Click the heading above to view sporting activity & bicycling events this month in Queens. Click the following links to go directly into one of these Queens Neighborhoods: Astoria, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Long Island City and Sunnyside.
Queens Swimming Pools - Swimming Pools In QueensUpdated July 22, 2016 / Queens Parks / Queens Buzz. This provides the hours for Queens public swimming pools, as well as info about a number of other swimming pools that are run by non-profit organizations that are also available to the public. Click here to view our report on Queens Swimming Pools - swimming pools in Queens.
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City of Water Day in Queens
July 2016 / Astoria Neighborhood / LIC Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods / Water & Sports Activities Queens / Queens Buzz.
This year [2016] the City of Water Day didn't appear to have a lot going on in Queens. In the few prior years it had been celebrated there were more activities, but I can't say that it had - as of yet - caught on in any large measure.
The following were the City of Water Day events in Queens in 2015. This information was taken from www.cityofwaterday.org website. They are organizers of the event.
Long Island Community Boathouse - Location: Hallets Cove, 31st Ave. at Vernon Blvd - Time: 11am-2pm - Public walkup kayaking at Hallets Cove
- Urban Park Rangers - Location: Hallets Cove, 31st Ave. at Vernon Blvd - Time: 10am-2pm - Catch & release fishing
- NYC DEP - Location: Hallets Cove, 31st Ave. at Vernon Blvd - Time: 10am-2pm
- Long Island Community Boathouse - Location: Gantry State Park, 48th Ave. and Center Blvd - Time: 2:30pm-4pm - Free public walkup kayaking
- Long Island Community Gardens Inc. - Location: Gantry State Park, 48th Ave. and Center Blvd - Time: 12pm-4pm - Family festival at Gantry State Park
- Hunters Point Parks Conservancy - Location: Gantry State Park, 48th Ave. and Center Blvd - Time: 12pm-4pm - Morning: Gardening in the park, Afternoon: Narrated tour around Gantry State Park; Commemoration for Bill Bilyeski
- Friends of Queens Library at Hunters Point - Location: Gantry State Park, 48th Ave. and Center Blvd - Time: 12pm-4pm - Mobile library & story telling
- Green Shores NYC - Location: Gantry State Park, 48th Ave. and Center Blvd - Time: 12pm-4pm - Yoga, catch & release fishing off of pier, family friendly events
- Long Island Community Boathouse - Location: Anable Basin, 46th Ave. and North Basin Rd - Time: 2pm-6pm - Free public walkup kayaking
This story was first published in July 17, 2015.
Tour de Queens
July 2016 / Queens Neighborhoods / Biking Queens / Queens Buzz.
The Tour de Queens did not return this year, nor did the Tour de Brooklyn.
This year Transportation Alternatives, organizers of the events, tried to promote a Brooklyn Queens Tour by merging the Tour de Brooklyn and the Tour de Queens. They set out a 20 mile escorted course with a goal of raising $100,000 for Transportation Alternatives street safety efforts. The Brooklyn / Queens bicycle event took place on Sunday, June 12th beginning at 8.30 / 9 am. The sign up fee was about $20 per rider and began and ended at CitiField.
I understand the merged ride didn't go that well. Generally both the Tour de Queens and the Tour de Brooklyn bike ride events each attract over a thousand riders apiece, while the merged event appears to have attracted only a couple of hundred bike riders according to their Facebook page.
It seems that given the event had historically been a family-friendly escorted bike ride that stayed within the borough / neighborhood, some of the family-friendliness appeal was lost by merging the bike tours. It's also worth noting that there are two other multi-borough events for bike riders - the 5 Boro Bike Ride the first weekend of May and the Century Bike Ride the second weekend of September.
The Century Bike Ride is also organized by Transportation Alternatives and has been growing every year to (tens) of thousands of bike riders who set out on a 100 mile venture through all five boroughs. To register, go to www.transalt.org. The photo above was taken at the Tour de Queens ride in 2015 near Astoria Park.
American Poolplayers Association Tourney
APA Leagues Gear Up For Spring & Summer Championships
February 11, 2016 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Restaurants in Jackson Heights / Queens Buzz.
Last Fall I attended one of the Brooklyn Queens Bronx APA League Tournaments at BQE Billiards & Bar in Jackson Heights. It was an all day event wherein 270 pool players competed as teams, vying for top spot placements in the league, in order to move on to compete for the APA Championship in Las Vegas.
I was surprised by the friendly comraderie of the competitors. I thought they would regard each other more adversarially than they did. In conversing with a number of them I began to get the sense that, at the neighborhood league level, poolplayer leagues are more a community than a competition. Players are generally quite familiar with one another and each other's playing level, in the same manner as other intramural and league sports where the competition is real, but so is the comraderie.
We'll have more at a later date, including a video of league play and interviews.
NYC Marathon: A Brief History
A Closer Look At The NYC Marathon Course & Runners
November 2, 2015 / LIC Neighborhood & Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Sports / Queens Buzz. Every year about 50,000 runners converge on New York City on the first weekend of November to run in the New York Marathon. The race begins at 8.30 am with the wheelchair division, is followed at 8.52 am by the athletes with disabilities and handcyclers. And then from 8.55 am until 11 am a horde of 50,000 runners passes the starting line on their 26 mile journey ending in Central Park.
The course has changed since the first NYC Marathon and now runs through all five boroughs, starting in Staten Island, coming up through western Brookyn, cutting through Long Island City between the Pulaski and Queensboro Bridges and then looping up along the Upper East Side before circling back around just north of the Harlem River in the Bronx and heading back south into Manhattan and terminating in Central Park.
