Whether you call the ethnic mix of American society "The Melting Pot," "The Salad Bowl," or any other gastronomical metaphor, the New York City borough of Queens gets to the heart of such descriptions.

And if you hop aboard New York's No. 7 subway line, which runs 9.5 miles from Times Square, Manhattan, to Flushing, Queens, you'll travel through one of America's most richly diverse communities.

Our photographers recently rode this subway line and stopped along the way to explore the neighborhoods. Salsa music, Asian cuisine, Indian fabrics, and Muslim prayers blend in a sensory experience of taste, color, smell, and sound.

Queens is the living lab of this experiment we call "America." As such, it validates the fears of some – and promotes the hopes and dreams of others.