QUEENS — Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. and the new road signs welcoming drivers to the borough leave no doubt about it.
The signs, which read "Welcome to Queens. The World’s Borough," have been recently installed at 10 most important gateways to the borough, including near the Midtown Tunnel, at the Queensboro and Pulaski bridges and the Belt Parkway.
Borough President Melinda Katz, who provided funding for the project, said she has been using the slogan as part of her campaign to encourage locals and tourists alike to explore the international borough, including its culinary and cultural attractions.
“You haven’t really seen New York City unless you have experienced the diversity that is in Queens,” Katz said in a statement. “Our slogan of ‘The World’s Borough’ is helping to get that word out.”
Queens residents come from more than 120 countries and speak more than 135 languages, according to Katz.
The signs were manufactured locally, in a Department of Transportation's Maspeth-based sign shop, according to Katz.
Brooklyn was the first borough to introduce specialized road signs about a decade ago.
Then Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, came up with several slogans, including “Welcome to Brooklyn: How Sweet it is!," “Brooklyn’s in the House,” “Name It… We Got It” and “Leaving Brooklyn: Fuhgeddaboudit.”
