| Hello from New York City (5) - A Local
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| | us the multicultural character of Queens,
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| Expert Takes Us Through Queensby: Susanne
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| | and that one of the main subway trains
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| Pacher
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| | (the 7 train) is called "The
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| Yesterday was a pretty interesting day,
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| | International Express" because it cuts
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| the weather was cool and overcast, with
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| | through all sorts of ethnic
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| rain coming in during the latter part of
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| | neighbourhoods.
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| the afternoon. A few weeks ago I had
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| | A quick jump onto this very subway later,
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| booked a meeting with one of the Big
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| | which runs on elevated tracks through a
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| Apple Greeters, an organization of local
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| | good chunk of Queens, so you can actually
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| NYC volunteers that takes out-of-town
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| | see the neighbourhood, and we arrived in
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| visitors around the city and shows them
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| | Jackson Heights, an area with a lot of
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| local sights and shares local
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| | Latin American immigrants and further
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| information. The service is a great way
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| | west we saw lots of South Asian (Indian,
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| to link up with a local New Yorker, and
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| | Pakistani and Bangladeshi) stores. For a
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| best of all, it's free of charge.
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| | Torontonian seeing all these ethnic
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| We were supposed to meet Suzanne, our
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| | stores is not all that unusual, since we
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| greeter, at 11:00 am at the 71st Street
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| | have a lot of that in Toronto too, but I
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| subway station, but we got a late start
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| | am sure these ethnic neighbourhoods must
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| after breakfast and there were some
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| | be quite unusual and unique for people
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| delays on the subway system, so we didn't
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| | who come from smaller less international
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| meet Suzanne until 11:50 am. Suzanne is a
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| | places.
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| former highschool teacher, in her
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| | We then took the 47 and 19 Queens bus to
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| sixties, and a very friendly and outgoing
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| | a neighbourhood called Astoria, where a
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| individual. We felt bad about being late,
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| | lot of Greek immigrants congregate. We
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| but she said it wasn't a problem at all.
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| | ended up having dinner in a little quaint
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| She was extremely gracious and helpful
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| | and cosy Greek restaurant called Zygos
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| throughout our entire time with her.
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| | Restaurant ("zygos" means "libra" or
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| Suzanne started the tour by taking us
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| | "balance") where we continued our nice
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| through a very upscale Queens
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| | conversation with Suzanne, our local
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| neighbourhood called Forest Hill Gardens,
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| | expert. Suzanne has been a greeter for
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| which is a neighbourhood with private
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| | the last 12 years and has studied all
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| streets where local residents pay higher
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| | areas of New York City. She said she
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| than normal taxes for additional
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| | travels, by herself, into all areas of
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| services, such as more frequent garbage
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| | NYC, including Harlem and the Bronx, and
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| pickup etc. Suzanne indicated that these
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| | she loves exploring and sharing the city
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| homes go from anywhere from US$ 1 million
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| | that she loves with people from all over
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| and up. Everything was blooming and many
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| | the world.
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| local handymen, gardners and maids were
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| | When we left at about a quarter to 7 pm,
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| on the road. We also had a chance to
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| | Suzanne had spent more than 7 hours with
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| visit the old US Open Tennis Center which
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| | us and we had really gotten to know each
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| is located in an amphitheatre right next
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| | other quite well on a personal level. We
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| to the Forest Hill Country Club.
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| | also we ended up exchanging email
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| On from there we took a bus to the
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| | addresses and we extended mutual
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| Flushing neighbourhood, an area with lots
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| | invitations to stay in touch and I said
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| of Chinese and Korean stores, where
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| | I'd love to take her around whenever she
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| Suzanne treated us to same savory Chinese
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| | comes to the Toronto area.
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| dumplings. All the time she explained to
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