#MonthlyPicks | June ’15 Picks by Janice Melnick
BY admin
Good Eats:
Working in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, I often need a great lunch spot nearby for a break with friends and family, and one of my favorites is Tortillería Nixtamal at 104-05 47th Ave. in Corona — right near our beautiful Playground for All Children if you bring the kids. They have some of the best tacos and specialties around. In my own Queens neighborhood, nothing beats Luigi’s at 265-21 Union Tpke. in New Hyde Park for the best chicken parmigiana.
Wander Streets:
Some of my favorite streets are the pathways in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Whether you’re a cyclist, a walker, or a parent with a stroller, we have beautiful pathways around Meadow Lake, inviting walkways to playgrounds, tree-lined approaches to athletic fields where spectators can enjoy soccer or cricket from the sidelines or stretch out on a patch of grass with a picnic — and our flower beds are starting to bloom. At Meadow Lake, you can grab a snack, rent boats and bikes at Ederle Terrace or sit down with the family at the circular “story time” benches near the comfort station. Another spectacular “street” is Flushing promenade, which lines Flushing Bay and offers great views of the World’s Fair marina and sitting areas under the Candela structures originally built as marine pavilions for the 1964 Fair.
Unique Treats:
Did you know that our Unisphere, so famous around the world, is on a direct line with the Statue of Liberty? Or that the Queens Museum, directly across from the Unisphere, was formerly the site of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the location where Israel was declared a nation in 1948? Have you checked out the Pat Dolan Trail around Willow Lake, which is filled with beautiful native grasses and plants that attract dozens of birds along the Atlantic Flyway? If you love birdwatching, take a free tour with our Urban Park Rangers, and don’t forget to look for the hawks that have made their nests in the Unisphere itself (near Sri Lanka). Come fishing at the marina, try your golf swing on the pitch-and-putt course, check out our free tennis lessons for kids through the City Parks Foundation, or skateboard near the New York State Pavilion in our beautiful, state-of-the-art skate park. Click here for more details.
Historic Feats:
Flushing Meadows Corona Park was the site of both New York City World’s Fairs, and the park remains a beacon for those who love history and historic preservation. On Sunday, June 7, from 1 pm to 5:30 pm, don’t miss World’s Fair Festival 2015, which includes free history walking tours of World’s Fair sites. Last year, more than 60,000 people attended, and hundreds signed up for free guided history tours of dozens of World’s Fair sites and monuments. If you’d like to go on your own World’s Fair History Tour any season, start with a look at our virtual walking tour by clicking here or stay tuned for an expansion of that program on summer weekends. If you’d like to be notified of these and other upcoming events, please sign up for the calendar newsletter by sending your name and e-mail to vickie.karp@parks.nyc.gov. See you in the park.
Janice Melnick is the administrator of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. She has worked for the NYC Parks Department for about three decades.
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