We set out for Queens last weekend, to explore Flushing Meadows – knowing only that it had a zoo – and that’s where the US Open Tennis is played.
Wow – were we in for a surprise. The Great Gatsby. Alien Spaceships. A giant see-through planet. The park is overflowing with marvels.
The park was a dump – literally. In ‘The Great Gatsby’ F Scott Fitzgerald called it ‘valley of ashes’. It was cleared and became the site for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The ashes were used in the construction of a nearby freeway. The profit was supposed to be used to redevelop the park for the people of Queens.
45 million people came to the fair… but the organisers lost roughly 20 MILLION dollars on the event. Not a good thing and the ‘wonders’ on display were all removed.
Undeterred – they held another worlds fair there in 1964. 51 million people came this time – and they lost even more money.
Not many buildings remain – but those few are really worth a visit. The rusting remains of the New York State pavilion are fascinating. They should also be familiar to anyone who watched the movie Men In Black – you see those round observation decks – they really are alien spacecraft!
Since 1989, the parks department has been rehabilitating Flushing Meadows. It’s a fabulous place for a day out – filled with families – and people like me staring the these amazing relics..
The Unisphere is HUGE! It’s the height of a ten storey building.
What’s even more fascinating is that it’s built on the base originally used for the Perisphere, which was the centrepiece for the earlier fair.
Oh yes – there is a zoo too.
A few hours later and ever so slightly sunburnt we headed back into Manhattan – but we’ll be back. There’s more to explore.