153-419: Kissena refers to several locations in the borough of Queens , New York City , U.S.: Kissena Boulevard Kissena Creek Kissena Park Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Kissena . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
306-406: A Hard Rock Hotel –themed Integrated Resort which would include a casino. It would also include cultural amenities, restaurants, shopping, and park space. In May 2024, state senator Jessica Ramos stated she would not introduce legislation to help get the project approved. The layout of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park retains much of Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano's Beaux-Arts planning from
459-622: A drainage divide , with rivers north of the moraine such as the future Flushing River emptying into the north shore. The Flushing Meadows site became a glacial lake, and then a salt marsh after the ice melted. Prior to glaciation, the Flushing River valley was used by the Hudson River to drain southward into the Atlantic Ocean . Through the 19th century, the site continued to consist of wetlands straddling Flushing River. Species inhabiting
612-709: A 2001 Claritas study, Queens was the most diverse county in the United States among counties of 100,000+ population. A 2014 analysis by The Atlantic found Queens County to be the third most racially diverse county-equivalent in the United States—behind Aleutians West Census Area and Aleutians East Borough in Alaska—as well as the most diverse county in New York. Meanwhile, a 2017 study by Axios found that, although numerous smaller counties in
765-573: A boat house, one of two structures that remain from the 1939 World's Fair, the other being the Queens Museum . Rental boats are available at the boathouse for rowing and paddleboating, and Meadow Lake is also the site of rowing activities for non-profit Row New York , with teams practicing on the lake for much of the year. Meadow Lake also hosts the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York , and teams from New York practice in Meadow Lake during
918-592: A decline to 2,253,858. In 2018, there were 865,878 housing units, and 777,904 households, 2.97 persons per household, and a median value of $ 481,300. There was an owner-occupancy rate of 44.5. In the 2010 United States census , Queens recorded a population of 2,230,722. There were 780,117 households enumerated, with an average of 2.82 persons per household. The population density was 20,465.3 inhabitants per square mile (7,901.7 inhabitants/km ). There were 835,127 housing units at an average density of 7,661.7 units per square mile (2,958.2/km ). The racial makeup of
1071-506: A group of traditionalist Catholics started to assemble at the old Vatican Pavilion exedra monument of the 1964 New York World's Fair to have evening rosary prayer vigils, having been obligated to relocate from Bayside, Queens . This was led by a woman named Veronica Lueken who claimed she was experiencing visions there of the Virgin Mary , and giving out supposed messages from heaven, frequently apocalyptic in nature. At its height in
1224-415: A high temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) or warmer. In an average year, there are 14 days on which the temperature does not go above 32 °F (0 °C) all day. Spring and autumn can vary from chilly to very warm. The highest temperature ever recorded at LaGuardia Airport was 107 °F (42 °C) on July 3, 1966. The highest temperature ever recorded at John F. Kennedy International Airport
1377-690: A living; what we give, however, makes a life." In January 2022, sculptor Sherwin Banfield unveiled Going Back to the Meadows , a statue of Queens–born rapper LL Cool J . Located in David Dinkins Circle, the installation depicted him in a Kangol bucket hat and Cuban link chain, holding up a solar-powered boombox loaded with a cassette of his 1985 debut album, Radio . The sculpture, which remained through November 2022, featured speakers that were timed to play LL Cool J's music for five hours on several days of
1530-493: A local group, the Waterfront Alliance, a $ 530,000 grant to study the effects of climate change at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park after U.S. representative Grace Meng had requested the grant the previous year. The park was extremely vulnerable to flooding because of its topography and because of sea level rise caused by global warming . Climate scientists had predicted that parts of the park would be flooded regularly by
1683-778: A maximum of $ 5–6. Another food festival, the World's Fare, started in 2017 and is hosted in Citi Field's parking lot on about the third weekend of May. Restoration of the New York State Pavilion began in 2019, as did work on the Fountains of the Fairs. The Fountains of the Fairs were dedicated in October 2020. In early 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave
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#17328551550981836-488: A new building was erected about 1787 (and later completed) in an area near Mineola (now in Nassau County) known then as Clowesville. The 1850 United States census was the first in which the population of the three western towns exceeded that of the three eastern towns that are now part of Nassau County. Concerns were raised about the condition and distance of the old courthouse, and several sites were in contention for
1989-578: A plan to restore the New York State Pavilion, as well as the construction of a "mist garden" in the park's Fountains of the Fairs. Other projects included the construction of a promenade around Meadow Lake and the rehabilitation of the World's Fair Playground and the marina. In 2015, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park also started hosting the Queens Night Market , a summertime food market that features cuisine from dozens of countries. The market became popular due to its affordability, since all food cost
2142-460: A port was halted in 1917 by material restrictions caused by World War I , and a lack of federal support for the project. Industrial activities in the borough were fulfilled by existing terminals in Long Island City, Maspeth , Flushing, and College Point. Dumping of ash into the meadows continued, however, fueled by the increased use of garbage incinerators in the city. The area became known as
2295-658: A sixth town, the Town of North Hempstead , was formed through secession by the northern portions of the Town of Hempstead. The seat of the county government was located first in Jamaica, but the courthouse was torn down by the British during the American Revolution to use the materials to build barracks. After the war, various buildings in Jamaica temporarily served as courthouse and jail until
2448-496: A substantial exodus of white residents, but have seen an increase of Asian population, mostly Chinese and Korean. Queens has experienced a real estate boom making most of its neighborhoods desirable for people who want to reside near Manhattan but in a less urban setting. According to the office of the New York State Comptroller in 2000, 138 languages are spoken in the borough. The 2021 American Community Survey by
2601-470: A tract near Nassau Boulevard (today's Long Island Expressway). New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadow in the 1920s. At the time, he envisioned the site to become a "true ' Central Park '", especially with much of city population moving to Queens and Long Island due to urban sprawl . Moses also planned Flushing Meadows to be
2754-513: A western lobe from the main part of the northern half, while the east-west Jewel Avenue bisects the southern half. The success of the Flushing Meadows site as a garbage dump-turned-park led Moses and the city to develop other wetlands in the city into parks via short-term refuse landfilling. This process was used to create Marine Park and Spring Creek Park in Brooklyn, and Ferry Point Park in
2907-619: A while after the 1964 Fair's conclusion but were subsequently demolished. This included the Travel and Transportation Pavilion, destroyed in 1967 after a failed conversion to a fire station , and the United States Pavilion , demolished in 1977 after great deterioration. One such parcel became the site of the Playground for All Children, one of the first playgrounds designed to include handicapped-accessible activities. The design competition for
