A

Airports

Queens is home to not one but two of New York City's major airports — JFK International and LaGuardia — making it the borough that welcomes the whole world.

Spot planes landing over Jamaica Bay from the Gateway National Recreation Area and count how many different airlines you can find.

B

Birdwatching in Bayside

From the shores of Little Neck Bay to the ancient wetlands of Alley Pond Park, Bayside is one of Queens' best spots to spy herons, ospreys, and migratory birds passing through.

Visit Alley Pond Park with binoculars and a field guide — try to identify 5 different birds and draw each one.

C

Corona

Home to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and the iconic Unisphere — and the neighborhood where jazz legend Louis Armstrong chose to live for the last 28 years of his life.

Tour the Louis Armstrong House Museum and listen to a recording of his trumpet on the way there.

D

Diversity Plaza

A vibrant pedestrian plaza in Jackson Heights where the world converges — surrounded by restaurants, shops, and street life from dozens of cultures.

Eat lunch from a culture different from your own at one of the Plaza's surrounding restaurants — and learn to say "thank you" in that language.

E

Elmhurst Hospital

A vital public hospital serving Queens' diverse communities for over a century — on the front lines during NYC's most challenging moments.

Write a thank-you card to a nurse or doctor — heroes live right here in Queens.

F

Flushing

Queens' Chinatown and Koreatown hub — home to Main Street's legendary food halls and the NY Mets.

Do a dim sum crawl through Flushing's Golden Mall food court and try at least three dishes you've never had before.

G

Gantry Plaza

Long Island City's waterfront state park, framed by restored industrial gantries and Manhattan views.

Bring a sketchpad and draw the Manhattan skyline from the waterfront at golden hour.

H

Hollis

The birthplace of hip-hop legends Run-DMC and LL Cool J — a pillar of Queens rap history.

Write your own rap song about your neighborhood — every great MC has to start somewhere.

I

IND Crosstown

The G train — Queens' lifeline through its western neighborhoods, the only line that never enters Manhattan.

Ride the G train end to end and draw a map of every stop along the way.

J

Jamaica Estates

An elegant, hilly neighborhood in southeastern Queens known for its grand Tudor and Colonial Revival homes — and the childhood home of a certain famous New Yorker.

Walk the neighborhood and count how many different architectural styles you can spot on a single block.

K

Kew Gardens

An elegant, tree-lined enclave with Tudor Revival architecture and a historic art deco cinema.

Find the historic Kew Gardens Cinema and watch a movie there — one of NYC's last great neighborhood theaters.

L

Long Island City

Queens' artsy western edge — warehouses turned galleries, MoMA PS1, and gleaming new towers.

Visit MoMA PS1 on a Sunday and join the free youth program — then make your own art inspired by what you saw.

M

Mets

The New York Mets play at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens — the borough's beloved baseball franchise.

Catch a game at Citi Field and try keeping score on a paper scorecard the old-fashioned way.

N

Noodles

From hand-pulled Lanzhou noodles to ramen and pho, Queens serves some of the city's finest bowls.

Try making hand-pulled noodles from scratch at home — it takes practice, but the slurping is worth it.

O

Onigirazu

The delicious Japanese rice sandwiches at 969 Coffee in Queens — a must-order that keeps regulars coming back.

Visit 969 Coffee and order the onigirazu — then try making your own rice sandwich at home with your favorite fillings.

P

Pigeon at PS1

NYC's most iconic bird meets Queens' most iconic contemporary art space — a pigeon strutting through MoMA PS1's courtyard is peak Long Island City.

Photograph pigeons in creative locations around Queens and compile your best shots into a mini photo book.

Q

Queens Boulevard

The borough's grand artery stretching miles from Queensboro Bridge deep into Queens — once called "Boulevard of Death."

Walk one mile of Queens Boulevard and document every language you see on storefronts — how many can you find?

R

Rockaway Beach

NYC's only surf beach — a narrow barrier peninsula beloved by surfers, swimmers, and summer seekers.

Try bodysurfing or take a beginner surf lesson, then collect five interesting shells to bring home.

S

Seven Train

Officially the Flushing Line, the 7 is nicknamed the "International Express" — it rockets through Jackson Heights, Woodside, Corona, and Flushing, passing through more immigrant communities per mile than almost any train on Earth. In 2000, the Clinton White House designated it a National Millennium Trail.

Ride the 7 train from Times Square all the way to Flushing and write down every neighborhood you pass through — you'll feel like you've traveled the world.

T

Tortilla

Jackson Heights' bustling taquerias and Mexican bakeries serve some of NYC's finest fresh-made tortillas.

Visit a Jackson Heights tortilleria and watch fresh tortillas being made — then try making your own at home with just masa and water.

U

Unisphere

The 140-foot stainless steel globe in Flushing Meadows — the world's largest geographic sphere and a Queens icon.

Stand at the Unisphere and identify all the continents on the globe — then find the spot that represents where your family is from.

V

Vander-Ende Onderdonk House

The oldest surviving Dutch colonial stone house in NYC, tucked away in Ridgewood, Queens — a 300-year-old secret hiding in plain sight.

Visit and draw the house, then research who lived there 300 years ago — what was Queens like back then?

W

Woodside & Sunnyside

Two neighboring communities sitting side by side along Roosevelt Avenue — Woodside with its Irish, Filipino, and South Asian roots, and Sunnyside anchored by its landmark 1924 planned garden community.

Walk Roosevelt Avenue from Sunnyside into Woodside and count how many different cuisines you can find in a single block — make it a competition.

X

Xiao Long Bao

Soup dumplings — delicate parcels of pork and hot broth that burst in your mouth. Nan Xiang Dumpling House in Flushing's Golden Mall has been making some of NYC's finest since the early 2000s.

Visit Nan Xiang in Flushing and order a steamer basket — then look up how soup dumplings get the soup inside.

Y

Yellowstone Boulevard

A leafy boulevard winding through Forest Hills and Rego Park — proof that Queens street names can sound like an adventure.

Bike the length of Yellowstone Boulevard, stop for a snack in Forest Hills, and invent a story about how it got its name.

Z

Zoo (Queens)

The Queens Zoo in Flushing Meadows — a small, charming wildlife park within the borough's grand central park.

Visit the Queens Zoo and draw your favorite animal in its habitat — then find out where in the world it originally comes from.