Jackson Heights, Queens

I often think back to December '05, just before Clay matched at Mt. Sinai for residency. At the time, we contemplated the various places we could end up. They were certainly diverse and any one of the them would surely influence soon-to-be-born Caroline's overall character after having been there for her first 5 years. Would she have a southern accent? or a love for the beach? or season tickets to the Indians? Nope - as it turned out she's going to be a Queens gal. How Queens? Well, let's just say Jackson Heights, Queens.

As I walk around the neighborhood, I can't help but wonder how all this will shape her. Let's just look at the facts. JH is known for:

• The most ethinically diverse neighborhood in the most ethnically diverse county in the country. Only 18% of households speak English only. Caroline, of course, doesn't fit into this category as she has yet to speak.
• 2006's Vendy award winner, Sammy's Halal & another of the finalists, the Arepa Lady. In fact, if you are a chowhound regular, you will know there is actually a map of the best 19 street food vendors in the area (including the Arepa Lady, the Churro Lady, the Oblea Lady and the Suckling Pig Dude). The restaurants are also pretty renowned for NYC.
• Being the hometown of Lucy Liu, John Leguizamo, and Gene Simmons .
• A substantial gay population & the 2nd largest Gay Pride Parade in NYC.
• Being the place where Scrabble was invented.
• The country's first planned garden community. The pre-war architecture is what originally drew us here. The history of how this grew from farms only 100 years ago is pretty interesting. Our apartment (built in 1917) still has a nob from the original gas lighting and, as discovered by Clay & Earl, the original cloth electric wiring as well.
• A Little India (complete with Bollywood theater and mangoes sold by the case) and a Little Columbia (complete with money laundering).
• Being featured in Maria Full of Grace , Ugly Betty and Coming to America (as home to the band 'Sexual Chocolate').

This is a big weekend in Jackson Heights. The barricades are up and there's a purple stripe running down 37th Avenue. We've reached the unmistakable eve of the annual Gay Pride Parade. Tonight is sure to be hopping - with the kind of noise that's rivaled here only during the World Cup. The local Queens Tribune even has their yearly issue devoted to Jackson Height's Divas, including 2002's Queen of the Country. My favorite quote: "It feels like a Victoria’s Secret fashion show directed by Willy Wonka and Hunter S. Thompson."

Maybe we'll wake Caroline up for some late-night pictures with the ladies of Roosevelt Avenue. Maybe we'll just let her sleep instead.