Flushing Meadows is a residential and commercial area of New York City. It is located in Queens. More than half of the population is of Asian origin and a large proportion is Hispanic. This gives the neighbourhood a rare identity and vibrancy.
For many New York tourists, the Flushing Meadows area offers many opportunities for a great day out. There are historic homes such as John Bowe’s house on the eponymous boulevard and the Quaker Meeting House Old on North boulevard.
It is also a very wooded area, as Flushing has long been home to the nurseries of Prince, Bloodgood and Parsons. Kissena Park, which is the former site of Parsons’ nursery, still contains a wide variety of exotic trees. The street names are also a tribute to nature.
The history of Flushing Meadows
Flushing was founded by the Dutch in 1645. English settlers had already been living there for several years and it was the altercation between John Bowe, an English farmer, and the political representative Peter Stuyvesant that led to the freedom to worship.
Since then, Flushing has been regarded as the cradle of religious freedom. Flushing Meadows has always been a place of wealthy families with a variety of commercial activities. Many were involved in horticulture and arboriculture.
In 1909, the construction of two bridges over the Flushing River and the arrival of the train accelerated, but also changed, the development of the neighbourhood. At that time, Flushing was a precursor to Hollywood. Although now abandoned, Keith’s RKO was home to stars like Mickey Rooney and the Marx Brothers.
From the 1970s onwards, Asian and mainly Taiwanese communities settled in Flushing. The Taiwanese were rejected from Chinatown where the Chinese were in the majority. The arrival of the Taiwanese in this neighbourhood reached such a scale that Flushing was nicknamed Little Taiwan. Today, the Chinese, Japanese and Korean communities are also very present.
Visit Flushing Meadows today
Flushing is considered one of the most dynamic regions in the United States and is experiencing very strong growth. It is also a very attractive cultural area where Asian art is dominant.
Tourists will discover the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam temple, but also the Flushing Town Hall, the Kingsland Homestead or the Unisphere, this immense representation of the Earth which is enthroned in the Flushing Meadow park.
This park is the one of the district and in addition to the beauty of its fauna and flora, it is worth remembering that it hosts the US Open tennis tournament every year.
