NYC’s No. 7 train, which is dubbed the “International Express”, travels from Manhattan into Queens and Long Island City and is a classic elevated train, running on a massive steel structure with the car lanes right underneath it. The 18 stations which dot the train’s route, lead through neighborhoods which, at first sight, don’t reveal the 190 nations and ethnic enclaves which call these grounded neighborhoods home. Retailers and storefronts, oh so typical for a New York borough like Queens, don’t immediately reveal the extraordinary, international array of culture and food that can be discovered. Noticeable are the various art and entertainment institutions which this used to house.

You will pass through the Irish neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Little India in Jackson Heights and the Korean and Chinese sections of Flushing. The train has for a good reason been dubbed the “International Express” and has been listed as one of 15 sites on the National Millennium Trail of the United States. The diversity paired with the down-to-earth attitude which you could find along these boulevards is what defines New York City. You’ll notice a tranquility and kindness which has in most other parts of the city, already gone down the money drain.