The Biggest Dog Park Around in a Little Town

Map of the Freeway Dog Park, located on arfarfrockaway.org

Dogs parks are a huge part of New York City. There are over 100 of them in the five boroughs alone. Owners take their dogs there to socialize and hopefully get a little exercise. Do you know the biggest dog park in NYC? Nobody does, but there is one dog park that could definitely be the biggest doggies park there is: The Freeway Dog Park!

The Freeway Dog Park is located in Rockaway Beach, NY. According to Zina Skachinsky, the executive director for two years of the Allied Rockaway Foundation for Animal Recreation and Fitness (ARF-ARF), Freeway Dog Park is the biggest dog park in Queens.

“There has been no official survey, but the initial estimation of the map puts Freeway Dog Park at a little over 2.25 acres. That is not an exact guestimation,” Zina said. “The only other park near that size is the Hillside Dog Park in Brooklyn. It only states two plus acres on the website. So Freeway Dog Park is definitely the largest in Queens if not in the entire city of New York.”

ARF-ARF started in 2006 when a group of dog owners from Rockaway started looking for a place to put a dog park. However, the group was faced with a lot of opposition from the locations they suggested, such as Shore Front Parkway. Finally, they were given one section of Freeway Park, which is located along Rockaway Freeway and Beach Channel Drive. Even though the park was “underutilized mostly because it had a reputation of illicit activity,” the group figured it would be the perfect location since the park is surrounded by trains (it forms a triangle) and the residents wouldn’t hear all the barking.

This is when some of the community members formed ARF-ARF and started to look after the park. In 2008, the core member of the group left for personal reasons and there was talk about turning the park into a Transfer Station. A few group members stepped in and said they would take over the group and care for the park.

“Now the park is filled with regulars and the whole community has been built around it,” Zina said. “Even though it has a long way to go in terms of amenities, the people who go to the park feel they are safer because they know the people in their neighborhood. They are surrounding themselves with familiar faces.”

If you go to the website, there are tons of photos of the dogs who frequently visit the dog park with their owners. There are also many tabs such as the calendar of events, a virtual tour of the park, news and email. On Saturday, May 21 of this year, Freeway Dog Park has its 5th anniversary celebration of “My Bark Day” which is the Parks Department Partnership for Parks Day. There were about 100 people in attendance and there were just as many dogs there as people.

“Just about everyone knew each other,” Zina said. “It’s truly a rare site to see in New York City. That’s one of the many great things that I believe dog parks can do: bring people together and form a community in a huge place like New York City where nobody knows each other.”

Some people oppose dog parks, even though this is hard to believe since there are so many and they are so popular among many dog owners.These people say that loose dog packs form and there might be conflict in the park deciding which dog gets which position, or the owners might not be paying attention to their dogs which creates potential danger, and also the dog might not be socialized enough to be around so many other dogs. There is also concern that dog parks that are too big might create dominant behavior. Zina says the main problem is overcrowding.

“Many of the runs in New York do not have separate sections for small dogs and large dogs to play so they are all in the same place and stepping all over each other,” Zina says. “The more crowded they are, the more tension and excitement there is and that’s the nice thing about having the size and space that we do. The dogs aren’t on top of each other. They have someplace to go. Smaller dog parks don’t have that luxury.”

Freeway Dog Park has a small part that is sectioned off for time outs or for small dogs who want to get away from larger dogs. Just because Freeway is a large dog park, doesn’t mean there are more problems there then smaller dog parks. “Size is not a disadvantage,” Zina said. “Small parks have the same complaints as large parks do. Responsibility lies with the individual owner.”

Also, only 86 dog bites out of around 4000 bites that happened this year were off-leash in a park. “That’s a pretty good ratio,” Zina said. Most of the dog bites happen on a leash or in the home. So this shows that dogs are not hurting each other in dog parks.

ARF-ARF provides a healthy resource to foster the fitness and social growth of dogs and their owners, according to Zina. The Freeway Dog Park satisfies the needs of dog owners and non-dog owners alike. ARF-ARF “acts as a Stuart of this park, developing it and improving it as a beautiful, well-maintained space open for all dog lovers and their friends who are willing to uphold the parks rules and regulations.” The organization also educates people on how to care for their pets and be responsible pet owners. Furthermore, they hold community events and their own events in the dog park which include “low-cost services and resources to people who may not have access to them otherwise.”

“Well-socialized, exercised dogs are well-behaved dogs and in turn creating a pleasant outdoor experience for everyone in the community,” Zina says.

Just like other parks, The Rockaway Freeway Dog Park has some improvements that ARF-ARF wants to make happen. Here are some items that are on the “wish list” besides water and lighting:

1. Install separate entrance in the small dog area while slightly increasing it. Also separate entrances on the west end and separate section used for agility, workshops and other activities (when it is not being used, it will be used as a separate time-out).
2. Install more benches (so people have more places to sit and enjoy the park and watching their dogs play). This is also good for those dogs who are getting bullied or chased. The benches provide a way to break up the tension and excitement. Ultimately, it would enhance user experience.
3. Install waste stations with hand sanitizer and poop bags with own separate waste containers.

It looks like there are going to be some good things coming up for the Freeway Dog Park, as well as for the dog owners and their dogs who go there to enjoy a wonderful experience, including socializing and exercising.

Watch the showcase (below) that I did on the Freeway Dog Park. And remember, don’t be afraid to show your dog the hottest place located on a small peninsula called the Rockaways: The Rockaway Freeway Dog Park!

Use your noodle

They make the food like you want it!

I named this site medianoodles.com because I want to write about a variety of things that are happening around the city, especially in Queens, NY since I live there. I also think there are a lot of “noodles” floating around NYC that I would really like to get inside of and understand where they are coming from. Some noodles that I really want to get into are the noodles that go to restaurants and feel that they don’t have to tip the waiter for their service and hospitality or they feel $2 is a very good tip on a $100 check. I mean, really? Is that how they really feel? I really want to ask them what makes them think that a waiter could go home with $2 and pay ONE bill with that. Like, thanks, but NO THANKS. Imagine if someone gave you a dollar or two and said, “Thank you SOOOO much for your service. You were great! Heres $2.” I want to ask them what would they do with $2. The tip is usually 15% of the bill or to make it simple, it’s just double the tax. So on an $80 check the tax is usually $5.56 or something of that sort. That’s basically a tip of $11 or $12, $15 to be generous. If you don’t have the money to tip or you just don’t appreciate the things people do for you, or you are just cheap, please, don’t come out to restaurants like Applebees or Red Lobster. Tips are our wages, our pay for the day. Tips are our salary.

We provide you with a great dining experience!

Yes, I am speaking for all servers who work in the food service industry. TIP NOT ONLY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO, BUT ALSO BECAUSE ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. And please, don’t come to sit into a restaurant for an hour and off the back have an attitude with the server just because you had a bad day. Don’t take it out on us. Remember, we handle your food in the kitchen. Haha. It’s just something to think about. We are not SERVANTS, we are SERVERS. Treat us with respect. We took this job not only to make money but to put a smile on your face and hopefully you can say we made your day. =]