The Astoria Park Alliance (APA) had modest beginnings. On a cold December evening in 2006, a small group of Astorians met at Waltz-Astoria to discuss joining forces to create an Astoria Park umbrella group. This group would focus on the health and well-being of the park - organizing park and shoreline cleanups, creating more awareness of the park to the greater Astoria community, and helping with upkeep of the park, including acquiring more trash cans.
Astoria Park Alliance's current mission has stayed consistent throughout its existence: "Astoria Park Alliance is a volunteer group whose mission is to beautify, enhance, and encourage greater community involvement within Astoria Park." And anyone can get involved to keep this mission on target.
Along with cleanups and upkeep of Astoria Park, APA is involved with a few important events. You'll see APA members at Leaf Fest in the fall; braving the cold at Mulchfest in the winter; and running the Astoria Shore Boulevard Fest (formerly the Astoria Water Walk) in the summer. The Astoria Shore Boulevard Fest happens on three consecutive weekends in August and celebrates the music, food, and community of Astoria, all along Shore Boulevard adjacent to Astoria Park and its shoreline.
As part of their beautification efforts, the Astoria Park Alliance has created a butterfly garden underneath the Hell Gate Bridge near 23rd Avenue. This garden is full of plants and flowers that attract butterflies! Members of the community are welcome to come and assist with the upkeep of the garden during dedicated times each week.
The Astoria Park Alliance has also succeeded in bringing more trash cans to the park; having additional trash cans in the park has been a top wish among many Astorians for many years. In 2011, APA received a grant from ioby.org to purchase 15 new trash cans for Astoria Park. Having ample numbers of trash cans helps immensely when it comes to keeping garbage off the ground and the park clean.
APA has also partnered with a number of local organizations, including Green Shores, Partnerships for Parks, and of course the NYC Parks Department. In 2011, they started working with the Parks Department's Greeter Corps. Members of the Astoria Park Alliance will don their bright orange shirts and roam Astoria Park from time to time, saying hello to park users, answering questions about the park, and handing out trash bags as needed.
Want to get more involved with the Astoria Park Alliance? Volunteers are always welcome. Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Steinway Reformed Church (Ditmars and 41st Street). Participation is free.
Astoria Park Alliance
For more information, please see their page on Facebook.