Debi Z. 
Moving to Queens? Here’s a list of
Our Favorite Queens Attractions,
Hot Spots, and Restaurants
- Boske – 28-43 Steinway St, Queens, NY 11103: A new restaurant and lounge that’s making waves in Astoria. Boské, a Dominican-owned gem, serves up everything from savory mofonguitos to succulent churrasco, all with a creative flair.
- Elmhurst Sculpture Garden – This public space is only 10’ x 10’, but its purpose is special and community oriented and reflects the values of Elmhurst as a whole. The space is meant to be an incubator for local artists to display their outdoor art and give back to the community by revitalizing overgrown lots into enjoyable city spaces.
- Drunk Shakespeare – A unique and fun theatre attraction where one professional actor downs five shots of whiskey and attempts to perform in a Shakespearean play.
- Astoria Park (19 19th St, Astoria): The “Central Park” of Astoria, this public park offers views over the East River. In the summer, enjoy movies in the park, a yearly fair, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, and a running track.
- Thalia Hispanic Theater – This is the only Latin theater in Queens. Here, you can immerse yourself in the culture and vibrancy of the borough’s Latin community. Be sure to check out their virtual performances.
- Noguchi Museum – 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens, NY 11106: Founded and designed by the legendary American landscape architect Isamu Noguchi, this intimate museum and sculpture garden is a peaceful oasis for you to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City life.
- Taverna Kyclades (36-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria): Craving Greek food? Skip Manhattan and head here for the freshest seafood, Greek salad, and fried calamari. This lively restaurant is a must-visit for Greek food lovers.
- Socrates Sculpture Garden– 32-01 Vernon Blvd, Queens, NY 11106: In 1986, abstract expressionist sculptor Mark di Suvero transformed this garden into a community-focused art haven. Today, Socrates Sculpture Park presents three major visual arts installations each year and supports artists from all stages of their careers.
- Schmidt’s Candy: This candy shop has become a neighborhood staple. Whether you’re looking for old-fashioned penny candy or something more particular like a handcrafted truffle or fudge, Schmidt’s has what you’re looking for. When you walk into this store you will feel that you went back in time. The shop has been open for almost a century and they haven’t made many changes at all. Also this shop offers personalized baskets for every event you can think of, like birthdays, weddings or baby showers.
- The Beast Next Door (4251 27th St, Long Island City, NY): With its dimly lit, brick-walled, wood-furnished interior, this sultry bar is perfect for an easy date night. Plus, they’ve got an unbeatable happy hour, including $1 oysters.
- Ridgewood Reservoir: Highland Park and the Reservoir sit on a ridge that lends to dramatic views of nearby cemeteries, East New York, Woodhaven, the Rockaways, and the Atlantic Ocean. With the combination of many different types of habitats—forests, fields, and wetlands—the Reservoir is an opportune spot for wildlife viewing.
- Louie’s Pizza (8134 Baxter Ave #1, Elmhurst): Louie’s serves the best, most consistent grandma slice in Elmhurst, maybe even all of Queens. This is the kind of place where you don’t need toppings to make the slice great. But if you ask for them, they’re piled on and loaded.
- Queens Botanical Garden – Queens Botanical Garden offers over two dozen gardens, sections and features over its 39 acres. Be sure to check out the
- Mira Sushi Restaurant Queens – Here you’ll find upmarket sushi, Japanese, and Thai dishes in a contemporary and upscale setting.
- Steinway Street’s Spring Fest and Paw-rade: Springtime fun with a pet costume contest, on-site adoptions, and performances by the Afro-Latineers and Zabo Circus.
- Astoria Bookshop – 36-19 30th St, Astoria, NY 11106: This well-curated, queer woman-owned bookshop in central Astoria has been a local treasure since 2013. Astorian bookworms of all ages go here to discover new authors and books.
- Astoria Film Festival – 34-12 36th St, Queens, NY 11106: The Astoria Film Festival showcases global filmmaking and animation, plus works by local students. Held in person every May at Arri Rental LIC and Kaufman Astoria Studios, the festival also offers online webinars, panels, and networking events year-round.
- Gantry State Park (4-44 47th Rd, Queens, NY): Once an industrial wasteland, Gantry Plaza State Park has been transformed into a manicured 12-acre green space along the East River in Hunters Point. The park comes alive every day with strollers, picnickers, sunbathers, volleyball players, fishers, and admirers of the Manhattan skyline.
- Grill Point NY – Grill Point is an Israeli / Middle Eastern restaurant that serves up one of a kind lamb, chicken, and turkey shawarma. They offer pickup, and delivery within 5 miles.
- Elmhurst Park – This city green space offers six acres of jogging trails, playgrounds and more. It is one of the favorite parks of the neighborhood.
