The walking tour began in the residential area developed by Edward A. MacDougall near Little India. The children observed the houses and apartments in this landmarked area.They discussed the architectural style of buildings in the neighborhood and noticed the "garden" style apartment buildings, coined the name "garden apartment" to convey the concept of apartments surrounded by a green environment. The Garden City Movement was popular in Europe and had not been seen in the United States until MacDougall brought the idea to Jackson Heights. The second graders continued to 74th Street, the main commercial area for Little India. They were able to meander into the Butala Emporium to look at South Asian cultural items, and then crossed the street to Patel Brothers to check out some Indian groceries and complete their trip sheet by marking off items they found on the shelves. One of the highlights of the trip was to talk to one of the employees in a sari store. Ms. Ram explained that Jackson Heights was considered an idyllic escape from the crowdedness of Manhattan, and easily accessible because of the newly built Queensborough Bridge. Ms. Ram treated everyone to a snack of Indian biscuits.

Story submitted by Shobana Ram, Second Grade House Advisor