This afternoon we explored Queens and Flushing. It started with some $2 pizza at Rizzo’s (just minutes from Jason’s place on Steinway between 30th and 31st). The pizza was yummy, the garlic twists were tasty, and the guys working there were really friendly. In fact, the guy at the counter gave us a free slice of pizza and my fruit punch was also on the house. When I asked if I could take photos of their pizza, he let me go behind the counter so I didn’t have to take the photos through the glass. How cool was that?! We’re definitely going to have to go back one more time before we leave.

Then we hopped on the R Train and headed east. Transferred onto the 7 Train and headed northeast. We stopped at Shea Stadium for a stroll down Flushing Meadows. We got to see Shea Stadium where the NY Mets play and Arthur Ashe Stadium where the U.S. Open Tennis Championships take place each year. The park was big and scenic but the weather was cold with gusts of 10 mph. We walked over to the Unisphere, which is basically a gigantic metal globe that was built for The World’s Fair a long time ago. I recognize it more for being the backdrop of the last fight scene in the Men In Black 2 movie. **Correction: It’s MIB1**

After that, we got back onto the 7 Train and got off in Flushing. It’s best known for being a big Chinatown. It was bustling with lots of Chinese immigrants running a variety of shops and restauarants and many of them didn’t speak English very well. We tried the 75-cent Peking Duck, watched the noodle guy hand-pull noodles that we later ate, and bought baked goods at Taipan Bakery. For dinner, we went to King 5 Noodle House (Prince St. at 39th) for Shanghai-style pork dumplings and warm home-made soy milk. It was crazy how much food we got for $24 for 3 of us.

It was an afternoon of exploring and cheap eats. I’m officially pooped out and need a good night’s sleep. Here are photos from today.