The dog park scene in LIC, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Sunnyside, and Forest Hills

If you’ve got a canine family member and have lived in Queens for any period of time, chances are you know exactly where your local dog park is. But if you’re new to the borough, or are considering moving to a new neighborhood, we’ve put together a list of parks where you can let your dog run around in the fresh air and meet other canines.

There are two categories here: dog runs and off-leash areas in public parks, both of which require dogs to be licensed and have their vaccinations. Dog runs are fenced-in spaces that typically have soft ground-cover such as woodchips, sand or pebbles, proper drainage, shaded areas, two gates to avoid escapes, available water, proper disposal for dog waste, and good general upkeep. An off-leash area in a New York City Park is a designated zone where it’s acceptable to exercise your dog without restraint during designated hours, usually from the park’s opening until 9am and then from 9pm until the park’s closing.

There is an increased demand for good dog parks in Queens where dogs can exercise and socialize, and the number has been slowly increasing. Different parks succeed in different ways – in terms of size, cleanliness, safety – we give you the pros and cons of a variety of settings available to you and your dog.

LONG ISLAND CITY

Vernon Boulevard Dog Run at 48th Avenue. You can’t miss this dog run, on bustling Vernon Boulevard, right in the center of Long Island City’s shopping district. Pros: plenty of running space, well-maintained, separate area for small dogs, solid community backing. Cons: limited shade.

Murray Playground Dog Run. Located at the corner of 21st Street and 45th Avenue, this enclosure is small but very safe. Pros: friendly neighborhood pet owners. Cons: no room for sprinting greyhounds here, no separate space for small dogs.

Queensbridge Park. This city park, situated between 41st Road and 40th Avenue and the East River and Vernon Boulevard, offers off-leash access. Pros: stimulating views. Cons: park abuts busy Vernon Boulevard with no fence.

Rainey Park. This park is just to the southwest of Long Island City’s Costco along the East River with a view of Roosevelt Island. Pros: big, widen open spaces, easy to keep an eye on your pet. Cons: park abuts Vernon Boulevard.

It’s commonly known that no dogs are allowed in Gantry Plaza State Park, which abides by different rules than our City parks. There are no dog runs (the temporary run is gone) or off-leash areas there, but according to the Friends of Gantry Neighborhood Parks, dogs are allowed on-leash in the southernmost areas, including the Main Plaza and Pier #1. Similarly, leashed dogs are welcome at Socrates Sculpture Park.

ASTORIA

Astoria Park. Astoria Park runs along the East River underneath the Robert F. Kennedy (formerly Triboro) Bridge. While you can’t take your pooch to the Park’s enormous, iconic public pool, you can go off-leash in the grassy areas. Pros: after 9 pm crowd is full and friendly. Cons: not much love for the general aesthetic of the dog-safe areas.

Ralph DeMarco Park. Another shoreline park with off-leash access, this time in a peaceful corner of Astoria. Pro or con: Ralph DeMarco park has an accessible rocky shoreline, fun for the able-bodied and curious canine, potentially dangerous for dogs of the toy variety.

JACKSON HEIGHTS

Canine Recreation Wonderland. Yes, they really mean it. Just down 35th Avenue from the Belvedere apartments, this private dog run is tucked neatly under the BQE on 69th Street. Pros: privately managed with love, pristine condition, towering fence, exceptionally shady. Con: steady din of freeway traffic. You have to join and there’s a small suggested membership fee of $25, but anyone can get in and it’s well worth the trouble.

LaGuardia Landing Lights Park. This is just what it sounds like, an off-leash ok plot of land between 78th and 79th Streets and 25th and 30th Avenues, in the flight path of LaGuardia Airport, surrounded by regular neighborhood blocks. Pros: convenient to your house. Cons: the screaming rumble of incoming jumbo jets. There are other Landing Lights swatches of land nearby that are off-leash accessible, all of which are small and right near busy streets.

WOODSIDE

Windmuller Park aka Doughboy Plaza. This dog run is on 56th Street and Woodside Avenue. Pro: centrally located for both Sunnyside and Woodside. Cons: very small with short fence, not well-kept – dirt and weeds, only one gate, not many dogs.

SUNNYSIDE

We’re all waiting for Lou Lodati Park, located on Skillman Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets, to get its highly anticipated make-over, hopefully in 2013, which will feature a brand new dog run. 

Sherry Park. There is tempered appreciation for this dog run at 65th Place and the BQE which is essentially the only game in town. Pros: good, friendly constituency of pets and pet owners, steady upkeep, public bathrooms, shaded seating. Cons: concrete ground not ideal.

FOREST HILLS

Forest Park Dog Run and Separate Off-Leash Area. You think you’re ascending to heaven as to walk up the steps to this charming park, lodged into the side of a hill in sprawling Forest Park on Forest Park South at 85th Street. The enclosed run has a rustic quality and perennials are planted across the front fence. Pros: plenty of water, tools, shade, seating and room to run, extra area for small dogs, full obstacle course. Cons: dog may come home dusty from dirt ground.

Underbridge Park. This enclosed dog run is on Grand Central Parkway and 64th Avenue, just near the pedestrian bridge to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Pros: It’s huge – great for big dogs – with tall fence, bark and grass ground. Cons: demeanor is shabby and ignored, front gate is inappropriately large and awkward.

Yellowstone Park. The North side of Queens Boulevard is packed with enormous apartment buildings and in the lovely but crowded Yellowstone Park at Yellowstone Boulevard and 68th Avenue is a designated off-leash area available from 6-9am. Pros: convenient. Cons: not enough allotted time or space for the overwhelming demand.

Rego Park Dog Run. A relatively new addition to the dog run offerings of Queens, located at 64th Avenue and Grand Central Parkway. Pros: separate area for small dogs, safe, well-shaded. Cons: well-hidden.

For a complete list of dog-friendly zones throughout Queens, visit New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.