pretty easy. It's a squash court in Maspeth and it's called Maspeth Squash. And I believe that the website is masquerasposh.com it's hard to say.

[Alison Stewart]

It's a hard one to say.

[Rob McKay]

It's a tongue twister. Unique New York masspathsquash.com let's talk bicycling.

[Alison Stewart]

There's an Olympic style cycling track in Queens. It dates back to the 1960s. What was the original purpose of the Casino Velodrome?

[Rob McKay]

So I don't think, I'm pretty sure that you and anyone listening to this is familiar with Robert Moses, the master builder.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, yes, I've heard of him.

[Rob McKay]

So in 1962, he built a velodrome, part of his many, many projects that he underwent. And it was actually, it was the site for some Olympic trials and they did some professional races and stuff there. And it's still there. It's called the Casino Velodrome and it' in Cassina park and it's actually near Cassina Boulevard. So. And it is a true Olympic racetrack. If you go fast on it, you'll go up on an angle and go around and around. People go there to train, people go there to hang out. People go there just for fun. And it's right in, like I said, Cassina Park. It's sort of on the other side of the Long Island Expressway from where Queens College is. Booth Memorial is the closest sort of big street. And that's where KISS got their name.

[Alison Stewart]

Right?

[Rob McKay]

Well, Kiss, you know, two of the members of KISS are from Queens.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, from Casino.

[Rob McKay]

And they had their first professional gig in Sunnyside, Queens.

[Alison Stewart]

There you go.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah. But we digress.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Luke in Crown Heights. Hey, Luke, thanks for calling on all of it.

[Luke]

Hi, Alison. Thanks so much for taking my call. I want to shout out some of the dancing options in Queens. I just find that the dance floors in Queens are a lot more respectful and accepting and music forward. And I just think it's so many right in one area. So on the smaller end, mansions, Earthly lights, Trans Pecos, these are fantastic places for music lovers. And then getting a little bigger from there. There's incredible TVI which does a great blend of electronic dance and also lots of different types of, like, rock and roll and various live shows. And then on the bigger and bigger end. Right. Nowadays, iconic community dancing, fantastic space. And then on the way, big end. Right. Basement and Knockdown center. But to have all of these in Queens, I think is just a real testament to the borough's love of electronic dance music. And I'm sure there's tons of other genres and, you know, niche places that I'm not even aware. I can't wait to discover throughout my life.

[Howard]

Thanks.

[Rob McKay]

If I could just add one quick thing, he mentioned the Knockdown center, which is an old factory that they converted into a great dance place. So the Knockdown Factory is spitting distance from the squash court.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, so you can play squash and then dance it off.

[Rob McKay]

Squash and then dance all night. Yep.

[Alison Stewart]

This text says hidden gem. Queens museum I visited on Saturday just before the 196465 World's Fair and Exhibit ended. Very well done. Three thumbs up. This one says Gonzo's Colombian food spot in Belrose. Give the that part of the borough some love.

[Rob McKay]

Belrose is out near the Nassau county borough, and it's a very sort of suburban place, so it doesn't get as much sort of attention.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking with queens specialist Rob McKay about things we can do in Queens this summer. Listeners, we want to hear from you. Are you from Queens? Do you have a favorite thing to do in Queens? Is there a restaurant or a place you'd like to shout out? Give us a call. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Please do not call us if you're driving, but the next thing we're going to talk about is driving. Vanderbilt Parkway was originally built for early car races.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah, the Vanderbilt Parkway is another one of those. You could say off the beaten path, but it actually is a path. William Kissen Vanderbilt ii, who was one of the Skyens, he was back in 1908 when cars were just bugg. Just coming in and people were just learning how to go speed, like faster than a horse, I believe. He actually had the Guinness Book world record for a while for going 40 miles an hour in Florida once. So that's what it was like. But he built a parkway that basically stretched from Queens far out into Long Island. And part of the reason was so that wealthy people from Manhattan could get out to their mansions in Long Island. But he also used it to race. And so he actually used to hold races there. Then in the 1920s, it became a hotspot for getting rum or getting alcohol during Prohibition to the mansions in Long Island. And so it was really a big thing. It was a toll. You have to pay tolls to go on it. And then when Robert Moses, our good friend from the beginning of this podcast, built the Grand Central Parkway, which was free, he ended up losing money on it, and he had to give it back to the state. The whole parkway. He had to give it the state for tax reasons. And so in most parts, they built houses and streets, but there are a couple of sort of remnants. And there's a great stretch from where St. Francis Prep School is in Cunningham park all the way out to Springfield Boulevard, where the sort of where. Where Alley Pond park is. And there's actually a hospital for mentally ill patients where you can go. The whole thing is just wonderful. You got trees are covering you. You can bike, you can ride, you can skateboard late at night. You have to watch out for raccoons.

