8. Rego Park’s large Bukharan Jewish community runs Bukharan and Uzbek restaurants
Rego Park and neighboring Forest Hills have perhaps the largest Bukharan Jewish community in the United States. Bukharan Jews are a Jewish subgroup from the Central Asian Emirate of Bukhara, which is now mostly in Uzbekistan. Historically, the group spoke Bukharan, a dialect of the Tajik language. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many Bukharan Jews immigrated to Israel and the United States, as well as much of Europe. Nearby Kew Gardens also has a large Bukharan Jewish community, though the number of Bukharan-owned businesses in Rego Park has grown over the past few years.
Along 63rd Drive and Queens Boulevard are a handful of Bukharan and Uzbek restaurants such as Marakand, Cheburechnaya, Chaikhana Sem Sorok, and U Yuri Fergana. On the outskirts of Rego Park is 108th Street, referred to as the “Bukharan Broadway,” with Uzbek places like Tashkent Supermarket, Nadezhda, and Salute. Rego Park and Forest Hills also have a handful of Bukharian Jewish centers, as well as clothing stores and other gift shops. Some Bukharan Jews also attend Rego Park Jewish Center, the only listing on the National Register of Historic Places in Rego Park.