City Gardens: Trenton's Lost Punk Rock Mecca

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The building seemed to sag against the Trenton sky, its walls leaning in a way that looked both tired and dangerous. I was driving, searching for a lunch spot after a morning spent exploring the city's industrial skeletons, when I saw it. A questionable choice, maybe, but curiosity is a powerful guide. I pulled over. Getting inside was one of the sketchiest entrances I’ve ever attempted. But once my feet were on the dusty floor, the danger faded. An enormous space stretched before me. It was sparse, cleaned out. My footsteps echoed where a stage once stood, a fact I’d later confirm in a NNKH YouTube video about the building’s past life as an underground punk club. The video showed a vibrant scene, an electric place. But the ghosts of that life were mostly gone. The long, rounded bar, where thousands of hands must have slapped down crumpled bills, had vanished. The dust-coated wine and shot glasses that once lined its shelves were gone, too. The club’s glittering crown jewel, a l...
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Queens Parkway Hospital





The long-abandoned Queens Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills is finally set for demolition, marking the end of a saga that began over 15 years ago. Nestled in a bustling residential neighborhood off the busy Grand Central Parkway, near P.S. 196 elementary school, the hospital served the community for roughly four decades before shutting its doors in 2008.



The closure was part of a broader initiative led by the New York State Commission on Healthcare Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission. The commission identified Parkway as one of several hospitals with an excess of unused beds, prompting the state’s Department of Health to mandate its closure. Despite a series of legal battles by the hospital’s owners to keep it open, the courts ultimately upheld the decision, sealing Parkway's fate.


The hospital's troubles were further marred by scandal. Robert Aquino, Parkway’s CEO, and former State Senator Carl Kruger were both imprisoned after investigators revealed that Kruger had accepted bribes from Aquino in exchange for political favors aimed at preventing the closure.








After the hospital shut down, there were numerous attempts to redevelop the property. Early plans included constructing market-rate housing, but these efforts stalled due to the complexities of navigating the Housing Commission process. The Department of Health had also suggested repurposing the site as a health clinic or diagnostic center, but those ideas never gained traction.



Now, after years of neglect and inaction, the new owners are finally moving forward with plans to demolish the crumbling structure. For the Forest Hills community, the move brings the hope of new opportunities and a fresh start for a site that has long been a symbol of bureaucratic gridlock and unfulfilled promises.



As demolition crews prepare to clear the property, the neighborhood awaits their new neighbors.











As of November 2024, the long-dormant grounds of Queens Parkway Hospital, a former clinical affiliate of Lenox Hill & Health Care Network, in Forest Hills are finally buzzing with activity. Heavy machinery lines the site, poised to transform the once-vacant hospital into a vibrant residential and community space. This redevelopment marks a significant milestone for a property that has languished for over a decade.  



The plans are ambitious: the existing six-story hospital building will be reimagined as an eight-story residential complex with integrated community facilities. The project will include a mix of parking options, featuring an enclosed garage with 19 spaces and an open parking area accommodating 86 vehicles.  












The hospital site changed hands in a $31.7 million deal between Jasper Venture Group and a consortium of buyers—Top Rock Holdings, SYUProperties, and RJ Capital Group. Jasper Venture Group had previously planned to develop the site into 135 affordable housing units, with a portion reserved for senior citizens. It also envisioned a new 14-story building with 216 market-rate apartments elsewhere on the property. However, earlier plans for condominiums fell through, leaving the property in limbo until its recent sale.  



This redevelopment reflects a growing trend in New York City: repurposing shuttered hospitals into residential spaces. According to a report by 6sqft, at least seven of the 18 hospitals closed in the city over the past 20 years have been converted into housing. If completed, Parkway would become the third former hospital in Queens to undergo such a transformation, joining the ranks of other adaptive reuse projects.  



For the Forest Hills community, the project offers the promise of renewal. What was once a symbol of disuse and delay is now poised to meet the city’s pressing demand for housing, all while blending modern living spaces with community-focused facilities. As construction ramps up, residents eagerly await the next chapter in Parkway’s story—a transformation from a shuttered hospital to a thriving residential hub.










March 9, 2025: Site Progress.


August 3, 2025: Asbestos Abatement.



šŸ„ More Abandoned NYC Institutions & Landmarks


Sources:




1.  Colangelo, A.  (2018, December 12). Queens’ Parkway Hospital, closed 10 years ago, slated for housing. amny.

2. Gustafson, A. (2008, November 11). New Parkway Hospital to close. QNS.

3. Mazzarella, M. (2018, October 3). Parkway Hospital Site Enters Public Review Process; See First Look at Residential Conversion. CityRealty. 

Location: 70-35 113th St, Flushing, NY 11375, USA

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