What I Love about Queens

After nearly eight years in Queens - eight years in the same building, eight years on the same train line, eight years with shopping, food and anything else one might need outside my front doorsteps - I am moving to the suburbs. Well, technically, I will still be living in New York City, but compared to the hustle and bustle of Queens Boulevard, it is the suburbs.

Right now, I am panicking about the contractor, renovations and move date and mourning the loss of everything I've known for almost a DECADE (I actually like the subway). Seth says it will all work out, but I am not wont to believe him in my current state of overthinking. And generally, I feel incredibly unsettled especially after a long weekend at home focusing on the renovations that haven't begun and the move that is still months away.

Since I am deep in the I can't believe I am leaving Queens funk, I am ringing in 2016 here on The Weekly Salad with a tribute to what I love in Queens. If you are one of my two to three readers, please feel free to add your Queens loves to the comments. As the move becomes more real, I can come back here to add to the list and remind myself that Queens will only be a car ride away. Omigosh. I think the move means I am an adult.

What I Love about Queens (in no particular order)

Food

• Grilled cheese at the Queens Kickshaw
• Israeli salad, bread and hummus at Cheburechnaya
• Pizza at Villaggio Ristorante
• Chocolate ice at the Lemon Ice King of Corona
• Sundaes at Eddie's Sweet Shop
• Salt bagels at Bagelette. A new discovery but WOW.
• Granola pancakes and spinach pie from the Tower Diner

Places

• The Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
• The alpacas at the Queens Zoo
• Forest Hills Gardens (my favorite neighborhood in Queens)
• The Panorama at the Queens Museum
• Juniper Valley Park
• The Coca Cola sign in Gantry State Park
• Century 21. I know this is a chain, but I live across the street from it. That will never happen again. RIP to the Loehman's that served all of my shopping needs before Century opened.)
• The Shalimar Diner. Not for the food but for the filming. The Wolf of Wall Street and an episode of Elementary were filmed there.
• Kew Gardens Cinema not only shows independent films but is also cheap!
• Citi Field and the Mets

Miscellaneous

• One of the most diverse counties in the country.
• Seth grew up here and lived all but five years of his life in this borough.
• Our local parent friends. It's been so fun watching all of the babies become toddlers.
• The filming! I love seeing my borough on TV and in movies.