Founded by the Dutch, named by the British, and with one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world, Flushing has a diverse history and is as vibrant today as it ever was. If you’re heading in for a day stay, our quick guide will give you a rundown of some of Flushing’s highlights.
Your Flushing Day Stay Recommendations
- Food – With the size of its Chinatown, Flushing is a great place for Sinophiles to sate their appetites. Try the dumplings at Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, sample the wares of Szechuan Mountain House, enjoy seafood, noodles, and more at Spring Shabu-Shabu, or visit Shanghai You Garden.
- Sports – The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is an enormous tennis facility that hosts the US Open, one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments held each year. When not hosting the professionals, the center’s courts are available to the public, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better tennis facility this side of the Atlantic. Nearby is the Citi Field, the baseball stadium that is home to the Mets, and the occasional concert.
- Hall of Science – Nearby is the New York Hall Of Science, formerly a 1964 World’s Fair pavilion, and now a family-friendly museum. The Hall of Science features over 450 interactive science and technology exhibits.
- Queens Zoo – Queens Zoo is inhabited by more than 75 species from the Americas, including bears, parrots, pumas, and bison. It includes a walk-through aviary and a farm with a range of domestic animals.
Six Fine Flushing Facts
- Before European settlement, Flushing was inhabited by the Matinecoc Indians.
- Flushing was first established in 1645 by the Dutch, although many of its inhabitants were British.
- Its name derives from the Dutch city of Vlissingen. A short time after its founding, the name drifted until the British term “Flushing” became its actual name.
- In 1898 Flushing was consolidated into the City of New York, despite opposition from the town itself.
- Flushing Chinatown is home to over 30,000 people born in China, making it the largest Chinatown of that type outside Asia and one of the largest Chinatowns in the world.
- Former First Lady Nancy Reagan spent the first years of her life in Flushing.
