The borough of Queens, wedged in between Manhattan and Long Island, is both the largest borough geographically and the most ethnically diverse. Nearly half of its residents are immigrants. Queens is also the location of two of the world’s busiest airports: John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. Queens is connected to Manhattan by the Triborough and Queensboro Bridges, as well as the Queens Midtown Tunnel, and is a short commute for those working in Midtown.

Queens is made up of five towns, including Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing, Far Rockaway, and Floral Park. Each of these towns has its own smaller neighbourhoods, such as Howard Beach and Middle Village, where residents are mainly Italian, Astoria, which is primarily Greek but where there is also an influx of young professionals of all backgrounds, and Jamaica, which has a largely African-American and Caribbean population.

Accommodation

Housing in Queens mostly consists of two and three family brick homes, in addition to private homes and apartment buildings. The type of housing you’ll find depends on the neighbourhood. They range in price from about $300,000 to several million for a mansion in Bayside.

Shopping & Amenities

Each neighbourhood in Queens has its own community of shops and services. Unlike in Manhattan, in Queens you’ll find larger shopping complexes, such as the Queens Center in Elmhurst (www.shopqueenscenter.com), which houses over 70 stores. Bargain hunters head for the smaller Queens Place on Queens Boulevard, for a good browse in Target and Best Buy.

Entertainment & Leisure

Things to see in Queens include the Queens Botanical Garden, the Queens Museum of Art, and the New York Hall of Science. In addition, the third-largest park in New York City, Flushing Meadows Park, is in Queens. The home of the New York Mets baseball team, Shea Stadium, is also in Queens.

Health

There are numerous hospitals in Queens, including Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens (718 932 1000), New York Hospital of Queens (718 670 1231), Queens Hospital Center (718 883 3000) and Elmhurst Hospital Center (718 334 4000).

Education

Schools include the highly rated Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside (www.cardozohigh.com), which is known for its DaVinci Science and Math Institute, the Mentor for Law and Humanities Program and the Performing Dance Program. In addition, there are 11 Catholic schools, seven highly-rated, non-religious private schools, and countless public schools.

Traffic & Public Transport

Trains to Queens include: A, E, F, G, J, M, R, N, V, 7, Z. The Long Island Railroad makes several stops in Queens as well.