An Urban Planner's Guide to Queens — The Best of Queens, NYC

Patty Maltezos is an urban planner and board member of Queens Community Board 5, which represents the Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale communities. Although she has been all over New York City for her career, she’s settled down in Queens because Queens feels like a real neighborhood, while still having access to everything she needs.

All in the golden afternoon, magic is built into the mundane in Queens. Once, Patty had a job surveying public parks and visited about 30 parks that summer. Of those parks, she says, “One of my favorites was the Roy Wilkins Rec Center Park, in St. Albans, Queens. I took the bus across Queens, to what felt like the ends of the earth. I thought I was lost, but I got off the bus and found myself in a beautiful park. Typical of Queens, there are so many hidden gems in this park that are fiercely defended by the local community. There are athletic fields, a cricket pitch, a theater, a man-made pond, an indoor pool, and more. The members of the community garden gave me some zucchini to take home!”

With daily life as her guide, Patty describes her perfect day in Queens:

Play Time at Rosemary’s Playground: Located on Woodbine St., Madison St. bet. Woodward Ave. and Fairview Ave, Rosemary’s Playground is southwest of Ridgewood Intermediate School (I.S. 93). Former city councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley and former borough president Melinda Katz raised $3.2 million for a redesign of the playground in 2017. The age-inclusive redesign includes a whimsical play castle and playhouse, swing sets, a sprayshower area, and seating and picnic areas. More trees provide more shade.

Coffee at Milk & Pull (778 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385)

Milk & Pull is a black-owned coffee chain and love letter to New York City. The owners of Milk & Pull, Joe and Angela Austin, met while working part-time jobs at H&M and are now married. Their first dates were consumed by developing bu siness plans because they were not only in love with each other, but with New York City. Owning their first coffee shop was their way of “contributing something that was a true part of the city.”

Milk & Pull is all about balance -- the balance of milk and espresso in their coffee, the balance of hominess and escape in their interior design, and the balance of conversation and quietude in their atmosphere. Pair any of their coffee drinks with their Roasted Bush sandwich.

Black Forest Cake at Rudy’s Bakery (905 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385)

Family-owned, Rudy’s Bakery is a journey through Ridgewood’s past, present, and future. When Rudy’s Bakery was founded 86 years ago, Ridgewood was a neighborhood of German persuasion, with more than a dozen breweries in the area. Rudy’s Bakery served these customers and continues to serve them with time-honored recipes from the homeland. From their famous Black Forest cake to the more obscure beinenstich, all of their treats are made from scratch.

As Ridgewood has diversified, however, Antonetta Binanti, owner of Rudy’s Bakery, and pastry chef Christina Nastasi, have sought to appeal to a new audience. Cristina likes to say her job is “to be creative.” Thus, Rudy’s Bakery also serves guava sticks and alfajores, inspired by the booming Latinx population and vegan and gluten-free options for the health-conscious crowd. Although salted caramel cakes and oatmeal-marshmallow squares are a dime a dozen in nearby Bushwick, you’d be remiss not to taste Rudy’s Bakery’s takes. Don’t say you weren’t told.

Bird Watching at Ridgewood Reservoir (Highland Park)

Ridgewood Reservoir (photo credit: Jonathan Atkin)

Tucked away in Highland Park, on the Brooklyn-Queens border, is the 50-acre Ridgewood Reservoir. Decommissioned as a reservoir in 1959, it was used on and off until 1990, when it was abandoned, becoming a partial freshwater wetland. Yet, its vastness contributes to a diversity of habitats -- sleepy forests, fresh fields, and lush wetlands -- and a diversity of wildlife. It’s been listed as one of the top 500 places to watch birds in New York State. In 2007, over 127 species of birds were seen near the Ridgewood Reservoir, including seven listed as threatened or of Special Concern. Aside from our avian friends, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, turtles, garter snakes, and frogs are also present.

Thanks to the efforts of NYC H2O and a coalition of other community groups, the Ridgewood Reservoir is a protected space and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bacon at the Ridgewood Pork Store (516 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385)

The smoker that the Ridgewood Pork Store is so special that the owner, Jonel Picioane, claims it is the only smoker like it in New York City. We don’t know enough about cured meats to dispute that, but what we do know is that the meats melt in your mouth. As all meats are smoked on the premises, you’re welcome to ask Jonel himself what he recommends for your particular palate.

After all, part of a perfect Queens day is chatting with your neighbors.