Editorial
Shop In Queens For Convenience, Variety And Price

Queens and its neighborhoods make living and working here a delight, especially at this time of year, when shopping areas throughout the borough put on their holiday dress. Aside from giving shoppers the opportunity to walk from one conveniently located store to the next, Queens offers another advantage over the homogenized, cookie cutter shopping venue loaded with chain stores-the diversity found in every corner of the borough. If the shops catering to one particular culture don't meet your needs or those of the people on your gift list, walk a few blocks. At the holidays or any other time of year, in the stores that line the borough's major shopping streets, gift items can be found to meet all needs and all tastes. What's more, some of the best bargains in hot items are to be found in Queens.

Walking, driving a short distance or taking convenient, safe and inexpensive public transportation to whatever shopping area in the borough suits one's fancy is another distinct advantage Queens offers to shoppers. Wherever you live, it's possible to get to wherever you need or want to go quickly, easily and inexpensively. Shoppers who eschew delivery in favor of the adage that the package you carry gets home first will find taking their purchases home relatively simple and easy as well.

If shopping puts an edge on your appetite, you can travel the world gastronomically and never leave the borough. In some cases, it's not necessary even to leave a neighborhood to find restaurants serving cuisines from the world over. Like Queens shopping venues themselves, restaurants, from three- and four-table hidden gems to white-tablecloth eateries, line every major thoroughfare and are found on many a side street. And not only is it convenient to dine at a Queens restaurant, be it for a snack, lunch or full dinner, but prices are also considerably kinder to patrons' wallets.

Convenient places to take a break are everywhere. Shoppers can get off their feet for a few minutes at conveniently located vest-pocket parks or benches placed on streets by civic improvement groups or local business organizations. And just walking down any shopping street in Queens is enough to put anyone in a holiday mood. Merchants' associations, local chambers of commerce and business improvement districts bring the holiday spirit to life with lights, music and visits from Santa at which parents can foster yet another family tradition by photographing their children with Saint Nick.

All over the borough houses of worship hold holiday fairs at which more gift bargains can be found. Concerts and programs take place almost everywhere, performed by everyone from children in elementary school auditoriums to professional organizations such as the Goliard Ensemble, the Queens Symphony Orchestra and the Oratorio Society of Queens. The children are charming and their efforts entirely praiseworthy and the adults can match, and easily surpass, their counterparts elsewhere. Nor will admission to these events put a hole in one's wallet.

Nearly every major religion has some sort of celebration at about this time of year. As well as inspiring the happiness of looking for that perfect gift for that special someone at a special holiday time, they call for anticipation of the promise inherent in the coming new year.

At holiday time we find this has truly become the capital of our souls. We wouldn't shop, dine or celebrate anywhere else.Whatever the reason you're shopping for presents and planning celebrations, may you have all the joy this time of year can bring. We wish all of you, our readers, the very best of holiday seasons.

Happy holidays!