- Queens College, City University of New York – Queens College is a public university within the City University of New York system. Notable alumni include Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Favraeu, and Joy Behar among many others.
- Rolo’s (853 Onderdonk Ave, Ridgewood): Rolo’s is a bar and grill in Queens that specializes in wood-fired cooking. Their menu features a selection of charcuterie, including paper-thin pastrami, that’s made in-house with no preservatives.
- Trans Pecos: Trans Pecos is on a mission to offer space for indie arts and the neighborhood’s musical community. It is a place where locals from the neighborhood can come together to be creative.
- Sal, Kris & Charlie’s Deli (33-12 23rd Ave, Astoria): Home of The Bomb, a monstrous sandwich stuffed with turkey, salami, roast beef, pastrami, lettuce, tomato, onions, hot peppers, mustard, mayo, oil, and vinegar. It’s big enough to feed four people (or one very ambitious eater).
- Murphy’s Bar – 45-01 23rd Ave, Queens, NY 11105: Murphy’s Bar is your quintessential sports bar. Think no frills, a community-first vibe, and affordable drinks. Perfect for summer sports viewing, it’s proudly dubbed ‘Astoria’s home for New York sports teams’.
- New Park Pizza (156-71 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach): A Queens institution since 1956, New Park Pizza has been cooking up pizza slices from the same brick oven for generations. If you’ve got a JFK layover, New Park Pizza is under 15 minutes on the AirTrain (and worth the detour). Somehow, it’s still one of the most underrated slice joints in Queens.
- Please Don’t Tell – This neighborhood Speakeasy is a unique place to kick back and have some cocktails. Just don’t tell anyone!
- Bar Enzo (10-15 43rd Avenue, 2nd Floor, Long Island City, NY): This new Italian-American cocktail bar is a nod to owner Joe Schinco’s Sicilian grandparents and their lively parties. With Attaboy alum Steven Lewis behind the marble bar, you can expect some seriously memorable drinks.
- Mad Donkey Beer Bar & Grill – 32-07 36th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106. Feel like family in this relaxed taproom with weekend DJs, numerous whiskeys, jumbo cocktails, and pub grub. Loved by locals, it’s a must-visit spot in Astoria.
- The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House: With two acres of beautiful gardens and historic architecture, the Vander-Ende Onderdonk House is a gem on the border of Ridgewood and Bushwick. It is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City.
- Queens Zoo – This 18 acre zoo features a Sea Lion exhibit, woodland trail, great plains trail, and South American trail with the unique wildlife that inhabits those areas.
- Q.E.D. Astoria (27-16 23rd Ave, Queens): This intimate, community-driven space is made for and by creatives. It’s a performance venue, education center, and café all rolled into one, offering comedy shows, art classes, and more.
- Flushing Meadows Corona Park – First and foremost it should be noted that the park is about 1-3 miles away from Elmhurst. However, the proximity is still something to be taken advantage of, as this is one of NYC’s largest, most iconic, and most unique parks. The 1964 World’s Fair took place within the park’s 897 acres, and today the park offers every sport under the sun, from tennis to kayaking. The park is also the site of the following institutions:
- Lost in Paradise Rooftop (11-01 43rd Ave, Long Island City, NY): Party in style at this rooftop lounge which offers views of the Manhattan skyline, tropical cocktails, and Latin fusion tapas. Need more reasons to visit? Check out their weekly events like Taco Tuesdays and Karaoke Wednesdays.
- Long Island City (LIC) Springs!: This community street festival is a celebration of Long Island City, with live music, dance performances, interactive art lessons, fitness classes, outdoor dining, and pop-up activities. It’s free and open to the public, drawing major crowds each year.
- Rice Thief – 39-37 30th Street, Astoria, New York 11101: Once a viral sensation as a Korean crab delivery service, Rice Thief has now set up a permanent home in Long Island City. This spot is famous for its gejang—raw marinated crab—that has TikTokers and mukbang fans raving And with a beer and wine license, it’s the perfect catch!
- Queens Museum – This art and education center provides the neighborhood with exhibits that showcase the unique history of Queens, one of the most diverse places in the world.
- Queens Center – This shopping mall offers a compact, yet exhaustive assortment of big box stores, restaurants, and more really close to home.
- VR World NYC – This interesting attraction showcases the best of mixed reality and VR. Here, you’ll interact in a novel way with art, film, and games. The bar has some solid cocktails as well!
- Museum of the Moving Image – 36-01 35th Ave, Queens, NY 11106: Housed in the historic Astoria Studios, The Museum of the Moving Image is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the art, history, and technology of the moving image. There’s always something going on here, with regular exhibitions, film screenings, and live conversations with industry icons.
