Flushing Bay, New York
Encyclopedia
Flushing Bay is a tidal embayment in New York City
. It is located on the south side of the East River
and stretches to the south near the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens
. It is bordered on the west by LaGuardia Airport
and the Grand Central Parkway
, on the south by Northern Boulevard, and on the east by the neighborhood of College Point
. The Flushing River
empties into the bay at its southeast corner. A 150 feet (45.7 m) dredged at a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) runs along much of the bay's length.
Flushing Bay was an important source of food for the Matinecock tribe of Native Americans and early European settlers, providing fish, shellfish, and waterfowl. After the American Civil War
, the area surrounding the bay became waterfront resort for the wealthy. The World's Fair Marina
, constructed for the 1964 New York World's Fair
, is located on the southern end of the bay. The marina is part of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and is bordered by the 1.4 miles (2.3 km) Flushing Bay Promenade. The Williamsburgh Yacht Club is situated on the east side of Flushing Bay in College Point. Established in Brooklyn in 1865, the yacht club moved to North Beach (now LaGuardia Airport) in 1896.
The present shoreline of Flushing Bay has been largely altered by the development of LaGuardia Airport. Before the airport opened in December 1939, millions of cubic yards of landfill were added to the western shoreline of the bay to create space for runways. In 1966, the Port Authority extended the northern end of Runway 4-22 by 2000 feet (609.6 m) and the western end of Runway 13-31 by 1500 feet (457.2 m) by constructing a 50 acres (20.2 ha), pile-supported concrete deck over parts of Flushing Bay, including the Rikers Island Channel. In the 1990s, approximately 20 acres (8 ha) of Flushing Bay were filled in to create an overrun at the eastern end of Runway 13-31. To offset the loss of wetlands, new wetlands were constructed adjacent to the airport in Flushing Bay and in Little Neck Bay
.
On September 21, 1776, American patriot Nathan Hale
was captured by the British outside a tavern at Flushing Bay after being exposed as a spy. He was hanged the next day on Manhattan Island.
The New York City Department of Sanitation
North Shore Marine Transfer Station is located in College Point on the eastern shore of Flushing Bay. From 1954 to 2001, it was used to transfer garbage from trucks to barges. A proposal has been made to construct a new marine transfer station at this location, but concerns have arisen given its proximity to a flight path into LaGuardia Airport.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is located on the south side of the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
and stretches to the south near the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
. It is bordered on the west by LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
and the Grand Central Parkway
Grand Central Parkway
The Grand Central Parkway is a parkway that stretches from the RFK-Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. At the Queens-Nassau border, it becomes the Northern State Parkway, which runs across the northern part of Long Island through Nassau County and into Suffolk...
, on the south by Northern Boulevard, and on the east by the neighborhood of College Point
College Point, Queens
College Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
. The Flushing River
Flushing River
The Flushing River, more properly and historically known as Flushing Creek, is a waterway that flows through the northern part of central Queens in New York City, emptying into the East River...
empties into the bay at its southeast corner. A 150 feet (45.7 m) dredged at a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) runs along much of the bay's length.
Flushing Bay was an important source of food for the Matinecock tribe of Native Americans and early European settlers, providing fish, shellfish, and waterfowl. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the area surrounding the bay became waterfront resort for the wealthy. The World's Fair Marina
World's Fair Marina
The World's Fair Marina is a public marina in Flushing Bay, Queens, New York. It is located at the northern edge of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and operated by the Marine Division of the Department of Parks and Recreation...
, constructed for the 1964 New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
, is located on the southern end of the bay. The marina is part of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park and is bordered by the 1.4 miles (2.3 km) Flushing Bay Promenade. The Williamsburgh Yacht Club is situated on the east side of Flushing Bay in College Point. Established in Brooklyn in 1865, the yacht club moved to North Beach (now LaGuardia Airport) in 1896.
The present shoreline of Flushing Bay has been largely altered by the development of LaGuardia Airport. Before the airport opened in December 1939, millions of cubic yards of landfill were added to the western shoreline of the bay to create space for runways. In 1966, the Port Authority extended the northern end of Runway 4-22 by 2000 feet (609.6 m) and the western end of Runway 13-31 by 1500 feet (457.2 m) by constructing a 50 acres (20.2 ha), pile-supported concrete deck over parts of Flushing Bay, including the Rikers Island Channel. In the 1990s, approximately 20 acres (8 ha) of Flushing Bay were filled in to create an overrun at the eastern end of Runway 13-31. To offset the loss of wetlands, new wetlands were constructed adjacent to the airport in Flushing Bay and in Little Neck Bay
Little Neck Bay
Little Neck Bay is an embayment in western Long Island, New York, off Long Island Sound. Little Neck Bay forms the western boundary of the Great Neck Peninsula, the eastern boundary of which is Manhasset Bay. The political boundary between Nassau County and the borough of Queens runs through the bay...
.
On September 21, 1776, American patriot Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British...
was captured by the British outside a tavern at Flushing Bay after being exposed as a spy. He was hanged the next day on Manhattan Island.
The New York City Department of Sanitation
New York City Department of Sanitation
The New York City Department of Sanitation, or DSNY, is a uniformed force of unionized sanitation workers in New York City. Their responsibilities include garbage collection, recycling collection, street cleaning, and snow removal...
North Shore Marine Transfer Station is located in College Point on the eastern shore of Flushing Bay. From 1954 to 2001, it was used to transfer garbage from trucks to barges. A proposal has been made to construct a new marine transfer station at this location, but concerns have arisen given its proximity to a flight path into LaGuardia Airport.