6
L E H A V R E
N E W S
J U N E A Visit to Crocheron Park
Last month, Le Havre Board Member Judy
Densky introduced readers to the beauty of
Alley Pond Park. She recently ventured over
to Crocheron Park in Bayside and treats us to
highlights of her visit. Thanks, Judy!
Crocheron Park is beautiful, pristine and
inviting. Some of the features are: Golden
Pond, walking trails, gazebos and a pedestrian’s
bridge that spans from the park across
the Cross Island Parkway where you can see
Little Neck Bay and walk or bike along the
water.
There are many benches stationed throughout
the park so those who have health issues
will find these beneficial. There are no picnic
tables, so if you decide to bring something to
eat you must bring a chair or blanket to sit on
or sit around the gazebos. The restrooms are
very accessible and very clean and there is
plenty of parking on both sides of the street
as well as a parking lot.
Crocheron is small enough to feel safe and
large enough to take a good walk, especially
around the pond. So come and enjoy a rustic
ramble around the pond and enjoy the trees,
turtles, water fowl, and yes, the flying fish. In
the upper park there are walking paths which
are flat and tree lined so are a delight to walk
through. It is peaceful and restorative park.
~ Story and Photos by Judy Densky
6 LEHAVRE COURIER | JUNE 2020 | WWW.QNS.COM
ABOUT CROCHERON PARK
214 Place between 33 Ave. and 35 Ave.
Crocheron Park is just about three miles from
Beechhurst, which is a nice run for all you joggers
out there. If you prefer to drive, you’ll be there in 10
minutes tops.
As is typical of many parks in Queens, Crocheron
Park started out as a farm owned by, guess who, the
Crocheron family. John Crocheron got things going
back in the 1600s, and his descendants continued to live
on the property for decades.
Here’s where things get a little dicey: What became
known as the “Old Crocheron House” was a favorite site
for picnics and clambakes among crooked Tammany
Hall politicians in the latter 1800s. In fact none other
than William “Boss” Tweed himself took refuge at the
house after he escaped from jail in 1875 where he had
been held on corruption charges. Although he managed
to escape to Spain the next year, things didn’t end
well for Mr. Tweed—he was soon extradited back to the
U.S. and died in prison of pneumonia in 1878.
Back to the Crocherons: The house burned down
in 1907, and the property sat unused for nearly 20
years. In 1924, New York City bought the land where
the house once stood, and in 1925 the Bayside Civic
Association requested that the City purchase another 45
acres of the estate. By 1936, the City had developed the
park with picnic grounds, winding walks, an enlarged
lake for wintertime skating, and thousands of trees.
Since then, the Parks Department has added a playground,
a dozen tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and
a field house. Among the nicest features of the park are
the gazebos that dot the highpoints of the park and have
terrific views overlooking Little Neck Bay.
The park got bigger in the 1960s. Broadway producer
John Golden was a long-time resident of Bayside whose
property was adjacent to Crocheron Park. When he died
in 1955 he bequeathed his land to the City “for the use
and enjoyment by the young people of the community…”
Golden Park was the result, and it was designed
with paths to link it with Crocheron Park; together, the
two parks cover more than 60 acres of land.
Currently in the works is a $1.8 million reconstruction
of the park’s ballfields. It had been scheduled
to be completed this July but was put on hold due to
COVID-19. The project is now about 75% complete,
so by next year, kids will be pouring in! Source: nycgovparks.
org
Talk about a fi sh out of
water!
If a tree falls…
Golden Pond
Take a stroll…
/WWW.QNS.COM
