Astoria Park

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Astoria Park and New York Connecting Railroad
Astoria Park at sunset; the Hell Gate (upper) and Triborough (lower) Bridges are prominently visible

Astoria Park is a 59.96-acre (242,600 m2) park located along the East River in the New York City borough of Queens.[1] The park is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). It is situated in Astoria and adjacent to the Triborough (Robert F. Kennedy) and Hell Gate Bridges.

Facilities[edit]

The park contains New York City's oldest and largest swimming pool.[2] The outdoor 54,450-square-foot (5,059 m2) pool, planned by parks commissioner Robert Moses and opened in 1936, was used for qualifying events for the 1936 and 1964 Summer Olympics.[2]

Other attractions include bocce courts, fourteen tennis courts, two playgrounds, a skatepark, basketball courts, and one track for running. One of the playgrounds, Charybdis Playground, is across the Hell Gate from Scylla Point on Wards Island. In 2001, the two features were named after Scylla and Charybdis, two water hazards described in Homer's Odyssey, after Henry Stern petitioned the federal government to rename what was then known as "Negro Point". The names stem from the dangerous whirlpools in the waters of the Hell Gate.[3]

The park was formerly the site of a Native American settlement, and is close to where the General Slocum caught fire and sunk in 1904.[4]

Events[edit]

On Independence Day, the Queens Symphony Orchestra plays in Astoria Park during the fireworks show. Upcoming events are posted on the NYC Parks website.[5]

A panorama of the Triborough (left) and Hell Gate (right) Bridges from Astoria Park

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Astoria Park". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
  2. ^ a b "New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Astoria Park, Pool". Retrieved 2011-05-12.
  3. ^ Pollak, Michael (2008-06-29). "F.Y.I. - Turning Away Wrath". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
  4. ^ "New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Astoria Park, History". Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  5. ^ "New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Astoria Park, Events". Retrieved 2011-05-12.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 40°46′49″N 73°55′15″W / 40.780229°N 73.920935°W / 40.780229; -73.920935

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