Great Eats
I love the Queens Night Market. It’s a wonderful way to try new dishes and revisit old favorites. I try to go multiple times each season and always bring friends so we can scatter to get food from around the world and share a meal together. I have happy memories of Nixtamal’s mole poblano, while the stews from Persian Eats and Emeye’s Ethiopian are delicious, just like the keema palata from Burmese Bites. Moon Man’s kue pancong is a great dessert—although I often sneak back to Persian Eats for their saffron ice cream!
If you’re looking for a sit-down place, Astoria’s Mombar is at the top of my list. I first stepped into the Egyptian restaurant because the fragrance of cardamom-infused coffee was too much to resist. But what keeps me coming back is the delicious food, prepared by chef Mustafa Sayad, who will happily go through the menu options with you—and even make changes for dietary needs. My wife is a big fan of his stuffed lamb breast with pomegranate, and I’m fond of the molasses-glazed duck. But honestly, whatever he suggests we eat, we do!
Historic Feats
I live three blocks from Flushing Town Hall and love walking past it on my way to work. (It’s just a block from Selfhelp’s Latimer Gardens Older Adult Center.) The Romanesque Revival, red brick building dates to 1862, before Queens became part of New York City and each neighborhood was its own town. It was granted NYC Landmark status in 1967 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and today, it’s the home of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts. The venue hosts amazing concerts with artists from around the world and offers great arts education programs for children and older adults. I’ve been a member since I moved to Queens in 1998.
Wander Streets
Queens is a borough of neighborhoods, each with its own personality. I love shopping along 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights and Steinway Street in Astoria because of the local flavor of the businesses. I’m also so glad I live within walking distance of Queens Botanical Garden, which is just lovely every time of year.
Unique Treats
After a busy workday, my favorite wind-down place is Addictive Wine & Tapas Bar, just off Northern Boulevard at 32-64 87th St. It has a great wine list, interesting and diverse tapas, and a chill atmosphere. The local owners are personable and want everyone to find the perfect pairing of food and beverage. It’s definitely my home-away-from-home for some down time or a casual get together with a friend.
Karen Taylor has been working in older adult programs in New York City since she moved to Queens. Currently a Program Director at Selfhelp Community Services’s Naturally Occurring Retirement Community in Jackson Heights, she oversees health and human services workers who focus on helping seniors remain safe and independent in their homes for as long as possible.
Karen previously worked for Queens Community House as Director for the Queens Center for Gay Seniors, which is in Jackson Heights, too. The Earlham College graduate, who also studied at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, serves on the Advisory Council for Life Story Club, a virtual social storytelling program for older people based in Brooklyn. Karen is an active member of Malkhut (which means “Queens” in Hebrew), a progressive, intergenerational Jewish community in Western Queens. She loves creating the annual Purim spiels, blowing shofar on the High Holidays, and helping with other programs. In 2024, she published her first poetry book, Mothers and Other People, and now is working on another. The Michigan native lives in Flushing with her wife of 26 years, author Laura Antoniou.