Dec. 10, 2014 Staff report
The borough of Queens was selected as the best tourism destination in the United States for 2015 by Lonely Planet, a leading news outlet that covers the travel industry.
Queens drew praise for its eating and drinking scene (including the four microbreweries that opened over the last 18 months), amazing diversity, high-quality hotels, exciting events, and unique, enchanting neighborhoods, such as art-filled Long Island City and surfboard-friendly Rockaway.
“Nowhere is the image of New York as the global melting pot truer than Queens. Browse New York’s biggest Chinatown in Flushing, shop for brilliantly colored saris in Jackson Heights, and inhale the heady aromas of coffee and hookahs in Astoria,” reads Lonely Planet’s editorial in its Best in the US list for 2015.
“The incomparable array of world cuisines makes Queens a destination for food lovers from all parts of New York City. For your art fix, ogle the new upgrades to the Queens Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image, look for the new Emerging Artists Festival (conceptionevents.com) in Long Island City, and stroll Astoria’s new 24-block arts district (kaufmanartsdistrict.org). If you prefer sand and surf to paint and canvas, head to Rockaway.”
“Don’t miss the prime eating and drinking scene that has popped up around the boardwalk — this is no cruddy carnival food: think succulent fish tacos, wood-fired pizzas, and wine bars.”
Western South Dakota came in second on Lonely Planet’s list. The other members of the top 10 were, in order, New Orleans (LA), the Colorado River, North Conway (NH), Indianapolis (IN), Greenville (SC), Oakland (CA), Duluth (MN), and the Mount Shasta Region (CA).
“I have always argued that we have the best hotels, restaurants, cultural organizations, parks, sporting events, and residents in the world and that our prices are very competitive for tourists,” said Seth Bornstein, executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation, after the announcement.
“It’s simply wonderful that Lonely Planet agrees, and our hospitality industry is waiting with open arms for all visitors. Come, you’ll like it.”
The annual top 10 destinations list is determined by Lonely Planet’s authors and editorial team to help travelers add to their wish lists for the coming year. Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has the biggest market share for guidebook sales in the world, having published more than 130 million guidebooks in its history. The media company also operates an award-winning website and a suite of mobile and digital travel products.
For the write up on Queens, please click here.
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15 Comments
Actually they do come here for the food- you can get incredible ethnic food, too – I’ve taken visitors to Astoria and to Flushing for they would not get anywhere else. You don’t have the hassle of leaving the county. You know there is order and authority nearby. Try convincing someone they’re better off traveling to Shanghai or to Mykonos for food they can get right here in Queens and they will laugh. (PS I stayed in a hotel near the train station in Munich, right across from a Turkish grill. They had the best meat sandwiches that I’d ever eaten! I look forward to re-visiting Munich and having another one. I’d like to go to Istanbul, too, to be honest.)
Most foreigners I know who have been to NYC describe the food here as bad. And they’re right.
Liberal BS. No one comes to new york to experience its transient immigrant areas with trash-covered streets for ethnic food. People don’t come to the US or Canada or Europe to see its 3rd world immigration populations. Do people go to Germany to eat Turkish food in Turkish areas? No, they’d go to Turkey to do that
What a joke! Tourists are not coming here! Brooklyn is the “it” place which is funny because I grew up hearing Brooklyn jokes. Oh, well!
My kids love Fantasy Forest Amusement Park at the Flushing Meadows Carousel!! Perfect, classic fun!
i hope that this has a big positive effect on the price of my co-op especially since Pat Dorfman is killing the convention center at Sunnyside Railyards. Thanks Pat.
I’m concerned about the quality of life of people who want to stay in Sunnyside/LIC – not about people who want a convention center so they can sell at a higher price and leave the area.
Get off your high horse. Just because you don’t have the money or brains to own anything don’t out others down you fake.
I’ve owned in Sunnyside for the past 25 years – bought when property was much cheaper. I just want to stay here for the long term and care about quality of life issues.
Thank God for that! Queens is just crowded enough. Let’s not make it into Manhattan. Not sure why Queens has to aspire to be that overcrowded, overpriced mess of a borough. Why not worry more about the safety and comfort of your neighbors than your resale value?
yeah, and now I see will and kates procession of shiny royal limos parading over the 59th street bridge, first sight they’ll see…. SCANDALS girlie bar….guess they read this article
I always thought SCANDALS was more of the brothers thing, the redheaded wild beer drinking dude. He’d also like the heady aroma of Astoria’s hookers, i mean hookahs
PS
And if you’re the daredevil type looking for an adrenaline rush, be sure to try and cross the Boulevard of Death at rush hour (or any time of day for that matter.) It’s the Queens version of Spain’s The Running with the Bulls, only not as safe.
And tourists, don’t forget to take a late night stroll through the enchanting and friendly streets of Jamaica or Ozone Park. It’ll be an experience you’ll never forget.
And if you get to Flushing and you smell something stinky in the air, it’s not the bay at low tide, it’s the Mets.
I liked it when it was a bedroom community.
Delighted to hear it…. the food and great diversity of Queens makes it a travel destination indeed.