It had been a while since we'd visited Victory Field and this was out first visit since they finished reconstructing it in 2007.  We were very impressed and have filed the following report.  As we entered Victory Field, we were greeted with a group of folks playing cricket in the outfield of the main baseball field.  Below, at left, you see a "batsman" awaiting a pitch from the "bowler" (at right).  Although we didn't quite understand the rules, it was fun to watch. 

Walking further along, we stopped off at the softball fields, but no one was playing this day.  Growing up, we spent a lot of time on this field, playing softball, and we were happy to see that it was in terrific shape.  It used to be that a sharply hit ground ball was dangerous - an unpredictable bounce could turn a regular grounder into a painful and embarrassing event.  But the softball court looked smooth and clean. 

Next, we walked down to the track and were surprised to see that the old cement stands had been replaced.  It certainly opens up the entire park and makes the track seem more of a part of it.  The new metal stands are very comfortable.

As for the track, they've created a nice workout area near the North end of the track (below, left).  And the track itself was populated with all sorts of people, from serious runners, to those (like ourselves) that were just out for a walk.

The track itself was no longer covered in gravel.  It's now a softer material, an attractive blue color, that was comfortable to walk on.  And in the middle of the oval, the grass field had been replaced with synthetic grass.  There were people playing softball and soccer and plenty of room for both.

Right on the field they had goal posts which could be used for soccer and football.  And they were on wheels so they could be moved, and a game set up almost anyplace.  Below is a group of kids who moved one of the goal posts near the South end of the oval so they could practice their shots on goal. 

Back on the track, we encountered a young girl who was trying to get her new puppy used to walking on a leash.  He got off the leash for a moment, and ran about, but she scooped up the leash pretty quickly and they continued around the track. 

Around the south end of the track, we stopped to take a few pictures of the surrounding area.  Once we get ourselves in better walking shape, we'll tackle the bicycle path that runs through Forest Park.  Peeking through the gate, we took a look at the old train tracks.  That would be fun to walk along to see what we can see - but that will have to be a project for another day. 

And before we left, we stopped for a few minutes to watch the folks playing handball.  As the weather warms, these courts, as well as all of these fields, will begin to get crowded. 

From the announcement regarding the reconstruction to Victory Field comes a little history:

Prior to 1895, the year Forest Park was created, the site was owned by Lalance and Grossjean and was home to a kiln used to manufacture pots and pans. Victory Field was dedicated on December 6, 1925 in memory of the "Unknown Soldier of the World War." When the field opened, it boasted six baseball diamonds, basketball and handball courts, and a quarter-mile cinder track. Today, the Victory Field Sports Complex boasts the new track and field, as well as handball courts and the only wheelchair football field in New York State.

Over the past five years, Parks & Recreation has spent more than $157 million for Queens park improvements, adding more than 80 acres of parkland and the largest recreational facility in any City park. Currently, Parks is in the midst of a major initiative to improve parks throughout Queens, with 33 projects costing $72 million under construction, and another 88 projects costing $67 million currently in design or procurement.

The hard work and money has paid off and we were real pleased to see how beautiful Victory Field was looking.  We look forward to visiting more often and hope that our own hard work will pay off and we'll be able to better cover all of Woodhaven.  At the very least, we hope the aches and pains of walking will ease up a bit!