TONY's top attractions in LIC, Flushing, Corona, and beyond

Now that we are in the final stretch of 2012, the “best of” lists are starting to come out. Time Out New York has put together their list for the top attractions in Queens, and here are the winners (with our own descriptions):

Image source: David Berkowitz on Flickr

CitiField – This is a great stadium to see a ballgame, and we prefer it to Yankee Stadium, also a new ballpark. The views from all over the stadium are great and it feels like it was created on a very human scale. Their food is also excellent – Shake Shack and Blue Smoke come to mind immediately. Congrats again to R.A. Dickey of the NY Mets, for his Cy Young Award this past year.

5Pointz – This is hard to miss as you ride the 7 train and turn the corner away from Queensboro Plaza and head to Court Square. It’s called the Center for Aerosol Art, but soon we’ll be calling it a “new development,” since it’s going to be razed and a new building of residences will be put in its place. The owner says that graffiti art will be displayed in the building, as a tip of the hat toward the origins of the site.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park – Originally the park was marshland before it was converted to landfill to accommodate the 1939 NY World’s Fair. Now it is home to 1,255 acres of parkland and is home to the US Tennis Center, where the US Open is held, CitiField, home to the NY Mets, and a variety of artifacts from the two World’s Fairs, most prominently the Unisphere. It also may become home to a new soccer stadium and team franchise with Major League Soccer.

Gantry Plaza State Park – This amazing state park has views, views, views. Also, it’s the biggest green space in the Hunters Point section of LIC. Lots of people come to spend time here, as there is grass on which to hang out, playgrounds, and lounge chairs. Some folks fish of the pier, too. Be sure to check out the live music series in the summer, Live at the Gantries.

Louis Armstrong House Museum – Louis Armstrong himself lived here until the end of his life in 1971. There are guided tours through the house, which include musical examples, and the Louis Armstrong House is also part of the Queens Jazz Trail. There are also plans to build a visitor center across the street, which would expand the Museum’s educational and outreach opportunities.

Image source: Jules Antonio on Flickr

MOMA PS1 (from our LIC for Brooklynites article) – This 19th century schoolhouse holds some of the most current art available in NYC; it is one of the oldest (and largest) nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the US, founded in 1971. Various kinds of new and experimental art in all media are displayed throughout the space, and MOMA PS1 considers itself more of an exhibition space, rather than a “collecting institution.” As indicated by its name, PS1 is affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art.

Additionally, the arrival of the M. Wells Dinette in PS1 has made a real splash (and no horsemeat to be seen) with generally positive reviews from hungry diners.

The exhibition, “The Art of Rise of the Guardians,” is on view at Museum of the Moving Image in New York, November 10, 2012, through March 3, 2013. Image courtesy of Museum of the Moving Image.

Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) – If you are a film buff, this is the place for you. MOMI has a lot to offer – preview screenings, temporary exhibits, a permanent exhibit, lots of interactive features, a sweet little cafe, and bookstore. Membership at $75/year for an individual is a real steal and totally worth it (you get to see all regular screenings for free, plus free admission to the museum). Preview movies often include a Q&A afterwards with folks that worked behind the film, such as legendary Rick Baker, who worked on the special effects in Men in Black III (and who gained notoriety from doing the special effects for Star Wars).

Queens Museum of Art – Located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, QMA is very well known for The Panorama of the City of New York, a to-scale model of the 5 boroughs, complete with little plans flying two and from LaGuardia and JFK airports. It’s a huge display, and has a walkway around it so that you can see everything well. QMA is also behind “Corona’s Plaza,” with the goal to develop temporary installations and programs at Corona Plaza.

Socrates Sculpture Park (from our LIC for Brooklynites article) – This large open space used to be a dump – literally. In 1986, a group of neighbors and artists, led by sculptor Mark di Suvero, combined their efforts and transformed the run down and grossly littered space into a public park. Large scale art works are displayed here, many of them come with the encouragement to walk in, on, or through them. Socrates also produces a international film festival in the summer, and is host to a greenmarket on the weekends from June to November, home to about a dozen vendors.

Overall, this is a good list. We would have included the Noguchi Museum and the US Tennis Center, too.

Top attractions in Queens: All the best sights to visit in NYC [TONY]
LIC for Brooklynites – 17 fun things to see and do [QNYC]