The race lasts about eleven hours, as the official end time is 7.30 pm, but the reality is that it's mostly over by about 5 pm. The NYC Marathon began in 1970 and the first one was held entirely in Central Park by having the runners circle around the park on various roadways multiple times. And, of course, it was a much smaller group of runners.
NYC Marathon Runner Demographics by the NYT
The NYT published a report about the NYC Marathon demographics. In it they noted that about three quarters of the runners make it over the finish line, and that about 40% of the runners are now women, which is up significantly from none in the first NYC Marathon in 1970.
This year only 48% of the runners are Americans, while another 4.5% come from Canada and Mexico, France and Italy represent 14% of the runners [split about evenly], and Britain, Germany and the Netherlands are another 15% (contributing in descending order], other parts of Europe, Latin America, Japan & China, Austrailia and South Africa.
Age-wise the largest group is between 30 and 40, the 2nd largest between 40 and 50, and a good measure from the 20 to 30 and the 50 to 60 demographics. Apparently many reaching their 40th and 50th birthdays like to 'prove that they still have it'. You can find the full report on www.nytimes.com, including some fun graphs.
NYC Marathon Winners Past & Present
The last time an American won the Marathon was in 2009 [Meb Keflezighi - a 2004 Olympic silver medalist born in Eritrea], and the last American winner born in the United States was Bill Rodgers in 1979. This year Meb was the first place finisher among all Americans and he broke the record for Masters Runners.
This year the winner for men was Stanley Biwott of Kenya who ran the NYC Marathon in 2:10:34, the winner for women was Mary Keitany, also from Kenya, who ran the course in 2:24:25, making this her second win in as many years. In the Wheelchair division, Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa beat Josh George of USA by one second coming in at 1:30:54. In the women’s wheelchair division, Tatyana McFadden a Russian-born American, broke the NYC Marathon course record by seven minutes. It's been quite a year for her as she also won the marathon in Boston, Chicago and London this year.
Men's & Women's Marathon Times
As you can see by the times above, the best marathoners generally make the trip in a bit more than two hours, which means they ran at a pretty good clip of almost 13 miles per hour for over two hours. And it's worth mentioning that the gap between male and female NYC Marathon runners has been closing and at present is about 15 minutes.
Organizers & Sponsors of the NYC Marathon
New York Road Runners or NYRR is the organizer of the NYC Marathon and this year Tata Consultancy Services or TCS is the premier sponsor. TCS is an Indian software and IT services company based in Mumbai [formerly Bombay].
Century Bike Ride Runs & Rests In Queens
September 14, 2015 / Astoria Neighborhood / Biking Queens / Queens Buzz. The Sunday forecast included a high probability of scattered thunderstorms, but fortunately for the Century bike riders the weather appeared to favor them.
The Century Bike Ride is organized by Transportation Alternatives, an environmentally-friendly group that promotes non-carbon and low carbon 'transportation alternatives' to NYC residents. This is the bike ride they sponsor and the receipts go toward their efforts to ensure the various levels of government do what they can to help promote a safe and regenerative urban transportation environment.
The Century Bike Ride offers four biking alternatives that individuals and / or groups can pursue on their own during the most-of-the-day event. The first start time was at 5.30 am in Central Park [Manhattan] and at 6 am for a Prospect Park [Brooklyn] start and the last rest stops at the two parks closed at 6 pm.
The four bike routes included a 35 mile, 55 mile, 75 mile and 100 mile [hence the name century] loop.The 35 mile loop is called the East River Ride, which runs along the East River primarily in Brooklyn and Queens. The ride started at 7.30 am and was expected to last between 3.5 and 7.5 hours. The 55 mile loop is called the Waterfront Ride which includes the East River loop, but also the Verrazzanno Bridge, Coney Island and part of the Brooklyn Greenway. This ride started at 7 am / 7.30 am and was expected to take about 3.5 to 8.5 hours. The 75 mile loop is called the Rockaways Ride and it excludes the north / south run along the East River in Brooklyn / Queens in exchange for a haul out to the Fort Tilden Beach in the Rockaways then north through a number of Queens Greenways [parks] before turning westward back toward Manhattan. The Century Bike Ride, the 100 miler, starts at 6 am / 6.30 am and is expected to take between six and twelve hours.
The Century Bike Ride started in 1989 and is celebrating its 26th year.
Tour de Queens
Transportation Alternatives Hosts 8th Annual Tour de Queens
July 15, 2015 / Astoria Neighborhood / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Biking / Queens Buzz.
The first Tour de Queens took place in 2008. The event was organized by Transportation Alternatives to encourage people to get on their bikes to see their neighborhoods. The idea is once people reaquaint themselves with the ease and joy of bicycle travel, they'll be more apt to get on their bicycle again.
The Tour de Queens route changes every year, and sometimes that includes the starting and end point. This year the event began in Astoria Park again and traveled south through Long Island City, east to Middle Village and north to Jackson Heights before returning to Astoria Park.
Sign up began at 8 am and the tour began promptly at 9.30 am. About 11,000 cyclists signed up for the Tour de Queens which cost $22.50 and $17.50 to register. The Tour de Queens is an escorted ride where the police temporarily set up barricades clearing the route as the bicyclists pass. This differs from both the 5 Boro Bike Ride and the Century Bike Ride where the route is cordoned off for a great de
al of the day.
