Voices of Jackson Heights

There’s a particular feeling that comes with getting home late.

The streets are still awake. The lights are still on. You know you’ll find what you need.

In this episode, Pao shares what it feels like to arrive in Jackson Heights after a long workday. The comfort of knowing something will be open. The ease of picking up food. The sense of safety that comes from moving through familiar streets alongside other people heading home.

Duration: 00:01:02

What does it mean for a neighborhood to feel livable?

In this episode, Hernando reflects on Jackson Heights as a place designed for walking, aging with ease, and finding everything you need close to home. A calm, practical kind of love that only comes with time.

English Translation

Hello, my name is Luis Hernando Ramírez. I am Colombian. I arrived in the United States, in New York, 25 years ago, and I have lived in Jackson Heights for 18 years.

There is one very important thing for my w...

Duration: 00:01:55

Some neighborhoods feel like destinations.

Jackson Heights feels like an arrival.

In this episode, Francesco Biascheri, visiting from Bologna, describes the first moment he stepped off the subway in Jackson Heights and felt as if he had landed in another country. Or several of them.

Through colors, smells, languages, and food, Francesco reflects on what makes this neighborhood endlessly surprising, especially for visitors who think New York begins and ends in Manhattan.

This episode is in Italian.

An English translation...

Duration: 00:01:45

Some neighborhoods feed you.

Others entertain you.

Jackson Heights does both, often on the same block.

In this episode, Johanna Ramírez shares what has kept her rooted in Jackson Heights since 2007. From Colombian groceries to Korean dinners, from summer DJ sets to music spilling out of local venues, this is a portrait of a neighborhood where variety is not a novelty, it is the baseline.

Johanna speaks about food, music, and the quiet comfort of knowing that whatever mood you are in, Jackson Heights p...

Duration: 00:01:23

Some stories don’t come out polished. They come out honest.

In this episode, Russ reflects on his long relationship with Jackson Heights, shaped through family, food, and the quiet intimacy of everyday life. His voice moves between languages and memories, touching on what it means to belong somewhere through the people you love and the meals that stay with you.

English Translation

My name is Russel.
I’ve been here for about 21 years. I really came to know this place because I was marr...

Duration: 00:01:21

For many people, Jackson Heights isn’t just where they live - it’s where their days unfold.

Mayara talks about the small things that make the neighborhood special to her: the park, walking her dog, and working locally. It’s a reminder that Jackson Heights is built as much from everyday rhythms as it is from big moments.

English Translation

My name is Mayara. I live here in Jackson Heights.
What I like most about Jackson Heights is going to the park on 34th Avenue, walking my dog. I work h...

Duration: 00:01:04

Some places stay with you long after you leave.

In this episode, Valentina reflects on why Jackson Heights still lives in her heart years after moving away from New York. What she describes is not just diversity, but energy. The feeling of moving through cultures, cuisines, and conversations in the span of a single walk.

From favorite meals to the sense that the world somehow converges here, this is a story about a neighborhood that continues to pull you back.

This episode is in...

Duration: 00:01:11

Jackson Heights seen through a younger lens feels different.

In this episode, Sibelle talks about growing up around the neighborhood, visiting grandparents, and a recent experience that turned pizza into something much bigger than food. 

Duration: 00:01:10

Sometimes the strongest memories come wrapped in paper and carried home.

Mery talks about learning English, long trips across the city, and a bakery that made Jackson Heights feel like Colombia. Her story is about food, memory, and the quiet comfort of familiarity.

This episode is shared in Spanish.

The full English translation appears below.

My name is Mery Elba. I have known Jackson Heights for about 18 years. I am from Colombia, from Bogotá. I arrived in the United States about 25 years ago.

One of m...

Duration: 00:02:16

You do not have to look for culture in Jackson Heights.

It finds you.

Diana remembers walking through the neighborhood and repeatedly stumbling into celebrations, performances, and moments of beauty without planning any of it. What starts as a casual walk becomes something much bigger.

This episode is shared in Spanish.

The full English translation appears below.

I love visiting Jackson Heights. My parents live there, and one of the things I enjoy most about walking through the neighborhood is encountering different languages and...

Duration: 00:01:53

Some neighborhoods are easier to understand when you move through them.

In this episode, Raphaël talks about Jackson Heights in motion. Running after work. Weekend routines. A stretch of avenue where, in just a few minutes, you pass games, conversations, music, dogs, bikes, and people from everywhere.

What starts as a running group slowly reveals something bigger about how this neighborhood works, and who it makes room for.

This episode is shared in French.

The full English translation appears below.
Duration: 00:01:37

It is one thing to live in a place.

It is another to feel recognized there.

In this episode, Dhasan shares what stands out about Jackson Heights after years of living elsewhere. The contrast is simple but profound, and it shows up in everyday life.

This episode is shared in Nepali.

The full English translation appears below.

Hello. My name is Dhasan, and I live here in Jackson Heights.

This place is very special to me. Before coming here, I lived for about...

Duration: 00:02:31

Some neighborhoods gather indoors.

Jackson Heights gathers outside.

In this episode, Juan talks about the moments when the streets themselves become the meeting place. When fútbol spills out onto Northern Boulevard, traffic pauses, and strangers celebrate side by side. He also reflects on quieter rituals like Sunday mornings at the farmers market, where food, culture, and community overlap in everyday ways.

This episode is shared in Spanish.

The full English translation appears below.

Hello, good morning. My name is Juan Barreto. I am o...

Duration: 00:02:03

Kids. Music. A neighborhood that makes room.

Hannah shares a few moments from life in Jackson Heights that stay with her - and explain why this place works the way it does.

Duration: 00:02:26

This trailer is a short preview of Voices of Jackson Heights - a series built from real voices sharing small moments about life in the neighborhood.

You’ll hear people of different ages, backgrounds, and languages talk about what makes this place feel like home to them.

This is a non-commercial, community project. No sponsors. No ads. Just real voices.

If you live in Jackson Heights - or if this neighborhood has ever been part of your story - you’re invited to contribute your own recording.

Duration: 00:02:42