Landing Lights Park

Landing Lights Park.
It’s named so for obvious reason, the ALS (approach lighting system) light poles cut through this area to guide aircraft on final approach to Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport.
As such, when LGA is using 4 for arrivals, you get dollar for dollar the best plane spotting in the area. The touchdown zone is roughly ¾ mile from this point so when the jets fly overhead, they’re at around 500 feet or so.
Really friggin cool if you’re an aviation nerd like I am.
I’m in the area quite often on other business so I find myself over here killing time or waiting to rendezvous with a colleague. Sometimes I lose track of time watching the parade of jets overhead.
Aside from the approach lighting and low flying aircraft, that’s about it. Its otherwise pretty much just green space in an old and cool neighborhood.
The only thing I miss is the variety of aircraft that used to fly into and out of LGA.
For as long as I can remember, a TWA Lockheed L-​1011 departing using the «Whitestone Climb» was my alarm clock as a kid growing up in Flushing. It’s been about 15 years since the last L-​1011 departed LGA.
There used to be a healthy squad of Airbus A300s from Eastern Airlines, and quite a few Boeing 767s daily.
Seeing any widebody aircraft at all at LGA is extraordinarily rare these days. Every so often Delta swings one of their 767−400s through to ATL in the summer, but that’s rare. Just think, not that long ago, several L-​1011s used to fly overhead every day.
Do you have any idea how cool that was back in the day at Landing Lights Park? Really, really cool.
Now it’s all various regional jets, A320s, 737s, and of course my favorite, the Boeing 757… A pure hot rod when powered by Rolls-​Royce RB211 engines.
However I should mention that its not at all unusual to see a couple of Air Force fighter jets swing through. Every so often a pair of F-​15s from Otis AFB on Cape Cod or a couple of F-​16s from McGuire down in South Jersey will bless us either returning from or heading to whatever it is they’re doing.
It’s cool to pass by and see them sitting on the ramp, and its even cooler to watch a couple of high performance military jets depart LGA using the same ordinary procedures as the big airliners. No Top Gun/​Iron Eagle hooligan stuff, no full afterburner vertical climbs and barrel rolls over the Unisphere, LOL.
Anyway, I’m getting off topic. Come check this park out. If LGA is using Runway 4 for arrivals, you’re in for a real treat!

The fenced in area by 78^th and 30^th is a nice grassy area and generally clean. So far I’ve had good experiences with all the dogs and dog owners that come here.
The only issue is that some nights there is a lot of landing planes that fly directly over the park and my dog does not like the loud engine sounds, she just wants to leave. Maybe she will be able to relax and have fun if she gets used to the sound.

My dog likes this place. She has her pee and poop spot here and refuses to walk anywhere else until she’s had her walk here.
There is garbage laying around most of the time (damn litterers!) and dog poop everywhere (not my dog’s).

Great place to see the planes land, really relaxing.
It’s really interesting and amazing.
If you have «dog» then definitely bring him/​her along «if they poop don’t forget to scoop!»
Good Luck!
I forgot to mention this place is extremely romantic but be careful with huge rocks, especially at night (OUCH!)

Cute place for your dog!

This is where laguardia airport has their landing lights, hence the name .
There a 3 separate fields to landing lights.
The first is on the north side of 25 avenue between 78 and 79 st, the second is between 79 and 80 st on the south side of 25 avenue and the third one is between 80 and 81 st on the south side, the one between 78 and 79 street has a separate baseball field, benches and a water fountain .
Sometimes people set up a volleyball net and play volley ball, have picnics etc
All in all this is a good place to suntan in the summer as its never packed, or play ball or chill with your dogs. Early mornings they have a meet up for dogs to play, nice people, nice dogs .
My only complaint is the garbage, people use these spots as a dumping ground for their cars garbage and also people who come to this park to hang out !
Especially after a nice weekend you will see tons of garbage dumped here. Inconsiderate, lazy pigs !