Flushing Meadows | Rego Park’s Crown Jewel

Flushing Meadows

Also known as Flushing Meadows Park, Flushing Meadows is a public outdoor space found in Queens’ Rego Park, NY. The park is bounded by Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) to the east, Flushing Bay to the north, Grand Central Parkway to the west, and Union Turnpike to the south. Flushing Meadows is the 4th largest public park in NYC, with a total area of 363 ha.

Flushing Meadows is the site of two 20th-century World Fairs, and it continues drawing and delighting guests up to date. When you get to the park, you will be treated to scenic trails, historic walks, an array of sporting events, and a plethora of other fun activities. The games you can enjoy while you are here include tennis, soccer, volleyball, baseball, cricket, and more. There is a fantastic recreation center where you can work out with your friends and family members. To explore the Flushing Meadows’ trails and lakes, you can choose to bike, walk, or even take a kayak. If you are a history buff, be sure to spend some quality time at the park’s several civic and cultural institutions.

Up until the 19th century, the site where Flushing Meadows sits consisted of rich wetlands that straddled the Flushing River from north to south. At the start of the 20th century, this site was used as a dumping ground for ashes. This is because the area was quite distant from the developed areas of NYC, and thus was considered invaluable.

As it was getting into the early 1920s, Robert Moses, the then-commissioner, came up with the idea of establishing a large park in the region. The original idea was for the park to be part of a system of parks that ran across the eastern part of Queens. In 1939 and 1964, the site was chosen to host the New York World’s Fair. After hosting the second Fair, the part somewhat fell apart and got into such a desolate state. However, between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Flushing Meadows underwent a series of renovations to maintain its original state.

Flushing Meadows Park is owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (alias NYC Parks). Additional support, funds, and services are provided to the park by the Flushing Meadows Park Conservancy as well as the Alliance for Flushing Meadows. The Park lies on the eastern edge of the region enclosed by the Queens Community Board.