Stepping Off the Subway Into the World with Francesco

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 is included below.

Hi, my name is Francesco. I’m Italian and I’m from Bologna.
The first time I saw Jackson Heights was when I got off the subway at one stop, and immediately I felt transported to India, or maybe Nepal. The colors, the smells, the people, the clothing. It felt less like stepping off the subway and more like stepping off an airplane.

Every time my wife Valentina and I come back to New York, we like to visit Jackson Heights because within just a few blocks, everything changes. The language you hear changes. The smells change. The words, the food, the colors.

In the end, it feels incredibly rich. Maybe it’s a bit predictable for an Italian to always talk about food, but honestly one of the best things to do in Jackson Heights is to go and taste cuisines from all over the world.

There’s a place I love called Angel. It’s tiny, really tiny, just four tables, and it serves authentic Indian food that feels like a dream. And there are so many other gems like this.

So if you come to New York, don’t stay only in Manhattan. Come take a walk through Jackson Heights.

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.

 Ciao, mi chiamo Francesco, sono italiano e vengo da Bologna. La prima volta che ho visto Jackson Heights. È stato scendendo dalla metropolitana, a una fermata e. um Immediatamente um mi sono sentito trasportato in India, o forse in Nepal. Colori, odori, persone, costumi. Sembrava di essere scesi della metropolitana, forse scesi dall'erroplano.

Tutte le volte che torniamo a New York, come a moglie Valentina, ci piace visitare Jackson Heights perché nel giro di pochi isolati cambia tutto, cambiano la lingua che senti, gli odori che senti, le parole, il cibo, i colori. E alla fine è ricco, forse sono un po' monotono come italiano e parlo sempre di cibo.

Però alla fine è la cosa bella che c'è da fare a Jackson Jackson e andare ad assaggiare le cucine di tutto il mondo.
Cioè un posto che adoro, si chiama Angel, italiano, piccolo piccolo piccolo. Quattro tavolini e cibo indiano autentico che è un sogno.

Così come questo ci sono tantissime altre perle e se venite a New York non state sulla manata, venite a fare un giro a Jackson Heights.