3060-482: A woman who had been sitting with her partner at the nearby Mets–Willets Point subway station . Several improvements were made to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the 2000s and 2010s. The Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Conservancy was formed in 2002 to advocate for parkland in the area. The $ 66.3 million Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center , encompassing an Olympic-sized public indoor pool and an NHL regulation-sized skating rink, opened in 2008. The facility
3213-551: Is "quickly becoming its hippest" but that "most travelers haven't clued in... yet," the Lonely Planet stated that "nowhere is the image of New York as the global melting pot truer than Queens." Flushing Meadows%E2%80%93Corona Park Flushing Meadows–Corona Park (often referred to as Flushing Meadows Park or simply Flushing Meadows ) is a public park in the northern part of Queens in New York City , New York, U.S. It
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#17328551550983366-548: Is bounded by I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway) on the east, Grand Central Parkway on the west, Flushing Bay on the north, and Union Turnpike on the south. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the fourth-largest public park in New York City , with a total area of 897 acres (363 ha). Until the 19th century, the site consisted of wetlands straddling the Flushing River , which traverses the region from north to south. Starting in
3519-714: Is crossed by the Long Island straddling terminal moraine created by the Wisconsin Glacier . The Rockaway Peninsula , the southernmost part of all of Queens, sits between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, featuring 7 miles (11 km) of beaches. Under the Köppen climate classification , Queens has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with partial shielding from the Appalachian Mountains and moderating influences from
3672-742: Is located just outside the park grounds, serving the Hall of Science. The Q48 , Q58 , Q64 and Q88 buses all travel through the park, but only the Q48 stops within the park perimeter, serving Citi Field and the USTA. The Q58 and Q88 stop outside either side of the park and cross the park via the Horace Harding Expressway, while the Q64 crosses the park along Jewel Avenue/69th Road. The fictional "Valley of Ashes" in F. Scott Fitzgerald 's novel The Great Gatsby (1925)
3825-440: Is named for the many species of willow plants which inhabit the area. Invasive phragmites , a genus of wild grasses, are also abundant. Attempts to kill the phragmites with pesticides have led to further fish kill. Numerous berry-producing trees and shrubs near Willow Lake attract several migratory bird species. The biodiversity of the lakes has been found to be much lower than other water bodies of comparable size. Near
3978-581: Is the East River, across which is Manhattan to the west and The Bronx to the north. Nassau County is east of Queens on Long Island. Staten Island is southwest of Brooklyn, and shares only a three-mile-long water border (in the Outer Bay) with Queens. North of Queens are Flushing Bay and the Flushing River , connecting to the East River . The East River opens into Long Island Sound . The midsection of Queens
4131-540: Is the fourth-most densely populated borough in New York City and the fourth-most densely populated U.S. county . As approximately 47% of its residents are foreign-born , Queens is highly diverse. Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of the Province of New York . The settlement was named after the English Queen and Portuguese royal princess Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705). From 1683 to 1899,
4284-498: Is the largest recreation complex in any New York City park, at 110,000 square feet (10,000 m ). This was followed by the opening of Citi Field , a new baseball field to replace Shea Stadium, in 2009. Another public-private partnership, the Alliance for Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, was created in 2015. It commenced construction on, or announced plans for, several improvement projects at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. These included
4437-649: Is the record in Queens. Tornadoes are generally rare; the most recent tornado, an EF0 , touched down in College Point on August 3, 2018, causing minor damage. Before that, there was a tornado in Breezy Point on September 8, 2012, which damaged the roofs of some homes, and an EF1 tornado in Flushing on September 26, 2010. Four United States Postal Service postal zones serve Queens, based roughly on those serving
4590-422: Is today the borough of Queens. Originally, Queens County included the adjacent area now comprising Nassau County . It was an original county of New York State, one of twelve created on November 1, 1683. The county is presumed to have been named after Catherine of Braganza , since she was queen of England at the time (she was Portugal's royal princess Catarina, daughter of King John IV of Portugal ). The county
4743-507: The 2020 census , 2,405,464 people lived in Queens. In 2018's American Community Survey , the population of Queens was estimated by the United States Census Bureau to have increased to 2,278,906, a rise of 2.2%. Queens' estimated population represented 27.1% of New York City's population of 8,398,748; 29.6% of Long Island's population of 7,701,172; and 11.7% of New York State's population of 19,542,209. The 2019 estimates reported
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4896-687: The Battle of Long Island was largely fought. Queens, like the rest of what became New York City and Long Island, remained under British occupation after the Battle of Long Island in 1776 and was occupied throughout most of the rest of the Revolutionary War . Under the Quartering Act , British soldiers used, as barracks , the public inns and uninhabited buildings belonging to Queens residents. Even though many residents opposed unannounced quartering, they supported
5049-498: The Brooklyn Dodgers , until the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958. A racing circuit to host a Formula One grand prix event was proposed for New York City, with one of the potential circuits to be built around Meadow Lake, first for the 1975 season , and later for the 1983 season . The plans were opposed by the local community and environmental groups, and the race was postponed and ultimately canceled by 1985. One of
5202-596: The Colony of New York were redefined. Queens gained North and South Brother Islands as well as Huletts Island (today known as Rikers Island ). On December 3, 1768, Queens gained other islands in Long Island Sound that were not already assigned to a county but that did not abut on Westchester County (today's Bronx County ). Queens played a minor role in the American Revolution , as compared to Brooklyn, where
5355-588: The East River in 1910. From 1915 onward, much of Queens was connected to the New York City Subway system. With the 1915 construction of the Steinway Tunnel carrying the IRT Flushing Line between Queens and Manhattan, and the robust expansion of the use of the automobile , the population of Queens more than doubled in the 1920s, from 469,042 in 1920 to 1,079,129 in 1930. In later years, Queens
5508-657: The European American population, Queens has the third largest Bosnian population in the United States behind only St. Louis and Chicago , numbering more than 15,000. Queens is home to some 50,000 Armenian Americans . The Jewish Community Study of New York 2011 , sponsored by the UJA-Federation of New York , found that about 9% of Queens residents were Jews. In 2011, there were about 198,000 Jews in Queens , making it home to about 13% of all people in Jewish households in
5661-545: The Long Island Expressway . Several railroads were also laid through the site, including lines of the Flushing and North Side Railroad (today's LIRR Port Washington Branch and the defunct Whitestone Branch ). Shortly after the American Civil War , the meadows became a waterfront resort due to its natural beauty, and affluent New Yorkers constructed homes in the area. British saloon-keeper Harry Hill built
5814-666: The New York Mets baseball team; the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center , site of the U.S. Open tennis tournament; Kaufman Astoria Studios ; Silvercup Studios ; and the Aqueduct Racetrack . Flushing is undergoing rapid gentrification with investment by Chinese transnational entities, while Long Island City is undergoing gentrification secondary to its proximity across the East River from Manhattan. The first European settlement in
