Rowboats and paddleboats are available for rent at Meadow Lake,
which is the Big Apple’s largest body of fresh water. In the same
spot, the American Small Craft Association keeps more than a dozen
sloop-rigged sailboats, which are used for teaching and racing. It’s
also the site of the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, an
international event during which more than 150 teams compete in
about rowing races over a long weekend in August.
Landlubbers can enjoy the multitude of walking and bicycle
paths, some of which connect to the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway.
Soccer, volleyball, and cricket games abound in the numerous
fields and playgrounds, and the Aquatic Center boasts an
Olympic-size indoor pool, an ice rink, and changing rooms. Plus,
Urban Park Rangers offer free nature walks at Willow Lake and
docents offer free World’s Fair History Tours on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Thus, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is number in our book.
But let’s get some details. The venues described in this section
have ties to the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs. Some are
remnants. Some are renovated and relocated exhibits. Some grew
up around pavilions. But they all are located near each other in a
corridor akin to the Museum Mile in Manhattan.
Address: www.nyc.gov/parks and www.allianceforfmcp.org.
RENT SOME FUN! SPECIALTY CYCLES, WATERCRAFT & MORE
$5 OFF!
QUEENS: Flushing Meadows (2 locations), Jacob Riis Park
BROOKLYN: Marine Park, Lakeside Prospect Park, Bensonhurst Park
STATEN ISLAND: FDR Boardwalk (2 locations)
Product and hours vary by location.
20 QUEENS IN YOUR POCKET • www.itsinqueens.com