Hey, you can’t let the summer slip away trying to avoid heatstroke. There are plenty of activities around Queens that take advantage of all this sunlight; just be sure to drink plenty of fluids other than those margaritas and mojitos.
A Club For All Walks
Old and young come together for the 20th Alley Pond 5-Mile Challenge. Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen |
Since most of prime time television will be full of reruns anyway, maybe it’s time to drop the remote control and hook up with the Alley Pond Striders. They’re a club that sees the importance of exercise as a means of keeping healthy and physically fit; the group consists of 300 members who have been meandering the park’s paths for over 25 years.
From casual strollers to outright speedsters, the Striders offer plenty of company for walkers of any stripe. Many marathon runners have actually trained as Alley Pond Park members, but many retired Queens residents have also joined the club to take part in social events and keep fit. Age is of no great consequence in the club; they count a slew of members over the age of 80.
The Alley Pond Striders meet for informal group walks and runs Saturdays and Sundays at the Alley Pond Park House at 9 a.m. Smaller groups meet on a frequent basis weekday mornings. The club frequently attends races all around the New York City area, and takes part in charity events. The club recently participated in the Forest Park 4-Mile Race. Picnics and social meetings are also held frequently, allowing the Striders to relax and share some cool-down time.
“We have more members now than we’ve ever had,” says Robert Pasqual, a current Strider and former club president. (JF)
For more information on the Alley Pond Striders, go to www.geocities.com/alleypondstriders.
Line ‘Em Up
The Rockaway Branch Greenway Committee tours the old Long Island Rail Road subway line by bike. |
Looking to brush up on some Queens history while you work up a sweat? For the last year, the Rockaway Beach Branch Greenway Committee has been organizing informal bike rides along the abandoned Long Island Rail Road subway line. The ride takes between two and three hours and there are a couple of organized stops. One is at the Forest Hills Little League Field and another is where the line enters Forest Park.
“About one mile goes through the park,” says Jordan Sandke, who heads the RBGC. Sandke, a teacher at Newcomers High School in Long Island City, first got the idea for the excursions last summer. He lives in Richmond Hill, and one day when he was riding his bike around the neighborhood he became aware of the abandoned subway line.
Be prepared for some interesting bits and pieces along the way. Around Richmond Hill, the line runs slightly below ground level, but at other points it is elevated. There’s even an aboveground station at Atlantic Ave. and 100th St. that’s been taken over by the homeless. “It looks like a mountain of old clothes,” Sandke says.
From 1908 to 1962, Sandke relates, the LIRR had a spur starting in Rego Park and running down to the Rockaways. But for the past 43 years it’s been abandoned.
“There are 50- to 60-foot trees growing out of the railroad tracks at some points,” says Sandke. There’s also poison ivy, burnt-out abandoned cars and refrigerators.
Sandke’s hope is that, with some effort, the space will one day be turned into a greenway with a bustling pedestrian and bike pathway. (ML)
The next organized bike ride is on May 28. To find out more, go to rbbgreenway.tripod.com or call (718) 847-7740.
Strolling The Parkway
Never mind the noise-the path along the Cross Island Parkway is better seen than heard.Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen |
If you’re looking for a place to walk, ride your bike or test out those new roller blades, the path at Little Neck Bay in Bayside is one of Queens’ best spots for an outdoor getaway, as long as you don’t mind a little noise from the Cross Island Parkway’s traffic.
There are a number of different ways to reach the nearly three-mile path that overlooks the bay. Two are easily accessible. Option one: Park your car at the Fort Totten parking lot and take the concrete path that leads away from it. Or, you can just leave your car at Crocheron Park and walk (or ride your bike) across the footbridge that goes over the Cross Island Parkway. You’ll wind up in the middle of the path, just next to the boating dock.
A third option is to get to the trail by water. Dock space is available for rent by boat owners, and you can motor right over to the path.
The benches overlooking the water give a welcome respite for exercisers, not to mention a great view of the activity on the water.
