All Aboard The Seven Line

Photo Gloria Sanders Our journey on the "International Express" comes to an end at our final stop in Queens, Vernon Boulevard/Jackson Avenue. Only five minutes away from Grand Central, it is the closest stop to Manhattan. With the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the ferry and the Long Island Expressway also nearby, the Vernon-Jackson stop is easy for commuters to reach by car before embarking on public transportation for the final leg of their journey to Manhattan and points west.

Located in close proximity to Hunters Point, the Vernon-Jackson area is more commercial and industrial, with shopping venues, bars and restaurants, primarily Italian.

It is also home to the studio space known as 5 pointz on Crane Street and Jackson Avenue, a warehouse that has been transformed into an arrangement of graffiti.

Gantry Plaza State Park, a riverside oasis that opened in 1998, is a beautiful two-and-a-half-acre public park on the East River that has an extraordinary waterfront view of Manhattan. Four piers that extend into the water are equipped with a fishing table and comfortable seating to enjoy the view of Midtown, this park is the premier site in Queens for watching the annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks show.

The park has received awards from two prestigious international organizations, the 2001 Places/EDRA Design Award and the Waterfront Center's Excellence on the Waterfront Grand Award for all categories. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has also honored the park with an award for its design. The former dock facility still has its gantry cranes that were used for loading ships. Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg chose Gantry Plaza State Park as one set for the film "Munich".

Vernon Boulevard is also home to Waters Edge, a restaurant and private dining hall with a spectacular view of Manhattan. The entire back faade is glass and offers a panoramic view of the skyline. Five minutes from Midtown, Waters Edge offers a complimentary water shuttle from 34th Street and the East River that leaves every hour. For catered functions, Marika, a beautiful yacht that holds up to 150 guests, is available for rental.

Thank you for joining me on this journey "around the world" on the No. 7 line. Traveling from Flushing to Long Island City, we have discovered many things about Queens, the most ethnically diverse 115 square miles on earth. There are 2.2 million residents in Queens, representing all parts of the world. Whether or not they speak your language, they will welcome you to their neighborhood.