NYC Parks Celebrates Reopening of Bowne Park after $3.6 Million Pond, Plaza, and Bocce Court Improvements!

 

 

 

Council Member Vicki Paladino have some fun at the Reopening of Bowne Park with pond, plaza and Bocce Ball court! Image credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Council Member Vickie Paladino, Community Board 7 Chairperson Eugene Kelty, representatives from the Bowne Park Civic Association and the Broadway Flushing Homeowners Association, former City Council Member Paul Vallone, and members of the community to celebrate the completion of $3.6 million in improvements to Bowne Parke in Flushing Queens.

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‘Aliza Nisenbaum: Queens, Lindo y Querido’ to Open at Queens Museum

 

 

 

Aliza Nisenbaum, “Pedacito de Sol (Vero y Marissa)”, 2022. Oil on canvas, 75 x 95 inches (190.5 x 241.3 cm) © Aliza Nisenbaum. Photo courtesy the Artist and Anton Kern Gallery, New York. Photographer: Thomas Barratt.

Aliza Nisenbaum portrays human stories. With her magically exuberant color palette, she paints people, individually or in groups, with their countenance, posture, and immediate surroundings organically composed to depict their humanity. Aliza Nisenbaum: Queens, Lindo y Querido, opening April 23rd, chronicles the artist’s years-long engagement with people at the Queens Museum and its neighborhood, Corona.

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NYC Parks Reopens Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatics Center

 

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Congresswoman Grace Meng, Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Council Member Sandra Ung, Representatives from Community Boards 4, 6, 7, and 8, Senior Swimmers from Roy Wilkins, St. John’s, and Al Oerter Recreation Centers, and community members to officially reopen the Flushing Meadows Aquatics Center to the public and debut brand new programming. 

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NYC Parks to Award $25,000 Grant with Open Call for Emerging Sculpture Artists

 

 

 

NYC Parks invites artists to submit proposals for the Highland Park Art Grant. The winning artist will receive an award of $25,000 to create their proposed artwork for display outdoors in Highland Park, which is on the border of Brooklyn and Queens. The artwork will be installed on the Brooklyn side in summer 2023 and will be on view for up to one year.

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NYC Parks Breaks Ground on Newest Phase of Development of Sunset Cove in Broad Channel

 

 

 

Sunset Cove in Broad Channel. Photo Credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue today joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery Assistant Communication Director Shachar Roloson, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, Broad Channel Civic Association & Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers Representative Daniel Mundy Sr., and members of the community to break ground on phase two of the Sunset Cove Park project in Queens which will bring a new boardwalk and outdoor classroom to the park.

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NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Voted to Designate Two Historic Districts in Cambria Heights, Queens

 

 

 

On Tuesday, June 28, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Cambria Heights-222nd Street Historic District and Cambria Heights-227th Historic District in Queens. With their Tudor and Storybook-style design, the historic districts’ row houses are among the architectural highlights of the Cambria Heights neighborhood and southeastern Queens.

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Crotona Park Soccer Field Celebrates Renovation with A Little Help From Their Friends

 

 

 

Crotona Park Soccer Field. Image credit: Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

Today, NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa joined Congressman Ritchie Torres, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States (UAE Embassy), City in the Community – the foundation proudly supported by New York City Football Club (NYCFC), City Council Member Oswald Feliz, City Council Member Althea Stevens, representatives from Friends of Crotona, and students from the East Bronx Academy for the Future to celebrate the completion of a $363,000 refurbishment of the Crotona Park Soccer Field, made possible through the support of the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC and NYCFC. Looks like everyone was having fun!

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Flushing Town Hall Kicks-Off Jazz Appreciation Month with the Bill Charlap Trio

 

 

Bill Charlap Trio, Photo Credit: Philippe LEVY-STAB

This April, Flushing Town Hall celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with an incredible line-up of jazz events, both in person and available to stream for free online for those unable to make it to the historic venue, a Smithsonian affiliate in Queens.