Kayaking On The East RiverQueens NY / Summers in LIC. We joined the LIC Boathouse on Sunday morning in their weekly summer ritual of providing free kayaking for Queens denizens of all stripes. We started with them between 11.30 am and noon in Long Island City where a core group of volunteers [new comers welcome] meet to load and haul the kayaks and safety gear up to Hallets Cove just north of Socrates Sculpture Park. Click here for the rest of the story of kayaking in Queens with the LIC Boathouse on the East River. |
Cyclists Rights In NYC / QueensKnowing Your Rights & Responsibilities As An NYC CyclistUpdated Spring 2015 / Long Island City Neighborhood / NYC Cylists Rights In Queens / Queens Buzz. By Philip Papas. The introduction to the Cyclists' Rights Forum was given by Christina Vassallo, Executive Director, Flux Factory. She told us that the event came about after she and a friend were stopped for cycling violations, which they thought were not illegal, or had erroneously been applied as violation points to their motor vehicle driver’s license. As a result she saw the need for a forum to clarify laws, rights and proper procedures for cyclists to follow. Click here to read our full report about NYC Bike Laws / Cyclists' Rights Forum in Queens at the Flux Factory in LIC. |
Queens Green Drinks Is Back
Grass Roots Eco-Socials Come Out Of Hibernation
May 4, 2015 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Environment & Ecology in Queens / Queens Buzz. Last week there was a Queens Green Drinks social at Terraza 7 just off Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.
Gathered within were several dozen people who had come from many parts of the borough to have a drink or two and to socialize. The attendees were generally interested or involved in community efforts to create a more sustainable lifestyle in Queens and NYC.
The event was organized by Katie Ellman of GreenShoresNYC, in tandem with Angela Stach Co-Chair of Transportation Alternatives Queens, and Len Maniace the President of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group and Publisher of PlanetNYC.com. Katie is shown with scarf at front, Len Maniace is standing behind her and Angela Stach is shown with name badge at right. Phillip Papas, an avid cyclist, is shown standing on the far right.
Queens Green Drinks is a non-profit grassroots idea that went viral and went global over a decade ago. The intent of it was simple, to organize socials where people interested in a more sustainable lifestyle could meet and get to know each other. That was it. What came of those new relationships was up to those involved in them.
Helen Ho, of Queens was the first to pick up the torch and begin organizing Queens Green Drinks events at various locales around the borough. She kept Queens Green Drinks going for a number of years and through her efforts a community evolved of people who were involved in things like: East River kyaking, cycling in Queens, urban tree and tree bed planting, public park space advocates and defenders, organic food folks, urban farmers, green energy, green architects and green government officials ... to name just a few.
But organizing these get togethers, especially as they were held monthly, was a time commitment and personal effort that can't last forever. In time Helen reduced the frequency of the socials, and eventually the events went on hiatus ... until Wednesday, April 29th when Katie Ellman picked up the "torch of a new generation" and held the first event at Terraza 7 in Jackson Heights.
U.S. Open Ends
Marin Cilic Wins Men's & Serena Williams Wins 18th Slam
September 9, 2014 / Queens Sports / Queens Buzz. After two hard fought weeks, the U.S. Open tennis tournament is over. Newcomer and very much a long shot [66/1 by odds makers], Croatian born Marin Cilic won the men's singles.
Serena Williams, the dominant female tennis player of the past decade, made a comeback of sorts after poor showings in prior slam tournaments earlier this year. She won the women's championship and it was her 18th slam win.
CBS lost the bidding for the broadcast rights for the next decade of U.S. Open tennis tournaments. ESPN picked up the games for $825 million. CBS had broadcast the games for the past 46 years [since 1968].
We heard grumblings about the new configuration for watching the preliminary games. The grumblers complained that the new seating was inadequate enabling only the first slew of spectators to be seated and that the inexpensive tickets were seated too far away from the action. The USTA is in the process of making significant modifications to the tennis center which are expected to be completed in 2018.
U.S. Open Begins
All Queens Tennis Tournament In Flushing
August 25, 2014 / Sports in Queens / Queens Buzz. The U.S. Open began Monday, August 24th with its usual bit of fanfare and stylistic splash. The tennis tournament features mens and womens singles and doubles, mixed doubles and juniors.
The U.S. Open is held at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The tournament will last two weeks, ending on September 8th. The number 7 subway line is one of the primary conduits for transporting people from Manhattan to the tournaments and back again. So you can expect to see an influx of new faces amidst your public transit travels.
The U.S. Open has been held at the USTA in Flushing Meadows Corona Park since 1978. The tournament is the last of the Grand Slam tournaments - the Austrailian & French Opens & Wimbledon comprise the rest. And the U.S. Open is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world. The tournament began as the U.S. National Tennis Championship - the forerunner of the U.S. Open - and it was first played in 1861 by men only.
So who's favored in the Men's & Women's Singles? Men's Singles. Djokovic was upset the past couple weeks and Nadal is injured, so it appears the Men's Singles championship is wide open. A few of those mentioned as the next champion include Federer, Wawrinka and Murray as a long shot. Women's Singles. Serena Williams is the most formidable contestant, but she's had some issues this year. Agnieszka Radwanska, Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova will be the others to watch with an interesting and winding road ahead for most of them.
You can find updates and live play at usopen.org.
Randall's Island Bike Ride
Weekend Day Ride Feels Miles Away
May 12 / Astoria / Queens Bike Paths / Queens Buzz. I decided to attend the Frieze Art Fair on Randall's Island this past weekend. There are three ways to travel to Randall's Island: the ferry service from LIC, driving a car along the Grand Central Parkway part way over the RFK / Triborough Bridge or walking / biking on the pedestrian / bike path over the RFK / Triborough Bridge. I decided to take the latter and bike to Randall's Island.
