Glamour Beauty Parlor

Photograph: Dave Sanders

The last stop on this branch of the A train spills visitors out onto the teeming center of Richmond Hill at Liberty Avenue, an area of Queens frequently referred to as Little Guyana. The neighborhood was the first to be given a Queensmark—an award that recognizes notable architecture or historical sites. In this case, the honor distinguishes a handful of striking Queen Anne Victorian mansions.

When I arrive, I ask a woman waiting for the bus about her favorite local shop. Assuming I’m referring to food, Jasmeet Sunnie points me to Banana Country (120-01 Liberty Ave at 120th St, Richmond Hill, Queens; 718-641-5253), a streetside grocer where enormous bins overflow with dasheen leaves, spiky green karela, whole ginger fingers, plump red radishes, hunks of pumpkin, okra, jackfruit, Haitian mangoes, plantains, yuca and batatas. The woman behind the counter suggests that I “fry up some of the karela with a bit of garlic and salt for dinner.” On the way out, an older man named Muaz Sataar offers his unsolicited opinion about beating the heat with a frozen confection from Guyana West Indian Grocery (123-02 Liberty Ave at 123rd St, 718-835-2023). There I find a street vendor concocting treats made from shaved ice, unsweetened condensed milk and cherry syrup for a buck-fifty each. While the vendor prepares my snack, I fish for a restaurant tip, and am told that “Sybil’s is the best Guyanese food in town; everyone from around here goes there to eat.” So will I.

On the way, I pass Randy’s Lounge (131-23 Liberty Ave at 131st St, 718-835-7427) and spy two guys smoking cigarettes outside. Riyad Kamalodeen informs me that Randy’s is the best place to watch a cricket match, especially when the West Indies plays Australia, India or Pakistan. Local sportsman Mahendranauth Persaud clues me in to local pickup games on Sundays at 11am in Smokey Oval Park (125th St at Atlantic Ave), though he notes that participants should have knowledge of the sport, and casually mentions that no girls ever play.

Sybil’s Bakery & Restaurant

Photograph: Dave Sanders

Parminder Singh, a local housewife, gasps in delight when I mention I’m going to Sybil’s Bakery & Restaurant (132-17 Liberty Ave at 132nd St, 718-835-9235). Once there I feast on savory bus-up-shut roti ($5.51), tasty fried plantains ($1.39) and sweet coconut water ($3.25). Before I go, owner Viburt Bernard treats me to a tour of the bustling kitchen and aromatic bakery hidden in the labyrinth behind the main counter.

Still curious about a place to shop, I ask a fashionable young woman wearing a sari at the counter in Sybil’s. Savi Singh directs me to Choji’s (124-01 Liberty Ave at 124th St, 718-845-3131). Inside, sage salesperson Harleen Kaur patiently identifies the shop’s wares—saris, religious tomes, deity sculptures and sweet incense—and explains their uses. Before taking off, I ask for one last recommendation, something uniquely Richmond Hill, and she sends me to her favorite threading salon, Glamour Beauty Parlor and Spa (118-13 Liberty Ave between Lefferts Blvd and 118th St, 718-322-1698). I head over wondering if she noticed something that I hadn’t. But as I walk in, I take one look at the perfectly arched eyebrows of the resident threaders and make a mental note to board the A train again next week.

View a slide show of the neighborhood or find walking-tour directions at richmondhillhistory.org.

NEXT STOP: 2 5 to Freeman St