[Alison Stewart]

O.

[Rob McKay]

And you know, the parkway, there are parts of it you can go. Beth. Beth Page has a little section. Ronkonkoma has a little section. Great Neck South High School, actually part of the. They're still part of the Vanderbilt Parkway on their campus. But the beautiful. You know, I used to walk it a lot during COVID It's about a full hour walk from one side to the other, but you're going through straight trees and leaves, and it's absolutely a wonderful way to get in nature while you're still in New York City.

[Alison Stewart]

The Forest Park Carousel was built in the early 1900s, and it has a story when you think about, first of all, who created the carousel, the first carousel.

[Rob McKay]

First of all, I have to say that carousels are works of art that I don't think people understand how fantastic they are. So the one that's at Forest park was made by a guy named Daniel Carl Muller in 2003, actually in Massachusetts. And there are only two carousels remaining that he made. And this is one of them. And it is just absolutely beautiful. The Carving and the artwork. I mean, he has 36 moving horses. I was just out there recently. And 13 stationary horses. Then you've got all these other animals. There's a big mural. There's an organ that plays music while you're going around. And there are all these renditions of Forest park up on the wall. And so it is just. I mean, personally, I just love it just for the art. But it's also fun to go around and kids love it. And luckily for us, the carousel has New York City landmark status and it's also listed on the. In the national register. So it has city and national landmark status. So I think it'll be here for a while. And it's very cheap.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to. I'm not sure I'm going to say your name right, but I'm going to give it my best shot. Asia from Astoria. Are you there?

[Rob McKay]

Yes, I am. Hi, how are you?

[Asia]

Big fan.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you want to tell us?

[Asia]

So I'm an Astoria, Queens girl native, but I just wanted to shout out my favorite bar in Ridgewood, Queens, the Deep End, because they have an amazing community building sort of ethos. And they host Yala Party project every month, which is a Swana party with world music and global grooves. And they're all about building community and cultural exchange.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for calling in. Let's talk to Jesse from Manhattan. Hey, Jesse, thanks for making the time to call. All of it.

[Jesse]

Hi. So I grew up in Maspeth, moved out in 2008. But this was before it got cool. Knockdown center wasn't there yet. Squashcourt, it was just industrial. And I was one of the only token Asian kids in a mostly Polish neighborhood. So I had to go to Elmhurst.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, no, we lost him.

[Unknown]

Well, congratulations on growing up in Maspeth.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah, there's a section that's very Polish and that's actually not far from the squash court either. Let's talk right by the industrial business zone.

[Alison Stewart]

Actually, let's talk to Howard from Forest Hills. Hi, Howard. Thanks for calling all of it.

[Howard]

Yeah, sure. These are not hidden places, but I would definitely recommend them. First one is the hall of Science, which was originally built during the last World's Fair. And the other one is the museum of the moving image. And they're very close to each other and I'd recommend both of them. And if you want to eat, there's a third Chinatown in New York besides Sunset park. And what am I call it Flushing. Flushing, yeah. That's where I would go to eat. In Flushing? Yeah. No, I live in Forest Hills and at the west side Tennis Club, they started a few years ago having outdoor concerts. But the rich people who live in that neighborhood complain about the noise. So they're always fighting about what time will be the curfew. 9 o' clock or 10 o'. Clock. And mainly all the acts, you know, whatever. That's whatever. But those two places, definitely.

[Alison Stewart]

I appreciate that. I brought my kid.

[Unknown]

I used to bring my kid to the hall of Science all the time.

[Rob McKay]

Are you familiar with the rock band Fish? They're kind of like a Grateful Dead. Yeah, they're giving two concerts there just this coming, coming week.

[Unknown]

All right, I'm gonna ask you about.

[Alison Stewart]

Hunter's Point South Park.

[Unknown]

My guest, by the way, is Ron MacKay.

[Alison Stewart]

It's a public art project.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Rob McKay]

Oh, there's a community mural there. So the thing about the Hunters Part South, I don't know if you've ever been there, but it's open air, it's got a great combination. It's got volleyball courts, it's got fields where people play soccer. It's got this massive yoga stuff going on.

[Unknown]

Yoga stuff?

[Rob McKay]

Yeah. Well, what do you call 300 people doing yoga at the same time?

[Unknown]

Yoga stuff.