Randall's Island is located in the middle of the East River, just across from Astoria Park. It is home to Icahn Stadium, an important NY Fire Department complex, a police station and a psychiatric hospital. There are also a number athletic fields which on this particular weekend seemed to be put to good use by a number of soccer leagues.
I started my journey at 27th Street on the north end of Hoyt Avenue which runs alongside the Grand Central Parkway leading to the RFK / Triborough Bridge. The entrance is inconspicuous and you have to carry your bike up a healthy set of stairs. For a while you'll be biking in a partitioned bike lane alongside the incessant flow of speeding traffic of the Grand Central Parkway, before you're taken above the din, up into the lofty heights of the Triborough Bridge. If you have a great fear of heights, this is not the journey for you.
We'll post more about the bike path to Randall's Island, including a photo slide show, at a later date.
5 Boro Bike Ride May 4th 2014
April 27, 2014 / Queens Buzz. The 5 Boro Bike Ride will come streaming through Queens this weekend. See coverage in prior years below.
32,000 Bikers Pass Thru Queens: 5 Boro Bike TourMay 5, 2013 / Long Island City & Astoria / Biking Queens / Queens Buzz. This Sunday some 32,000 bicyclists rode through Astoria and LIC on their way to completing a 40 mile bike ride through all five boroughs of NYC. Photographer Abdel Berrera caught up with them at the Astoria Park rest station where many took a moment to catch their breath. Many of the cyclists come from other countries and other states. The bikers see this as a nice way to see all of New York City, not just Manhattan. There are two 5 Boro Bike Tour rest stops: the first in Astoria Park and the second at the Con Ed rest station along the East River. Many took some time out to make adjustments to their bikes, gear and selves; and consumed a bit of food before resuming the relaxing trip and heading on to Brooklyn and Staten Island. Click here to read a brief report and to see a photo slide show of the 5 Boro Bike Ride in Queens shot by Astoria photographer Abdel Berraha. |
Queens Natatorium & World Ice Rink
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Preview NYC Marathon In LIC QueensOctober 28, 2013 / Long Island City / NYC Marathon in Queens / Queens Buzz. Long Island City / LIC spectators of the NYC Marathon get one of the best front row seats of the NYC Marathon right here in Queens. We get to see the runners about half way through the 26 mile course - after they've loosened up and hit their stride, the sweat pouring off their brows, their lungs pumping, their legs hammering the hard pavement as they strive to do what we mere mortals don't dare try. Over the years I've met a few runners who've completed the NYC Marathon course. They generally begin training months before the race begins; logging ten, fifteen mile runs several times weekly before beginning the big one. It takes a lot of willpower, endurance and perhaps mostly motivation. Good health helps, but it's worth noting that many people overcome their handicaps and complete the race too. Best Times, Views, Locations For NYC Marathon in LIC & Queens. Click here to view details of the course the runners will follow through Long Island City LIC in Queens tomorrow. This brief report will include some estimated times that various groups will arrive, so you can 'more or less' plan your visit to cheer them on. Click here to read our report about the upcoming 2013 NYC Marathon in Queens. And click the following links to view reports about the: NYC Marathon in Queens 2010, NYC Marathon in LIC in 2009, NYC Marathon in Queens photos in 2009, NYC Marathon in Long Island City in 2008 with photos. There wasn't any NYC Marathon in 2012 because of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy. |
CB Votes Split On USTA Expansion Plan
March 14, 2013 / Flushing Corona / Issues Facing Queens / Queens Buzz. The USTA has asked the city of New York to give it .68 of an acre of Flushing Meadows Corona Park so that it can proceed with an expansion plan. The expansion plan is estimated to increase the sports complex capacity for the U.S. Open by about a third, while increasing the USTA footprint in the park by .68 of an acre. The USTA informed the audience attending the Community Board 3 meeting that this will result in more jobs in Queens. They also talked about the positive estimated annual $784 million economic impact that the USTA has had on NYC - according to a study done by a private consulting firm named AKRF, Inc.
The detractors informed the audience that this is the first step in a much larger effort toward a massive privatization of Flushing Meadows Corona Park by several large, well-
funded corporate interests. The opponents talked about three other proposals which were not a part of the USTA plan. These other proposals to develop private interests on public parkland include the development of a shopping mall by a private investment group in tandem with the owners of CitiField; 2) a condominium / hotel complex done by another group of private investors; and 3) a 13 acre soccer stadium by Major League Soccer, which is also a privately held corporation.
Community Board Tally & Boro Prez Candidates Positions
In the end Community Board 3 voted against the expansion plan, citing among other things, promises not kept when the USTA asked to expand its footpint in 1993. All six Community Boards have now voted on the USTA Expansion proposal, with three voting for it and three voting against it. We'll post a far more complete report on this Community Board Meeting at a later date.
While I was attending the Community Board 3 Meeting in Corona, all six Queens Borough Presidential candidates were attending a forum about the issues facing Queens at the Greater Astoria Historical Society in Astoria. The issue of turning over public parkland to private interests came up during the forum. To date only City Councilmember Tony Avella has come out against giving up public parkland to private interests. NY Senator Jose Peralta is the only other candidate to take a stance on the issue, but only on one of the proposed developments, namely the erection of the MLS Soccer Stadium on 13 acres of FMC Parkland [which he conditionally supports if MLS fulfills all of their promises]. All four other candidates have taken a wait-and-see stance on the issue.
Click here to read our past reports related to the proposed development plans for Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The first report provides an early history of Flushing Meadows Corona Park I and the second report provided an intermediate history of Flushing Meadows Corona Park II which included a number of relevant historic lessons related to sports complex developments in FMCP as well as NYC.
