Alley Pond Environmental Center

My daughter has been taking classes here since she was 4 years old and she’s 9 now. They do an excellent jobs with birthday parties. They have an Animal party theme where the birthday child gets to take out 3 animals of their choosing for the instructor to talk about. The children each get a turn to pet the small animal. They also get to go on a small nature hike and do a nature themed craft. The place also has tween themed parties as well. My daughter loved her spa tween party we had for her this Summer. All her friends had a great time and it was held in their log cabin. The girls got to do natural facials, meditation and yoga. There is another tween themed Science party as an option as well. The cost is very affordable. We paid $ 275.00 for this last party we had there. You are however responsible for the food and cake. The entertainment and environment makes up for all of that though.
My daughter was, there this, past Saturday as well. I signed her up for a Young Chefs class, which was Halloween themed. The kids made a Candy Halloween House! Animal care classes for children and tween yoga classes are also offered. Adult classes are also offered such as yoga and cooking classes. Be sure to stop in for a pamphlet of their classes or look them up online. Alley Pond Park environmental center has something for everyone!

This is a hidden gem within Eastern Queens. The environmental center has a host of small animals including rabbits, lizards, fishes, birds, and even these terrestial turtles that walk around outdoors in the spring and summer. In the back of the environmental is a huge swatch of walkable nature with raised wooden trails and the sound of animals. We’ve come already more than 5 times this summer with our 4 year old son.

I like to park here and eat with my friends but mostly with my boyfriend. During the first few weeks that we talked and met, this was one of the places that we went to. We parked near the pond and talked for an hour. It’s a nice and romantic place. But now it’s under construction and will be open I believe in March 2015.

It’s fascinating to consider that this slice of verdant territory is actually part of New York City. While in the popular imagination Manhattan may dominate the landscape, there are hidden gems throughout the ‘outer’ boroughs that provide stimulation of a different sort. The bright lights and honking horns are replaced by natural light cascading through trees and the chirping of birds frolicking about.
A canopy of trees touches the sky, untouched by skyscraper and man. When you look up at Alley Pond you’ll have a moment of peace that is the very antithesis of «The City». Walk with your thoughts, walk with the birds and enjoy the silence.
The Environmental Center is distinct from the park that is further south and accessible by Winchester Boulevard or Springfield Boulevard. APEC has a smaller parking lot that was surprisingly crowded on a fall Sunday. There are plenty of programs available in the Center for children and families on weekends and weekdays.
There is a boardwalk that leads through the wetlands where you may spot various wildlife. I was pleasantly surprised to see little or no garbage along the paths. A small doritos bag would have reminded me that yes, this is still NYC.
Off the boardwalk there are other trails that lead around a very large serving of split pea soup otherwise known as a pond. In the summer there is truly green everywhere from the trees to the algae covered water. You will also spot a replica of the Douglaston Estate Windmill on the grounds. The windmill functions as a water pump and an alarm will be triggered if you try to enter. (Or at least that is what the sign claims!)
Accessible from Northern Boulevard, an afternoon of hiking can result in an increase in appetite. Right next door is an all you can eat buffet to refill the calories burnt (and then some) from exercise.

When you venture here, you get that sense of adventure. Biking in this park last year was fun. Last week I jogged a bit, it’s nicer when the trees are full of leaves, but hey in a couple more months, they’ll be there. Most of the paths are paved and you get glimpses of people’s houses as you jog by.
It’s a very large park and I’m so glad a beautiful park like this is in Queens.

This review is for the bike paths because that’s the only things we made use of at this park. I used to come with my family when I was younger. We would always go on a Sunday morning and pack sandwhiches. It was my immediate family obviously, and my cousins and their parents. It was so fun and we would ride from bellerose to flushing all on a guided path and then we’d stop and take a break for lunch, and continue on. Great spot to take the kids. Gets everyone out of the house and biking is a healthy alternative to most of todays activities like movies and fast food.

It truly is a beautiful place. Like reviewer Stephen B. says, the only downside is the background traffic noise. However, once you take in the park, the cars pretty much fade away from being heard.

I’ve run in this park for years and year. I love this park, how long it is, how big it is. There are fields for BBQ and picnics. There’s a new adventure course, that looks interesting. I’ve run a 5K and a 5 mile race here. I’ve run, biked, played Frisbee in the field, had a BBQ. I plan my bike rides, and runs to go through here. What a wonderful thing green space is in the city. My only wish is that you didn’t always hear cars in the big fat bit, on the trails. The Cross Island and the Grand Central Parkway border it there. The old motor way that’s now a path is the best part, as I shoots up and down suburban hills. I fantasize about living close and walking here every day.

Had my daughter’s 5^th birthday here. Fantastic price, and a very fun alternative to the traditional kids’ party. Even the grownups said they had a blast. Party involves the birthday child choosing three animals to interact with, plus a secret animal that turned out to be a HUGE tortoise! The children sat in a circle and got to hold and interact with all the animals and learn something about them. The birthday child picked which nature craft she would like to do– the guinea pig. The instructor even brought over a real-​live guinea pig to pet on the table during the craft! A nature walk was included where the instructor pointed out squirrel nests, animal tracks, and the like. It’s bring your own food, but I find I like that better because it’s not the same old pizza and juice. We ended up doing a 10AM party and bringing bagels and baked goods, and brought my mom’s Keurig coffee maker for all the grownups– a big hit. A very enjoyable experience for the kids and grownups alike.

Absolutely a beautiful park. Alley Pond Park also provides us with glimpses into the truest view of how Queens was: Swamp and Meadows. The way they’ve organized the roads and trails around these areas of nature is spectacular.
I’m not saying this is better than Central Park, but it is different in that Central Park is 100% Man thought up and designed. Alley Pond Park was naturally this way and then Man came and built around it. If it is a glimpse of the wildlife of New York’s past that you want to see, then this is it.

Yay Alley Pond Park! We had our field day here in high school. What this meant was they threw a bunch of city kids on a bus and took us out to commune with «nature». What this really mean was we shuffled around the park in our usual cliques and some people snuck off behind rocks to smoke cigarettes and then there was some BBQ action and then we went home.
But hey, still better than a day of classes!
Nowadays when I think about it, I realize how pretty of a park it was, but between Riverside and Central parks, I am pretty well covered park-​wise!