The only unfun aspect to the trail? The noise of the traffic. But until the concrete river runs dry, just do your best to enjoy the view (or bring your earplugs). (MR)
Velodrome-a-Rama
The newly renovated Kissena Park Velodrome gives racing stripes to amateurs and professionals. Tribune Photo by Ira Cohen |
So you’ve got the spandex, the sleek, backswept helmet and a bicycle Lance Armstrong would envy? Think you’re some kind of professional racing bicyclist, huh?
You haven’t ridden until you’ve tried the Kissena Park Velodrome.
After some major renovations, the Velodrome reopened in 2004. The track hadn’t seen an update since its early days, when it was used for the 1964 Olympic trials. Now it’s in great shape. The 400-meter banked asphalt racing track is surrounded by viewing stands, a fence and a tower for race officials.
All riders are required to wear ANSI or Snell approved helmets, and only racing bicycles are allowed on the track. (The thickly treaded tires on mountain and dirt bikes quickly damage the Velodrome’s surface, and so aren’t allowed.) Minors are welcome to race, but they have to obtain parental permission first.
People of all ages are welcome to try the Velodrome. The schedule of events sponsored by Kissena Cycling Club includes on-track training lessons for beginners and special courses for ladies, both held on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. There’s also the Twilight Track Series on Wednesdays from May until September, if you feel like hitting the Velodrome under the stars.
The Velodrome is located in Kissena Park. If you’re driving east on the Long Island Expressway, get off at Exit 24. At the end of the ramp, turn left onto Kissena Blvd., right at Booth Memorial Ave., then left at Parsons Blvd. You’ll see the entrance dead ahead.
If you’re lugging your bike by subway, just take the 7 to the Main St. stop. You’ll have to ride one mile to Kissena Park, or (if you’re looking for even more exercise) you can hop the F train to Parsons Blvd. From there you’ll have about a two-mile bike ride to the park. (MR)
For more information, contact John Campo at (212) 431-9732.
La Vita Bocce
Spaghetti Park bocce players bring Mayor Bloomberg into the fold. Tribune Photo by Azi Paybarah |
Ready for a warm summer day, some laughs between friends, and a relaxing game of bocce?
Well, forget about it.
You wouldn’t think it to look at those unassuming colored-ceramic balls, but the competitive intensity that accompanies a game of bocce is out of this world. Before you know it, you’re yelling at comrades-and screaming for that ball to halt where you want it to-until your voice is hoarse.
Some hurlers actually pursue their balls down the court, hoping to guide them with sheer willpower. Others unleash their balls from a tightly wound, crouched position, standing up only after the ball stops ricocheting. But play the game once, and you’ll understand; the player and the ball are deeply connected.
Hurlers grunt in frustration after a shot goes amiss. Others turn away modestly after they make a good shot, smiling thinly at the applause and backslapping from colleagues.
And sure, there’s also a warm side to the competitive spirit of this exhilarating spectacle. After watching a round or two of bocce, you will surely pick up a taste for old Italian flavor, as if you were right in the middle of a romantic Venetian neighborhood. And Spaghetti Park does a very good job at providing the right type of atmosphere, with pizzerias, delis and neighborhood eateries surrounding the park. (JF)
The long, rectangular court is tucked into the corner of Spaghetti Park, formerly referred to as William T. Moore Memorial Park. Between the court and the park’s edge is a barbeque grill that sizzles to life under the tall green trees strung with electric lights.
Seeking Steam?
If you really want to test yourself, sweat off a few pounds and get in shape in the process, take to the many running tracks available in Queens. Here is a list of tracks inside Queens’ parks.Queens Running TracksProperty Name Miles Type Location
Astoria Park 0.25 Cinder Astoria Park
South & 18 St.
Forest Park 0.25 Cinder Myrtle Ave &. Woodhaven. Blvd
Kissena Park 0.50 Bike Track 160 St. & Booth Memorial
Windmuller Park 0.10 All Weather 39 Drive & 52 St.
Juniper Valley Park 0.25 Cinder Juniper Blvd.
& 71 St.
Astoria Athletic Field 0.25 Cinder 2 St, 26 Ave.
& East River
Kissena Corridor Park 0.20 All Weather Colden &
Juniper Sts.
Liberty Park 0.25 Cinder 173 St & 105 Ave.