NYC Marathon CANCELLED In Queens & LICNovember 2, 2012 / Long Island City Neighborhood / Queens Sports / Queens Buzz. THE NYC MARATHON HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS ON POLICE, SANITATION, TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER CITY OPERATIONS. The announcement was made by Mayor Bloomberg in a press conference, where he took some heat for waiting to make the decision to cancel it. Many runners who had already arrived in NYC were disappointed with the announcement. The NYC Marathon is Sunday, November 4th. Here is a link to our photo coverage in 2011. We found a number of good places to watch the NYC Marathon in Queens. Here is a link to our NYC Marathon in Queens section, providing you with photos and reports in prior years. Click the photo to your left for a map showing the NYC Marathon route through Queens & Long Island City LIC. Or click here for a report on the best places to watch the NYC Marathon in Queens. |
Century Bike Riders Come Through QueensTA Queens Volunteers Work Astoria Park Rest StopSeptember 10, 2012 / Astoria / Sporting Activities in Queens / Queens Buzz. On Sunday it was in the 70’s and low 80’s, sunny & dry. The day couldn’t have been much better for a one hundred mile bike ride through all five NYC boroughs. And so it was as I headed down to the Century Bike Ride Queens rest stop in Astoria Park. The Century Bike Ride was started by Transportation Alternatives in 1990, long before there were any real bike lanes in NYC. The first ride attracted about 200 riders, while the ride in 2012 attracted over 6,000 riders. Since that first ride, literally hundreds of miles of bike lanes have been mapped out in NYC; and the city plans to expand NYC bike lanes by about 50 more miles in 2013 - ten of which will be laid out in Queens. This expanding network of bike lanes is due in part to the work of volunteers of the non-profit organization Transportation Alternatives. Click here to learn more about Transportation Alternatives Queens and the Century Bike Ride in Queens of 2012. |
Biking QueensBicycling Queens, Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Jamaica, College Point, Forest Hills, ElmhurstQueens Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz. The good weather has arrived and bicycling is about to begin in earnest. Queens is blessed with one of the most interesting arrays of biking trails in the NYC metro area and provides the added pleasure of not being so crowded ... yet. But there are pitfalls too. Queens Blvd is one of the most dangerous streets in all of the city as some motorists seem to drive it more like a highway than the city street that it is. So caution is always important to bear in mind, but that is true for any sport, be it swimming, football or skiing. In our soon to be posted report we'll provide you with a view of the biking landscape in Queens. We'll highlight the key biking events, show you a rough outline of Queens biking trails and finish up with a few biking maintenance tips including links to neighborhood bike stores in Queens. Stay tuned, the full story will be posted later this week. |
Photos - NYC Marathon Queens 2011November 7, 2011 / Long Island City / Queens Buzz. It was a beautiful day for a marathon. The temperatures were in the low 60's and it was sunny and dry. About 47,438 runners came through Long Island City and we photographed quite a few of them, along with the crowd that gathered outside to greet them. We plan to add quite a few more photos, but we thought you might be interested in browsing through over 100 photos we selected in a slide show. Slick here to view our report and see the slide show containing photos of the NYC Marathon in Queens 2011. And have a nice week. |
Parks & Sports In Astoria
Five Boro Bike Ride 2011 - PhotosQueens Boro Bridge & Astoria Park In QueensMay 1, 2011 / Long Island City LIC & Astoria Park / Sporting Activities / Queens Buzz. This event begins at 9 am in lower Manhattan, so we expect the first riders by about 9.30 with the bulk of them coming through between 10 am and the leisurely ones leaving about 12 noon. The 42 mile course runs through Queens by coming off the Queens Borough Bridge and heads north along 21st Street to Astoria Park. There's a rest stop at the park, while cyclists turn around and head south, mostly along Vernon Blvd before leaving the borough over the Pulaski Bridge. Over 30,000 cyclists are expected to participate and over 1,500 people volunteer in the program. Click here to view our report of the Five / 5 Boro Bike Ride 2011 Astoria Park Queens with photos. |
NYC Marathon Photos - Queens & LICAfricans Win NYC Marathon & USA's Shalane Flanigan Wins 2nd In Women'sNovember 5, 2011 / Long Island City / NYC Marathon in Queens / Queens Buzz. It was a beautiful day on Sunday November 8, 2011 as over 43,000 runners hit the road to participate in the NYC Marathon. The highs were in the 50's as the sun warmed the cool air. In 2009 it rained and in 2008 when it was downright cold, the runners were generally able to enjoy the marathon. It showed on their faces as they came streaming over the Pulaski Bridge down along Vernon Blvd and up 44th Drive to the Queens Borough Bridge. We shot quite a few photos of the crowd, the runners and Long Island City in 2010. Click here to read our full report and view the NYC Marathon photos in Queens. Click here to see NYC Marathon in Queens 2012. |
Photos - 5 Boro Bike Ride In QueensMay 2nd, 2010 / LIC & Astoria / Queens Buzz. It was a sunny, hot, humid morning as I biked my way over to the Queens Boro Bridge to watch 30,000 Five Boro Bike Riders descend into Queens. None of them seemed to be having any difficulty, as they made their way up 21st Street to Astoria Park. I followed along and shot some photos and it's worth saying that 21st Street is in need of some repair. It's a rumbling road that one would expect to find in a third world nation, not along the East River waterfront of America's largest city. Click here for a few particulars, a slide show and 5 boro bike ride photos 2010 in Astoria Park and Queens. |
Athens Park - AstoriaThis photo of Athens Park in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens NY was taken in the fall of 2008. This is just a very brief history of the park with a link to a map and eventually stories.
