Key takeaway:
- Sunnyside is a residential Queens neighborhood next to Long Island City, served by the 7 train at three stations.
- Sunnyside Gardens, built between 1924 and 1928, is a landmark planned community and the neighborhood's best walk.
- The year-round Saturday Greenmarket on Skillman Avenue and the restaurants along Queens Boulevard, Greenpoint Avenue and Skillman Avenue make it an easy half day.
Sunnyside is a quiet, mostly residential neighborhood in western Queens. It grew up after the Queensboro Bridge opened in 1909 and the Flushing Line subway reached Queens in 1917, and most of it was built between the early 1920s and the late 1930s. You come here for the architecture, the food and a slower pace, a short subway ride from Manhattan.
Getting to Sunnyside
Sunnyside is bounded by Hunters Point and Long Island City to the west, Astoria to the north, Woodside to the east, and Maspeth and Newtown Creek to the south. The 192-acre Sunnyside Yard rail complex runs along its northern edge.
The 7 train serves Sunnyside at three local stations: 33rd Street-Rawson Street, 40th Street-Lowery Street and 46th Street-Bliss Street. Express 7 trains pass through without stopping during rush hours, and the nearest express stop is 61st Street-Woodside, one stop east.
Outdoor Activities
Parks & Playgrounds
Sunnyside Gardens Park, set aside on the eastern edge of Sunnyside Gardens, is the largest privately held park in New York City. It is one of only two members-only parks in the city, the other being Gramercy Park, so check membership rules before you plan a visit.
Lou Lodati Park sits next to the Sunnyside Greenmarket on Skillman Avenue.
Walk Sunnyside Gardens
Sunnyside Gardens is the reason many visitors come. It is a planned community of brick rowhouses and small apartment buildings north of Queens Boulevard, built between 1924 and 1928. Architects Clarence Stein, Henry Wright and Frederick L. Ackerman designed it as the first built community of the Regional Planning Association of America, a group that included the critic Lewis Mumford. The two-story brick rows are arranged around landscaped common courts inside each block.
The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and designated a New York City historic district in 2007. Nearby, the Phipps Garden Apartments at 39th Avenue and 50th Street were designed by Clarence Stein and opened in 1931.
The Sunnyside Arch
The Sunnyside Arch is a steel gantry over 46th Street at Queens Boulevard, spelling out "Sunnyside" in lit letters. It went up in 1983 as a gateway to the neighborhood and is a good photo stop when you come out of the 46th Street-Bliss Street station.
Indoor Activities
Museums
Sunnyside has no major museum of its own, but several are a short trip away:
- MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, at 22-25 Jackson Avenue, with free admission for all.
- The Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, with pay-what-you-wish admission.
- Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing, open Tuesday through Sunday.
Washington Irving's home, also called Sunnyside, is a different place. It is in Tarrytown, New York, not in Queens.
Entertainment and Events
Interesting Events
Sunnyside is on the route of the annual St. Pat's for All parade. The neighborhood also has a long sports history. In 1901 the Irish-American Athletic Club opened Celtic Park near 48th Avenue and 43rd Street for Gaelic games, and the Sunnyside Garden Arena hosted boxing until it was demolished in 1977. A memorial now marks the arena's former site.
Dining and Food Experiences
Sunnyside's main commercial corridors are Queens Boulevard, Greenpoint Avenue between 39th and 49th Streets, and Skillman Avenue and 43rd Avenue. The food reflects the people who have settled here. Several Irish pubs opened on or near Queens Boulevard in the 1990s. Korean, Turkish and Romanian immigrants arrived in the 1980s, and a growing Mexican community in the 1990s and 2000s.
Rather than aim for one famous restaurant, plan a walk along Greenpoint Avenue and Skillman Avenue. Restaurants open and close often, so check recent listings for specific places.
Sunnyside Greenmarket
The Sunnyside Greenmarket runs year-round on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Skillman Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets. It has connected local farms to Sunnyside residents since 2007. It is a good stop for produce and locally made food.
Shopping and Unique Stores
Shopping in Sunnyside is local and spread along the same corridors as the restaurants: Queens Boulevard, Greenpoint Avenue and Skillman Avenue. Expect neighborhood shops rather than big malls. For a larger shopping trip, Long Island City and Jackson Heights are a short ride away on the 7 train. See our guides to Long Island City and Jackson Heights.
Getting to the airport from Sunnyside with BLADE
For a flight out of JFK or Newark, you can take the 7 train into Manhattan and fly with BLADE. BLADE offers seats on scheduled helicopter flights between Manhattan and JFK or Newark, about 5 minutes from $195 per seat. BLADE's Manhattan lounges are BLADE Lounge West at the West 30th Street Heliport, BLADE Lounge East at the East 34th Street Heliport and BLADE Downtown at the Wall St. Heliport.
FAQs about Fun Things To Do Near Nyc'S Sunnyside
Does the 7 train provide easy access to Sunnyside?
Yes. The 7 train stops at 33rd Street-Rawson Street, 40th Street-Lowery Street and 46th Street-Bliss Street. Express trains skip these stations during rush hours.
Is there a museum called the Museum of Mi in Sunnyside?
No, there is no known museum called the Museum of Mi in Sunnyside. The closest major museums are MoMA PS1 in Long Island City and the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Is the Sunnyside house museum in Queens?
No. Sunnyside, Washington Irving's home, is in Tarrytown, New York.
What are some popular neighborhoods in Queens for family travel?
Sunnyside pairs well with Long Island City for museums and waterfront parks, and with Jackson Heights and Flushing Meadows Corona Park for food, the Queens Zoo and the New York Hall of Science.