Kew Gardens

Our second walk focusing on music in NYC takes a look at the history of Hip-Hop in Queens County. From Queensbridge to Corona, from Hollis to Jamaica, Queens native musicians have played a critical role in the development of the form. We'll visit the neighborhood homes of Nas, LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj, A Tribe Called Quest and Kool G Rap, just to name of few. (Note: .4 marathon mileage delta will be made up as we wander)

Our first walk in a series exploring NYC filming locations takes in a sampling of sites from three movies famous for their New York/Queens connections: Coming to America, Goodfellas and Men In Black. We'll visit sites still standing, sites since past and sites out of this world.

Horse Racing, also known as The Sport of Kings, has roots in NYC dating back to 1665. This week we'll do a loop visiting both Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park and Belmont Racetrack on the Queens/Nassau border, home of the final leg of the Triple Crown. Turning the corner, we'll get a chance to explore the parks and residential neighborhoods surrounding JFK International Airport.

Our initial look at East Queens starts with a ride out on the J train into Woodhaven to stretch some extra ground out of our 26.2 miles. Crossing through Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows and Douglaston, we graze up against the Nassau County border before turning south for Queens Village and Cambria Heights. Walking the length of Jamaica, we meet up with Myrtle Avenue and cut through Forest Park before heading home.