The Philadelphia Union Travel to Flushing, New York, to Take on NYCFC in an Eastern Conference Matchup on Saturday. In today’s travel article, I’ll share a few places to check out before and after the match on Saturday.

As always, if you have a favorite spot in Flushing, please feel free to share it. The best away days are when you discover an amazing place off the beaten path. So, please comment and help those traveling to the match have the best experience possible.

If you’d like any other travel tips or recommendations beyond what’s listed here, feel free to email me at my travel advisor email: kyle@madhatteradv.com.

Places to Visit

Flushing is an extremely diverse neighborhood located in northeastern Queens. Though much of Flushing is residential, a significant portion of the neighborhood is commercial, teeming with businesses and a large retail industry. Flushing is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. This neighborhood also has a major Asian American population, with a large majority of Chinese and Korean descent. Flushing’s Chinatown is the fastest-growing ethnic Chinese enclave in the United States.

Queens Zoo
Opened in 1968 on the site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs in Flushing Meadows, the zoo was originally administered by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. WCS (then the New York Zoological Society) redesigned the zoo and reopened it in 1992. The incredible aviary was originally a Buckminster Fuller-inspired geodesic dome that served as the Winston Churchill Pavilion during the 1964 World’s Fair. Once the zoo was built, it was transformed into the colorful habitat we know today. Make sure to take a walk through this iconic piece of history on your next visit.

Website: https://queenszoo.com/

Queens Botanical Garden
Another spot on this list also has ties to a New York World’s Fair, but this time from the 1939-40 event. Originally part of a five-acre horticulture exhibit, “Gardens on Parade,” at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Queens Botanical Garden was preserved and later expanded. Now a 39-acre urban oasis on Main Street in Flushing, the garden still has original plantings from the 1939 exhibit, including two Blue Atlas cedars at the entrance gate. The QBG also offers many events, most of which are family-friendly, including spring birding walks, walking tours, and hands-on gardening experiences.

Website: https://queensbotanical.org/

Museum of the Moving Image
A must-visit for anyone who loves movies and television, the Museum of the Moving Image explores the art, technology, and cultural influence of digital media. Located in Astoria off the M and R trains, the museum houses the largest collection of moving image artifacts in the country while also presenting hundreds of screenings every year.

Website: https://movingimage.org/

The Queens Museum
The Queens Museum is home to one of the city’s best exhibitions: the “Panorama of the City of New York.” Conceived by urban planner Robert Moses for the 1964 World’s Fair, the nearly 10,000-square-foot architectural model includes every building in all five boroughs constructed before 1992, as well as every street, park, and roughly 100 bridges. When it made its debut in 1964, the Panorama featured a lighting cycle that showed the city from dawn to dusk, thousands of colored lights that highlighted municipal buildings, and moving airplanes that took off and landed at LaGuardia Airport. Changes have been made to the model over time, last fully updated in 1992. In 2009, the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park museum launched its “Adopt-a-Building” program to fund the future of the model while also bringing it up to date.

Website: https://queensmuseum.org/

Food

Multicultural Flushing is home to the city’s largest Chinatown, with bustling sidewalks, a mix of shops, and eateries serving soup dumplings and Taiwanese pancakes. Korean and Indian cultures are well represented too.

New World Mall
While there are many great dining options in downtown Flushing, New World Mall offers diverse Asian food vendors all under one roof. As New York’s largest indoor Asian mall, the shopping center boasts a huge supermarket, a variety of retailers, a karaoke lounge, and a lower-level food court, home to over two dozen vendors selling traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese food at reasonable prices. Located at 136-20 Roosevelt Avenue, the mall is an easy one-stop trip on the 7 train from Main Street to Citi Field.

Website: https://www.newworldmallny.com/

The COOP
Your passport to an unforgettable journey through the vibrant flavors of Korean cuisine. Nestled in the heart of Flushing, New York, The COOP is your one-stop destination for a unique dining experience that combines mouthwatering Korean fried chicken, authentic Korean dishes, and a well-stocked bar that serves a wide range of cocktails, beer, and top-shelf liquors.

Website:https://www.thecoopnewyork.com/menu

So that’s all for today’s article. I hope your trip to New York is a wonderful experience. If you have any recommendations or suggestions for future articles or additional recommendations, feel free to comment below.

Main Photo Credit: Philadelphia Union