Queens, the largest of New York's boroughs, became part of the city in 1898. It is named after Queen Catherine of Braganza, Charles II of England's wife. What distinguishes Queens from the other boroughs of New York City is its multicultural population, made up of approximately as many as 150 nationalities, which makes it the world's most ethnically diverse neighborhood.
Moreover, Queens is famous for hosting two World's Fairs and the annual US Open tennis tournaments and being home to world-renowned jazz musicians. It is also known for its airports which are New York's two major airports. Still the borough is much less popular with tourists than the neighbouring Brooklyn.
Of all the Queens' neighborhoods, the ones which are most attractive nowadays are the Manhattan-facing Long Island City and Astoria. The former draws visitors with its PS1 Contemporary Art Center, one of the best of all the museums of New York City, and 5 Pointz, a unique collection of graffiti.

However, there are more art venues in the area. Namely, Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, a former warehouse transformed into a magnificent gallery of Noguchi's works, the nearby Socrates Sculpture Park, a picturesquely located open-air art gallery, and Museum of African Art, one of the only two showcases of African art in the United States. While in the area, one should also see the 50-story Citicorp Building office tower, the tallest edifice both on Long Island and in the outside Manhattan part of New York City.

Another part of Queens worth visiting is its northwestern edge called Astoria. It is here that the streets are dotted with Greek diners and bakeries as the area is home to the largest community of the Greeks outside Greece. A must to all movie geeks is paying a visit to the three-story Museum of the Moving Image, offering attractions to people of all ages, or attending the internationally-acclaimed Queens International Film Festival, held here since 2003.
If fancying a stroll, visit the ethnically diverse Jackson Heights, with its historic district and ''Little India'', a strip of stores and eateries situated between 37th Avenue and Broadway mainly on 73rd and 74th Streets. It ranks among the city's best walking destinations.
Queens also has less popular but interesting neighborhoods like Jamaica, with the 165th Street hip-hop-related shops, and Flushing& Corona, known for the 1225-acre Flushing Meadows Corona Park with the famous World's Fairs statues, the landmark Unisphere and the Queens Museum of Art, the USTA National Tennis Center and the Mets' Shea Stadium.
While in Queens, being a jazz fan or not do not miss the three-hour Queens Jazz Trail, a tour held on the first Saturday of the month by the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, which takes you along the clubs and houses where top-notch jazz musicians resided or performed, including Louis Armstrong's house.
Visit Queens – a mecca for jazz, hip-hop and art lovers!