Jackson Heights Life

Hi everyone -

I was looking through some old newspaper articles (1931-1932) recently and found some references to the Jackson Heights Stadium, at Northern Boulevard and 93rd Street. Does anyone know anything about this stadium? I haven't been able to find any information other than very slight references to games.

Thanks!

Not stadiums per se, there were two popular fields that were used by business-sponsored teams on Sunday afternoons. One was located the north-side at Northern Blvd between 88th Street and 89th Street ("Dukes Field"), the other on the south-side of Northern between 92nd and 93rd Street. I seem to recall that a team called "Tom Travers" played there on Sundays' as well. At "Dukes Field," the right fielder was positioned on 89th Street when a left-handed batter was at the plate - and had to call "time-out" when a Triboro Coach Q-19B bus came by. This was in the time period after WWII until the early fifties. I am not sure how long those lots were vacant and still utilized for Sunday afternoon baseball games.

I grew up in Jackson Heights, living on 89th St. What is described above as "Dukes Field" I didn't get to--I would have had to cross Northern Blvd., a hazardous act. But the other field described was just that--an empty lot, west of P.S. 149,  :-\totally undeveloped, as were a number of other lots at the time. I played sandlot ball in the early 50s on the next lot west, 91st to 92nd Sts., which was raised about six feet because the basements of other buildings previously built had been dumped there. (May have been between 90th and 91st.) Also played in the construction sites later in that decade as the lots were developed. By the 60s there were no lots left. No stadium in the 50s; not even benches or a backstop; just dirt and weeds.