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Queens Centers for Progress Presents an ‘Evening of Fine Food’ on March 15th

 

 

 

Queens Centers for Progress Presents the 26th Annual “Evening of Fine Food” In-Person at Terrace on the Park on March 15, 2022. The event – which is both in-person and virtual (for anyone wishing to enjoy the event’s interactive features from the comfort of their home) will raise funds to support the longtime organization’s programs and services, assisting more than 1,200 individuals with developmental disabilities to lead more independent lives.

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NYC Parks and DOT Announce Completion of Conceptual Plans for Greenways in Brooklyn and Queens

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks

NYC Parks and DOT today announced the completion of two conceptual planning studies for greenways in Brooklyn and Queens. TheDestination: Greenways! studies identified gaps in the existing greenway routes and ways to improve and transform key greenspaces into both a destination and a thoroughfare to increase access. The study outlined opportunities for investments in key areas in Central Queens and along Brooklyn’s southwest shoreline, with a focus on connecting existing fragmented greenway segments. This week, Parks will host virtual meetings to report back to the community on the results of the study.

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NYC Parks & Flushing Community Open a New Memorial Plaza at Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground

 

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks/Malcolm Pinckney

NYC Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff  joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Senator John Liu, Assembly Member Edward Braunstein, Council Member Peter Koo, District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Co-Chair of The Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Conservancy Robbie Garrison, to cut the ribbon on a new commemorative plaza at the Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground. The $1.76 million plaza honors the site’s past as a burial ground for 500 to 1,000 people, mostly African Americans and Native Americans, with a memorial wall. The project design was guided by input from local community members, historians, and the Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Conservancy.

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Korean Pop Artists Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) Performing at Flushing Town Hall November 14th

 

 

 

ADG7 coming to Flushing Town Hall. Photo credit: Lee Jong Sam

With travel restrictions lifting from parts of the world and vaccine access on the rise, global arts presenter Flushing Town Hall is excited to welcome international artists back to its stage. Ak Dan Gwang Chil, or ADG7 for short, will travel in from Korea for a special performance at the Hall on Sunday, November 14, at 7:30 PM (ET). The hybrid event, co-presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York, will be performed for both an in-person audience and simultaneously live streamed for viewers at home.

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Flushing Town Hall Opens its Doors to the Indoor Art Exhibition, ‘Communicating Beyond Words’

 

 

Young Shik Kim, ‘LOVE’. Image courtesy of the artist.

On October 15, Flushing Town Hall will open its first indoor exhibition since its gallery closed for pandemic precautions in March 2020. The group show, “Communicating Beyond Words,” will run through October 31 and features 12 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds who use letterforms as their visual elements. More than 30 artworks will be on display, including illustration, street art, calligraphy, tattoo art, and paintings.

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Gwen Ifill Park in Jamaica to Receive $21 Million for Development

 

 

 

Gwen Ifill Park in Jamaica. Image credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

As part of City Hall In Your Borough, NYC Parks Acting Commissioner Margaret Nelson joined Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Community Board 12 District Manager Yvonne Reddick, Reverend Phil Craig of Greater Springfield Community Church, and community members to announce a $21 million allocation from Mayor de Blasio to develop Gwen Ifill Park into a community greenspace in Jamaica, Queens. Located in Ifill’s childhood neighborhood, the park is one of 28 park spaces recently ​named in honor of the Black experience in New York City.

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Exploring the Artist, Yvonne Shortt and her Hair Stories in Art + Conversation

 

 

 

Yvonne Shortt: Remembering & Moving Forward in MacDonald Park. Image courtesy of the artist.

Where do we begin with the work of this incredible artist! Trying to pin her down is like trying to capture a breath of fresh air ~ but we think we captured just a few of the parks, private spaces and campuses where we found her work. The artist, Yvonne Shortt,

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Just in Time for Summer, New Sports + Children’s Play Areas Opens at General Hart Playground in Woodside, Queens

 

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett today joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, and Queens Community Board 2 District Manager Debra Markell Kleinert to unveil the brand new sports and children’s play areas at General Hart Playground in Woodside. 

“With these new upgrades, General Hart Playground is now better equipped to meet Woodside’s recreational needs,” said Commissioner Dockett. “I’m thrilled to unveil these new amenities that will serve the children, families, and residents of the surrounding communities for years to come. We’re grateful to the Borough President’s Office and Council Member Van Bramer for their continued support and dedication to providing New Yorkers with equitable, open greenspaces.”

