I'm The King of Queens! I Visited The Gay Bars There!

Yes, I checked out the queens in Queens.

It was a snowy Wednesday night, but there was still some life to be found in the Jackson Heights bars, where salsa and merengue sounds, twinkly lights, and cheapish drinks make your butt vibrate with the excitement that you've decided to embrace the larger idea of what NYC represents.

Photos: Chuck Attix

Friendly bartender at Friends Tavern. He called me "papi," but I liked him anyway.

Caja Musical -- a/k/a Music Box -- has three TV screens showing sizzling Colombian telenovelas. And extra points for having a female customer.

A bar Cyndi Lauper would love. And dig that "A" rating! Make it A-plus for the free drinks I got.

Everyone said, "You've got to go to Atlantis. Wait till about midnight." But by 11:15, they'd already shuttered for the night. Ay, dios mio.

One of Jackson Heights' true joys. There's another 99-cent store that takes up an an entire city block! The whole world should be 99-cent stores.

Cheap Kotex and Air Wick Solid! Fabuloso! The nabe also has really good tacos, empanadas, and hooch bars.