5967-514: The New York Mets since 2009, sits at the far north end of the park. Shea Stadium , the Mets' previous home and prior host to the New York Jets football team, once stood adjacent to the area now hosting Citi Field . In addition to the existing stadiums, several other sports venues have been proposed for the park. In the 1950s, Flushing Meadows was one of several proposed sites for the relocation of
6120-473: The Panorama . The remainder of the park, meanwhile, had fallen into disrepair, with wild animals moving back into the area. Only minor upgrades to the park occurred during this time. The Flushing Meadows site was selected in 1959 as the site of the 1964 World's Fair. Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano were retained to tailor the original 1939 park layout for the new fair. Three structures were retained from
6273-468: The U.S. state of New York . Located near the western end of Long Island , it is the largest of the five New York City boroughs by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn and by Nassau County to its east, and shares maritime borders with the boroughs of Manhattan , the Bronx , and Staten Island , as well as with New Jersey . Queens is the most linguistically and ethnically diverse place in
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6426-804: The US Open tennis tournament; Citi Field , the home of the New York Mets baseball team; the New York Hall of Science ; the Queens Museum ; the Queens Theatre in the Park ; the Queens Zoo ; the Unisphere ; and the New York State Pavilion . It formerly contained Shea Stadium , demolished in 2009. The Flushing River continues to run through the park, and two large lakes called Meadow and Willow Lakes take up much of
6579-417: The United States Census Bureau , Queens County has a total area of 178 square miles (460 km ), of which 109 square miles (280 km ) is land and 70 square miles (180 km ) (39%) is water. Brooklyn , the only other New York City borough on Long Island, lies just south and west of Queens. Newtown Creek , an estuary that flows into the East River , forms part of the border. To the west and north
6732-995: The United States Census Bureau , found that – of those over the age of five residing in Queens – 54.53% spoke a language other than English in the home. The following tables shows the 15 most common non-English languages in Queens, with the most prominent being Spanish , Chinese , and Bengali . In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Queens was the Diocese of Brooklyn , with 677,520 Roman Catholics worshiping at 100 parishes, followed by an estimated 81,456 Muslims with 57 congregations, 80,000 Orthodox Jews with 110 congregations, 33,325 non-denominational Christian adherents with 129 congregations, 28,085 AME Methodists with 14 congregations, 24,250 Greek Orthodox with 6 congregations, 16,775 Hindus with 18 congregations, 13,989 AoG Pentecostals with 64 congregations, 13,507 Seventh-day Adventists with 45 congregations, and 12,957 Mahayana Buddhists with 26 congregations. Altogether, 49.4% of
6885-483: The Wisconsin glaciation around 20,000 years ago, ice sheets advanced south across North America carving moraines , valleys, and hills. In particular, bays and estuaries were formed along the north shore of Long Island . During glaciation, what is now Flushing Meadows Park was formed just north of the terminal moraine that runs across Long Island, which consisted of sand, gravel, clay and boulders. The moraine created
7038-689: The "Porpoise Bridge" or "Tide Gate Bridge", located just south of the Long Island Rail Road 's Port Washington Branch trestle, at the north end of the Flushing Meadows Golf Center. The dam only permits northward flows towards Flushing Bay to pass, while blocking south-flowing waters. As its name implies, the dam also acts as a bridge, carrying pedestrian and vehicular traffic over the creek. It measures 37 feet (11 m) wide and 370 feet (110 m) long. The lakes are fed by groundwater . Prior to human development, Flushing Meadows
7191-540: The 1,000-acre (400 ha) site, north of what is now the Long Island Expressway. The remainder of the meadows still contained natural wildlife. It was frequented by fur trappers, local residents collecting firewood and growing vegetables, and later, squatters during the Great Depression . Areas of the dumps were also used for growing vegetables, with the soil fertilized by the garbage and manure. In 1935,
7344-467: The 1939 Fair, Meadow Lake was temporarily named "Fountain Lake" and "Liberty Lake". The land around Meadow Lake contains much of the park's true "parkland", with open grass, picnic and grilling areas, and baseball and cricket fields. During the fairs, the land on the north shore and part of the eastern shore of the lake was used as an amusement area, with large parking lots added on the east and west shores for
7497-486: The 1939 Fair. Meanwhile, several new structures and attractions were built for the 1964 fair, including the Unisphere , Shea Stadium , the New York Hall of Science , and Queens Botanical Garden . The Unisphere, built as the theme symbol for the 1964/1965 World's Fair, has since become the main sculptural feature of the park. It stands on the site occupied by the Perisphere during the earlier Fair. The Van Wyck Expressway
7650-400: The 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is the fourth-largest public park in New York City . It was long believed to be 1,255 acres (508 ha) in size, but a survey concluded in 2013 found its actual size to be 897 acres (363 ha) when accounting for major roads and other exclusions within the park's perimeter. This does not take into account a disputed claim that
7803-405: The 1964 Fair. The lots were removed and converted to parkland after the 1964 Fair. The Willow Lake area of the park is a nature reserve . The area around Willow Lake originally also contained sports fields and park trails, until it was fenced off and turned into a preserve in 1976. The park is entirely circumscribed by highways constructed by Robert Moses. Its eastern boundary is formed by
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#17328551550987956-516: The 2050s and that the entire park could be underwater by the 2080s. At the time, the city government was spending $ 350 million on various upgrades at the park. By mid-2023, the New York City government was considering erecting tents in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park to temporarily house asylum seekers. The park had also become popular with Queens's large Latin-American population, who frequently played soccer there. The first phase of
8109-430: The Al Oerter Recreation Center, which also opened in 2008. Some 1964 World's Fair buildings remained in use after the fair. The Flushing Meadows Carousel , opened as part of the 1964 Fair, operates in the northwestern part of the park. The New York Hall of Science at the park's northern corner, founded during the 1964 World's Fair, still operates in its original location. The New York State Pavilion , constructed as
8262-410: The Atlantic Ocean. Queens receives precipitation throughout the year, with an average of 44.8 inches (114 cm) per year. In an average year, there will be 44 days with either moderate or heavy rain. An average winter will have 22 days with some snowfall, of which nine days have at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snowfall. Summer is typically hot, humid, and wet. An average year will have 17 days with
8415-402: The British crown. The quartering of soldiers in private homes, except in times of war, was banned by the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution . Nathan Hale was captured by the British on the shore of Flushing Bay and hanged in Manhattan . From 1683 until 1784, Queens County consisted of five towns: Flushing, Hempstead , Jamaica , Newtown, and Oyster Bay . On April 6, 1784,
8568-415: The Bronx. This was also the original plan for the Fresh Kills and Edgemere landfills, which remained open past their expected tenure and became large and long-term municipal waste sites. The Fresh Kills site was developed into Freshkills Park in the early 21st century. In November 1939, a water main running through Flushing Meadows Park to supply water to Flushing failed. Unlike the fair buildings,
8721-414: The City of New York , an enormous scale model of the entire city. It is one of two buildings that survive from the 1939/40 Fair, and the only one that remains in its original location. (The other is the Belgium exhibition building , disassembled and moved to the campus of Virginia Union University in 1941. ) It is now the home of the Queens Museum of Art , which still houses, and occasionally updates,
