Local Legend: Jessica Ramos On The Jackson Heights Experiment

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — When state Sen. Jessica Ramos isn't in Albany fighting for the street vendors of New York City, she's most likely nibbling on Colombian pandebono from Mira Cali or strolling thefood thoroughfares of Jackson Heights.

Ramos, born in Elmhurst and raised in Astoria, has built a career advocating for the rights of working class families and immigrants in Queens.

Her 2018 victory over the late state Sen. José Peralta gave her sudden celebrity status among activists fighting to end the reign of the Senate's Independent Democratic Conference, which caucused with Republicans to give that party an effective majority.

Now she's garnering headlines with progressive bills to lift the city's cap on street vendors and require MTA police officers to wear body cameras.

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Patch talked to Ramos as part of our Local Legends series, where we interview iconic New Yorkers about the neighborhoods they call home.

Here's what she had to say about Jackson Heights.

Describe Jackson Heights in three words.

The future of America.

Describe your perfect day in Jackson Heights.

The day can start with a family breakfast at Seba Seba or some tea on the go from Espresso 77, pick up some stuff from Frank's Pharmacy and head to the farmers' market while the kids play at Travers Park.

What food does Jackson Heights do best? Where do we go to find it?

You can find every type of cuisine here, virtually any time of day. Ditmars Boulevard, Northern Boulevard and 37th Avenue are just some of the awesome food thoroughfares in our district.

What's your best, quintessential Jackson Heights story?

The story that unites all of our community is that of hard work, whether you were born here or you moved here from another state or another country.

My childhood memories in Jackson Heights are filled with stories of great joy, and watching my parents and my friends' parents sacrifice to give us a better life, all while wanting to build communities.

Now my kids get to play with a half-Colombian and half-Bangladeshi kid a few blocks from me and it doesn't get more Jackson Heights than that.

What do people get wrong or misunderstand about Jackson Heights?

Despite being the most diverse, we actually live in bubbles. Jackson Heights is the LGBT neighborhood. It's the Colombian neighborhood. It's the Bangladeshi neighborhood. It's the white progressive neighborhood. All at the same time.

It's imperfect and beautiful. A real experiment of the human condition, and our few recent election cycles are examples of that.