Astoria Park
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Located along the East River in Queens, Astoria Park contains one of the largest open spaces in Queens. Situated in Long Island City and adjacent to the Triboro Bridge, this 56 acre park contains New York City's largest swimming pool. The pool was used in the 1936 and 1964 Olympics.
Other attractions include bocce courts, six tennis courts, three baseball diamonds, two playgrounds, and one track for running.
On Independence Day, the Queens Symphony Orchestra plays here during the fireworks show.
According to the New York City Parks website: "Before the arrival of European colonists, a trail passed by the site, and an Indian village flourished at Pot Cove. Local inhabitants grew maize on the shores, fished in Hell Gate, and drew water from Linden Brook, a small stream that still flows under Astoria Park South. In the mid-1600s the Dutch parceled out this land to various owners, including William Hallet whose grant embraced hundreds of acres. During the American Revolution, several British and Hessian regiments were stationed in the area. On November 25, 1780 the frigate Hussar and its five-million-dollar cargo sank to the bottom of Hell Gate, where despite some removal of cannons, the treasure still remains.
"The waters were the site of New York City’s worst maritime disaster on June 15, 1904. En route to Long Island’s North Shore with the congregation of St. Mark’s German Lutheran Church on board, the steamer General Slocum caught fire. At least 1,021 passengers out of 1,300 burned to death on the ship or drowned in the turbulent waters of the East River before the ship grounded on North Brother Island."
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