8874-496: The Corona Dump or Corona Ash Dumps. During nearly 30 years of filling, around 50 million cubic yards of ash and waste were dumped onto the meadows site. One particular mound of ash rose 90 feet (27 m) high and was called "Mount Corona". Other mounds rose 40–50 feet (12–15 m) high. The average thickness of the ash was 30 feet (9.1 m). The dumps drew the ire of local residents, due to strong odors and being deemed unsightly, along with increasing rat infestations in
9027-546: The County of Queens included what is now Nassau County. Queens became a borough during the consolidation of New York City in 1898, combining the towns of Long Island City , Newtown , Flushing , Jamaica , and western Hempstead . All except Hempstead are today considered neighborhoods of Queens. Queens has the most diversified economy of the five boroughs of New York City. It is home to both of New York City's airports: John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia . Among its landmarks are Flushing Meadows–Corona Park ; Citi Field , home to
9180-418: The Flushing Bay Hotel and Pavilion on the future marina site. Around 1907, contractor Michael Degnon, whose firm constructed the Williamsburg Bridge , the Cape Cod Canal , and the Steinway subway tunnel (used by today's 7 and <7> trains), purchased large tracts of marsh near Flushing Creek. At the time, the land was considered "all but worthless". Degnon envisioned using
9333-424: The Flushing River, now polluted from the dumps, as "a small foul river". The dumps and garbage trains were accused of facilitating a polio outbreak in Corona in 1916. The Brooklyn Ash Removal Company was brought to court by local residents in 1923 for "violation of the sanitary code" due to the smoke emitted from the dumps. As a minor concession, the company opened the Corona Park Golf and Country Club in 1931, on
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#17328551550989486-523: The Nassau County border, such as Laurelton and Cambria Heights , which have large Black populations whose family income is higher than average. The migration of European Americans from parts of Queens has been long ongoing with departures from Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Bellerose, Floral Park, and Flushing (most of the outgoing population has been replaced with Asian Americans). Neighborhoods such as Whitestone, College Point, North Flushing, Auburndale, Bayside, Middle Village, and Douglaston–Little Neck have not had
9639-400: The New York Jets rejected a plan to take over the proposed stadium. In the 2010s, a Major League Soccer stadium was proposed in the park after MLS founded New York City FC , the New York area's second soccer team. After examining several sites in the New York area, New York City FC finally decided on building its proposed stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park by 2016, deeming the park as
9792-468: The New York State Pavilion's renovation was finished in 2023, with a second phase planned to be completed in 2025. New York state officials announced in April 2022 that they would issue three casino licenses in Downstate New York . Following this announcement, in 2023, New York Mets owner Steven A. Cohen proposed a redevelopment of the parking lot west of Citi Field . The proposed development would be known as Metropolitan Park and would feature
9945-467: The United States had higher rates of diversity, Queens was the United States' most diverse populous county. In Queens, approximately 48.5% of the population was foreign born as of 2010. Within the foreign born population, 49.5% were born in Latin America , 33.5% in Asia, 14.8% in Europe, 1.8% in Africa, and 0.4% in North America. Roughly 2.1% of the population was born in Puerto Rico , a U.S. territory, or abroad to American parents. In addition, 51.2% of
10098-420: The Van Wyck Expressway (I-678). The south and west ends of the park are bound by the Grand Central Parkway , with the Kew Gardens Interchange situated at the southernmost point. The northern edge of the park is bound by the expressway portion of Northern Boulevard ( New York State Route 25A ) which connects the Grand Central and the Whitestone Expressway. The park is bisected by the Long Island Expressway , at
10251-498: The Willow Lake nature preserve. The 78th Avenue gate to the lake remains shuttered and inaccessible despite being the closest gate to the Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike subway station. The chronic lack of maintenance of this portion of the trail has led to ordinary residents to resort to clearing the trail itself. The trail is officially named the Pat Dolan Trail, commemorating the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy's founder. The many recreational playing fields and playgrounds in
10404-405: The World's Fair site began on June 16, 1936. The project primarily involved leveling the ash mounds, with the leftover material used to fill other areas of the meadow. Two sites were excavated to create Meadow and Willow Lake, while much of the Flushing River was diverted into underground culverts . A floodgate was built to prevent tidal flow from flooding the lakes. In addition to recreation,
10557-424: The airport on July 17, 1996, and exploded in midair off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 on board the Boeing 747 . American Airlines Flight 587 took off from the latter airport on November 12, 2001, but ended up crashing in Belle Harbor , killing all 260 on board and five people on the ground. In late October 2012, much of Breezy Point was damaged by a massive six-alarm fire caused by Hurricane Sandy ,
10710-411: The alternate sites, the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey, would host the Meadowlands Grand Prix Champ Car event in 1984. Also in the 1980s, the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) proposed to relocate to the park, with a new stadium to be built in Willets Point adjacent to Shea Stadium. The plans dissolved when the USFL folded in 1985. Shortly afterwards,
10863-424: The approximate south end of the former Corona Ash Dumps, which separate the northern and southern halves of the park. Jewel Avenue and its interchange with the Grand Central further separate the southern section into two halves, with Meadow Lake to the north of Jewel Avenue and Willow Lake to the south. Access to the park is limited due to a lack of public transportation reaching many areas of the site, and presence of
11016-536: The area encompassed by Queens Community Board 4 . The park is named after the nearby neighborhoods of Flushing and Corona , which are separated by the park. The name "Flushing" is a corruption of the port town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands . By the 19th century, the word "flushing" had become associated with "a cleansing by rushing water". "Corona" was added to the name during the 1964 New York World's Fair . During at least three glacial periods , including
11169-505: The borough were Hispanic and Latin Americans (28.2%), and Asians (26.0%). In Queens, residents consisted of 6.2% under 5, 13.9% 6–18, 64.2% 19–64, and 15.7% over 65. Females made up 51.5% of the population. An estimated 47.5% of residents are foreign-born in 2018. The per capita income was $ 28,814, and the median household income was $ 62,008. In 2018, 12.2% of residents lived below the poverty line. The New York City Department of City Planning
11322-637: The capture of the colony by the English and its subsequent renaming as New York in 1664, the area (and all of Long Island) became known as Yorkshire . The Flushing Remonstrance signed by colonists in 1657 is considered a precursor to the United States Constitution 's provision on freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights . The signers protested the Dutch colonial authorities' persecution of Quakers in what
11475-483: The channel had been when the consolidation law was written in 1894. The surveyors did so in part by speaking with local fishermen and oystermen who knew the area well. From 1905 to 1908, the Long Island Rail Road in Queens became electrified. Transportation to and from Manhattan , previously by ferry or via bridges in Brooklyn, opened up with the Queensboro Bridge finished in 1909, and with railway tunnels under
11628-410: The city's total Ecuadorian population, for a total of 101,339. Queens has the largest Peruvian population in the city, accounting for 69.9% of the city's total Peruvian population, for a total of 30,825. Queens has the largest Salvadoran population in the city, accounting for 50.7% of the city for a total population of 25,235. The Mexican population in Queens has increased 45.7% since 2011 to 71,283,
