Photo Walk of Jackson Heights

February 20, 2011

The Jackson Heights community was originally planned for middle- to upper-middle income workers from Manhattan. It was mainly comprised of of large garden apartments and private homes. Over time immigrant families from South America, Mexico, East Asia and South Asia among others moved in and created the most diverse neighborhood in the United States and perhaps the world. Just to get a better idea of the diversity, the ethnic/racial composition of Jackson Heights is 56.6% Hispanic/Latino, 21.1% White, 16.6% Asian, 1.9% Black, and 3.8% Other.

(movie posters)

(model poster)

The area of Jackson Heights that I live in has a predominantly South Asian population (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan). It is affectionately referred to as Little India or Jaikishan Heights. 73rd and 74th Streets are lined with various South Asian restaurants, grocery stores, jewelry shops, bakery/sweets shops, sari boutiques, electronic shops and dollar stores. On any given day it can be densely packed with shoppers and restaurant goers. As you can imagine it can be quite chaotic as the traffic situation around the neighborhood is less than ideal. Many buses try to push through as the regular shoppers and taxis double park in and around 73rd Street. But this is a minor annoyance because Jackson Heights has grown on me and I find it to be a very convenient neighborhood. Cheap food is available within a few blocks: Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Mexican, Colombian, Cuban, Ecuadorian, Peruvian and Argentinian to name a few. I am still discovering new restaurants from time to time such as Mie Jakarta on Whitney Avenue, which is technically in Elmhurst.

(main entrance to the Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue train station)

(Jackson Heights bus terminal)

I live right around the corner from the Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue train station. I can get on the E, F, M, R and 7 trains. Citifield is only about 10 minutes away by the 7 train. Getting to the city is pretty easy although the morning commute can be pretty crowded. Renovations for the train station/bus terminal were conpleted in 2005 for about $132 million. This was after it was voted the dirtiest subway station in 2000. Considered one the of the first "green" subway stations in New York, it includes solar panels and recyclable steel. The tens of thousands of daily commuters witness its modern look and feel as they travel to and from Manhattan and the other boroughs of New York City.

(Halal butcher and goat meat)

(Himalayan Yak Restaurant)

(game of Chinese chess or perhaps Go)

The thing I most appreciate about Jackson Heights other than its diversity is the fact that it hasn't been overrun with new developments. This would no doubt raise property values and gentrify the neighborhood, but I appreciate the pockets of ethnic localities that give Jackson Heights its personality. The area between 76th and 88th Streets and Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard was designated as the New York City Historic District of Jackson Heights in 1993. This gives much of Jackson Heights protection from major redevelopment that could forever alter what has been preserved until now, which is to say its historic architecture and affordability. But as people continue to move into Jackson Heights from Manhattan and Brooklyn due to high costs of living, it's hard to say how much longer things will remain as they are.

I wanted to capture some of what makes Jackson Heights unique and special by walking around some of the areas I'm familar with and some that I haven't been to before. I started out by taking wide shots with my 17-40mm lens. But I realized that I needed photos of people and my 70-200mm lens helped me do that without being intrusive. Most of these photos were taken this winter but a couple were taken last summer.

(balloons)

(lemonade stand)

(fruit stands outside a Chinese supermarket)

(a game of basketball)

(car wash)

(Chinese bakery)

(cash for gold)

(Elmhurst Hospital)

(street parking)

(stretch of fence)

(pair of shoes and mailbox)

(no parking)

(by the 7th train overpass)

(restaurant signs - some of the food here is great including Penang and Pho Banc)

(corner jewelry store and Eagle Indian Theater - this was recently closed down; wondering what will replace it)

(mannequin with Indian dress and Ganesha)

(street vendors selling trinkets)

(street signs - the no honking sign is never heeded)

(Gandhi, the one and only)

Photo Walk of Jackson Heights

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