Cunningham Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cunningham Park |
|
|---|---|
Francis Lewis Boulevard in Cunningham Park
|
|
| Type | public park |
| Location | Bordering Oakland Gardens and Fresh Meadows in Queens, New York |
| Area | 358 acres (145 ha) |
| Operated by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
Cunningham Park is a huge park in the New York City borough of Queens. It's about 358 acres, which is like 270 football fields! The park is split by the Clearview Expressway and sits between the Grand Central Parkway and the Long Island Expressway. It's a great place for outdoor fun and is managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Contents
A Park with a Story
New York City first got the land for this park in 1928. Back then, it was called Hillside Park.
Who was Major Cunningham?
The park is named after a special person named Major W. Arthur Cunningham. He was a brave soldier who fought in World War I. After the war, he lived in Forest Hills, Queens. In 1933, he decided to run for a big job in New York City called the Comptroller. The Comptroller is like the city's chief financial officer, making sure the city's money is handled well. Major Cunningham won the election!
When he started his job, Major Cunningham found that the city had a lot of money problems. It owed a lot of money and wasn't collecting taxes properly. He worked hard to tell everyone about the city's financial situation and tried to find ways to fix it.
Sadly, Major Cunningham died suddenly when he was only 39 years old. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery near Long Island City. Many people believed his hard work and worries about the city's problems contributed to his early death.
Honoring Major Cunningham
In 1935, the city decided to rename Hillside Park to Cunningham Park to honor Major Cunningham. In June 1936, a special memorial was put up in the park. It was a flagpole with a bronze base that had his name carved into it. Major Cunningham's seven-year-old son, John Arthur Cunningham, helped to show the plaque at the ceremony.
A few years later, in 1940, New York City bought more land to connect parts of Francis Lewis Boulevard and make Cunningham Park even bigger. In 1942, another memorial, made of granite and bronze, was added next to the flagpole. It was created by a sculptor named Emil Siebern.
Fun on Wheels: Bike Trails
Cunningham Park is a fantastic place for biking!
The Long Island Motor Parkway Trail
The old Long Island Motor Parkway now has a bike path that goes right through Cunningham Park. You can ride west from here to Kissena Park or east to Alley Pond Park. This path is part of a bigger network called the Brooklyn–Queens Greenway, which connects many parks in Brooklyn and Queens.
Mountain Biking Adventures
If you love mountain biking, you're in luck! The northern parts of Cunningham Park have many mountain biking trails. There are two main sections of trails, connected by a bridge that goes over the Clearview Expressway. The trails are marked by how difficult they are, so you can find paths for beginners all the way up to expert riders.