11781-521: The city. This included the Grand Central Parkway , the construction of which would require taking land from the ash dumps. One of the provisional projects listed was a "Flushing River Park", along with a "Flushing River Parkway". The Brooklyn Ash Removal Company's contract with the city expired in 1933, and the city took over the company's assets and operations on May 25, 1934. The Brooklyn Ash property occupied around 300 acres (120 ha) of
11934-430: The construction of a new one. In 1870, Long Island City split from the Town of Newtown, incorporating itself as a city, consisting of what had been the village of Astoria and some unincorporated areas within the town of Newtown. Around 1874, the seat of county government was moved to Long Island City from Mineola. On March 1, 1860, the eastern border between Queens County (later Nassau County) and Suffolk County
12087-530: The county in 2010 was 39.7% White , 19.1% Black or African American , 0.7% Native American , 22.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 12.9% from other races , and 4.5% from two or more races. A total of 27.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. The non-Hispanic white population was 27.6%. In 2019, non-Hispanic whites made up an estimated 24.4% of the population, and Blacks or African Americans were 17.3%. The largest minority groups for
12240-505: The county seat, though county offices now extend to nearby Kew Gardens also. In 1899, New York City conducted a land survey to determine the exact border of Queens between the Rockaways and Lawrence . This proved difficult because the border was defined as "middle of the channel between Rockaway Beach and Shelter Island" (now called Long Beach Island), and that particular channel had closed up by 1899. The surveyors had to determine where
12393-527: The eight-county area consisting of the Five Boroughs and Westchester , Nassau , and Suffolk counties. Russian-speaking Jews make up 28% of the Jewish population in Queens, the largest in any of the eight counties. In Queens, the Black and African American population earns more than non-Hispanic whites on average. Many of these Blacks and African Americans live in quiet, middle-class suburban neighborhoods near
12546-526: The fair ground layout. The proposal was rejected however, due to concerns over the strength of the former marshland for building construction, the lack of "scenic beauty" in the meadows, and the distance from Manhattan. The UN moved to their now-permanent headquarters in 1951. The New York City building was later refurbished for the 1964/1965 Fair as the New York City Pavilion, featuring the Panorama of
12699-522: The fair grounds, housing the New York Hall of Science and the Queens Zoo ), the "Recreation & Garden Botanical Area" (extending east of the fair grounds along the Kissena Creek corridor, housing the Queens Botanical Garden ), the "Historic World's Fair Core Area", Meadow Lake, and Willow Lake. The two lakes and the remainder of Flushing Creek are separated by a flood gate or dam called
12852-483: The fair site in order to create a natural landscape. Meanwhile, thousands of 100-foot (30 m) Douglas fir timbers were driven into the ground to act as pilings for the foundations of the fair structures. The pedestrian plan called for numerous wide tree-lined pathways, including a central "Cascade Mall" leading to the Trylon and Perisphere , many of which would be retained for the park. Faced with having to dispose of
13005-564: The fair. In the meantime, some of the buildings from the 1939 Fair were used for the first temporary headquarters of the United Nations beginning in 1946. The former New York City Building was used for the UN General Assembly during this time. Moses attempted to sell Flushing Meadows as a permanent headquarters for the UN, which would have required new structures and a complete redesign of
13158-419: The first decade of the 20th century, it was used as a dumping ground for ashes, since at the time, the land was so far away from the developed parts of New York City as to be considered almost worthless. New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses first conceived the idea of developing a large park in Flushing Meadow in the 1920s as part of a system of parks across eastern Queens. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
13311-477: The highways at the perimeters of the park separating the site from local neighborhoods. The park also has very few formal entrances from local neighborhoods; this is a vestige of the World's Fairs, where access was controlled. Studies by various groups have separated the park into a different number of sections. A study by the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation divides
13464-562: The historical (such as the John Bowne House ) to the scientific (such as the New York Hall of Science ), from conventional art galleries (such as the Noguchi Museum ) to unique graffiti exhibits (such as 5 Pointz ). Queens's cultural institutions include, but are not limited to: The travel magazine Lonely Planet also named Queens the top destination in the country for 2015 for its cultural and culinary diversity. Stating that Queens
13617-476: The home of such notable artists as Tony Bennett , Francis Ford Coppola , Paul Simon , and Robert Mapplethorpe . Queens Poet Laureates (generally, 3-year appointments): Queens has notably fostered African American culture , with establishments such as The Afrikan Poetry Theatre and the Black Spectrum Theater Company catering specifically to African Americans in Queens. In the 1940s, Queens
13770-404: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kissena&oldid=1072028038 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Queens Queens is a borough of New York City , coextensive with Queens County , in
13923-462: The lakes would serve as repositories for excess storm runoff. The dirt from the lake sites was used as additional topsoil for the park. The project was an around-the-clock job, with 450 workers operating on three daily shifts. Workers had to combat the effects of high tide, and dust storms created by the ash. The work significantly changed the topography of the meadows, differing from that created by glaciation. Thousands of trees were transplanted to
14076-526: The lakes. The regular tidal action that would filter the lakes is prevented by the dam. In addition, the lakes are subject to pollution and storm runoff from the nearby highways, via pipes which feed into the lakes. Because of its connection with Flushing Bay, several fish species native to marine habitats regularly swim into and inhabit Meadow and Willow Lakes. Fish species native to Meadow Lake include American eel , largemouth bass , northern snakehead (an invasive species), and white mullet . Willow Lake
14229-513: The largest Asian ethnicity (10.9%) followed by Asian Indians (5.7%). Asian Indians had estimated population of 144,896 in 2014 (6.24% of the 2014 borough population), as well as Pakistani Americans , who numbered at 15,604. Queens has the second largest Sikh population in the nation after California . Among the Hispanic or Latin American population, Puerto Ricans made up the largest ethnic group at 4.6%, next to Mexicans , who made up 4.2% of
14382-481: The largest ethnic group at 10.2% of Queens' population, with about 237,484 people; the other East and Southeast Asian groups are: Koreans (2.9%), Filipinos (1.7%), Japanese (0.3%), Thais (0.2%), Vietnamese (0.2%), and Indonesians and Burmese both make up 0.1% of the population. People of South Asian descent made up 7.8% of Queens' population: Indians (5.3%), Bangladeshi (1.5%), Pakistanis (0.7%), and Nepali (0.2%). In 2019, Chinese Americans remained
14535-678: The largest fire of residential homes in FDNY history, destroying 126 homes in an area where every building was damaged by either water, wind or the resulting fires. Queens is located on the far western portion of geographic Long Island and includes a few smaller islands, most of which are in Jamaica Bay , forming part of the Gateway National Recreation Area , which in turn is one of the National Parks of New York Harbor. According to
14688-684: The late 20th century, thousands of people attended the nightly events, held on different feast days . One event in June 1983 attracted fifteen thousand pilgrims. Despite the events' popularity, Bishop Francis Mugavero , then Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn , stated in a 1986 "Declaration Concerning the Bayside Movement" that the events lacked credibility. After Lueken's death in 1995, and her husband's death in 2002, their followers divided into two small camps that continued to visit
