Goodwill Park

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. I was wandering around the streets of New York with no particular goal in mind, as I often do.
This particular day had brought me to Queens, an area which I’m sorry to say I didn’t know too much about. I got off the subway in Astoria, a spacious, peaceful neighborhood in the northwest part of the borough. I pretty much had no idea where I was, but I figured if I just started walking, I would get to one of two things: the waterfront, or another subway stop.
Then I turned the corner, and right there in front of me was— the entire skyline of Manhattan!
Wow!
It was a totally unexpected sight. I had unknowingly walked into Goodwill Park, a small waterfront playground next to the Goodwill Terrace Apartments, which are attached to Goodwill’s NY headquarters. Well, the beautiful view definitely caused me to feel good will!
I took a seat on a bench and enjoyed the Upper East Side, Gracie Mansion, Roosevelt Island, the Queensboro Bridge, the Citicorp, the Chrysler, the Empire State, and all the way down to the left, the financial district. The sun was starting to get in my eyes in the afternoon, so it would have probably been more enjoyable in the morning. The sunrise first hitting the East Side must be lovely! It was incredible how close Manhattan was.
I guess the only down side is that the area is a little isolated. It’s not very commercial, mostly residential, so I probably wouldn’t go alone after dark. The other thing is that the nearby Goodwill Apartments are technically «projects» for low-​income and disabled people. While I was sitting on the bench a teenage girl approached me and started telling me her life story. I mean, I was friendly about it, but I still thought it was sort of odd. After looking on the Goodwill website I learned that those apartments also house individuals with mental illnesses. I’m not sure if that was an explanation for the girl, or merely a coincidence, but I thought it might be useful information for future visitors. There are other nearby waterfront parks, such as the Socrates Sculpture Garden, that are a little more conducive to picnicking and socializing.
Summary: Amazing view, go with a friend in the daytime.