In May 2006 I took a subway/bus/walking tour of bocce courts in southwest Brooklyn. Today, my exploration of the city's bocce courts continued.
With no plans on my schedule, I figured this afternoon would be perfect for a tour around Northwest Queens. I took the N from Brooklyn to the end of the line in Astoria.
I didn't really plot my course other than by making the decision to visit the three potential courts in Astoria and then, probably, two more courts. I grabbed a Queens bus map once I got off the train.
Here's a rough sketch of how I spent my day:
Steinway Playground (aka Steinway Community?)
Was this a bocce court 20 years ago? I have no idea. When I looked at this court from Google Earth, I figured there was definitely a court here. I was surprised to find no such thing in person. I walked through this small park and couldn't find any hint that bocce had ever been played here, unless the court was leveled and paved over as possibly suggested by the photo below.
From here I walked a number of blocks toward the river and then headed south to find my next court.
Astoria Park
There were a few guys playing petanque on this surprisingly intact court.
The sideboards have seen better days and there's a strong breeze coming off the river but in the summer this would be a pretty swell place to play. If I play here, I'll need to remember to bring my own scoring mechanism.
After snapping a few photos, I dashed out of the park and picked up the 19A bus. It zipped me through Astoria and I was on Steinway Street in no time at all.
Ditmars Park
This place had an incredibly active bocce scene. Two games were going on when I arrived, with a number of people standing around and watching. These courts are in great shape.
The ball holders at this court were unlike any I'd seen before. The locals here fashioned a diagonal ledge intruding onto the court, from the top of the back sidewalls. It looked to be very effective.
One of the things I saw at this court that I'd never seen before was the ledge on top of the back wall rubber bumpers. It's about 10 inches deep and makes it easy to stand at the end of the court without getting in the way of play. It also makes it easy to sit on the back wall.
Because I had more courts to explore, I headed down Steinway Street to 30th Avenue where I caught the 18 bus. The bus left Astoria and wound through Woodside, heading toward Maspeth. I stepped off the bus just before it reached the LIE. I walked a few blocks west toward what I thought was Maurice Park.
Frank Principe Park (aka Maurice Park?)
The sign outside the park wasn't the one I was expecting, but there were bocce courts!
These two courts seem to be playable, but not ideal for bocce. The scoreboards have seen better days. Overall, the surfaces seem mostly level and all the sideboards are intact. I'd play here, but getting here using any means other than a bus or car is tough! I also didn't see any nearby bodegas.
I turned around and headed back toward the LIE, crossing it on my walk toward Juniper Valley Park. My face lit up when I saw a 7-11. I couldn't have been happier to pull myself a 22oz. Slurpee!
After a few blocks I found my next destination.
Juniper Valley Park (aka Juniper North)
These two courts were the home of the 2007 Citywide Bocce Tournament. Rumor has it there was some controversy with the bocce balls that were used! Scandal!
These two very nicely maintained courts featured a different scoring mechanism than I've seen at the other parks. Instead of a peg board, the folks here use a circular clock-type scoreboard.
I sat on one of the numerous benches, finishing my Slurpee. A few of the guys were talking about court maintenance and the different surfaces used. Apparently, the tennis clay stuff on the court the gentleman below can be seen smoothing out wasn't mixed with sand. One guy was adamant that a partial sand mixture was a necessity. He was also a believer in using a wide, heavy board coated with carpet on the underside. Apparently, that's the best way to keep the court smooth. I love that there's just as much arguing about court maintenance as there is about which ball is closer!
Speaking of court maintenance, here's where the locals keep their folding chairs, bocce balls and other goods locked away. Notice the use of large white pails for the carrying of bocce balls. The guys at Ditmars Park also used these.
Upon leaving Juniper Valley Park, which I kept calling Juniper Creek Park - thank you Big Love, I walked to the R train in Rego Park.
It was a good tour of a few of the bocce courts in Queens. There are still plenty of courts in the city to map and visit.
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