When I think of home, I think of Flushing.

I think about how I dreaded walking up and down Main Street, carrying bags of groceries in the summer heat. I think about the hours I spent reading inside the Queens Public Library, and how devastated I was when they got rid of its iconic wooden train. I think about the countless nights I spent picnic-ing at IS237’s park with my two best friends, how we’d walk home just as the sun set. I think about growing up at the Ganesh Temple where my mom would recite stories of the hundreds of Hindu gods and goddesses each time we visited because I could never remember them all.

When I think of home, I think of Flushing.

For my exhibit, I’m choosing to highlight a couple of spots in the neighborhood that represent the Flushing I know and love.

Ganesh Temple

  • Ganesh Temple has to be first on my list because it is the largest gathering place for Hindus in Queens.  Although I fell away from Hinduism as I got older, I have such fond memories growing up here and celebrating special occasions with my Telugu community in Flushing.
  • Until now, the street was called Bowne Street after leading American pioneer of religious freedom and anti-slavery movement, John Bowne. But, in a special ceremony last year, the street was co-named Ganesh Temple Street in honor of the iconic Ganesh temple situated there.
  • The Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation in the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Dilip Chauhan and members of the Indian-American community attended the unveiling ceremony.

Queens Public Library At Flushing

  • The Queens Public Library in Flushing has changed so much in the last decade. It used to be where my mom dropped off my sister and I on the weekends. I attended all the summer activities, the poetry sessions, the cultural events.
  • Through researching this historical site,  I learned that the first library in Queens was organized in 1858 in Flushing on a subscription basis. It later became a free circulation library in 1884. In the 1890s, several other communities started local library service – Steinway, Hollis, Queens Village, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Long Island City, and Astoria. These seven libraries formed the nucleus of the present Queens Library.
  • Not only that, the importance of “global information” was emphasized with the opening of the International Resource Center in 1998, as part of the Flushing Library. It houses information on the economy, geography and culture of the world, with a special emphasis on economics.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park

  • There is no park more well-known or iconic than Flushing Meadows Corona Park. I’ve run laps around the Unisphere and then jumped into its (probably very dirty) fountains. I’ve participated in their crazy easter egg hunts. I’ve taken tennis lessons for years at their outdoor courts. I could never get tired of this park.
  • In both 1939 and 1964, Flushing Meadows Corona park hosted the largest international exhibitions to ever be held in the country. The World’s Fair was a huge worldwide event, meant to showcase the various achievements of nations. After the 1964 fair, the remaining funds were used to rehabilitate the site into a true park. It officially opened in 1967, but within a few years, the park fell into disrepair, with wild animals coming back to the area. Improvements throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and an $80 rehabilitation in 1987, revitalized the park and brought it back from the dead.
  • Today, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the fourth largest park in New York City and the largest in Queens, with almost 900 acres of land. Visitors from all over the city continue to visit the area and enjoy many of the sites and activities that the park has to offer. There’s soccer, tennis, baseball, and volleyball. You’ll find a wildlife conservation center, a recreation center, a skating rink, and an Olympic-sized indoor pool.

Prince Tea House

  • There isn’t much history or origin about Prince Tea House online, but it should be noted that every Flushing-local considers it a top food destination. Prince offers a wide selection of teas and desserts – my favorites are the tiramisu and the matcha crepe cake. It is nestled on Prince Street (hence the name) and is actually quite small. Regardless, once I moved out of the area it quickly became one of the places I missed the most.

Skyview Mall

  • For my last spot, I felt like it was necessary to highlight the Skyview mall because it truly represents the ways Flushing has changed over time. I remember the construction of the Skyview mall and how many locals were hesitant to its opening. With the Skyview mall came other efforts to “revitalize” the neighborhood and bring in more revenue. Some argue that Skyview is merely an example of the rising gentrification of Flushing – which is true in many ways – but it also serves as a meeting place for locals and tourists alike.