- 3 hour tour of New York's historic Jackson Heights neighborhood - Informed commentary on the immigrant community from a South Asian expert - Review Queens-specific architecture - Enjoy a delicious South Asian lunch (cost included) Jackson Heights was originally a civic-planned New York neighborhood designed to cater to the upper-middle class, but grew organically over the course of a... [read more]

- 3 hour tour of New York's historic Jackson Heights neighborhood - Informed commentary on the immigrant community from a South Asian expert - Review Queens-specific architecture - Enjoy a delicious South Asian lunch (cost included) Jackson Heights was originally a civic-planned New York neighborhood designed to cater to the upper-middle class, but grew organically over the course of a century to become home to a melting pot of Latino and South Asian immigrants.   Wander around the neighborhood with Aseem Chhabra, a widely-published freelance journalist and Queens resident, as he narrates Jackson Heights’ history and see for yourself how the present-day cosmopolitan community translates itself into an array of culturally-distinctive restaurants, supermarkets and clothing stores. You'll review the renowned nature-friendly "garden apartments" that Jackson Heights pioneered in the 1920's, visit the small businesses that now characterize the neighborhood, and enjoy a delicious lunch at Jackson Diner on this comprehensive three-hour walking tour.   Aseem previously led this tour of Jackson Heights annually for the 92nd Street Y to much acclaim. In 2009 the tour was profiled in the Daily News as a "taste of how people from different ethnic cultures - sometimes from feuding countries - could live and work together."   ABOUT THE HOSTAseem ChhabraWriter, South Asian Affairs Expert I'm a Queens-based freelance writer specializing in South Asian affairs. I've covered everything from the arts to politics for the New York Times, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer and Time Out New York. I'm also a frequent contributor to India Abroad -- the most widely circulated Indian American publication in the US -- and am a board member of the South Asian Journalists Association. Before moving to Queens seven years ago, I received my MS in journalism from Columbia University and my MBA from Boston University.