Lipson Island, also know as Lipson Boulevard, is a strip of land located in Queens in New York City. The island is connected to the mainland by a small bridge that has been nicknamed “The Killing Fields”. It is also the site of a former quarantine station for people who had contact with the virus that later became known as SARS. Lipson Island is now home to an amusement park, a botanical garden, and a wildlife refuge.
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Lipson Island History
Lipson Island, originally known as Lipson Boulevard, was once an isolated island in the Flushing River. In 1916, it became a quarantine station for people who had contact with the virus that later became known as SARS. The island remained active as a quarantine station until 2003. Since then, it has been redeveloped into an amusement park and wildlife refuge.
The island at the time of its quarantine was part of Flushing Township. Lipson Boulevard separated from Killingsworth Road, and continued east all the way to Queensbury across Grande Island Creek. The portion westward on Grand Island, which is now known as West Hillside Drive though only a few blocks southwere renamed Chestnut Grove in 1918 by then-Flushing Borough President/Councilman John J. Phelan II.
Climate
Lipson Island experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. 39.7% of days have highs that do not reach or top freezing, averaging 4.1 degrees above . Additionally 57% of the area receives precipitation on one day, with only 17 days getting less than .
Climate data from The Weather Channel: San Diego Sunny Days (1971–2000) and Heat Index (1964-2010), Record High 64°F set July 12 1939; Record Low -4°F on February 10 1917 ; Record High Heat Index 84°F on July 16 1964; Median House Yearly Temperature 50.0 °F in 2000, Average % Precipitation 44 .0%; Average Household Size 2.59 people
(2007 data) area reported in US Census data as Flushing, NY.
Culture
Lipson Island is home to a botanical garden and wildlife refuge. The island also features an amusement park, which has been open since 2003. There are seven ferries that provide access to the island. Two of these, Grumman’s and Kingfisher’s operate between 11am-10pm daily during summer months only.
Other ferry trips depart on weekends around sunset beginning in May (sometimes early evening) or September depending on usage levels. The other two were discontinued by 2013 due to safety concerns after a fatal accident in 2005 off Coast Guard Island when at least one visitor lost his life.
Politics
The island’s former quarantine station has made it a popular tourist destination. The amusement park, which features rides and attractions such as a mini golf course, offers panoramic views of the city from atop its observation tower.
Lipson Island also contains a wildlife refuge that is home to bison, squirrels, and other native animals. The Flushing Bridge, the 9th longest covered bridge in America at 1,824 feet (570 m), used to cross Grande Island Creek connecting it with what is now known as West Hillside Drive on Grand Island.
Government services
The New York City Department of Transportation operates the Belle Harbor Ferry which crosses Grande Island Creek to Lipson Island. The ferry has stops at both the southern and northern ends of Lipson Island. The Flushing Bay Bridge (I-Queens) carries Roosevelt Expressway over Grand Island Creek and connects Queensbury in the Borough of Flushing with West Hillside Drive on Grand Island in Nassau County, where Chestnut Grove is located.
In popular culture, the island appears in multiple episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The show has featured several scenes set on Grand Island and its smaller neighbor to the South, Baxter’s Neck. Lipson Island also makes an appearance (with a slightly different name) in “The Sopranos” episode titled “Pine Barrens”, which follows high school rebel Richie Aprile as he escapes from New Jersey to Queens to rescue a girl he has been dating.
It also appears briefly in “Manhattan Undercover” on the CW television network, in which New York City Police Department Detective Laura Vega gets information from an informant by bribing him with Grand Island’s jurisdiction over Nicky Santoro (Junior), an organized crime figure.
Tourism
The island is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area and is served by local buses on Roosevelt Island. The Belle Harbor Ferry offers passenger service from Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Nassau County. Lipson Island and Grand Island are connected by a pedestrian bridge which spans Grande Island Creek connecting them both to Roosevelt Island.
The island is home to a botanical garden, The Flushing Community Center and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School. The latter uses three facilities – ArborVest; Kosta Rull Elementary Primary Campus; Saint Ignatius Loyola High School – connected by series of multi-purpose hallways known as the Narrows.
Transport
The New York City Department of Transportation operates the Belle Harbor Ferry which crosses Grande Island Creek to Lipson Island. The ferry has stops at both the southern and northern ends of Lipson Island. The Brooklyn-bound stop is in the Grandview Plaza area at the southernmost end of Lipson Island, while a Manhattan bound stop is located near Bayside Park on Grande Island.
Cuisine
Grand Island being part of the New York City Metropolitan Area offers a wide range of cuisines. Typical dishes include chicken tikka masala, burgers at Five Guys, Indian food at Shalimar, Japanese cuisine such as sushi and tempura at Sushi Zanmai and yakitori (barbecued skewers) in numerous places on the island. Incidents and mysteries
Another aspect of the story is that no one on either island seems to have seen Bouvier (or her bull) after she was shot by Lipson. Lipson also doesn’t speak French, but according to his girlfriends he’s fluent in Spanish – including saying ‘fuck’ at least twice in conversation; both times spontaneously confirming that there are only two things necessary for life: water and women.
Conclusion
Lipson Island is an artificial island in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, United States. The island was created in 1966 as the centerpiece of the York River Naval Shipyard. The island is about in size and has a total land area of about . It is currently used for shipbuilding, ordnance testing and training, and as a naval reserve center.
FAQ
1.Where Is Lipson Island Located?
Ans: Lipson Island is located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, United States.
2.When Was Lipson Island Created?
Ans: The island was officially created on November 15th 1966 as the centerpiece of the York River Naval Shipyard. Prior to its creation, it had been known variously as Gouldsboro Landing and Gunston Hall.
3.What Does Lipson Island Cover?
Ans: The total land area of Lipson Island is about , and the majority of this is water, being only a small portion above ground.
4.What Do Members Of The Public GAIN Access To On Lipson Island?
Ans: Public access to Lipson Island can be enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike in several areas throughoutYorktown, VA., however one such vantage point that provides pan oramic views of Yorktown is at the Lipson Point Fort.
5.What Are The Historical Aspects Of Lipson Island?
Ans: The island’s history as a military post has long been associated with that of war and defense, starting back in 1622 when it was known simply as Gouldsborough Landing. In 1907 it became part Francisco Fortress, named after an officer who had died during its construction. During World War II this site was designated Camp Debert, given the task of housing a tank battalion.
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