Welcome to Flushing / Orange Trail / Green Trail

Welcome to Flushing, also, Orange Trail, also, Green Trail. Flushing Freedom Mile. , Welcome to Flushing , Founded in 1645 as the first permanent settlement in Queens, Flushing has a rich and exciting history. Originally called "Vissingen" by the Dutch, it started as a tiny, tranquil hamlet within the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Over the past 350 years it has evolved into a thriving mini-city within New York City, with one of the most vibrant populations in the country. A mecca for people from all over the world, Flushing was the site of two World's Fairs, from 1939-1940 and 1964-1965, as well as the site of the first meeting of the United Nations in 1946., The village of Flushing was established in the spirit of freedom, by a group of English settlers seeking a haven where they could practice their religion freely. Over the years, waves of immigrants , including Irish, Jewish, German, Italian, Chinese, Indian, and Korean , have settled here, all adding to Flushing's rich culture and heritage. Today, you can hear more languages spoken on the streets of Flushing than in any other community in the United States. The religious tolerance championed by the earliest residents is still alive and well in 21st century Flushing, where church, synagogue, mosque, Shinto shrine, Quaker meeting house, and Hindu temple peacefully coexist. The unique sense of community and diversity of Flushing can be seen throughout the neighborhood, through both its people and its historic landmarks., Orange Trail , The Orange Trail takes you through the busiest streets in Flushing, where historic landmarks endure amidst the noise and bustle of the present. You'll encounter some of Flushing "firsts": Flushing High School, the oldest public high school in New York City; Friends Meeting House, the oldest surviving house of worship in Flushing; and the site of the first proclamation of religious freedom in America. You'll find traces of Flushing's colorful past, where vaudeville and circus performers once played, where presidential candidates and movie stars appeared to packed audiences. And you'll learn about two of Flushing's notable residents, Lewis Latimer and Daniel Carter Beard, and their contributions to American life., Green Trail , The Green Trail will guide you through a quiet residential area, where some of the most important events in Flushing's history took place. You'll see Bowne House and George Fox Stone, testaments to religious freedom at a time when Quakers were targets of persecution. You'll learn how the Macedonia AFrican Methodist Episcopalian Church and the Flushing Female Association School served Flushing's emerging African-American community in the 19th century. You'll pass the site of Parsons Nursery, where horticulturist Samuel Bowne Parsons introduced exotic species of trees, including the Weeping Beech, to the United States. Many of Parsons' trees can still be found on the streets of Flushing today.