An Afternoon in Corona Park
What this foodstroll is
Our favorite things to do, see, and eat near Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Why this foodstroll works
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is chock full of attractions, like The New York Hall of Science, Queens Zoo, Queens Museum, and Botanic Garden. But aside from these obvious destinations, the park itself is a multicultural playground full of elaborate weekend BBQs, food trucks, and extremely high levels of recreational soccer. This allows great flexibility for anyone looking to plan an afternoon. The park also sits squarely in the midst of one of NYC’s great cultural enclaves - the Latin section of Corona, Queens. The 30 minute stroll between Corona Park and the food spots allows you to take in the vibrant street scenes along Corona and Roosevelt Avenues. But if 30 minutes of walking seems ambitious after a day spent in the park, an Uber/Lyft takes just 5 minutes.
Strolling
Flushing Meadowns Corona Park is one of our favorite places in NYC, and for the purposes of this Foodstroll, you can start with food or fun. Just allow for some time to enjoy the park itself, and be sure to arrive hungry at El Gauchito. As always, proper equipment is recommended, which in this case is strollers and scooters, especially if you intend to walk between the park and food spots.
Corona Park is the fourth largest park in NYC, but still doable in an afternoon. The Unisphere, built to represent the theme of global interdependence for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, is a good place to start.
The Queens Zoo is small and can be walked in less than an hour, and they have some really cool animals such as American Bison, Pumas, Andean Bears, and a Bald Eagle. The Botanical Garden on the East side of the park is another small but interesting attraction.
The Queens Museum makes for a great addition to any other Corona Park adventure. It houses the Panorama of The City of New York, which must be the only one of its kind. Admission to the museum is free, but donations are welcome.
The New York Hall of Science is a classic kids’ destination with plenty to keep them busy. Like the Unisphere, it was originally built for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Corona Plaza is the beating heart of Corona, and there is always plenty of action on the street - music, food, and street commerce all day and night.
There are lots of outdoor food vendors and food trucks near the plaza, so if you can’t make it all the way to a formal restaurant, these are great waystations.
The Edward E. Sanford House, built 1871, is one of the few remaining 19th century houses from the Village of Newtown, one of the earliest settlements on Western Long Island (present day Queens). According to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, the simple Italianate structure “evokes a time and place in our history” that marked the transformation of the landscape from a rural, agrarian countryside, to what would become one of the most densely populated urban areas in the Nation.
We’re nominating Queens for street art capital of the world. Our kids haven’t gotten into the Sex Pistols yet, but we appreciated this one. Wall Art by #khannyc
Food Spots
1. El Gauchito
El Gauchito is our favorite steak house in Queens. In a borough full of Latin American diaspora, this is one of the relatively few traditional Argentinian restaurants.
The mural wrapping around the entire restaurant is full of more recognizable Argentine faces, and the complimentary Caprese Salad (pictured) is a nice start to your meal.
Regardless of what you order, it should be De La Parilla, or From The Grill. This is the Parrillada Completa, or mixed grill for one. It has Morcilla, Chorizo, Salchichas, Sweetbread, Short Rib, Kidney, and Skirt Steak. It comes with one side, and Fried Yuca is our favorite. Despite the name, it feeds many more than one.
El Gauchito actually began as an Italian/Argentinian butcher in 1978. Over the years they began grilling their meat on on the sidewalk in front of the shop, which proved so popular they decided to open a restaurant. Today the butcher shop and restaurant share space, and the meat on your table comes directly from the butcher next door.
Beef consumption in Argentina peaked in the 1800s at nearly 400lbs annually per adult. It has since declined, but good God that’s a lot off beef. The De Solo Carne includes flap, shell, skirt, and short ribs, along with two sides and chimichurri.
Next to beef, Empanadas are as ubiquitous as Argentinian food gets. We always order one de Pollo and one de Carne. If you’re still hungry after all the meat, they also have great Argentinian desserts, like Alfajores. We don’t typically make it that far…
2. Primos Bakery
Primos Bakery is the best bakery we know of in Corona. They specialize in all kinds of Mexican cakes and pastries, including the famous Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead.
They have no website, and their Facebook page is all in Spanish, but kids require no translation when it comes to sweets this delicious.
3. The Lemon Ice King of Corona
Benfaremo - The Lemon Ice King of Corona, has been serving the best Italian Ice in Queens for over 60 years. Be prepared to wait while your kids try and choose between the 35 different flavors.
Be prepared to wait even longer during warm weather months. You can avoid lines if you’re willing to go off-season.
Transportation
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is an easy walk from the 7 line 111th Street stop. There is a dedicated parking lot at the Hall of Science for $6/day and several free parking lots scattered around the park, including those that serve the Queens Museum and Queens Zoo.
Corona is served by the 7 line right at 103rd St - Corona Plaza. Two hour metered parking is possible Monday-Saturday in Corona, and on Sundays meters are suspended.