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Socrates Sculpture Park - AstoriaThis is an ongoing report on some of the fun outdoor activities and art projects sponsored by the Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria / Long Island City in Queens. Socrates Sculpture Park sponsors Halloween Parties, Bike events, arts and crafts events, an outdoor film series during the summer and more. Click here to view brief reports on a few events over the past year at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens.
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Parks & Sports In Flushing & Corona
The NYC World's Fair: 1964 - 1965 in Flushing QueensNYC Stadiums: Battle of the Titans - PART II - Battle for the Heart of a Park & ... and the Soul of a BoroughJanuary 21, 2013 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Issues / Queens Buzz. Click here for Part I of our report series on Developments in Flushing Meadows Corona Park where we journeyed back to the Corona Ash Dump, immortalized in the Great Gatsby, and later transformed into a World’s Fair utopia by Robert Moses, Fiorello LaGuardia and the 1939 World’s Fair committee. The 1939 World’s Fair attracted over 40 million people, but lost over $100 million, as it opened the year Nazi Germany began invading its European neighbors, and while Japan was busy invading China. Nonetheless, in spite of a financial failure for the 1939 World’s Fair bondholders, the fair had enabled NYC and Robert Moses to complete phase one of his vision to transform the Corona Ash Dump into NYC’s premier city park, and build a whole new network of highways around it. Ebbets Field in Brooklyn & The Brooklyn DodgersWe resume our story, after WWII, as a young lawyer in Brooklyn began working for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers played at Ebbets Field just east of Prospect Park in what was once part of the Flatbush neighborhood [now Crown Heights] of Brooklyn. The year is 1943 as a 40 year-old lawyer, Walter O’Malley, leaves the Brooklyn Trust Company where he had oversight responsibilities for troubled companies, including the Brooklyn Dodgers. You can click here later today to read Part II of our report on proposed developments in Flushing Meadows Corona Park entitled NYC Stadiums & Battle of the Titans. Or click this link in the meantime to view Part I of our report series about the beginnings of Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the 1939 World's Fair. |
NYC World's Fair - 1939 - 1940 in Flushing QueensPart I - Out of the Ashes Rises the PhoenixBattle for the Heart of a Park …... and the Soul of a BoroughJanuary 12, 2013 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Issues / Queens Buzz. Over the past six months we’ve been watching with interest as events have been unfolding regarding the building of a 25,000 seat soccer stadium right in the heart of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. There are also a number of other proposals working their way through the political process / local government, which calls for the cessation of public lands to build private enterprises on various sections of Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
The graphic above was provided by one of the community groups opposed to the Flushing Meadow Corona Park developments. It's worth noting that most of the colored areas already have pavement or structures covering the land. The exception is that of the proposed Stadium & Concert venue [yellowish green], which would be a completely new development, replacing water vessels which were created for the Worlds Fair. See the map in the header of this series [top of page] where the dark red square represents the approximate acreage and location of the proposed stadium / concert venue. Queens Buzz has put together a series of reports, which we will run in the coming days about the proposed developments in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. This report starts with a bit of the history of the park, which began around the turn of the last century when Flushing Meadows Corona Park was just an ashpile. The focus of this report is the 1939 NYC World's Fair which was held in Flushing Meadow Park as it was then called. Story & photos by Michael Wood. |
Currently four separate proposals are in process for planned developments in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. They include: 1) a chain store shopping mall / complex in the southwest corner of the Citifield parking lot [pink], 2) a housing / condominium / hotel complex on the lands the city acquired in its use of eminent domain to develop Willets Point [blue], 3) the expansion of the USTA facilities in the northwest section of the USTA franchise in the park [orange] and 4) the erection of a thirteen plus acre stadium / sports complex in the middle of Flushing Meadows Corona Park [yellowish green].
Queens Swimming Pools - Swimming Pools In QueensUpdated July 22, 2016 / Queens Parks / Queens Buzz. This provides the hours for Queens public swimming pools, as well as info about a number of other swimming pools that are run by non-profit organizations that are also available to the public. Click here to view our report on Queens Swimming Pools - swimming pools in Queens.
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Golf Courses In QueensPublic Golf Courses In QueensUse search to find more information about Queens publlc golf courses. This is a brief report on a golf outing at one of the NYC public golf courses located in Queens NY. I went golfing at the Douglaston golf course on the eastern perimeter of Queens NY. |
Queens Botanical GardenThis story describes the Queens Botanical Garden in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens NY. The Queens Botanical Garden is run by the municipality and is located along Main Street in the Flushing Queens.