[Rob McKay]

Tai chi. Yoga. Yeah. And it's a great, wonderful park. It's got sculptures and all that kind of stuff. But there's also a concession there. And I don't know if you're familiar with the Ottomanelli family. Ottomanelli. There are butcher shops all around New York, so there was one Ottomanelli, he came over from Italy, started a butcher shop. He had something like five kids, and they all went into butcher business. So this is Frank Ottomanelli. He ran a butcher shop in Woodside, which he still does. And now he has this concession, and you can go out there and sit there. He's got anything you want. Oysters for the summer. He's got concerts. He's got a ledge. You can sit under it. And he's just paying local artists to create a mural. And I think he's got 15 panels right now that each panel is done by a different artist with a theme, the community Queen's theme. And he's hoping to make the whole thing snake all the way around his concession stand, which I have to say is right near where the New York City ferry stop is. I don't know if you're familiar with the Promenade in Brooklyn. So it's kind of like that, except you're right at the water's level. So the east river is going right by you and you're staring at Midtown Manhattan on the other side of the river. So you're looking at the un, all those kind of buildings. So it's kind of like the problem that it's this great view of Manhattan, but it's midtown and you're actually down by the river. And you know, the East River. A, it's not a river and B, it's to the west of Queens. So it's really the West. What are those things called? Statuaries.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah. My guest, we'll start that in Queens.

[Unknown]

My guest is Rob mackay. We are talking about things to do in Queens. Listeners, we want to hear from you. 2124-3396-9221-2433, wnyc. Tell us about your favorite things to do in Queens. We'll have more after a quick break. This is all of it.

[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. I'm speaking to Queen's specialist. That's what we're calling you, Rob mackay. We're talking about important things that you should do if you are in Queens. Let's talk to Andrea from Hell's Kitchen. Hey, thanks for calling all of it.

[Andrea]

You're welcome. Thanks for having me on. I'm so excited to talk about one of the jewels of the many jewels in the crown of Queens, which is the Louis Armstrong House and Museum in Corona, I think. And it also has was established a new kind of performing arts. Add on maybe last year was opened up or the year before, but it's just unbelievable. Not just about Armstrong or the new performance space because Jason Moran runs it. And so there's stuff for everybody in the family like every weekend, all the time during the summer. It's just like the locus of the jazz trail that so many jazz musicians lived in Queens and, and had started their families there and were able to commute to gigs in Manhattan and all over the place because they could go to LaGuardia Airport and take off and play somewhere else. Yeah, it's just, it's, I'm so happy that it's expanded and that it's, it's taking its place nearish nearby ish to the phenomenon that is the World's Fair exhibition and Queens Museum and Andrea.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, I'm dive in here, but thank you so much for calling. There's a neighborhood in Queens that was once called Black Hollywood East. Tell us a little more about it.

[Rob McKay]

Addesley park, if you're familiar with St. Albans, I think it's technically part of St. Albans. It's located in southeast Queens, not that far from JFK Airport. But yeah, it was once called Black Hollywood east because so many famous entertainers live there. James Brown, who you probably know, the hardest working man in Showplus, he lived there. So did Ellis Fitzgerald, so did Count Basie. So did Lena Horne. So did Joe Louis, the boxer. I don't know if you're familiar with the Jacket Brothers, if you're a jazz person, Illinois Jacket, Mercer Ellington. Duke Ellington didn't live there, but his son Mercer Ellington lived there. And one of the things that. Well, as I told you, I come from Brooklyn, and my grandfather and great grandfather and everyone else, they were big Brooklyn Dodgers fans. Jackie Robinson lived there, and so did Roy Campanella, who was the. Who was the catcher on that Brooklyn Dodgers team. And he was half black, half Italian. So, you know, they say Jackie R. Robinson, he might have played baseball in Brooklyn, but he lived in Queens. He slid into home in Brooklyn, but he felt at home, he home in Queens. And it's a fascinating. It's a fascinating neighborhood for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's built in the Garden City style of landscape architecture, where houses are far back from. So they're very big lawns. There's a whole mix of different kinds of Arts and Crafts and neocolonalies, all different kinds of architecture. Beautiful houses. People do a great job of taking care of their properties. So it's a beautiful walk. And you can get. We have actually, I can give you maps of who lived where there. And it's one of those places that it was farmland until they built a Long island railroad stop in 1898. And then developers started developing. And it was actually originally in the contract and the deeds, it was illegal to sell your house to a black person. And Fats Waller, I don't know if you're familiar with the song Ain't Misbehaving. Okay, so that was Fats Walther, the slide piano guy. He used to live there sort of on the down low. And then people were selling. And then Duke Ellington, I mean, Count Basie, when Count Basie moves in, he was huge. And they went to court, they went to state court first where they said, yes, this is racist. This is not fair. But the deed is the deed. A contract is a contract. And then a little bit later, it went to the federal government. The federal government said this is unconstitutional. And so it has kind of been an upper middle class African American neighborhood ever since. And all other. There are other people, for example, W.E.B. dubois, got married there because he married a woman from there. There are all kinds of other different people, mostly in the arts and all that kind of stuff. John Coltrane lived nearby, just outside of the actual historic district.

