Terraza 7
Live music venue · Elmhurst ·
Live music, literary events & film screenings with a full bar
Live music, literary events & film screenings with a full bar
"There are three facts to memorize about this live music bar in Elmhurst. They have outdoor shows almost every night starting at 7pm, they sell platters of jamon iberico, and you can even bring your own instruments on Sunday night for their weekly community jam sessions. Find more info on their schedule and drink menu of mostly Queens-brewed beers here." - hannah albertine
"I catch live Latin jazz and Afro-Colombian music at Terraza 7 while sipping rummy cocktails like the Currulao, a blended ice drink made with mango and pineapple, making it a go-to evening spot." - Ashlea Halpern
"There’s almost never a cover charge to get into Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, and while the sound quality by the bar in the small space is perfectly fine, the only view you’ll have of the band is the bottom of their shoes. If you want a better vantage point to see where the jazz, salsa, or cumbia is coming from, you’ll have to head up to the benches on the elevated mezzanine, which is like a big catwalk overlooking the rest of the bar." - Matt Tervooren
"Located on a side street off Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, this packed club and community center has served since 2002 as a vibrant cultural and political hub showcasing music from nearly every region of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Spain, North Africa and India. Its programming ranges from film screenings on timba and recurring jam sessions to a queer‑music series and intimate performances—one recent set featured a young Brooklynite performing Peruvian, Venezuelan and Chilean compositions accompanied by two guitarists and her 70‑year‑old father—and the space also functions as a town square that hosts town halls, political organizing and pandemic relief efforts. Founded by Freddy Castiblanco after he moved from Colombia, the venue intentionally highlights diasporic musical connections and is widely regarded by locals and musicians as an indispensable cultural institution; elected officials including Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez and State Senator Jessica Ramos have praised its role and urged measures to protect it. Despite its central place in the community, rising post‑pandemic rents and the loss of outdoor seating have pushed it toward eviction: rent rose from $5,000 to $10,000 (he had been paying about $7,500), outdoor revenue evaporated, Castiblanco has taken SBA loans and borrowed nearly $200,000, and he now owes the landlord over $150,000 with eviction proceedings ongoing; he is seeking donations and political support to stave off displacement and to secure a culturally protected or replacement space in Jackson Heights." - Jack Denton
