ABOUT THE TOUR:

Do you want to go on a grand and magnificent urban hike comprising equal parts classic NYC grit and transcendent spiritual splendor?  An eastward journey that begins under a cacophony of subway and bridge - takes you through a small village - to a majestic and wonderful Hindu temple - and then to a sensory overload of sights, smells, and tastes?  If the answer is YES - only your first step awaits you….

We will begin on the dense, noisy industrial streets of Queens Plaza (historically a red light district now encountering gentrification efforts), and then head out onto the broad busy thoroughfare of Queens Boulevard, before taking a long bridge over a massive train yard filled with tracks and trains.  Soon the noise and clamor dissipates and we find ourselves walking the streets of Sunnyside Gardens, with all of its small town charm.  

And then… we arrive in Woodside, on a non-descript block in an industrial district, where we will visit Divya Dham, the largest Hindu Temple in New York City.  In fact it was formerly an electronics warehouse.  There, we will walk through a replica of a Himalayan ice cave and encounter representations of the divine in all of its infinite variety.  

After this transcendent experience, we will head to Diversity Plaza - the bustling center of South Asian Jackson Heights - where we will walk around one of the greatest blocks in all of New York City - and have the opportunity to sample Bangladeshi street food and the best Indian sweets. 

DETAILS:

Start:  Meet in front of Starbucks on Queens Plaza South in Long Island City, address:  25-14 Queens Plaza S, Long Island City.  This is about a block away from the QueensBoro Plaza 7, N, and W station.  Check ahead of time for any subway service changes. I will be wearing a yellow baseball cap with a Nathan’s hot dog on it.  

End: The Jackson Heights Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street Station - where you can take the 7, E, F, M, and R trains. 

Tour Duration: 2.5 hours

Distance: There will be about 3.5 miles total walking on this journey, so be prepared for some urban hiking. 

Group size 8 maximum

Date: Saturday, August 9 3:30-6:00 PM

ABOUT YOUR GUIDE: RICHARD EXELBERT

Richard Exelbert has made New York City his home for almost 28 years and has been an underground (but licensed) NYC Sightseeing Guide for 21 of those years.  Since 2005, on a nearly-monthly basis, he has taken friends and family on explorations to every corner of the five boroughs.  These often-fantastical journeys function more as roving parties on a quest than standard tours.  As such it is very rare that he surfaces to offer his services to the paying public. 

His focus is not on the typical historical and architectural information that makes up most professional tours, but instead full immersion - the aesthetic experience of opening up to anything and everything in new environments, and often letting serendipity take its course. 

Richard has taught a class called The NYC You've Never Seen at the Brooklyn Brainery (as featured on CBS News and The Brooklyn Paper), and released a spoken word album and accompanying album-length video featuring recaps of some of his far-flung journeys.