Best Restaurant - I don’t want to exclude anything but for deli-mavens Ben’s Best, on Queens Blvd, Rego Park is the best.  That’s the best deli in the City of New York.

Best Scenic Spot - I’m prejudiced, because I’m a North Shore guy, but it’s absolutely Fort Totten.  If you stand at the edge of Fort Totten, you not only have Queens at your back, but you have the view of the entire region. You look to the right and you see Long Island and the lighthouse, to the left the Manhattan skyline, across the water you can see the Bronx and Connecticut.

Best Thing - The holistic atmosphere that Queens provides for raising and nourishing a family, providing education for your children, great places to retire, wonderful opportunities for employment, and many great opportunities for recreation.  To top all that — Queens has the best professional baseball team in the world, which is presently playing rope-a-dope to lull everybody into a false sense of security.

What Makes Queens The Best - The people. Diverse neighborhoods and diverse cultures, people enjoying who they are and appreciating others.

Best Place To Have Sex - I’m not an expert at that because I’m very limited.  I would think the best place to have sex in Queens is in one’s own bedroom.

Sheldon Leffler

Former City Councilman from northeast Queens.

Best Restaurant - Perhaps the best restaurant is Kazan on Queens Blvd, at about 63rd Drive.  I would say another is the Punjabi Palace, on Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill.

Best Scenic Spot - I like the view over Little Neck Bay from the dock in Douglas Manor.

What Makes Queens The Best - The people — the opportunity that people have for growth and living a good life.

Best Place To Have Sex - In your own bedroom.

Ashrita Furman

Queens resident who holds 72 Guinness World Records; including one for recently balancing 80 pounds  of milk crates on his chin for 11 seconds.

Best Restaurant - I’m a vegetarian, so I’m partial, but my favorite is Annam Brahma, a vegetarian Indian restaurant on 164th Street, in Jamaica.

Best Scenic Spot - Douglaston Manor. The waterfront there is very nice.

Best Thing - I follow a meditation path and my meditation teacher lives in Queens, so that’s the best thing to me.  His name is Sri Chinmoy.

What Makes Queens The Best — Queens is a microcosm of the entire world — you can find every nationality, race, color, and creed right here in our backyard, and we’re all getting along.

Bob Harris

President of West Cunningham Civic Association and prominent Civic Activist

Best Restaurant - I eat at local restaurants, I like Jade King on 192nd Street and Union Turnpike.

Best Scenic Spot - Back in Cunnigham Park, where you walk through the paths on the south side is very nice.

Best Thing - So many different places to visit and see, different restaurants, scenic sites, the different ethnic groups and neighborhoods to visit.

What Makes Queens The Best - Same As Above

Best Place to Have Sex - I don’t know any other places, my wife would kill me if I did.

Bryan Pu-Folkes

Public interest lawyer, and founder of New Immigrant Community Empowerment group (NICE).

Best Restaurant - I really like Striphari, a Thai restaurant in Woodside. It’s right off of the 7 line, at the 69th Street stop.

Best Scenic Spot - Probably my favorite scenic view is from the middle of Flushing Meadows — Corona Park with the view of the Unisphere, which is symbolic of Queens and its rich diversity.

Best Thing - I think Queens is the best borough in New York City because you have the best quality of life.  It’s the most diverse borough in the most diverse city in the most diverse country in the world.  Any visitor who comes to New York City would really be missing an opportunity to not take the time to visit and learn about Queens.  I love Queens.  You walk in any neighborhood block to block, you can see how everything changes, as each block hosts people from various countries.  It’s an amazing experience, unlike any other in the world. 

What Makes Queens The Best - We have a good mix of things.  We have communities where you have people who have been here two, three, four, or five generations living next door to recent arrivals.  All of those are hurdles and challenges to overcome, and I think we succeed in such magnificent ways.  As a borough we really serve as a model to what the world aspires to.  There is still work to be done, but we continue to become a better borough  day-by-day, year-by-year.

Best Place To Have Sex - I think you’ll have to let your readers decide that one.

Morshed Alam

 Member of School Board 29 and a former candidate for City Council and State Senate.

Best Restaurant - I think, to me, it is one of the Italian restaurants on Union Turnpike and 116th Street. I can’t remember the name.  One name I remember is Malabar Palace Restaurant on Hillside and Francis Lewis Boulevard. It’s Indian food and a party place.

Best Scenic Spot - Jamaica Bay.

Best Thing – The Hall of Science, Queens Museum of Art and  Queens Theater in the Park in Flushing Meadows – Corona Park.

What Makes Queens The Best - Queens is the place of people of different colors, ethnicity, and countries of origin. It’s like the United Nations because people of almost 200 different countries are living here.  That’s the beauty of Queens.

Best Place to Have Sex in Queens - I have no idea.

Councilman Joe Addabbo Jr.

City Councilman for District 32, the Rockways and Southern Queens.

Best Restaurant - Danny’s Szechuan Garden on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach.

