Welcome to the Neighborhood: Ridgewood, Queens

In the name of small scale adventure, I’m spending one day each month exploring an area in or around New York City that I’ve never been to before. Welcome to the neighborhood. 

The day we spent in Ridgewood was actually a reschedule. The original day we were going to go was one of those negative temperature days. The reschedule was a blizzard. 

Nevertheless, on a partly rainy Sunday morning, I got on the train bound for Ridgewood, Queens. Ridgewood sits on the border of Queens and Brooklyn and is surrounded by Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale (Queens) and Bushwick (Brooklyn). If I’d taken the bus to Ridgewood it would be a little under an hour. But because I get dizzy reading in cars and because the book stack on my nightstand is looking obscene, I opted for the hour 15 minute subway (where I could happily curl up with my book sans vertigo). 

Per Untapped New York, The neighborhood of Ridgewood is built on land belonging to the Lenape Native American Mespachtes tribe. For most of the 19th century, it was a rural farming area with crops being sold in markets in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In the early 20th century, more than 5,000 buildings were designed by Louis Berger & Co and the residential space remains largely as it did then. 

There’s all kinds of pretty buildings in Ridgewood and if I’d done a hair more research or if I could feel my toes day of, I may have been a bit more intentional around finding them. One that I stumbled upon accidentally was St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church where parts of the Martin Scorsese film The Irishman was shot. So I guess that just jumped up on my movie list. 

One building that was on my radar—that I’m saving for a sunnier day in Ridgewood—was Vander Ende-Onderdonk House, New York City’s oldest Dutch fieldstone house (from 1709). It’s a landmark, community museum, and homebase for the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society. They are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 – 5:00 and guided tours cost $5. I’m definitely planning to scope that out on my next Ridgewood day.

I arrived in Ridgewood around 12:30, eager for lunch and adventure. My destination was Mano’s Pizzeria. A local favorite, I was excited to see they had vegan pizza on the menu. Unfortunately, they don’t do by-the-slice vegan (just whole pies) so I left a mental note to come back to them another day and with a hungry vegan friend. I will note that the pizza shop smelled so good, there was a split second where I convinced myself I could eat an entire pie. 

I rerouted to Las Chilangras, a Mexican street food restaurant with a cozy sit down vibe. Two veggie tacos and a side of chips and salsa later, I was feeling rejuvenated and ready to really dive into everything Ridgewood had to offer. Across the street at Sieve Cafe, I met up with my friend. We both ordered matchas and sat in the modern coffee shop, catching up and watching people come and go. 

The last stop on this back-to-back-to-back food tour was Rudy’s Bakery and Cafe. Rudy’s has been around since 1934 and their mix of nostalgic favorites and modern touches make it a place I would become a regular at immediately if I lived in walking distance. Pies and pastries. Cupcakes and cookies. I was completely enamored with Rudy’s. And, they had a whole section of gluten free items and vegan items (and gluten free, vegan items)! I got rainbow cookie cake to go and let me tell you nothing beats getting home after a big adventure, changing into your comfy clothes, and eating a special sweet treat on your sofa.

Next we hit up the stores—Other People's Clothes (thrift store); Stay Forever (home and lifestyle; think “gift” store); and Topos Bookstore Cafe (obviously). I love a bookstore/coffee shop combo and the latter had all the charm you would expect from a place doing both. And while I’m not a big shopper, if I needed clothing or a gift, the first two spots would absolutely be my go to if I lived in the neighborhood. 

As we left the bookstore and watched the snow turn more solid in the sky, we knew it was time to head home before the inevitable state of emergency was called. Rightly so, many places were closing early (and staying closed!) because of the blizzard. 

I had a couple places on my radar to swing by for a dinner-to-go but ultimately landed at While in Kathmandu, a Nepali restaurant. They were getting ready to close early but were super sweet about letting me get some takeout. They have several vegan dishes—I got the aloo gobi paratha and the vegan momos. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I’d be content to live off those momos. They also have a back garden so I’ll definitely be coming back in the warmer months to eat outside and try more of their food. 

Overall, Ridgewood was a blast. Every single person I interacted with was warm and kind. Everything I ate was delicious. (And I didn’t even have time or stomach space to get my vegan pierogies at Pierogi Boys!) Even the long, multiple transfer train ride wasn’t too bad. (It helps that my book of the trip was Vu Le’s Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector.) 

I know I’ve only just scratched the surface of everything Ridgewood has to offer so I’m already planning a warmer weather day in the neighborhood later this year. Perhaps because my two neighborhood days have been big snow days, but I find myself extra tickled by this project as I write this watching snow build on my windowsill. How lovely that I’ll get to see so many places in so many seasons. Who knows what the temperature will be in March. Who knows what beautiful change lies just around the corner. 

Welcome to the Neighborhood:

• January: Ossining, New York [Video]

• February: Ridgewood, Queens