Queens- Chinatown

I decided that I wanted to go to Queens Chinatown, after hearing they had clothing similar what I could get in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Wholesale markets in China are one of my favorite secrets, but more on that another time! 

Queens Chinatown is very far from Manhattan. In fact, it is almost all the way out at JFK airport.  So to get there, take the 7 train all the way to the Main Street Station stop. 

This is pretty much what it looks like when you get off the subway. 

My first stop was the New World Mall. The New World Mall is similar to any other mall in that it has a mix of types of shops on the upper levels and a food court in the basement. 

This is the entry to the mall. 

When you enter New World Mall, there is an escalator with a grocery store directly in side. Overall, it seems like a great grocery store if you're looking for more specialty items, but there were a few elements I found strange. 

So many melons. 

Dragon Fruit at 6.99 per lb.  Dragon Fruit is far in a way the best fruit I have ever eaten. It is kind of like a hybrid of melon and kiwi and has the prettiest white and black polka dot interior.

I get that this Dragon Fruit isn't as beautiful, but why is it only 2.99 per lb?! 

Why are these peaches drawn on? 

It looks kinda cool, but I would avoid this fruit if I were you! 

Almost fruit, but not quite. 

Really excellent rice selection.  

Upstairs from the grocery is where you'll find the bulk of the clothing. There is also some on the same floor as the grocery, if you go out the left side.  

EK was the first store I went into. Overall the selection was a little boring for me. The rack outside was sale, and I would recommend focusing some time there.

This shop, I liked a little more. It had a girlier aesthetic, more similar to what I saw in China and Hong Kong this spring. I would say overall, it was still priced a little too high for what it was. 

Fancy headbands. 

Smile Style was definitely one of the better stores. The style was more Korean influenced and the quality was generally pretty decent. 

One thing Queens Chinatown is excellent for is Asian beauty products. Missha is a Korean store, which has a great selection. Incase you don't already know, Korean beauty centers around having great skin, and they have some of the best products to help you look radiant and even toned.  

Some of those skin creams I was talking about! 

You've probably heard about them at this point, because they are everywhere! From the check out line at Sephora, to celebrity Instagram photos, sheet masks are a big deal. I bought the Medi Heal W.H.P, which is a white hydrating charcoal-mineral mask. It is a black colored mask, so you kind of look like a burglar when you're using it!

Dr. Jart is one of the better sheet mask suppliers. Here you can buy packs of ten!

I'm not sure what these are for,  but they're pretty cool!

Nail art is a big trend, and these stickers make life easy. 

I gotta say, I was really tempted by these rabbit lip glosses. 

I think I will get the green Choosy next time.

Moving on from Missha... 

I wanted to like these, but these sweet bunny key chains were made from real bunny :( 

This was one of my favorite stores in the New World Mall. Did they veer a little too heavily towards knock off territory? Yes. But what they had that was more original, was pretty cool. 

This restaurant is on the top floor of New World mall. Makes me feel like I'm in Hong Kong!

This store was closed, but actually looked pretty good. Note the Self-Portrait knock off on the left.  

This print reminds me of Marni. 

View from up top. 

Pretty self explanatory. 

Tony Moly is a pretty well known Korean beauty supply store. It's more common than Missha and most famous for its quirky packaging. 

One of my number one tips for Queens Chinatown is to go into any little alley type mall, even if it looks grungy. This is where you can find some of the coolest stuff.

A reason to go to Queens Chinatown(other than just for shopping) is for the food. I was really hungry and didn't have a lot of cash, so I went to a food vendor that was on a corner, open to the street.

I ended up with the scallion pancake for two dollars. It was pretty tasty, but that grease really scares me! 

Next stop is Queens Crossing Mall. This mall was okay, but much less heavily clothing based. If you had to pick one, I would definitely say just go to New World Mall. 

Here, you can see their big Mango shop. 

Shop directory.

Sculptures in Mao jackets.

When you enter this mall, there is an ice cream stand towards the front, and a spiral staircase with a koi pond on the left. Towards the back, is this store called "Irresistible" which focuses primarily on home products.  

The staircase. 

The fish. 

I think the primary lure of this mall, for people, is that it houses a fake designer handbag shop. And they look pretty good, though they're not for me. 

This delicious beverage tasted like a watered down fruit cup and gave me the strength to carry on! 

If you go to Queens Chinatown, you have to go to Main Plaza. This is one of the grungier of the malls, but has some great shops. 

Here is the shop directory. 

This shop had some cute stuff and a sale bin out front.

Some cute stuff here. Too bad about the Valentino knock off, out front.  

This shop was all the way to the back. You need to enter from outside from the cross street, to get in. 

This was my favorite store of the day. Again, a little too heavy on the knock offs, but he quality and taste level was much nicer than some of the others. To keep in mind, items went up to 300$ at this shop.  

Keep an eye out for mail shops or Fed Ex shops that also house clothing stores. 

And if all else fails- you can always shop out of the back of a mini van!