During the time I was born, I’ve lived in Queens for all of my life. I moved to Bayside Hills when I was in Pre-K and started attending P.S. 203. The majority of schools i went to were in relative walking distance and were easily accessible. Most of my life I spent wandering around the parks with neighbors, friends, and family. But as time passed, I started to visit public places without my family and tried to grow up. I saw many restaurants I wouldn’t normally see if I traveled with my family. After I transitioned from relying on my parents to being with my friends, I found a new sense of freedom and went exploring the areas of Queens that were relatively new in my mind. Much of the places in Queens have changed over the time I’ve been here and the ethnic diversity is what gives Queens its attraction and character.
When i moved to Bayside, the majority of neighbors were from European decent. But as people moved and passed away, I saw an influx of Asians occupying the land. My neighborhood is mainly Chinese and Americans but close by to Cardozo High School, the neighborhoods, there, are occupied by Koreans and Filipinos as well. The majority of neighborhoods in Bayside have become increasingly diverse as more people move away.
As you walk along Springfield Boulevard and walk pass Cardozo High School, the place you would see would usually be called “Spring” hence the street name is Springfield. It’s a common hangout spot as there are many restaurants ranging from sushi to pizza to dumplings. Despite the new restaurants that open up during the few years, an old iconic hangout spot was McDonald’s. McDonald’s was popular amongst most of my neighbors and friends as I would sometimes see them there. However, the franchise ran out of business and was replaced by a Korean BBQ restaurant, Chilsung Garden, popular to the older generation of Koreans living nearby. The KBBQ joint attracted Koreans and others alike to the relatively medium priced food and its relatively never before seen service; basically the food is cooked in front of you and you eat the food off the grill.
Another famous restaurant on Springfield as Saigon. Saigon was a Vietnamese style restaurant and popular in my home as takeout. I would usually order take out when my parents went away for their anniversary and the restaurant was popular for its cheap but loaded meals. Saigon served staple dishes like Pho, rice with grilled chicken, and spring rolls. However, like McDonald’s, the restaurant was taken over by Supreme Dumpling. Rather than Vietnamese cuisine, Supreme Dumpling leaned more toward dumpling and Chinese style dishes such as Xiao Long Bao, which are soup dumplings, and other common Chinese dishes. Both restaurants, Chilsung Garden and Supreme Dumpling, are more popular to the older generation of immigrants who live in this area of Bayside.
Aside from these restaurants, there are places where the majority of students spent time at. Restaurants like Rolly Kimbab and Gino’s Pizzeria are highly populated by students after school hours. They are regular hangout spots and have become the normal place to eat. Gino’s Pizzeria has been around since 1977 and has been a staple Italian place to eat pizza and other Italian favorites. While Gino’s is an old joint, Rolly Kimbab has been recently added to Bayside around 2016. Its a newer spot to have lunch and is quite popular as an afternoon snack. As newer restaurants emerge, older restaurants still maintain their popularity amongst students and adults, and both new and old restaurants help bring diverse food to a popular destination in Queens.
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