Parks in Queens are always beautiful, but they become especially captivating every time spring returns.
The sun shines and reflects off the water at Long Island City’s Gantry Plaza State Park just a little bit brighter. The rustle of leaves sounds even sweeter when you walk or bike through Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, feeling the gentle breeze against your face.
And nothing is quite as eye-catching as the colorful flowers that start to pop up when the weather warms. The city Parks Department posted on Instagram March 27 that Okame cherry trees in Flushing Meadows Corona Park have reached peak bloom, and Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees soon will follow suit.
“We actually have a bunch of gorgeous Yoshino cherry trees,” Hunters Point Park Conservancy Executive Director Jessica Sechrist told the Chronicle, adding that the group has replenished the trees lining the park’s Oval over the years.
But natural changes are hardly the only ones to look forward to. As improvement projects come to a close and seasonal programming gears up, Queens folks can have new experiences in familiar parks this spring.
If you haven’t braved the cold for a walk in Forest Park or Highland Park this winter, you’ll be delighted to see that not only has the snow melted, but reconstruction of the pathways and sidewalks there was completed in December. At Alley Pond Park, one might also take a walk on the newly rebuilt pathways at Oakland Lake, which were finished in October.
Kissena Park in Flushing has been a little bit greener since December, as new infrastructure has been installed to capture stormwater.
Visitors to Laurelton Playground can look forward to new and improved equipment. The $4 million job, which was slated for completion last month, includes a spray play area, 7-foot swings and a space for tots.
Sporty types can have a ball returning to South Jamaica’s Rochdale Park to shoot some hoops on its reconstructed basketball courts, which were completed in February. Mafera Park in Ridgewood is slated to see a new synthetic turf field this month, and the playground, picnic grove and basketball court at Rainey Park in Astoria also are set for completion in April.
Looking to the future, ground was broken on a $4.25 million project at Corona’s William F. Moore Park on March 25. The complete redesign will include a new central plaza space around the flagpole, add a new bocce court, improve lighting and security and add new greenery to the space.
The Bayside Marina is in active construction to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, such as to the fixed pier and floating docks. The project has a projected completion date in June, just in time for summer.
The Rockaway Beach Boardwalk is ready to go, awaiting only the sunshine. A project including new sidewalks, seating, bike racks, fencing, game tables, water fountains and landscaping along Shore Front Parkway was completed in November. Read More….
Source: QCHRON
