Flushing Bay Promenade

"Within a single block of Bowne St. in Flushing are a synagogue, a Sikh temple, a Chinese Christian church, and a mandir, a Hindu house of worship. And why shouldn’t there be? Flushing is, after all, the birthplace of religious freedom in America. One hundred and thirty years before the US Constitution was written, 30 of the village’s most esteemed residents signed the Flushing Remonstrance, a 1657 letter to colonial governor Peter Stuyvesant opposing his religious intolerance. “Let every man stand and fall to his own master,” they wrote, articulating a sentiment that would be codified in the First Amendment. John Bowne’s house, where the document was composed, still stands, one of several exceptionally historic sights to be found amid the multicultural mélange of downtown Flushing. Known today as one of— very possibly the largest of—New York City’s Chinatowns, Flushing has many Koreans and Indians too. More than two-thirds of the neighborhood’s population is Asian, yet that’s still just one facet of its far-reaching heritage."

--Adrienne Onofri, Walking Queens (Wilderness Press).

"Flushing Meadows Corona Park encompasses almost 900 acres of sprawling lawns, ball fields, a placid lake, and more. This leisurely route leads along tree-covered park alleés and lakeside paths and passes innumerable recreational spots and relics from two twentieth- century World’s Fairs.

Just north of the park, the route leads to Flushing Bay Promenade, a 1.5-mile greenway with bay views and sea breezes. This park journey is great for anyone looking for a relaxing break from city streets."

--Mary Staub, Best Bike Rides New York City (Falcon Guides).

"Sure, it possesses one of the more unfortunate place-names around, but Flushing Meadows has plenty of positive distinctions to make up for that. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, as it’s known in full, has hosted two world’s fairs. It’s where the first papal Mass in the United States was celebrated, and where the United Nations General Assembly convened before UN permanent headquarters was completed. It’s the venue for a Grand Slam tennis tournament and has been home field for both World Series and Super Bowl champions. It contains two museums and surpasses Manhattan’s Central Park (and any other park in Queens) in size, offering nearly 900 acres of greenery and recreational options ranging from ice skating to miniature golf to model airplane flying. And the site’s been immortalized in pop culture from The Great Gatsby to the Beastie Boys to Iron Man 2. This walk takes you all around Flushing Meadows, exploring world’s fair relics both well known and hidden away, and concludes in Corona Heights, the neighborhood bordering the park to the west."

--Adrienne Onofri, Walking Queens (Wilderness Press).