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NYC Parks Launches First-Ever Orienteering Course at Alley Pond Park in Queens

 

 

 

Alley Pond Park. Image via NYC Parks Dept.

NYC Parks today launched the City’s first-ever orienteering course, an outdoor recreational experience that builds wilderness survival skills. New Yorkers are invited to download Parks’ orienteering maps to develop their navigational skills while discovering Alley Pond Park’s forested areas, wetlands, scenic spots and wildlife.

Turn off your GPS and follow along……

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Urban Park Rangers Rescue Ten Ducks from Bowne Park in Flushing

 

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks

Ducks on the Loose, and Urban Park Rangers stepped in (rowed in) to rescue the ten ducks in the pond at Bowne Park, Flushing, Queens.

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NYC Parks Department hosts Drive-In Movie Night!

 

 

Grab your kids and head over to the Forest Park Bandshell, Seuffert Bandshell Parking lot in Queens, for a free Friday night (September 25th) screening of Frozen II.

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NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designates Public School 48 in South Jamaica, Queens as an Individual Landmark

 

 

 

PS 48. Image courtesy New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission

Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated Public School 48 at 155-02 108th Avenue in South Jamaica, Queens as an individual landmark. Its successful blend of Art Deco design elements and massing was novel for elementary schools at the time it was proposed, and it represents a significant early application of the style for New York City schools.

“I am delighted that Public School 48 is our latest individual landmark as it is the first designation in South Jamaica, Queens,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. “For the past 70 years, P.S. 48 has both served the community and enhanced it with its beautifully executed design. Its Art Deco style details, which are quite striking in person, make it unique, and it is one of the first elementary schools New York City to incorporate this architectural style.”

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MoMA PS1 Reopens with ‘Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration

 

 

 

Image via Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration at MoMA PS1

MoMA PS1 will open its doors to the timely exhibition, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, highlighting more than thirty-five artists reflecting on the growing COVID-19 crises in U.S. prisons.

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City’s First Memorial to Queens Vietnam Veterans Opens in Elmhurst Park

 

 

 

Photo credit: NYC Parks/Daniel Avila

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, New York State Assembly Member Brian Barnwell, New York City Council Member Peter Koo, New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm, New York City Council Member Robert Holden, National President of the Vietnam Veterans of America John Rowan, and Community Board 4 Parks Chair Gregory Spock to officially cut the ribbon on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Elmhurst Park.

The memorial, which was fully funded by Borough President Katz, was originally conceptualized by the members of Vietnam Veterans of America local Chapter 32, led by Queens resident Pastor “Pat” Toro who lost his life after returning home. The creation of the memorial would not have been possible without his advocacy.

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Long Awaited Ground-Breaking for the Reconstruction of the New York State Pavilion Observation Towers at Flushing Meadows Corona Park

 

 

 

Photo credit: Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today joined Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens Community Board 7 Parks Chair Kim Ohanian, and members of People for the Pavilion, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Conservancy and Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to break ground on the reconstruction of the New York State Pavilion Observation Towers.

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Chef JJ Opens ‘FieldTrip’ Harlem + Rock Center + JACX & Co in LIC + Morningside Heights !

 

 

 

Image via #chefjj on Instagram

Famed Harlem Celeb Chef JJ Johnson opened his new Harlem restaurant, FieldTrip in 2019, focusing on a “fast-casual grain concept’ with patrons choosing their own rice or barley bowls. Now, just two years later, Field Trip will open in two additional locations ~ Rockefeller Center on the concourse level in late November, 2020, and a spot at the U.S. Open site in Flushing Meadows, which is set to open one November 11, 2020 at the new Queens food hall JACX & Co.

And now the news from #westsiderag that Chef JJ will be opening a #FieldTrip in Morningside Heights at 2913 Broadway between 113th/114th Streets in the old Aerosoles Shoe Store space. Anticipating opening, Spring 2023.

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Western Queens Waterfront + INSITU = Dance Festival 2018

 

 

All images courtesy of INSITU

Located in four public parks along the East River waterfront in Queens, INSITU 2018 will take place on August 4-5. Here are the maps and schedule of events.

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