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Flushing Meadows
Corona Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the fourth biggest public
space in New York City. With 898 acres, it is 55 acres larger
than Central Park in Manhattan with a wonderful mix of flora,
fauna, waterways, paths, athletic facilities, statues, and cultural
organizations.
Smack dab in the center is the borough’s most recognizable
structure: The Unisphere. Erected for the 1964 World’s Fair,
this 140-feet-high, 700,000-pound stainless steel globe rises
above a multi-spouted fountain. Statues are everywhere in this
park, which was created from ash heaps (described in F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby) in order to host the 1939
World’s Fair. Other art works – such as Rocket Thrower, a
43-foot-high bronze sculpture by Donald De Lue – were created
for the 1964 World’s Fair.
Rowboats and paddleboats are available for rent at Meadow
Lake, which is the Big Apple’s largest body of fresh water. In
the same spot, the American Small Craft Association keeps more
than a dozen sloop-rigged sailboats, which are used for teaching
and racing. It’s also the site of the annual Hong Kong Dragon
Boat Festival, an international event during which more than 150
teams compete in about 80 rowing races over a long weekend in
August.
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New York State Pavillion