title: Express.js (Node.js): How does static file serving really work?
body: <p>I thought serving static files (html, mov, css, jpg, etc.) with Express was going to require some hacks in nginx.</p>
  
  <p>But it seems that static files "just work" with Express. No special thing is required.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>How does Express static file serving really work?</p></li>
  <li><p>Why do some people advocate using nginx for static files? There must be a good reason for this. (Example: <a href="https://gist.github.com/joemccann/644282" rel="nofollow">https://gist.github.com/joemccann/644282</a>)</p></li>
  <li><p>Also, while a static file is downloading, does the Node.js event queue get blocked? I suppose not, but why not?</p></li>
  </ul>