Exploring Long Island City, Queens and Hunter's Point South Park

This tour is free with voluntary donation to your guide.

Our meetup location is super easy to get to just 15 minutes from Times Square on the #7 train and 3 stops from Grand Central. We meet at 6pm sharp in front of the large courthouse which is within a park plaza adjacent to Jackson Avenue. It about two one block from either the #7, E or G subways at Court Square. The tour will end convenient to subways.

Note optional Happy Hour at a local historic pub/restaurant Brooks 1890 (adjacent to our starting point) starting at 5pm. http://www.brooks1890.com . You can also find restrooms nearby at several coffee places including Starbucks at 26-14 Jackson Avenue and Partners at 26-25 Jackson Ave.

Long Island City, Queens is one of the fastest growing communities not only in NYC but in the entire United States. Get the lay of the land on this guided walk to starting in the downtown hub and ending in the waterfront area. We'll visit the Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park (pictured above) whose Phase II (opened in 2018) won a Masterworks Award from the Municipal Arts Society for the "Best Urban Landscape" for a new or revitalized open space that contributes to livability and resilience.

The tour will cover the history, lifestyle and real estate of the area along with the broad array of neighborhood amenities - restaurants, museums, theater venues and outdoor recreation. You'll enjoy the views of midtown!

See the description of live music which goes from 7:00pm - 8:30pm at nearby Gantry State Park. We'll aim to arrive for the last portion of the music as our tour will take at least 90 minutes.

Akoko Nante Ensemble is a Pan African percussion/vocal group based out of Queens, NY. The Ensemble presents music that has been harvested from the continent of Africa and through its diaspora. The court of the royal palaces of Ghana, the groves of old Haiti, and the seaside shanties of Cuba are some of the locales evoked during Akoko Nante’s high energy performances. Formed in 2011, Akoko Nante’s mission is to display the beauty and diversity of Africa; weaving together the musical threads of many nations to compose sonic tapestries. Akoko Nante Ensemble has performed at such illustrious places as: Shrine World Music Venue, The Jalopy Theatre, Barbes, The Afrikan Poetry Theater,and SIlvana. Outdoor festivals the ensemble has played in include Celebrate Brooklyn, International African Arts Festival, and more.

Food, drink and restrooms available at the waterfront park and in the surrounding neighborhood.