Find A Park > Gorman Playground

    Gorman Playground

    30 Ave., 25 Ave. bet. 84 St. and 85 St.

    Queens

    Directions via Google Maps

    This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

    What was here before?
    From colonial times until the early 1900s, the area now known as Jackson Heights was a large marsh called Trains Meadow. As NYC grew more densely populated, a housing shortage emerged. In 1909, Edward A. MacDougall's Queensboro Corporation purchased 325 acres of undeveloped land and named it Jackson Heights, after John C. Jackson, a notable Queens entrepreneur. The area, initially low-lying, was raised to avoid flooding and became the highest point in the area. "Heights" was added to signal the neighborhood's exclusivity, drawing inspiration from Brooklyn Heights. Initially accessible by ferry, the neighborhood became more reachable with the opening of the Queensboro Bridge in 1909, followed by the 7 train in 1917 and double-decker buses in 1922.

    Read More

    © City of New York © OpenStreetMap contributors
    This map is designed to represent parks as they are used by the public. It should not be used to represent the legal boundaries of property under Parks jurisdiction. If you would like to view all City property under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks, please visit NYC OpenData.

    Check out your park's Vital Signs

    Clean & Safe

    76
    Park Condition Score
    $2.9M
    Recent Investment

    Green & Resilient

    85
    Mapped Trees
    No natural areas present at this site.
    View all Forever Wild sites

    Empowered & Engaged Users

    No recent or upcoming events.
    Find all upcoming events in parks
    No active volunteer groups.
    Help start a volunteer group

    Share your feedback or learn more about how this park is part of a Vital Park System