Cunningham Park

Cunningham Park is a 358-acre (1.4 km2) park in the New York City borough of Queens. The park lies between the Grand Central Parkway to the south and the Long Island Expressway, and is bifurcated by the Clearview Expressway. The park is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Cunningham Park
Francis Lewis Boulevard in Cunningham Park
Typepublic park
LocationBordering Oakland Gardens and Fresh Meadows in Queens, New York
Coordinates40°44′N 73°46′W
Area358 acres (145 ha)
Operated byNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation

History

New York City acquired land to build a park, named Hillside Park, in 1928.[1]

Major W. Arthur Cunningham served in World War I as a member of the 165 Infantry of the United States Army.[2][3] A resident of Forest Hills, Major Cunningham successfully ran as a Republican for the position of controller of New York City in 1933.[4][5][6]

After being sworn into office, Cunningham found that the city was deeply in debt and had insufficient funds to repay its debts.[7][8] Cunningham also found that the city had been far behind in collecting property taxes from landowners.[9] Cunningham said that the city must collect the delinquent property taxes, and that the property tax rate would likely need to be increased in order for the city to stay afloat.[10][11] Cunningham disclosed all the financial troubles of the city in order to better inform the public.[12]

Cunningham died of a heart attack while riding a horse in Asharoken, Long Island.[13] He was 39 years old.[13] His body was buried in Calvary Cemetery near Long Island City.[3] Queens Borough President George U. Harvey considered Cunningham a dear friend of his, and he thought that Cunningham's untimely death was caused in part by his worries about the city's problems.[14]

In 1935, the Board of Aldermen voted in favor of renaming Hillside Park in honor of Cunningham.[15] In June 1936, a memorial to Cunningham was erected in park in the following month.[15] The memorial was a flagpole set in bronze with an inscribed stone base.[15] Major Cunningham's seven-year-old son, John Arthur Cunningham, unveiled the plaque at a ceremony.[15][16][17]

In 1940, New York City bought a piece of land in order to connect discontinuous segments of Francis Lewis Boulevard and to expand Cunningham Park.[18][19]

A granite and bronze memorial to Major Cunningham was created by sculptor Emil Siebern and installed next to the Cunningham memorial flagpole in 1942.[20]

Bike trails

The Long Island Motor Parkway provides a bike path through Cunningham Park, west to Kissena Park and east to Alley Pond Park, part of the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway.[21]

Mountain biking trails run throughout northern areas of the park which include two major sections connected by an overpass that runs across the Clearview Expressway. Trails are signed by level and range from beginner to expert.[22]

New York Road Runners hosts a weekly 2.7-mile Open Run. [23]


References
  1. "Buying Park Land at Private Sale: New City Policy Indicates Substantial Financial Savings to the Taxpayers". The New York Times. April 29, 1928. p. RE2. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  2. "17 More War Crosses Awarded Americans". The New York Times. March 20, 1918. p. 2. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  3. "Military Funeral for Cunningham". The New York Times. May 7, 1934. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  4. "Rival City Tickets for Fall Campaign". The New York Times. August 17, 1933. p. 3.
  5. "Nominations Are Filed; Fusion Group and Seven Minor Parties List Candidates". The New York Times. October 5, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  6. Hagerty, James A. (November 8, 1933). "M'Kee Runs Second; Loses Even Bronx Smashing Blow To Farley". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  7. "City Cannot Pay $15,600,000 Debts, Cunningham Says". The New York Times. February 5, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  8. "City Forced to Pay $167,222,000 in Year: Huge Obligations Outside of $30,820,000 Budget Deficit Shown by Cunningham". The New York Times. February 8, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  9. "$28,750,000 Found Owing to the City on Assessments: Cunningham Declares That Levies Were 'Pigeonholed' Under Tammany Rule". The New York Times. January 15, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  10. "2.70 City Tax Rate, Rise of 37 Points, Feared by Mayor". The New York Times. February 9, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  11. "City Budget Deficit is Put at $30,131,331: More Definite Figure Given to Aldermen for Use in Fixing Tax Rate Formally". The New York Times. February 24, 1934. p. 14. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  12. "Lack of Funds Halts $70,000,000 City Jobs: Cunningham Lists Contracts Delayed Because $4,407,157 Instalments Are Unpaid". The New York Times. February 7, 1934. p. 14. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  13. "Cunningham Dies; Fusion's Control In City Menaced; City Controller Was 39". The New York Times. May 6, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  14. "City Pays Tribute to Cunningham". The New York Times. May 8, 1934. p. 23.
  15. "Tribute to Cunningham: Memorial to Fusion Controller Is Unveiled in Hillside Park". The New York Times. June 17, 1936. p. 2. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  16. "Cunningham Park: History". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  17. "Cunningham Park, Queens Archived 2007-10-06 at the Wayback Machine". Partnership for Parks. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
  18. "Port Authority Deal Eases Budget Worry: City Acts on 8-Year-Old Contract to Produce $600,000". The New York Times. April 12, 1940. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  19. "$1,250,000 Asked for Queens Road; Moses and Harvey to Appeal to City Today for Funds to Complete Lewis Blvd". The New York Times. December 16, 1940. p. 26. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  20. "Cunningham Memorial Dedicated". The New York Times. May 18, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  21. "Brooklyn–Queens Greenway Guide" (PDF). New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  22. "Mountain Bike Trails in New York : Cunningham Park North Woods Trails : New York City Mountain Biking". bikekinetix.com. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  23. Staff, NYRR (2023-08-23). "Cunningham Park=NYRR". Retrieved 2023-08-23.
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