Pomonok, Electchester and Hillcrest

Understanding Pomonok, Electchester and Hillcrest

The Pomonok Country Club was sold in 1949. Part of its land became Electchester, a union-backed housing community, while other land became NYCHA developments including Pomonok Houses. Pomonok Houses opened in 1951 and its public playground followed in 1954.

Hillcrest development began on land purchased in 1909. The veterans' square on Union Turnpike adds a public memorial to the residential landscape.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall opened at St. John’s in 1973 for the study of Asian cultures. Its octagonal form and glazed yellow roof tiles set it apart from surrounding campus buildings. The Yeh Art Gallery, established in 1994, adds a public contemporary-art program inside the hall.

Places to explore

• Pomonok Playground

  Kissena Boulevard and 65th Avenue

  Choose the play area, courts or tree-lined sitting space. The public playground is distinct from the surrounding housing buildings; no residential access is offered here.

• Hillcrest Veterans Square

  Union Turnpike

  Look for the veterans' monument, flagpole and planted street space. It is a small Greenstreets site, not a large recreation park.

• Pomonok Library

  158-21 Jewel Avenue

  Use the branch for reading, computer access or an activity from the current calendar. Check opening before traveling.

• Yeh Art Gallery at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall

  St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway

  Choose an exhibition from the gallery's current program. Admission is free and open to the public when exhibitions are open. Use the campus map to find Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, building 17.

Planning a visit

For the gallery, use the official Queens campus map to find Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. The operator directs drivers seeking a visitor pass to Gate 1 at Kildare Road and Utopia Parkway. The library is a separate destination. Check current transit to the place you choose.

The gallery lists a wheelchair-accessible rear entrance and asks visitors to contact it about accessible parking or other arrangements. QPL lists wheelchair access at Pomonok Library. Check the street approach to your selected destination separately.