#PickoftheWeek | Enjoy the Great Outdoors on guided walking tours
BY QEDC It's In Queens
It’s a walk in the park…Actually, there are three walks and many, many parks.
Jack Eichenbaum leads a “Korean Villages” stroll in Flushing on Saturday, June 28, starting at 6 pm. It’s the first of three fantastic guided tours in the borough this weekend.
Eichenbaum is the official Queens historian as per a designation from Borough President Melinda Katz. He’ll lead a leisurely stroll around Northern Boulevard in an area that has seen a tremendous influx of Korean stores, restaurants, and churches. He’ll discuss demography, history, land use and other topics while offering interesting tidbits. Afterward, he’ll eat Korean BBQ and what he calls “the real KFC” (or Korean Fried Chicken) with those who those interested.
Tickets cost $20. Meet outside The Coop at 133-42 39th Ave.
The next day, Jo-Anne Raskin, a Friends of Maple Grove Cemetery board member, will lead a walk through Kew Gardens and her beloved resting place, starting at 11 a.m.
Established in 1875 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Maple Grove spreads out over about 65 acres and features winding roads, a large lake, and an impressive center. Famous residents include Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer Lavern Baker, Queens politician and boulevard namesake John H. Sutphin, and Ann Wilkins, one of the first female missionaries to Africa.
Tickets cost $25. Meet at Dani’s House of Pizza, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, at 81-28 Lefferts Blvd. Lunch follows with pizza from Dani’s and Marino’s Italian ice.
Eichenbaum will lead another tour on Sunday, June 29, at 6 pm. This time, he’ll stay in Flushing, but go through the biggest Chinatown on the Eastern Seaboard. Again, he’ll discuss demographics, history, and land use. He’ll also find a nice restaurant for some Chinese food afterward.
Tickets cost $20. Meet by the elevators in the Sky View mall at Roosevelt Avenue and College Point Boulevard.
Image: Maple Grove Cemetery