Kissena Park
| Kissena Park | |
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A view from the eastern end of the park overlooking the largest aspect of the park, the pond.
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| Type | public park |
| Location | Flushing, New York |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Area | 234.762 acres (95.005 ha) |
| Operated by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
Kissena Park is a large park located in the neighborhood of Flushing in the New York City borough of Queens, along Kissena Creek which formerly flowed into the Flushing River.[1] It is bordered on the west by Kissena Boulevard; on the north by Rose, Oak, Underhill, and Lithonia Avenues; on the east by Fresh Meadow Lane; and on the south by Booth Memorial Avenue.
Description
Within its boundaries it contains a small lake, Kissena Lake, surrounded by playgrounds; a velodrome on the south side for speed bicycling; and a number of soccer fields, tennis courts, and baseball fields.
Kissena Park is the centerpiece of the Kissena Corridor Park, a mostly continuous chain of parks several miles long, and part of the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway. Bicycle paths connect the park westward to Main Street. The former Long Island Motor Parkway, now a bike path, connects through Cunningham Park to Alley Pond Park. Thanks in part to the Corridor, Kissena Park is a frequented location for bicyclists, joggers, walkers, many martial arts and tai chi enthusiasts and many runners. The velodrome hosts multiple bicycling programs, including Star Track.[2]
History
The continuous string of parks in the area is due to its use as a 19th-century railroad right-of-way. A raised nature trail running through Kissena Park was originally the main line of the Central Railroad of Long Island of A.T. Stewart, from Flushing to Bellerose. The Line was later renamed the "White Line," and then the Creedmore branch of the Long Island Rail Road) to Garden City. The park officially became part of the Queens Corridor park system in 1947 with the addition of Kissena Corridor Park.[3]
Although the Chippewa Native Americans were not from the northeast, Samuel Parsons used their word for the phrase "it is cold" (Kissena) to name the large lake on his land. When the park was dedicated in 1908 it took the name as well, as did Kissena Boulevard (which was, until that point, named Jamaica Avenue).[4]
The park was most recently renovated in 2004.[5] Previous renovations include the transformation of Kissena Lake into a "bathtub lake" by the Works Progress Administration in 1942 and the categorization and major cleanup of the tree groves by Parks Department interns.[3]
On August 4, 2013, a pregnant woman was killed in Kissena Park by a falling tree while she was sitting on a park bench. Another woman suffered minor injuries but refused treatment.[6][7]
References
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kissena Park. |
- Kissena Park — New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
- Central Branch Railroad Route
- Exploring Kissena Creek