14841-448: The local neighborhoods. Much of the "street sweepings" collected consisted of horse manure from horse-drawn carriages. In addition, many residents simply threw out normal garbage along with the coal ashes. The meadows were also considered one of the worst breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the city. The dump was famously characterized as "a valley of ashes" in F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby . Fitzgerald meanwhile described
14994-518: The mountains of ashes, Moses incorporated a significant portion of the refuse into the bases of several roadways that bordered or bisected the park. This included the Van Wyck Expressway ( Interstate 678 ) running along the eastern side of the park, the nearby Interboro Parkway (now Jackie Robinson Parkway ), and the Long Island Expressway ( Interstate 495 ) that divides the park into north and south halves. The Grand Central Parkway separates
15147-427: The neighborhood of Willets Point , along the north edge of the park, is itself part of the park. The northern section of the park, the former fair grounds, revolves around large paved pathways which during the fairs led to focal points such as pavilions, fountains and sculptures. The Trylon and Perisphere , and later Unisphere, were placed at the main axial point. The Unisphere and Queens Museum currently sit at
15300-508: The new borough. The areas of Queens County that were not part of the consolidation plan, consisting of the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the major remaining portion of the Town of Hempstead, remained part of Queens County until they seceded to form the new Nassau County on January 1, 1899. At this point, the boundaries of Queens County and the Borough of Queens became coterminous . With consolidation, Jamaica once again became
15453-403: The northern end of the park, adjacent to Willets Point is the "Sport Center" zone, where the US Open tennis tournament is held. In 2006, the tennis center was named USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center after professional tennis player Billie Jean King . Its center court is Arthur Ashe Stadium , and its secondary stadium court is Louis Armstrong Stadium . Citi Field , the home of
15606-623: The only viable location for a stadium. The stadium, which would have been located on the site of the Pool of Industry/Fountain of the Planets, was heavily opposed by the community, which forced the team to change its plans and play at Yankee Stadium . In November 2022, New York City and NYCFC agreed to build a 25,000-seat stadium, Etihad Park , in Willets Point adjacent to Citi Field; it is expected to be completed in 2027. The park's Meadow Lake contains
15759-532: The park are used for activities that reflect the wide ethnic mix of Queens; soccer and cricket are especially popular. New York Road Runners also hosts a weekly 3.30-mile (5.31 km) Open Run. as well as an annual 6.2-mile (10.0 km) 10K run . By the 2020s, the park had eight playgrounds and a skate park. Near the northeast corner of the park are the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center , which opened in 2008, and
15912-655: The park for vigils. Additionally, in 1978, the US Open tennis tournament was moved from the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The tournament was originally held in the Singer Bowl stadium (renamed the Louis Armstrong Stadium ), a 1964 World's Fair structure which was renovated and expanded for the tournament. Other parts of the park were also repaired or expanded for
16065-416: The park in 1997, replacing a smaller stadium. By the early 2000s, NYC Parks had spent $ 61 million to renovate the park, including $ 11 million on a promenade along Flushing Bay, $ 7 million for turf fields, and six new playgrounds. The park had also become the residence of a number of homeless people. This fact received attention after five possibly homeless individuals abducted, raped, and threatened to kill
16218-628: The park into three areas: the "historic core" (former World's Fair grounds), Meadow Lake, and Willow Lake. The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Strategic Framework Plan divides the park into a total of seven "zones": the Marina along Flushing Bay (containing the World's Fair Marina ), the "Sport Center" (containing Citi Field and the USTA ), "West Park" (a small section extending west of the Grand Central Parkway and
16371-407: The park is largely occupied by Meadow and Willow Lake. The two lakes, along with the Pool of Industry and Fountain of the Planets in the former fair grounds, are fed by the Flushing River , which flows north through both lakes and underneath the fountain as a subterranean river towards Flushing Bay . The two lakes are connected by a narrow channel, forming a peninsula in between the lakes. During
16524-486: The park's area south of the Long Island Expressway . Flushing Meadows–Corona Park is owned and maintained by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , also known as NYC Parks. Private, non-profit groups such as the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park Conservancy and the Alliance for Flushing Meadows–Corona Park provide additional funds, services, and support. The park is at the eastern edge of
16677-530: The park's northern end. The IRT Flushing Line subway station at Mets–Willets Point is served by the 7 and <7> trains, and the similarly named LIRR station serves the Port Washington Branch . These stations are located at the northern end of the park adjacent to the Corona Yard and bus depot, primarily serving Citi Field and the USTA. The 111th Street subway station
16830-535: The park, such as the Unisphere, Hall of Science, New York State Pavilion , and United States Pavilion . Most of the remaining $ 11.6 million from the fair funds, as well as money from Moses' Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority , were used to rehabilitate the site into a true park. City officials proposed repurposing the site as a "sports park" in 1966; ultimately, the Parks Department took back ownership of
16983-548: The pipeline was not built on piling foundations and eventually sank into the marsh and landfill. In January 1940, Borough President Harvey demanded an investigation into the main's construction take place, while the Board of Estimate allocated $ 50,200 for repairs. Following the closure of the Fair in 1940, the site was supposed to be cleared in order to develop and open Flushing Meadows as a city park. The onset of World War II , however, delayed
17136-563: The playground was won by architect Hisham N. Ashkouri ; the facility was completed in 1984, and it was refurbished and reopened in 1997. Immediately outside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a sculpture by Eric Fischl called Soul in Flight . The sculpture, unveiled in August 2000, is a 14-foot bronze nude statue that serves as a permanent memorial to Arthur Ashe and includes one of his favorite quotes, "From what we get we can make
17289-515: The population was born in the United States. Approximately 44.2% of the population over 5 years of age speak English at home; 23.8% speak Spanish at home. Also, 16.8% of the populace speak other Indo-European languages at home. Another 13.5% speak a non-Indo-European Asian language or language of the Pacific Islands at home. Among the Asian population in 2010, people of Chinese ethnicity made up
17442-421: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Queens had 738 religious organizations, the thirteenth most out of all U.S. counties. Queens has been the center of the punk rock movement, particularly in New York; Ramones originated out of Forest Hills, it has also been
17595-466: The population, and Dominicans at 3.9%. Central Americans made up 2.4% and are mostly Salvadorans . South Americans constitute 9.6% of Queens's population, mainly of Ecuadorian (4.4%) and Colombian descent (4.2%). The 2019 American Community Survey estimated Mexicans and Puerto Ricans were equally the largest groups (4.5% each) in Queens, and Cuban Americans were the third largest single group. Other Hispanic and Latinos collectively made up 18.9% of
17748-408: The population. The Hispanic or Latino population increased by 61% to 597,773 between 1990 and 2006 and now accounts for over 26.5% of the borough's population. Queens has the largest Colombian population in the city, accounting for over 35.6% of the city's total Colombian population, for a total of 145,956 in 2019; it also has the largest Ecuadorian population in the city, accounting for 62.2% of
