Crowley Playground

What was here before?

This area was previously known as Newtown, which was originally settled in 1640. Renamed Elmhurst in 1896 to appeal to home buyers, the area experienced rapid growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by real estate development and major transportation improvements, including the subway. Many homes in this neighborhood were demolished to build the Long Island Expressway and Queens Boulevard. Once a middle-class suburb with a largely Jewish and Italian population, Elmhurst had become one of New York City's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods by the 1980s, home to immigrants from over 100 countries.

How did this site become a park?

The City acquired the land by condemnation in two parcels, in 1953 and 1957.  Both parcels were acquired as street land for the Queens-Midtown Expressway but were transferred to Parks to be used as parkland. The park opened with several basketball and handball courts, two jungle gyms, swings, benches, game tables, trees, and park house.

In 1985, the playground was rehabilitated through the Neighborhood Parks Restoration Program with new pavement, repaired benches, updated park house and landscaping. 

In 2025, the basketball courts were rebuilt with a new ADA-accessible entrance to the upper courts. An adult fitness zone was added along with bike racks and water bottle filling station. 

Who is this park named for?

Walter H. Crowley (1932-1985) was a New York City Council member who was born in Jackson Heights, Queens. 

Crowley attended St. Mary’s Catholic Grammar School, Grover Cleveland High School, and graduated from St. John’s University School of Law in 1957. Crowley served first in the National Guard for six months, and then with the United States Army Reserve from 1958 to 1964.  He was also a trustee of the City University of New York from 1976 to 1980. 

In 1982, Crowley was elected Democratic Leader of the 30th District and was chosen to be a delegate at the 1984 Democratic Convention.  On January 9, 1985, another democratic politician, Thomas Manton, resigned from the City Council after being elected to the congressional seat vacated by Geraldine Ferraro when she ran for Vice President in 1984.  Crowley was appointed to complete Manton’s term.  During this tenure, he started a 24-hour help hotline for constituents, protested with the parents of P.S. 91 students against the Board of Education’s use of bituminous coal, and fought against proposed homeless shelters in Maspeth and Long Island City. 

Outside his professional sphere, Crowley was also a member of many organizations, including the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Queens County, the New York Bar Association, the Champlain Council of the Knights of Columbus, the Maspeth Democratic Club, and the Ancient Order of the Hibernians.  He was married to his wife, Mary Childs Crowley, for several decades and they had fifteen children, twelve daughters and three sons.  In early September 1985, Crowley won a hard-fought primary election for the Democratic nomination in the 21^st District, but died on September 24, 1985, of cancer.  His wife was appointed to complete his term.