Flushing Meadows Corona Park [11101 Corona Ave Flushing, NY 11355] is space of many lives. In the 1920s F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of the park in The Great Gatsby, “This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens.” In preparation for the World’s Fair from 1939-40, and then again in 1964-65 the land was cleaned up and transformed into a fair grounds under the order of Robert Moses. Now it is Queens largest recreational park and the fourth largest by acre in New York City.
You could spend a day, or many days here, there is so much to explore. There are still relics remaining from the world fair, including the New York State Pavilion and Observation towers,
and the ever recognizable Unisphere.
Many museums including the New York Hall of Science, Queens Museum of Art, and the Queens Zoo and Botanical Gardens. You can fish at Meadow Lake, barbeque, visit the skate park or six playgrounds, or play baseball, soccer, tennis, cricket, and volleyball. Try birding in a fountain pond,
or marveling at the many beautiful sculptures in the park.
If you visit in the right season the roses may be blossoming, stop to smell them.
The park is home to the US Open tennis ground and the New York Met’s Citi Field. You will find seasonal bike/kayak rentals, the Queens International Night Market, Queen’s Theater in the Park, and even a little carousel. From a colorful past to a hopeful future, the park holds a special place in the hearts of Queens residents and anyone from around the world who has had the pleasure of visiting.