17901-597: The primary residence for factory workers. To create the port, beginning in 1910 Degnon proceeded to fill the land using household coal ash and street sweepings from Brooklyn. Degnon set up two companies of his own, one of which was contracted with the New York City Department of Sanitation . He also contracted the Brooklyn Ash Removal Company, owned by Fishhooks McCarthy , a member of the corrupt Tammany Hall political machine. Residential ash
18054-485: The project did not receive funds due to communication issues with the New York City Comptroller 's office. By 1972, little development had taken place to improve the park, while many World's Fair structures remained in disrepair. The disrepair was systematic within the park system, a product of lack of funding during that decade's fiscal crisis . This state of disrepair continued into the 1980s. In 1975,
18207-589: The project. The profits from the World's Fair were supposed to pay for the development of the park, but in spite of its success the fair turned a financial loss. Only two permanent attractions were opened in 1941: an ice skating rink and roller rink in the New York City Building , and a public pool located in the New York State Marine Amphitheatre (now demolished). The latter utilized the pool used for Billy Rose's Aquacade during
18360-545: The region was the Dutch , who established the colony of New Netherland . The first settlements were established in 1635 followed by further settlement at Maspeth in 1642 (ultimately unsuccessful), and Vlissingen (now Flushing ) in 1645. Other early settlements included Newtown (now Elmhurst ) in 1652 and Jamaica in 1655. However, these towns were mostly inhabited by English settlers from New England via eastern Long Island ( Suffolk County ) who were subject to Dutch law. After
18513-514: The restoration of the Unisphere was completed in May 1994. By the mid-1990s, NYC Parks was planning to spend another $ 19 million to rebuild fountains, build a new ramp to the Willets Point Boulevard station , add three entrances and a cultural walk, and enlarge the Hall of Science. The Aquacade amphitheater, which had decayed extensively, was demolished in 1996. Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in
18666-900: The second-highest in the city, after Brooklyn. Queens is also home to 49.6% of the city's Asian population. Among the five boroughs, Queens has the largest population of Chinese , Indian , Korean , Filipino , Bangladeshi and Pakistani Americans . Queens has the largest Asian American population by county outside the Western United States ; according to the 2006 American Community Survey, Queens ranks fifth among US counties with 477,772 (21.18%) Asian Americans, behind Los Angeles County, California , Honolulu County, Hawaii , Santa Clara County, California , and Orange County, California . Some main European ancestries in Queens as of 2000 include: Italian (8.4%), Irish (5.5%), German (3.5%), Polish (2.7%), Russian (2.3%), and Greek (2.0%). Of
18819-456: The site in the mid-to-late 17th century. The meadows provided numerous natural resources for settlers, including timber, water, fertile soil, and grass and hay for grazing domestic animals. During the American Revolution , a farmhouse on the site of the modern World's Fair Marina was used as a headquarters for British forces. By the 1800s, primitive roads were established crossing the meadows, running along what are now Northern Boulevard and
18972-415: The site included waterfowl and fiddler crab , with fish using water pools for spawning. The area was first settled by Algonquian Native Americans of Long Island (referred to erroneously as " Mantinecocks "). They consisted of the "Canarsee" and "Rockaway" Lenape groups, which inhabited coastal wetlands across Queens and Brooklyn. Beginning in 1640, Dutch settlers moved into the area, establishing
19125-629: The site to create a large industrial port around Flushing Bay , similar to a terminal he developed in Long Island City . By 1911, Degnon had created a plan along with the United States Department of War and the Queens Topographical Bureau. The plan envisioned widening Flushing River and creating docks for ships, with numerous factories and freight facilities. Meanwhile, the residential areas of Corona were expected to become
19278-400: The site was filled via now-conventional means, using dirt pumped from Flushing Bay which was being dredged to a lower depth. Material from the bay was extracted by an offshore hydraulic machine, and funneled through a 1,500-foot (460 m) pipe across Northern Boulevard, before being deposited onto the wetlands. The filling for the north meadow was complete in 1916. The prospect of creating
19431-547: The site, now planned as "Flushing Meadow Park", was selected for what would become the 1939 World's Fair. In addition to the ash dumps and undeveloped meadows, houses in Corona east of 111th Street, adjacent to the dumps, were condemned and added to the site, displacing residents. The plans were drafted by Parks Department landscape architect Gilmore David Clarke and his partner Michael Rapuano, designed in Beaux-Arts style. Work on
19584-404: The site, which opened on June 3, 1967. Although the park was opened, it had yet to become the grand park Moses had originally envisioned. In August 1967, new parks commissioner August Heckscher II sought to begin improvements on the park in order to turn it into the "Central Park of the 20th century." A new plan for the park had been designed by architects Marcel Breuer and Kenzō Tange , but
19737-411: The state's exhibit hall for the same World's Fair, sits derelict and decaying. The pavilion was repainted yellow in 2015 and underwent renovations in the 2020s. At the northern end of the New York State Pavilion is the Queens Theatre in the Park , originally the pavilion's "Theaterama" attraction, which moved into its current building in 1993. Terrace on the Park , a banquet and catering facility,
19890-475: The summer months. The American Small Craft Association (TASCA) also houses a fleet of over a dozen 14.5-foot (4.4 m) sloop-rigged sailboats, used for teaching, racing, and recreation by the club's members. Bicycling paths extend around Meadow Lake and connect to the Brooklyn–Queens Greenway . The Willow Lake Trail, a nature trail around Willow Lake, was partially reopened in 2013 and is part of
20043-450: The tournament, including the fountains of the Unisphere. Arne Abramowitz became administrator of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in 1986 and soon began planning a renovation of the park. The following year, NYC Parks announced an $ 80 million rehabilitation of the park. The renovation had been planned since the early 1980s but had been deferred due to a lack of funding. The grounds of the park's northern section were landscaped in 1992, and
20196-632: The town of Newtown to the west of the site (which would become Elmhurst , Corona , and other areas in western Queens), and the town of Flushing to the east. The meadows became known as the Corona Meadows. By 1666, the Native American population had been displaced from the Flushing Meadows site by European settlers, although a deed reserved the right to hunt on the land for the Native Americans. Several wealthy landowners began building farmhouses on
20349-702: The towns in existence at the consolidation of the five boroughs into New York City: Long Island City ( ZIP codes starting with 111), Jamaica (114), Flushing (113), and Far Rockaway (116). Also, the Floral Park post office (110), based in Nassau County, serves a small part of northeastern Queens. Each of these main post offices has neighborhood stations with individual ZIP codes, and unlike the other boroughs, these station names are often used in addressing letters. These ZIP codes do not always reflect traditional neighborhood names and boundaries; " East Elmhurst ", for example,
20502-443: The towns of Newtown , Flushing and Jamaica , and that part of the town of Hempstead , in the county of Queens, which is westerly of a straight line drawn through the middle of the channel between Rockaway Beach and Shelter Island , in the county of Queens, to the Atlantic Ocean" was annexed to New York City, dissolving all former municipal governments ( Long Island City , the county government, all towns, and all villages) within
