Museum of the Moving Image (36 Av)

While there is no shortage of activities in NYC, there’s only one place where you can overdub Eddie Murphy’s voice in Coming to America and look at memorabilia from A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist. The Museum of the Moving Image opened in 1988 and is conveniently located next to Kaufman Astoria Studios. From 2008 to 2011, the museum underwent a $65 million expansion which doubled its size. It now holds more than 130,000 artifacts with 1,400 on display.

Video game fanatics can get lost in the Arcade Classics exhibit. Games go back as far as the early 1970s (Computer Space and Pong) and up to the early 1990s (Terminator 2 and Mortal Kombat). Tokens are included in the price of admission and more can be bought once inside.

After going through the Television Set and Video Camera exhibits, younger visitors may be shocked to learn that you couldn’t always fit a television and video camera into your pocket. Yes, young ones, you used to have to go to an arcade to play video games!

Museum of the Moving Image Kaufman Astoria Studios Queens New York City

Socrates Sculpture Park (Broadway)

It’s interesting looking out at the chaos of Manhattan from the comparative calm of Socrates Sculpture Park. Open from 10 AM to sunset, the park gets a bit livelier in the summer months when they have free Tai Chi and Yoga as well as outdoor films. Who wouldn’t want to look out at Roosevelt Island while in upward dog? Exhibitions change, so it’s not the kind of place you visit just once.

If you don’t feel like walking the 8 blocks from the Broadway station, take the Q104 bus. The Long Island City Art Bus stops there on weekends from May to early September.

Noguchi Museum (Broadway)

Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a Japanese-American sculptor, who is often credited with making Long Island City what it is today. The Noguchi Museum was designed and founded by Noguchi in 1985 to represent his life’s work. The museum is housed in a two-story, 27,000 square foot former industrial building, which has ten galleries.

If you don’t feel like walking the 8 blocks from the Broadway station, take the Q104 bus. The Long Island City Art Bus stops there on weekends from May to early September.

Titan Foods (30 Av or Astoria Blvd)

Titan Foods has been in Astoria for more than 30 years and is the largest Greek grocery store in North America. They have a bakery, olive bar, prepared foods as well as fresh cheeses. Although the stretch of 31st Street between Broadway and Ditmars Blvd is lined with Greek restaurants and other bakeries, this is the one-stop shop for all things Greek in Astoria. The fact that they have a large parking lot in a generally congested area doesn’t hurt either!

Titan Foods Astoria Queens New York City

Mombar (Astoria Blvd)

Steinway Street (between 28th Ave and Astoria Blvd) is unofficially known as “Little Egypt.” If you are not in a hurry and want to experience authentic Egyptian cooking, Mombar is the place. Just look for eyes carved into a facade. Guests are often served by the same man doing the cooking (Moustafa). While the exterior of the building draws you in, the walls inside are also adorned with works of art. Moustafa is an artist. Even the couscous is served in a pyramid shape.

Although the printed menu is pretty basic, it’s the specials that are the most authentically Egyptian. No part of the lamb goes to waste. Brain, cheeks, testicles, and tongue are all fair game. Christina Chang was unable to swallow bull testicle on Globe Trekker Southern Spain. Come to Mombar to find out if lamb might go down any easier.

If you don’t feel like walking to Steinway Street, take the M60 bus.
5 Cultural Gems Along the N Train in Astoria Queens

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Mombar

Titan Foods

Socrates Sculpture Park

Noguchi Museum

Museum of the Moving Image