Voices of Jackson Heights

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 one of the residents of this wonderful community of Jackson Heights. I’ve lived here for about 15 years, and over time I’ve experienced many different things.

One of them is that the community here is largely a Latino community that offers many services to everyone. There are many cultural events from countries across Central America and South America, and the broader U.S. community also comes together to live and share these traditions. Events like Día de las Velitas, alboradas, special holidays like Christmas - moments when some streets are closed so people can watch matches and follow fútbol 100%.

My favorite places depend on when the streets are closed - usually along Northern Boulevard between certain blocks - where everyone gathers when there are Colombia matches, Ecuador matches, or other important games. The whole community comes together to celebrate, to share, to laugh, to jump with joy.

That’s what makes it special: everyone comes together. When the light is red, everyone gathers; when it turns green, cars pass. But then the fútbol brings everyone back together again - as if the street itself were a stadium.

Another wonderful thing is Sundays at the farmers market, where all the residents come to taste and share different experiences - not just food, but the people themselves, many with small businesses trying to move forward.

So we invite you to be part of this community in Jackson Heights, to enjoy this community - this little piece of New York.

What is Voices of Jackson Heights?

Jackson Heights is not one story - it’s hundreds.

Voices of Jackson Heights is a short-form podcast capturing the everyday moments, memories, and experiences that make this neighborhood in New York City feel like home. Told entirely in the voices of people who live in, move through, and keep returning to Jackson Heights, each episode reflects on a small but meaningful personal experience.

You’ll hear stories in many languages, across generations and cultures.
Transcripts and English translations are included in the show notes for non-English episodes.

Hola, muy buenos días. Mi nombre es Juan Barreto. Soy uno de los habitantes de esta hermosa comunidad de Jackson Heights. Vivo aquí hace aproximadamente unos 15 años. Vivo en diferentes experiencias con el transcurso del tiempo. Entre muchas de ellas es que la comunidad aquí es una comunidad latina y presta muchos servicios a toda la comunidad. Donde se hacen muchos eventos culturales de todos los países, de Centroamérica, de Suramérica y toda la comunidad estadounidense. Convíe y comparte todas estas tradiciones que se llevan a cabo como los en el día de las velitas, alboradas, fechas especiales, como las navidades, donde se cierran algunas calles para compartir los partidos y seguir el fútbol al 100%.

Mi lugar preferido, dependiendo de cuando cierren las calles, se hacen en la norte en Boulevard entre determinadas calles y toda la gente se congrega cuando hay partidos de Colombia, partidos de Ecuador, fechas importantes, toda la comunidad viene a festejar, a compartir, a revirse, a saltar. Y eso hace especial a todo esto porque todo el mundo viene a convivir. La luz es tan roja, todo el mundo se congrega y cuando están en verde, dejan pasar a los carros, pero el fútbol viene en todo a reunirse, como si mejor dicho. Este fuera el estadio ahí, mejor dicho. Y también otra de las maravillosas son los domingos que compartimos aquí, el farmarque, donde todos los habitantes vienen a degustar y a compartir diferentes experiencias, no solamente la comida, sino su gente que viene aquí con sus emprendimientos para salir adelante. Entonces los invitamos también a que hagan parte de esta comunidad en Jackson Heights y fruten de esta comunidad y este pedacito Nueva York.