Flushing Town Hall is the premier venue for music and arts in northern Queens. The Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts runs a tight ship with local artists in the gallery, jazz and other music concerts in the Great Hall, and special family programs and festivals. It's all housed in a beautiful building that's Victorian-era on the outside, but new, or at least 1980s, on the inside.
Flushing Town Hall Address and Phone Number: Flushing Town Hall by Subway, LIRR, and Bus: Subway / LIRR Directions: Take the #7 subway or LIRR (Port Washington line) to Flushing-Main Street. Walk north on Main Street (4 blocks). Cross and turn right on Northern Boulevard. Flushing Town Hall is at Linden Place (1 block) on the north side of street.
Bus: At least 15 buses serve the area, including Queens buses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20A, 20B, 25, 27, 34, 44, 48, 65, and 66.
Driving Directions to Flushing Town Hall: The Town Hall is at Northern Boulevard and Linden Place, close to congested Main Street. Avoid driving on Main. For
parking try Northern or Linden.
Whitestone Expressway: Exit at Linden Pl. Turn south onto Linden. Continue 1 mile to Northern.
Grand Central Parkway: Exit at Northern (9E). Continue via access road to Northern. Continue straight to Linden (3 blocks).
Van Wyck Expressway: For northbound traffic only, exit at Northern (13E). Continue to Linden (3 blocks).
Events and Facilities at Flushing Town Hall: The
Art Gallery stages exhibits throughout the year, often featuring local Queens and New York artists. Live jazz concerts and cabaret performances are in the
Great Hall, a state-of-the art theater that can be converted between typical auditorium seating and cabaret-style tables. Regular
Saturday-morning art workshops for children bring families to the Town Hall. High school students also work on performances.
Only the art gallery is free. Members receive discounts.
Queens Jazz Trail: Of special note is Flushing Town Hall's commitment to Queens' jazz legacy. Hundreds of jazz musicians lived in the borough during the music's heyday, including Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. The Town Hall runs a
Jazz Trail bus tour to see the homes of the jazz greats, especially
Louis Armstrong's, on the first Saturday of each month. An accompanying map of the homes is beautifully illustrated. On display in the Town Hall's staircase is a small but rich collection of jazz memorabilia.
Nearby Restaurants and Things To Do: Downtown Flushing is a major Chinatown. As large is the local Korean community, especially stretching east along Northern Boulevard.
For comfortable eats, the cafe Sago is en route from the subway, and offers everything from wonton soup to tuna fish sandwiches. A must is their tapioca iced tea. There are hundreds of Chinese and Asian restaurants nearby, including these picks.
Flushing Town Hall is on the Flushing Freedom Trail, celebrating Flushing as the crucible of religious freedom.
History of Flushing Town Hall: Built in 1862 in the Romanesque Revival style, Flushing Town Hall originally it served as a staging post for local soldiers leaving for the Civil War. For years it was the center of cultural and political life in the Village of Flushing. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke there in 1865.
By the 1980s, however, the Hall was dilapidated, and NYC took over the building. It soon became home to the Flushing Council, which renovated the interior, while preserving the landmark exterior.
Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts: The mission of the not-for-profit Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts is to be a revitalizing and creative force in the community. It's affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute. Members receive performance discounts, gift shop discounts, invitations to special events, and special benefits from the Smithsonian.
In addition to events and education, the Council offers local artists marketing and technical assistance, seminars, and consulting with art business professionals.