Best Scenic Spot - The view of the city from Rockaway Beach from the bay side.  From The Shore Diner in Rockaway, there is a view, when the sun sets, that is simply breathtaking.

Best Thing - Where it is geographically located.  We are minutes away from two major airports, minutes from the best city in the world, minutes away from the Island. You can access anything you want from Queens.  Where Queens is located, and with the transportation we have around, you can access anywhere in the world in minutes.

What Makes Queens The Best - The people. We are very diverse in Queens and because we are so diverse we have learned to deal with different cultures and different personalities, so we, as individuals, can basically deal with any situation that is presented to us.

Best Place to Have Sex in Queens - I’ve been married for four years, so for four years it’s been my address, with my wife.

Terri Thomson

The former Queens Representative to the New York City Board of Education.

Best Restaurant - Daisy’s on Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside.

Best Scenic Spot - The view from Citibank at Court Square in Long Island City.  From the 50-story building you can see all of Queens.

Best Thing - Its diversity.

What Makes Queens The Best - The diversity of its neighborhoods and its people.

Best Place to Have Sex in Queens - The privacy of your own bedroom.

Archie Spigner

City Councilman from Southeast Queens from 1974-2001.

Best Restaurant - The Parkside in Corona, and Carmichael’s Diner.

Best Scenic Spot - Baisley Pond Park in Jamaica.

Best Thing - The mix of various neighborhoods and ethnic groups, and the restaurants that are part of these neighborhoods, such as Astoria, Flushing, and so forth.

What Makes Queens The Best - The location. We have two major airports, our road system is great — such as the Long Island Expressway, the Grand Central, the Cross Island — when it works.

Richard Murphy

Queens Parks Commisioner.

Best Restaurant - A combination of Parkside, and Caffe on the Green.

Best Scenic Spot - Oakland Lake, in Bayside.

Best Thing – Trees. The borough is just loaded with trees. It makes it Queens and separates it big time from Brooklyn.

What Makes Queens The Best — The fact that it is so diverse and that everybody gets along so well. There are different communities and languages, from Greek to Korean to Chinese to Central and South American — it’s a melting pot and it works so well.

Best Place to Have Sex in Queens - On the boat in Little Neck Bay.

Carlisle Towery

Executive Director of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation.

Best Restaurant - The one that I go to most is O’lavrador, on 101st Avenue in Jamaica.

Best Scenic Spot - Jamaica Bay.

Best Thing - The wonderful community called Jamaica, and its growing livability. It’s got ingredients of real quality of life that are often overlooked and undiscovered.  There are significant people that live and lived here that are and were significant in their field.  It is a very historic place. It has roots.  It has wonderful churches, wonderful cultural offerings.  The library for all of Queens County is here. The general public often overlooks these, and they are undiscovered.

What Makes Queens The Best - Its diversity is very exciting.  It’s got so much variety and diversity.  It’s a gateway to the world, and Jamaica is going to be linked to the global gateway of Kennedy Airport pretty soon.  Queens is a gateway.  Its location within New York City is wonderful. To be within the city and have so much of its own identity is wonderful.

Best Place to Have Sex - [The question] is offensive and I decline to answer.

Sunny Greenman

Political Coordinator of North Shore Towers.

Best Restaurant - Towers on the Green, North Shore Towers.

Best Scenic Spot - The Golf Course at North Shore Towers.

Best Thing - The Queens Theater in the Park.

What Makes Queens The Best - The quality of life in Queens. We have the best quality of life.

Best Place To Have Sex - Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, on the grass.

Thomas E. Alford

Deputy Director of the Queens Public Library.

What Makes Queens The Best - People in Queens are the best you’ll find anywhere — their eagerness, spirit, diversity and love of life.  Queens is in perpetual motion.  Meeting people who love reading and learning at Queens Library every day is a joy.

George L. Stamatiades

Local Funeral Director

Best Scenic Spot - City Lights, Hunters Point.

Best Thing - The diversity, and the people.

What Makes Queens The Best – It’s the center of it all.

Best Place To Have Sex In Queens - It all depends on how old you are.

Gus Sfakianos

St. John’s Student from Woodside.

Best Place To Have Sex in Queens - Fort Totten, Astoria Strip, and Peck Park.

Tom Manton

Former Congressman, Queens County Democratic Party Chairman, Partner in law firm of Manton, Sweeney, Gallo, Reich, Bowlz;

Best Restaurant - The Parkside.

Best Scenic Spot - In Astoria on Shore Boulevard looking at the Hell Gate Bridge.  It’s a perfect view of the river.

Best Thing - The proximity to the center of the city, literally, and the proximity to all of the other boroughs - especially to those who work

or go to cultural events in Manhattan.  Although lately with Gucci and MoMA, art seems to be coming to Queens.

What Makes Queens The Best - The mix of people from all parts of the world — from Europe, Africa and Asia.  It is a very metropolitan mix with many restaurants and cultural events, and is a very exciting place to live.  Queens is probably the most diverse (place) in the entire world.

