Things to do in Flushing, Queens – NYC’s largest Chinatown

Flushing is the kind of place that I see as a New York City secret. It is a Queens neighborhood about 30-40 minutes from Manhattan and provides an incredible cultural immersion. To give you some context, the Chinese-immigrant population of Flushing surpassed Chinatown in Manhattan years ago. Roughly two-thirds of the residents in this bustling Queens neighborhood are foreign-born—most of whom come from Asia. You will probably feel like you are not in New York City. Unlike Chinatown in Manhattan, I think Flushing is less “chaotic” – if you know, you know – and a more authentic neighborhood with several things to do. I’ve been there many times, and here are my top recs of things to do!

Spring Shabu Shabu Restaurant

If you are a foodie, Flushing is your place – you can “travel” to many different spots without leaving the neighborhood. Spring Shabu Shabu is among my top recs there. It is a Hot Pot restaurant – and you cook your food. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, hot pot is an experience – it’s great to go with friends. You will cook meats, veggies, seafood, noodles, and more in a pot of simmering, seasoned broth heated on an induction burner or electric range. Once it’s cooked, you dip it in the sauce of choice and eat it. I absolutely love the experience. This spot has an all-you-can-eat buffet – with raw veggies, noodles, and more, plus a lot of sauces for $19,95 (lunch) or $22,95 (dinner). I think the price is very reasonable – and you can order meat, pork, or seafood separately. It is a unique dining experience! And the food is delicious!

JUQI restaurant

 

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Uma publicação compartilhada por The Shops at Skyview (@theshopsatskyviewny) em 10 de Nov, 2016 às 11:32 PST

Not so far from Tangram, you will find The Shops at SkyView Center, a mall with well-known stores. Marshall’s, Nike Clearance Store, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, UNIQLO, Carter’s Babies and Kids, Best Buy, and Target are some stores. You will also find Daiso, a Japanese dollar store that sells beauty products, holiday décor, clothing, gifts, snacks, home goods, and sundries, priced at or around $1.99.

New World Mall

 

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Charles (@cakeandtea) em 9 de Dez, 2019 às 10:21 PST

I also recommend stopping at New World Mall – they have retail shops and J-Mart, which is the highlight for me – a huge Asian supermarket with fresh produce and dozens of Asian products. I love it!  Another highlight is the food hall, with great options of eateries.

K-Beauty

 

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There’s no way to talk about Flushing without talking about Korean Beauty – honestly, I feel that in the past, it was easier to find K-beauty stores in the area – but now a lot of them have been closed – and you can even shop K-beauty at Sephora. But, if you are in Flushing, there’s a Nature Republic location and a Besfren Beauty location. Make sure to check out my K-beauty shopping guide in NYC.

A day in Flushing also deserves a stop at Queens Museum. I am not a museum fan, but I recommend this visit. And this is because of Panorama. It is the jewel in the crown of the Queens Museum collection and a locus of memory for visitors from all over the globe. Conceived as a celebration of the city’s municipal infrastructure by urban mastermind and World’s Fair President Robert Moses for the 1964 Fair, the Panorama was built by a team of more than 100 people working for the great architectural model makers Raymond Lester & Associates over three years. In planning the model, Lester referred to aerial photographs, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and a range of other City material as the Panorama had to be accurate, with the initial contract demanding less than one percent margin of error between reality and the “world’s largest scale model.” Comprising an area of 9,335 square feet and built to a scale of 1:1200 where one inch equals 100 feet, the Panorama is a metropolis in miniature. Each of the city’s 895,000 buildings constructed prior to 1992 and every street, park, and some 100 bridges are represented and assembled onto 273 individual sections comprising the 320 square miles of New York City.

As previously mentioned, Panorama is the highlight of the museum, but there is also other exhibits. Queens Museum opens from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Suggested admission is $ 8 (but you can pay what you want).

Behind the museum, which is located in Corona Park, you will find one of the most beautiful places in the city, in my opinion: Unisphere. It was designed by the architect Gilmore D. Clarke for the New York World’s Fair of 1964-65, 120-foot-diameter. During the summer, the fountain is turned on, and the monument is even more beautiful. Corona Park is a vast park – there is also a zoo there – and that’s where US Open takes place every year. The New York Hall of Science is also located at Corona Park.

How to get to Flushing?

• You can either take the 7 train and go to the last station – if you are going to visit the museum and the park, make sure to get off one stop before – Mets – Willets Point.
• You can also take the LIRR to Flushing, from PennStation.

Laura Peruchi

Content creator and journalist in New York City. Here, I share lifestyle, beauty, NYC tips, thoughts, and the struggles about living in the most amazing city in the world! I’m not gonna pretend to be another person: I’m a Brazilian immigrant and I think this is my soul, it is part of who I am. I hope you enjoy my content! Follow me on Instagram!