Protesters outside the shuttered Rainey Park on Saturday morning. Photo: Shane O’Brien
April 15, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Vernon Boulevard was a cacophony of horns, bells, and whistles Saturday morning as a group of Astoria residents staged a six-hour “honk to reopen Rainey Park Protest.”
The park, located at 34-24 Vernon Blvd., has been shuttered since September 2023 for extensive $8.5 million renovations, including improvements to the park’s play areas, athletic fields, sidewalks, and green spaces.
Rainey Park, which lived up to its name on a dull and dreary Saturday morning, was originally scheduled to reopen after a year, protesters said. However, renovations have now been ongoing for a year and eight months following numerous delays, while protesters said they are concerned that the park will not reopen in time for summer.
Protesters held signs bearing slogans such as “Fence Down, Park Open” and “Honk to reopen Rainey Park,” encouraging passing motorists to honk their horns as they drove along Vernon Boulevard.
Protesters encourage motorists to support the demonstration. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Tom Griffin, a local resident who took part in Saturday’s protest, described the park as a vital resource to the local community, especially for senior citizens who cannot walk to other parks on the Queens waterfront. Griffin said the park also offers an outlet for low-income families during the summertime.
“I think the whole neighborhood would be delighted even to see some kind of partial reopening be considered if the whole thing cannot be reopened,” Griffin said Saturday.
Tom Griffin encourages motorists to beep their horns. Photo: Shane O’Brien
He said he has been in constant contact with the Parks Department about the delayed reopening of the park but described the responses as “nonsense.” He added that it would be “scandalous” if the park is not reopened by the summer.
“It will be scandalous for this to roll by into a second summer with no access,” Griffin said.
Griffin spoke of how the park is a vital community hub during the summer months, recalling how his daughter learned to ride a bike in the park when she was younger. Prior to its temporary shuttering, Rainey Park also held regular barbecues and community volleyball tournaments throughout the summer, Griffin said.
He said the closure has impacted the “whole neighborhood,” from dog owners to families with young children, and that it is a shame to look through the fencing at a park “frozen in time.”
“The only ones getting benefit from this is a pack of a gaggle of geese in there who probably think, you Christmas came early because they have the whole place to themselves,” Griffin said. “But people want to be in there. It’s ridiculous. We’re waiting one year and eight months at this point and still no end in sight.”
However, the park’s closure has not just impacted local families looking for an outlet on weekends and during the warmer months. Local businesses have reported a significant drop in revenue since Rainey Park’s closure almost two years ago, with foot traffic falling steeply in an area of Astoria that does not boast a large variety of public amenities.
Jorge Delgado, owner of the nearby Nexxdoor Mini Mart at 34-43 Vernon Blvd., said he saw a 35% drop in business in summer 2024 compared to summer 2023 as people who normally frequented his store while visiting the park went elsewhere in the city.
“It was a difficult summer last year,” Delgado said. “We still have support from the neighbors, but with the park, it was easier because people came in and bought drinks or ice cream.
“I hope they open soon. I’ll be honest, business is getting really low.”
Jesse Siqal, who opened Bakers Cafe LIC at 34-06 9th St. just two months before Rainey Park shuttered, said there was a massive drop in business last summer compared to his first summer in the location.
“There’s really nothing besides warehouses and residential houses,” Siqal said. “There’s really nothing to do down here. There’s nothing to attract people to come down here for (except Rainey Park).
Siqal believes he will be forced to move out of the location if the park does not reopen by the summer and described the continuous delays as “bullshit.”
He also believes the park is a vital resource for local residents, describing Rainey Park as the one public amenity readily accessible to all.
“There’s nothing to do here,” Siqal said. “You work five days and just want to de-stress – you want to go there (Rainey Park) and clear your mind and just forget about everything. You can’t do that (anymore). My wife is pregnant. Where can she go.”
Griffin, meanwhile, said he plans to continue to draw attention to the issue until the park reopens to the public and has consistently contacted the offices of Council Member Tiffany Cabán and Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani on the subject.
Photo: Shane O’Brien
Mamdani, Cabán and the Parks Department did not respond to a request for comment. An “updated completion date” on the Parks Department website states the reconstruction of Rainey Park is due to be completed in April 2025.
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