{"id":30550,"date":"2021-08-31T03:15:04","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T03:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/?p=30550"},"modified":"2021-09-07T12:59:37","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T12:59:37","slug":"flushing-meadows-corona-park-yesterday-and-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/flushing-meadows-corona-park-yesterday-and-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Yesterday and Today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In between the neighborhoods of Flushing Meadows and Corona in Queens, New York is one of the city\u2019s most iconic and historic parks. Flushing Meadows Corona Park was the site of two World\u2019s Fairs in the 20th century and currently hosts the U.S. Open, the Queens Museum, and a beautiful public park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll explore the park\u2019s past, along with everything that makes it special and worth visiting today. From historic and scenic walking trails, to sports and community activities, there is so much about the park to learn and to love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s take a journey through time and Flushing Meadows Corona park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Flushing Meadows Corona Park<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: Patrick Stahl \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The history of Flushing Meadows Corona Park goes pretty far back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1640<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The name of the park comes from the neighborhoods on either side. This area was first settled by Algonquian Native Americans and eventually taken over by the Dutch in 1640. Flushing was originally known as Vissingen (after a city in the Netherlands) and then shortened to Vlishing. The arrival of British settlers changed the name to Flushing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1800s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Current day Corona was once the Dutch settlement of Newtown, eventually known as West Flushing. In the late 1800s, Italian immigrants were said to have renamed the area after moving into residences developed by Crown Building Company. (Try saying Crown in a stereotypical Italian accent.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wealthy landowners began building farmhouses while the meadows and wetlands (now the park) provided all kinds of natural resources. But by the 1800s, roads were built across the meadows and several railroads were laid out through the site. The area very quickly became a waterfront resort for affluent New Yorkers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early 1900s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Due to the Industrial Revolution, the wetlands became an ash dump at the turn of the 20th century. Since it was so far away from the developed parts of New York, the land was considered almost worthless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 30 years of filling, the Corona Ash Dump held around 50 million cubic yards of waste and had mounds that rose 40-50 feet high. Many local residents fled due to the strong odors, rat infestations, and increase of mosquitoes. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously referred to the dump as the valley of ashes in \u201cThe Great Gatsby.\u201d <\/em>The garbage trains were even accused of causing a polio outbreak in 1916.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: <\/strong>We did a whole post about the TV shows and movies filmed in Flushing Meadows Corona Park<\/a>, and we even mentioned Fitzgerald\u2019s book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea of creating a park came shortly after this time period — in preparation for one of the world\u2019s most celebrated events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World\u2019s Fairs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: Anthony Conti \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In both 1939 and 1964, Flushing Meadows Corona park hosted the largest international exhibitions to ever be held in the country. The World\u2019s Fair was a huge worldwide event, meant to showcase the various achievements of nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The park was created in preparation to be the site for the fair in 1939. NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses saw an opportunity to rehabilitate the land and utilize the park even after the World\u2019s Fair ended. So 450 workers worked round-the-clock to make the vision a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1939<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1939, the theme was \u201cThe World of Tomorrow,\u201d showcasing technological innovations and visions for the future. A whopping 10,000 trees were planted in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fun fact: <\/strong>Meadow Lake, the boathouse, a marina at Flushing Bay, Willow Lake and the New York City Building were constructed for the fair. All of these survive to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the fair ended, the site was supposed to be cleared and re-open as a city park, but the beginning of World War II delayed this. But two other attractions opened in the meantime — an ice skating and roller rink in the New York City Building and a public pool in the New York State Marine Amphitheatre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Waeltkm \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1946<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beginning in 1946, some of the buildings from the World\u2019s Fair were used as the first temporary headquarters of the United Nations. It was suggested that the area become the permanent headquarters, but its distance from Manhattan and concerns over the strength of the land for construction resulted in their move in 1951. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1964<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then a couple decades later, the park was selected to host another World\u2019s Fair. The theme this time was \u201cPeace Through Understanding.\u201d The Unisphere was built, along with the New York State Pavilion, New York Hall of Science, Terrace on the Park, Queens Botanical Garden and Shea Stadium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1964 fair also featured the famous Panorama of the City of New York, inside the New York City Pavilion. This giant scale model of the entire city was one of the biggest attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pavilion is one of only two buildings that survived from the second fair and remains in its original location. It’s now the Queens Museum of Art and still houses the Panorama. (More on that later.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the 1964 fair, the remaining funds were used to rehabilitate the site into a true park. It officially opened in 1967. But within a few years, the park fell into disrepair, with wild animals coming back to the area. Improvements throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and an $80 rehabilitation in 1987, revitalized the park and brought it back from the dead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Flushing Meadows Corona Park today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: JonathanRe \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the fourth largest park in New York City and the largest in Queens, with almost 900 acres of land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors from all over the city continue to visit the area and enjoy many of the sites and activities that the park has to offer. There\u2019s soccer, tennis, baseball, and volleyball. You\u2019ll find a wildlife conservation center, a recreation center, a skating rink, and an Olympic-sized indoor pool. Plus, there are multiple lakes and trails for walking, biking and kayaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meadow Lake is home to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, a series of boat races taking place in the lake each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guide tip: <\/strong>The park also plays host to the Queens Night Market, a summertime food market that features all types of cuisines from various different countries. It\u2019s both fun and affordable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another food festival on the third weekend of May, the World\u2019s Fare, hosted in the parking lot of Citi Field. Citi Field was built in 2009 to replace Shea Stadium and is now home to the beloved New York Mets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s even a Playground for All Children, one of the first playgrounds specifically designed to include handicapped-accessible activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remnants of the World\u2019s Fairs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Through the park, you can still see many landmarks and buildings built during one of the World\u2019s Fairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Unisphere, which was built as the symbol for the 1964 fair, has since become the main sculpture inside the park. The Flushing Meadows Carousel is still in operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Peter Greenberg \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Queens Theatre in the Park, the Queens Zoo and the Flushing River are all remnants as well. Other major monuments include Forms in Transit, The Rocket Thrower and Freedom of the Human Spirit — all from 1964. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New York Hall of Science was one of the country\u2019s first science museums and still operates in its original location. There\u2019s also two time capsules buried in the park, designed to last 5,000 years each. You can find them marked with a granite monument. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while the New York State Pavilion is still intact, today it sits empty and neglected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Open<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Credit: jeff horne \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1978, it was decided to move the U.S. Open from Forest Hills to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, in the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This area of the park is also known as the \u201cSport Center\u201d zone. The center court is Arthur Ashe Stadium and the secondary court is Louis Armstrong Stadium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event brings more than 700,000 people from around the world to Flushing Meadows Corona Park every year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Queens Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n