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Queens Natatorium & World Ice Rink
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Waterpod: A Good Idea That FloatsFlushing / September 26, 2009. Today, amidst all the reasons for cynicism and despair, I found a refreshing glimmer of hope in, of all things, a waterpod. It's a waterpod that contains within it a couple of beings, which if properly funded could spread a good idea like appleseeds across the land, perhaps the globe, and enable all of us to help shape the future of the world in which we live. Mary Mattingly and Ian Daniel are modern day, Ghandi-like activistics. They have guided the good ship Waterpod into and out of eight different harbors along the New York City network of waterways, carrying with them an art performance eco-friendly message that makes a huge statement in very small ways ... but in every moment of each one of their days. Click here to read the rest of the story on The Waterpod in Queens. Scroll down to the next two stories to read the weekend events postings and / or click into the Queens Events section of this site. |
Tour De Queens - Photos Of RidersFlushing Queens /Queens Buzz. The second annual Tour De Queens departed on time today at 9.30 am for an 18 mile ride through the borough [the original plan was for a 24 mile course]. We'll be posting a photo album later today with tons of photos taken of the riders as they departed from the Queens Museum Of Art in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The winds were blowing at between five and ten miles per hour which cooled things down, as the temperatures rose into the low eighties on a moderately humid day. Originally the course was to be outlined within the New York Panorama inside the Queens Museum Of Art as had been done last year. But given the current exhibition, Red Lines Housing Crisis, was already using the panaorama as part of the exhibit, outlining the course for the Tour De Queens was dropped. The course was finalized late Friday July 10th, but we are in the process of creating a map of it, so stay tuned. Click here to view photos and read a brief report about the Tour De Queens bike ride - photos in Queens or click here to view photos of the Tour De Queens Bike Riders. |
 Tour de Queens Bike Ride This Sunday500 Bicyclists Slots Available The Morning Of The RideThe Tour de Queens Bike Ride is scheduled for this Sunday. About 1,000 riders comprised of singles, adults, families and kids will ride through parts of the borough with a police escort. The bike ride will cover a 24 mile trail beginning and ending at the Unisphere across from the Queens Museum Of Art in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The trail route will not be officially disclosed until the morning of the ride but we have unconfirmed reports it will have an eastern Queens slant through some of the neighborhoods of great jazz legends and some beautiful architecture. Click here for more on Biking In Queens / Tour de Queens Bike Ride 2009. |
Last Baseball Games Played At SheaMets Lose To Marlins 4 - 2Flushing Meadows / September 2008 / Queens Buzz. The New York Mets played the Florida Marlins in the last three games played at Shea Stadium in the Flushing Corona neighborhood of Queens NY. Shea Stadium will be demolished in the winter of 2009. |
Parks & Sports In Forest Hills
This is a brief article describing the West Side Tennis Club in the Forest Hills section of Queens NY. The club has historical significance as it was once the home of the USTA, sponsors of the U.S. Open.
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Parks & Sports In Jackson Heights & Elmhurst
Jackson Heights Garden ApartmentsJackson Heights is the home to the garden apartment building, where it first originated in the nineteen twenties. The Jackson Heights neighborhood has evolved into one of the most integrated communities in the world, comprised of residents whose families originated in Asia, Latin American, Europe and Africa. This is a brief introduction into the neighborhood housing stock. Click here to view the full story on the historic Jackson Heights Garden Apartments. |
MulchFest 2010 In Jackson Heights QueensJanuary 9, 2010 / Jackson Heights NY. MulchFest 2010 appeared to be off to an auspicious beginning Saturday morning, as in spite of the freezing cold temperatures and a blustery wind chill of some 15 degrees, many hardy Queens residents came out to Travers Park, their tree in tow, to make a contribution to the MulchFest 2010 ... and to the long term health of the planet. We spent a bit of time inquiring who was involved and watched the mulching taking place, compliments of the Queens division of the NYC Parks Department. Representatives of the JHBG and Queens Botanical Gardens were also there serving hot chocolate, having previously publicized the event through their organizations. Click here to read the full story of MulchFest 2010 in Queens with photos. |
How To Create A Green Agenda For Jackson Heights?Jackson Heights / November 7, 2009. How can a handful of people, say twenty or so, create a Green Agenda for Jackson Heights? This is a quest undertaken by a vibrant and growing group of community activists in Jackson Heights, but which has also caught the attention and garnered some support from around the borough. What exactly the agenda will be won't be known until next Spring, but if you're interested in having your voice heard, now is the time. This report is about their first meeting and includes links to their home page. Click here to read a full report about the Green Agenda for Jackson Heights. |
Parks & Sports In Jamaica
Belmont Race TrackHorse Races In Queens NYThis is a brief story reporting on an afternoon spent at the Belmont Race Track in Elmont Queens NY. Horse races are run about five days per week during the season which runs about half the year, but beware because there are down periods where no races are run. |
Parks & Sports In Long Island City LIC
Preview NYC Marathon In LIC QueensOctober 28, 2013 / Long Island City / NYC Marathon in Queens / Queens Buzz. Long Island City / LIC spectators of the NYC Marathon get one of the best front row seats of the NYC Marathon right here in Queens. We get to see the runners about half way through the 26 mile course - after they've loosened up and hit their stride, the sweat pouring off their brows, their lungs pumping, their legs hammering the hard pavement as they strive to do what we mere mortals don't dare try. Over the years I've met a few runners who've completed the NYC Marathon course. They generally begin training months before the race begins; logging ten, fifteen mile runs several times weekly before beginning the big one. It takes a lot of willpower, endurance and perhaps mostly motivation. Good health helps, but it's worth noting that many people overcome their handicaps and complete the race too. Best Times, Views, Locations For NYC Marathon in LIC & Queens. Click here to view details of the course the runners will follow through Long Island City LIC in Queens tomorrow. This brief report will include some estimated times that various groups will arrive, so you can 'more or less' plan your visit to cheer them on. Click here to read our report about the upcoming 2013 NYC Marathon in Queens. And click the following links to view reports about the: NYC Marathon in Queens 2010, NYC Marathon in LIC in 2009, NYC Marathon in Queens photos in 2009, NYC Marathon in Long Island City in 2008 with photos. There wasn't any NYC Marathon in 2012 because of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy. |