20655-601: The week. This park also contains three Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) maintenance facilities: the Jamaica subway yard , the Corona subway yard , and the Casey Stengel Bus Depot . The Jamaica Yard is located at the very south end of the park site, beyond Willow Lake, while the Corona Yard and Casey Stengel Depot are located across from Citi Field. The New York City Subway and Long Island Rail Road both serve
20808-458: The west end of the main promenade. Near the center of the promenade (called Herbert Hoover Promenade on the north side, and Dwight D. Eisenhower Promenade on the south side) are the Fountains of the Fairs, which sit in the median of the paths. At the far east end is the Fountain of the Planets, originally called the Pool of Industry. This layout was used to guide fair goers to exhibits. The layout
20961-411: The westernmost of a chain of parks running across Queens, which would include Kissena Park , Cunningham Park , Alley Pond Park , and Douglaston Park . In 1929, representatives from surrounding communities created a plan to turn the ash dump into a recreational complex, and presented them to Queens Borough President George U. Harvey . In 1930, Moses released plans for numerous parks and highways in
21114-400: The world. With a population of 2,405,464 as of the 2020 census , Queens is the second-most populous county in New York state, behind Kings County (Brooklyn), and is therefore also the second-most populous of the five New York City boroughs. If Queens were its own city, it would be the fourth most-populous in the U.S. after the rest of New York City , Los Angeles , and Chicago . Queens
21267-433: Was 104 °F (40 °C), also on July 3, 1966. LaGuardia Airport's record-low temperature was −7 °F (−22 °C) on February 15, 1943, the effect of which was exacerbated by a shortage of heating oil and coal . John F. Kennedy International Airport's record-low temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C), on February 8, 1963, and January 21, 1985. On January 24, 2016, 30.5 inches (77 cm) of snow fell, which
21420-563: Was alarmed by the negligible reported increase in population between 2000 and 2010. Areas with high proportions of immigrants and undocumented aliens are traditionally undercounted for a variety of reasons, often based on a mistrust of government officials or an unwillingness to be identified. In many cases, counts of vacant apartment units did not match data from local surveys and reports from property owners. As of 2023 , illegal Chinese immigration to New York City, especially to Queens and its Flushing Chinatown , has accelerated. According to
21573-640: Was an important center of jazz ; such jazz luminaries as Louis Armstrong , Charlie Parker , and Ella Fitzgerald took up residence in Queens, seeking refuge from the segregation they found elsewhere in New York. Additionally, many notable hip-hop acts hail from Queens, including Nas , Run-D.M.C. , Kool G Rap , A Tribe Called Quest , LL Cool J , MC Shan , Mobb Deep , 50 Cent , Nicki Minaj , Tony Yayo , Tragedy Khadafi , N.O.R.E. , Lloyd Banks, Capone , Ja Rule , Heems of Das Racist and Action Bronson . Queens hosts various museums and cultural institutions that serve its diverse communities. They range from
21726-531: Was based on Gian Lorenzo Bernini 's plan for St. Peter's Square in Vatican City . The main promenade, measuring 2,500 feet (760 m), was provisionally called the "Cascade Mall" during its construction, and later named the "Constitution Mall" during the first fair. Many former exhibit and pavilion sites have since been replaced with soccer fields ( artificial turf or dirt and grass), while others have been left as open grass fields. The southern portion of
21879-508: Was collected via trolleys of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company , and loaded onto freight trains which traveled via the Long Island Rail Road branches, or other trolleys, which hauled the refuse to Corona. The operation was referred to as a citywide refuse "conveyor belt," while the trains were nicknamed the " Talcum Powder Express" because they often ran uncovered and deposited soot onto the surroundings. The northern end of
22032-412: Was created as the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair and also hosted the 1964 New York World's Fair . Following the 1964 fair, the park fell into disrepair, although some improvements have taken place since the 1990s and 2000s. Flushing Meadows–Corona Park retains much of the layout from the 1939 World's Fair. Its attractions include the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center , the venue for
22185-577: Was extended north through the park site along the right-of-way of the former World's Fair Railroad . Moses and the Parks Department also prepared post-fair plans to finish Flushing Meadows Park, as well as Kissena Corridor Park and Kissena Park, projected to be complete by 1967. In early 1964, the New York City Council added " Corona " to the park's name; the park was now named "Flushing Meadows–Corona Park", in preparation for that year's World's Fair. Councilman Edward Sadowsky explained that this
22338-399: Was founded alongside Kings County ( Brooklyn , which was named after her husband, King Charles II), and Richmond County ( Staten Island , named after his illegitimate son, the 1st Duke of Richmond ). However, the namesake is disputed. While Catherine's title seems the most likely namesake, no historical evidence of official declaration has been found. On October 7, 1691, all counties in
22491-493: Was intended to correct an injustice: "The people of Corona have long lived in the aroma of a junkyard or a dump named for their community. Now, when there is something beautiful to be seen, there is no mention of the name Corona." Following the fair, most buildings from the fair were demolished. Some were relocated, such as the Wisconsin Pavilion , Uniroyal Giant Tire , and Golden Rondelle Theater , while others remained in
22644-446: Was largely coined by the USPS and is not an official community. Most neighborhoods have no solid boundaries. The Forest Hills and Rego Park neighborhoods, for instance, overlap. Residents of Queens often closely identify with their neighborhood rather than with the borough or city. The borough is a patchwork of dozens of unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct identity: At
22797-404: Was originally a tidal marsh , with Flushing Creek receiving south-flowing waters from the tides of Flushing Bay. Although the lakes were built as freshwater lakes and dammed to mitigate tidal effects, flooding continues to affect the park. The lakes are also highly eutrophic , due to nutrients such as phosphorus from the former marshland seeping into the water, leading to the death of fish in
22950-553: Was originally the 1964 World's Fair's official helipad. The Queens Museum, which became the headquarters of the United Nations General Assembly after the 1939 Fair, was adapted as the 1964 Fair's New York City Pavilion building. After the fair, it was subdivided into the Queens Center for Art and an ice-skating rink, the latter of which was removed when the museum was expanded in 2013. Other buildings remained for
23103-510: Was redefined with no discernible change. On June 8, 1881, North Brother Island was transferred to New York County . On May 8, 1884, Rikers Island was transferred to New York County. In 1886, Lloyd's Neck, which was then part of the town of Oyster Bay and had earlier been known as Queens Village, was set off and separated from Queens County and annexed to the town of Huntington in Suffolk County. On April 16, 1964, South Brother Island
23256-528: Was the site of the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair . LaGuardia Airport , established on a site in northern Queens that had been a seaplane base, opened in 1939, named for mayor Fiorello La Guardia , who pushed for the development of a modern airport in New York City. Idlewild Airport, in southern Queens, opened in 1948 on the site of a former golf course and was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963. In one of several notable incidents, TWA Flight 800 took off from
23409-468: Was transferred to Bronx County. The New York City borough of Queens was authorized on May 4, 1897, by a vote of the New York State Legislature after an 1894 referendum on consolidation. The eastern 280 square miles (730 km ) of Queens that became Nassau County was partitioned on January 1, 1899. Queens Borough was established on January 1, 1898. "The city of Long Island City ,
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