A Local's Guide to College Point, NY

I always found it amusing when I was a teen. I would take a fifteen minute bus ride to Flushing to hang out with my best friends. We would always gawk at the pretty girls and occasionally we would gather up the nerve to talk to them. In any conversation of this type, one of the main questions asked is "So where are you from?" As always, I would tell them I lived in College Point. Wouldn't you know it.... Nine out of ten times the reply would be: "Where is that?" Now, normally a question like that isn't such a huge deal when you live far away from the area you are hanging out in at that moment. If I were in Chicago, I would expect it. However, we would be standing just a few miles from my town and almost always I would have to explain where College Point was. I always thought that was one of the many beauties of College Point.

Growing up in College Point was great.... especially for me. I lived right down the street from McNeil Park, or as we kids called it - Chisms Park. I never did find out why, but for some reason we did. Chisms is a great place for kids to go and play. They have a great playground, complete with basketball courts, handball courts, swingsets, various jungle gyms and not to mention a sprinkler situated near the middle for when the weather got hot. There are also benches and tables for the adults to sit at. Very rarely during normal hours will you find the playground to be empty. However, that's just the beginning. The park is surrounded on one side by the Long Island Sound, and let me tell you something.... it is an absolutely breath taking view. The park is surrounded by a walkway (mostly all concrete) for joggers, walkers and runners to exercise. You can usually find people jogging in the early morning before work. Ther front entrance also has a baseball field, which also doubles as a football field for flag football. I have even seen league soccor matches and on a few occasions I have seen Cricket being played. The front field also sports a very nice hill. When the snow comes down and blankets the field, many come with sleds and go sledding down the hills. If you wold like to visit Herman A McNeil Park, you can find it along Poppenhusen Ave in between College Place & 5th Ave.

College Point is a small town, but everything you could need and want (within reason) are located there. They have a huge shopping center located on 20th Ave in between 132 Street & The Whitestone Expressway. There you can find Target, Circuit City, BJ's, McDonalds, TJ Maxx, Babies R' Us, Modells and a few others. It's a wonderful shopping center but beware on weekends as the places are usually packed with shoppers. If you go along the Whitestone Expressway, just off linden Place, you will find the College Point MultiPlex along with Toys R Us. Usually the Multiplex is packed as well. Back in the heart of College Point, along College Point Blvd, you will find stores such as Walgreen & Eckerd. There are a few banks, laundrymats, delis, and a handful of 99 cent stores (some of my favorites). College Point even sports two 7-11's within a 10 block radius! How incredible is that? So incredible they sport two Dunkin Donuts within a 20 block radius!

College Point is not just about shopping. It's about the people. It's about the beauty. It's what beckons you there and as some say, keeps you there. There are whisperings that no matter where you go, the curse of College Point will always bring you back. In my youth, that was always true. No matter where we moved to, we always came back. Until 3 months ago, that was my home. Now I live in beautiful Oregon. That's another article though.

College Point always makes you feel safe and comforted. It has that small town feel to it, and the people are friendly for the most part. You can just sit down on a bench and expect that someone will want to talk. It's that type of homely feel that always makes me smile.