The Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC) has launched a new guide to all major World Cup-related events taking place in the borough over the next six weeks, including a profile on indiviual neighborhoods providing advice on where to find nation-specific watch parties.
The guide, launched in partnership with I Love New York, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Resorts World NYC, provides information on all major watch events taking place throughout the borough during the World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday and runs until July 19.
From the official Group Stage HQ fan fest at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center running from June 11-27 to Soccer Sundays at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), the guide offers a diverse range of programming taking place across Queens.
In Long Island City, the guide points locals and out-of-towners alike to the Local NY, a hostel located at 13-02 44th Ave. showing all 104 games during the World Cup, while it points World Cup fans to Queens Night Market near NYSCI at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which will be showing all Saturday matches at the tournament while offering the chance to sample food from around Queens.
Queens Night Market is also partnering with NYSCI for Soccer Sundays, providing a number of stalls for watch parties capable of holding 5,000 viewers every Sunday throughout the tournament.
The guide also points to a number of standalone events, including a Soccer Streets Watch Party at Jackson Heights’ Paseo Park for the opening game of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday and a World Cup final watch party at Queens Botanical Garden on July 19.
In addition to other events, the guide also recommends visiting specific neighborhoods to watch specific teams playing in the World Cup, highlighting Astoria for Bosnia, Brazilian, Czech, Algerian and Egyptian games among many other communities represented in the western Queens neighborhood.
Flushing is recommended for Japan and South Korea games, while Jackson Heights and Corona are highlighted for their distinctly Latin American communities, making them ideal locations for Colombian, Ecuadorian and Argentinian watch parties among many others.
Forest Hills, meanwhile, is recommended for games involving World Cup debutants Uzbekistan.
Ben Guttmann, executive director of QEDC, said the guide aims to help small businesses throughout the borough capitalize on the World Cup by directing New Yorkers and visiting fans alike to new neighborhoods.
“This is a generational opportunity (for small businesses),” Guttmann said. “While we do host more major sporting events than any other county in New York State, we are unfortunately not hosting any of the World Cup games. However, that doesn’t mean this is not going to be the best place to celebrate. I anticipate every bar, every restaurant, every neighborhood going to come alive.”
Guttmann believes that local watch parties and bars and restaurant will be “more fun” than actually watching the games in person, adding that free watch parties offer an alternative to soaring ticket prices at MetLife Stadium.
“You couldn’t pay me to go to the stadium,” he said. “You’re going to find me hanging out in Queens.”