Gantry Park and Queensbrigdge Park - Long Island City LICGantry Park and Queensbridge Park are located along the east side of the East River in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens NY. Click here to view the full report on Gantry Park and Queens Bridge Park in LIC Queens
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NYC Marathon Photos 2009November 1, 2009 / LIC Long Island City Neigbhorhood / NYC Marathon / Queens Buzz. We have some great photos of the NYC Marathon that we've just uploaded into a photo album on the site, all of which were taken in Queens. There are approximately one hundred of them, including photos of the runners, the crowds, the water stand workers and a few policemen. Long Island City is about the fifteen mile mark. We started taking photos of the NYC Marathon 2009 in Queens around 10.30 am, which is about two and a half hours after the handicapped participants had begun and about an hour and a half after the runners had begun. Generally, as you can see by the photos, things were pretty quiet in LIC. We then jumped into the Queens Buzz Sky cam and around 11.30 am took photos of the 2009 NYC Marathon runners crossing the Queens Boro Bridge [click title link above]. Then a bit after 12 noon, we returned to LIC to photograph hordes of nyc marathon runners making the 2009 event theirs in Long Island City Queens. The rest, as they say, is history, although we have one more page of photos of the nyc marathon runners 2009 crossing through Queens. Click this link to a report we published earlier on the NYC Marathon 2009 event. Have a good day. |
Kayaking On The East RiverQueens NY / Summers in LIC. We joined the LIC Boathouse on Sunday morning in their weekly summer ritual of providing free kayaking for Queens denizens of all stripes. We started with them between 11.30 am and noon in Long Island City where a core group of volunteers [new comers welcome] meet to load and haul the kayaks and safety gear up to Hallets Cove just north of Socrates Sculpture Park. Click here for the rest of the story of kayaking in Queens with the LIC Boathouse on the East River. |
Queens Native Kara Goucher Posts NYC Marathon Record For First Time RunnerNovember 2nd, 2008 / Long Island City / NYC Marathon / Queens Buzz. The NYC Marathon event wound its way through the neighborhood of Long Island City [LIC] this morning, coming over the Pulaski Bridge onto Vernon Blvd, up 44th Drive and then onto the Queens Borough Bridge. It was a beautiful day in the sixties, with hundreds of people lining the streets, bands playing on the sidewalks, and a water spot was stationed a few blocks north of the Citicorp Building. The handicapped came along the track first, followed by the female runners and finally by the men. NYC Marathon WinnersOur congratulations to Kara Goucher, who is originally from Queens [now lives in Oregon], who came in third place and posted the fastest time [2:25:53] by a U.S. woman in her first marathon race. She had been coached by Alberto Salazar who broke a marathon world record in 1981 and had won several NYC Marathons in the early 80's. And congratulations to the NYC Marathon's repeat winners Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil [2:08:43] and Paula Radcliffe [2:23:56] of England. Scroll down to read / view the story on the NYC Marathon 2008 in Queens. Click here to read about the NYC Marathon in Queens in 2008. |
Parks & Sports In Queens
Belmont Race Track & Aqueduct Race TrackPublic Race Tracks In Queens NYThis is a brief report on things to do in Queens like going to the Belmont and Acqueduct Horse Race Tracks in Queens NY. The Belmont race track is located in Elmont NY and the Acqueduct race track is located in Jamaica, both in Queens. |
Biking QueensBicycling Queens in 2011Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Buzz. The good weather has arrived and bicycling is about to begin in earnest. Queens is blessed with one of the most interesting arrays of biking trails in the NYC metro area and provides the added pleasure of not being so crowded ... yet. But there are pitfalls too. Queens Blvd is one of the most dangerous streets in all of the city as some motorists seem to drive it more like a highway than the city street that it is. So caution is always important to bear in mind, but that is true for any sport, be it swimming, football or skiing. In our soon to be posted report we'll provide you with a view of the biking landscape in Queens. We'll highlight the key biking events, show you a rough outline of Queens biking trails and finish up with a few biking maintenance tips including links to neighborhood bike stores in Queens. Stay tuned, the full story will be posted later this week. |
Queens Golf Courses - Queens NYPublic Golf Courses in Douglaston, Forest Hills, Flushing & BaysideJuly 6, 2012 / Queens Buzz. This is a compendium of the four public golf courses in Queens NY. The public golf courses are Clearview in Bayside, Douglaston in Douglaston, Forest Park in Woodhaven and Kissena in Flushing. Click here for golf courses in Queens, including hours, maps and contact info. |
Queens Parks - Public Parks In QueensJuly 6, 2012 / Queens Parks / Queens Buzz. This report provides info on Queens parks, swimming pools [we still need to add Fisher, Liberty and Fort Totten], various fields and courts for athletic games and picnic and open space areas for your relaxation. Use the search function to find golf courses and the horse race tracks as they are not included them here. Click here to view our report on Queens Parks.
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Parks & Sports In Sunnyside & Woodside
Doughboy Park In Woodside QueensAbout an inch and a half of snow blanketed Doughboy Park in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens NY.
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Sunnyside Gardens Park OctoberfestThis is a brief report on the Octoberfest sponsored by the Sunnyside Gardens Park in Sunnyside Queens NYC which was open to the public. Some events at the park are for members only as the park, like Gramercy, is owned privately by the residents of Sunnyside NY. |
Sunnyside Gardens ParkPrivate Park Continues Tradition Of Community ServiceSunnyside / January 25, 2010. Over the course of this past year I had occasion to meet and converse with various members of Sunnyside Gardens Park. The park is privately owned - one of only two such parks in the city, with the other being Gramercy Park in Manhattan. While membership in Gramercy is closed, membership in Sunnyside Gardens Park is open to local residents. Membership in the park fluctuates, and there are currently about 300 members, most of which are family memberships. Click here to read the rest of our report about Sunnyside Gardens Park. |
Windmuller Park and Virgilio PlaygroundVirgilio Playground in Windmuller Park was bustling with activity on Memorial Day in the neighborhood of Woodside Queens NY. |
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