[Alison Stewart]

It's exciting.

[Rob McKay]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

This says, I love eating in Jackson Heights. Five, ten minutes in either direction. You can have more than a dozen cuisines from around the world, often prepared well. From Momo at the Ando Food Truck to classic Indian at Angel to Argentinian steak at Northern Boulevard to Mexican at Goanza to Great Japanese at Nine69 Coffee Dim Sum Cafe. He's going on and on and on.

[Rob McKay]

Who's that? This is a text message with I eat a lot. Is that the hashtag?

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk about the Queen's Night Market.

[Unknown]

As long as we're talking about food, okay.

[Rob McKay]

Queens Night Market, you know, it's. It's been around for, for 10 years now. It's. I don't know if it gets as much sort of coverage in the English language media, but it's all over sort of Chinese language media. It was a guy named John Wang who, who grew up spending his summers in Taiwan where they have night markets because it's too hot, so they can only have night markets at night. And, and he worked so hard to find a place and get a place and recruit people and deal with the politicians and the city age, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he has it. He's right behind the New York hall of Science. He's actually kind of their parking lot. Then it goes into a green space and he has 50 to 60 stands every Saturday night selling everything. I mean, you could even get shark there from the Trinidadians. You could get Haitian food. And you can get. It's not just Chinese food. You can get Taiwanese in Shanghai and Sichuan. Like it just. And they come in and they come out week after week. He's got live music going on there, all those kinds of things. He's got a beer garden. And it runs basically during the warm weather months straight from. I think he opens in April and he always ends in October. He always ends with a Halloween party, costume party on Oct. 31. He's not operating the two weeks that the U.S. open is going on because they turned that into a sort of a police precinct.

[Alison Stewart]

Things this segment says late to the segment, but if nobody has mentioned the Noguchi Museum, please do. To me, that's the highlight. Although Socrates Sculpture park, the MoMA outpost and all the food in Astoria play great supporting roles. So you can make a full day of it. Culture lab. Culture Lab in Long Island City. What'll happen to me if I go visit Culture Lab?

[Rob McKay]

Well, you'll have such a good time. You'll. You'll end up renting a. An apartment right across the street. Now, Culture Lab is another new entry to us. There is Plaxol. I don't know if you're familiar with Plaxol. I think they were. I'm not exactly what they manufactured in the beginning, but they started off, and now the company owns a lot of real estate in Long Island City. They have given this space, which includes a very large outlaw outside lot, and bands play there all the time. And while you're sitting in that lot, you can see Manhattan in the background. You're right on the East River. And then indoors, they have. They have a couple of visual arts galleries and they do plays and they hold events and all that kinds of stuff. And the guy who runs it, he has so many bands waiting to play there. Like, people just want to be there that really, they're just going all the time, and there's just always great music there. There.

[Unknown]

All right, dealer's choice. Last thing you want to tell us.

[Rob McKay]

Last thing I want to tell you. Well, you can go. You can find out more about it at. It's in Queens. That's our website. And everything we do on social media is it's in Queens. So facebook.com backslash it's in Queens. Twitter.com backslash is in Queens. Instagram.com backslash and what comes next?

[Unknown]

Do you think it's in Queens?

[Rob McKay]

If I could say one more thing, I guess I will say, you know what, if I can backpack something onto the Vanderbilt Parkway. Badermill Parkway starts in Cunningham park, and right there we're Flushing, where Francis Lewis Boulevard is. There's actually a path you can go on, which is all wooded, and you're walking through nothing but woods and trees. You'll see chipmunks and those kinds of things. But you'll get to a point where there's a big sign and the sign says, the Wisconsin Glacier or the Wisconsin Ice Sheet passed through here. It came from. It was a huge mass of rocks and ice, and it slowly. About two inches a year. It came down from Canada to New York and it stopped right here. And then it stopped and the ice melted, and that formed hills and kettle ponds and all that kind of stuff. And if you look at that ridge, if you look south, you'll notice that everything is flat the same way that Rockaway and then all of the south shore of Long island is flat. But the north shore, all those Port Washington, that's all hilly. It's all because the Glacier stopped there 75,000 years ago. So I go there, you know, especially during COVID I walk there a lot. And it's just a marvel that something that happened 75,000 years ago has such a big impact on our life today.

[Unknown]

For people who are listening, we do have transcripts of this segment. It'll be available on our website later. If you want to write down all of these things, we want to say thank you to Rabbit Kai. Thank you for all of your Queen's knowledge.

[Rob McKay]

Well, actually, thank you. A lot of fun to be here and I would love to come out. I would love for you to come out to Queens. I'll take you on a tour.

[Unknown]

Oh, that's a date. That's a date.

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