Best Place To Have Sex In Queens - In one’s own bed, with one’s spouse or significant other.

Patrick Jenkins

Executive Assistant to Congressman Gregory Meeks of the 6th Congressional District, Southeastern Queens.

Best Restaurant - Richard’s Place, a soul-food restaurant on Merrick Boulevard and 118th.

Best Scenic Spot - On the bay, by JFK there is a nature walk by Leffert’s Boulevard. It’s a beautiful area, there are birds and animals and you can see the City skyline.

Best Thing - The whole world lives in Queens.  Anything about the world that you want to find is somewhere in Queens. It’s the biggest cultural center in the world.

What Makes Queens The Best - Its diversity, and the fact that it has a small town feel in New York City.

Best Place To Have Sex - In my bedroom, with my wife.  That’s the only place.

Claire Shulman

Former Queens Borough President.

Best Restaurant - We have the best restaurants in the city of New York in terms of the quality of the food, the vast variety, and because it is moderately priced.  If you want good Indian, Italian, Caribbean, Thai, Spanish, or other food, you know where to go.

Best Scenic Spot - Fort Totten. There are others as well — Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Cunningham Park, Roy Wilkins Park, the Rockaway shoreline, etc. One of the great sights of the city is Queens West.  It’s really phenomenal at night.

Best Thing - The people.

What Makes Queens The Best - The chemistry here, because of the unusual background of so many of the people that live in this borough is [extraordinary]. The chemistry and vitality of this borough is really extraordinary.  It’s the most unusual part of the United States.

Best Place To Have Sex - In your bedroom.

Lucy Nunziato

Former Executive Vice President of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Best Restaurant - Parkside, Caffe on The Green, Villa’gordia.

Best Scenic Spot - Our park, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

Best Thing - The people, and the diversity of the people.

What Makes Queens The Best - How people from all different ethnic groups can work and live together.  I think we’re a perfect example that you can send around the world.

Russell Hotzler

Interim President of York College and Former Interim President of Queens College.

Best Scenic Spot - The panoramic view of New York City that you can see from different locations.  Looking west from the quad on Queens College there is a wonderful view.

Best Thing - The wonderful diversity that we have in Queens — diversity of culture, people, and the campuses of the City University of New York.

What Makes Queens The Best - Anything one would want is right here in Queens.

George Rezanski

Executive President of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Best Restaurant - Caffe on the Green

Best Scenic Spot - The park in Queens West, looking across at the Manhattan skyline.

Best Thing - The people of Queens.

What Makes Queens The Best - The overall environment that Queens alludes to — community, schools, and business.

Best Place To Have Sex - The privacy of your home.

Stephen S. Mills

President and CEO of New York Hospital Queens.

Best Restaurant - Queens has so many fine restaurants, representing so many different cultures. I really enjoy dining around.

Best Scenic Spot - Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

Best Thing - Visit the Queens Botanical Gardens.

Barbara Nadel

Principal of Barbara Nadel Architect, 2001 National Vice-President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Best Restaurant - Pasta Del Giorno on Austin Street, Forest Hills, and most anything else on Austin Street.

Best Scenic Spot - The aerial view of Queens taking off from LaGuardia, and seeing the Unisphere from the air.  Also, the water view from Ft. Totten.

Best Thing - The sense of community and neighborhood.  There are many small towns and communities in Queens where you can get to know your neighbors and still feel like you’re part of Queens and New York City.

What Makes Queens The Best - The diversity of people, but also how so many people are interested in maintaining a quality of life for all residents.

Best Place To Have Sex - In your own home.

Stan Markowitz

Senior Vice President, Muss Development Company of Forest Hills and a Queens Resident.

Best Restaurant - In the east there is Pisces, a fish restaurant on Union Turnpike in Glen Oaks.  On the other side, in the west, Piccolo Venizia, in Long Island City.  Also, Water’s Edge Restaurant, on the East River in Long Island City.

Best Scenic Spot - The top floor of the Forest Hills tower, at the corner of Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills.

Best Thing - Its proximity to the entire metropolitan area and the entire tri-state region via bridges, tunnels, and highways, as well as the international aspect of having two major airports in the region.

What Makes Queens The Best - It has a very unique existence between  urban Manhattan and suburban Long Island.  It’s ideally situated and beautifully populated with multi-cultural and multi-ethnic communities and parks.

Best Place to Have Sex - In your bedroom.

Naybe Berger

President of the Latin American Cultural Center of Queens

Best Restaurant - “Caffe on the Green, because it’s so close to my house and so pretty.”

Best Scenic Spot - View of Little Bay in Bayside.

Best Thing - “The mulit-culturalism.  The ability of all these people to live together...We show an example for the world.  Queens is an example of how many different cultures can get along and work together.”

What Makes Queens The Best - The cultural institutions.

— Compiled by Ben Abelson