Coming from Houston, I was amazed at that place. Simply incredible are the only two words that I can use to describe it.
74th and 75th street are a hot pot of desis of all backgrounds and nationalities living, working and playing togather. It was almost as if I was in a desi utopia, all desis coexisting peacefully with each other with lots of happiness and joy to go around. Very moving and powerful at the same time. One has to stand there and absorb the synergy that is around them. It is like a feeling no other I had ever felt before.
I took the #7 train from NY Penn Station, all the way to the station called Jackson Heights. The train ride was very smooth, with several gentlemen and ladies aboard. We (me and wife) got out at 84th - Jackson Height, and then walked to 74th street. The streets were lined with amazing shops selling goods from around the world (mainly China), and scrumptious restaurants serving delicacies from lands far away.
Very very nice. The whole place reminded me of old bazars in places like Saudi Arabia.
One strange thing though, I saw a young Muslim girl begging there. I am not trying to joke, or acting sarcastic, but it was definetly a little odd. We see beggers all the time, but you can tell they are beggers by the way they dress, and their unwashed look. This girl didn’t look anything like that.
Anyways, will definetly visit Jackson Heights again.
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
I first visited Jackson Heights right after I landed in America for the fist time,back in 1994. My sister and brother in law picked me up from JFK and took me straight to JFK for 'Samosa Chat'. I then revisited the area several times in 2004-2005 while living in the boring borough of Staten Island. Walking through the roads there listening to loud Hindi music and slurping the Mango Kulfi sold by street vendors, I could easily imagine myself walking in the streets of 'Ghoara Bazaar' ( of my home town Peshawar).
Another city that resembles JH on a very small scale is Diwan (sp?)street in Chicago. Form my 2000 trip to there I particularly remember the young teenage boys loafing on the streets and the coy teen age girls fully aware of all the attention...another blast from the past ( like Cand Raat shopping in Pakistan...some old times might remember the times when boys from the Engineering University used to swap places with the "Choori'( Bangles) vendors for the oppertunity to touch a girls' wrist in the guise of helping her choose the right size)
Forgive me for going way of the topic..this post just sent me down the memory lane.
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
One strange thing though, I saw a young Muslim girl begging there. I am not trying to joke, or acting sarcastic, but it was definetly a little odd. We see beggers all the time, but you can tell they are beggers by the way they dress, and their unwashed look. This girl didn't look anything like that.
Anyways, will definetly visit Jackson Heights again.
we have some of them here at devon too,a nd they are not muslim or bosnian as they claim. police has warned ppl about these ppl being crook gypsy types.
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
Coming from Houston, I was amazed at that place. Simply incredible are the only two words that I can use to describe it.
I was amazed to read that you were amazed at the place :D
I do my best to try n avoid the place... lekin have to go there to get my meat.
with the smelly badly dressed crowds, not-so-great-as-it's-hyped-up-to-be food, Eagle cinema showing the latest bollybusters and the chichoray larkay loitering about.. yep it's straight out of desiland :D
but yeah if u're craving the good ol desi touch, that's the place to chk out.
maybe it's ghar ki murgi daal baraabar, but when i read ur account, i was wondering if u'd gone to some other place by mistake!
as nydjleo said, oak tree road in edison, new jersey is an improved version of JH.
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
Well oak tree Road also has a good bunch of halal offerings too...
try Shalimar, Shahnawaz, Nanking...and a few other places...great for shopping too
another place you might want to try (for the food) is Main Street in paterson, NJ....lots of yummy arabic/turkish food...grrrr
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
My sister just came from NYC, spent 5 days there. She also went to Jackson Heights despite of my warnings, and she highly regret going to JH. Food/Lussi/Paan might be good, but seeing Desis living there like in Dehaat/Pind was sight not to be forgotten for a long time. Gerrard/Thorncliff/Brampton of GTA are no match to Jackson Height desi ghetto. puke
Re: I visited the world famous Jackson Heights in New York.
Most gang fights are within the desi's, as in Bengali, Indian, Pakistani, Guyanese, Trinidadians etc.
The new cleaner Jackson Heights is getting setup in Hicksville, Long Island, a lot cleaner and not as congested. And as its spread out over a a mile or so (Broadway/Rt. 107) you can't just walk to everywhere. Sorta like the LA outskirts desi area (I forget the name). Lots of restaurants, Patel Bros, Sabzimandi, RajBhog etc. Used to be a cinema there too, but that moved away a little.
desi Utopia? r u sure??..
u can say that again