By Michael V. Cusenza
A crowdfunding page on change.org crafted by a group that goes by the handle “Forest Hills Stadium” has reached its goal of raising $25,000.
The group wrote:
“If you love Forest Hills Stadium … if you love the music, the history, the singular space … if you believe the venue belongs here and should continue with our mission, PLEASE SAY IT OUT LOUD!
“For more than a century, Forest Hills Stadium has been a destination for entertainment. Consistently ranked as one of the top outdoor live music venues in the nation, Forest Hills Stadium has hosted the biggest names in music and tennis – bringing people together to share singular experiences under the open sky. If you’ve been there, you already know: the scene is amazing, but so are the jobs, the economic impact and the joy the venue creates and delivers.
“Forest Hills Stadium is a great neighbor. They are responsive, flexible, engaging, and thoughtful. Each performance ends by 10:00 p.m., cleaners work the streets before, during, and after shows, and the venue has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on noise mitigation and controlled amplification. All in the name of community.
“Forest Hills Stadium has been a part of the fabric of Queens for decades, but it is now being threatened with a frivolous lawsuit and is at risk of being shut down. Please help show local representatives in government that the community and the people they serve love and support Forest Hills Stadium.
“Forest Hills Stadium loves to love, but Forest Hills Stadium also needs to affirm the support from its friends and neighbors.
“So please say it out loud – I Love Forest Hills Stadium – and please sign this petition.
Those who donated echoed the sentiments of those who started the petition.
“I think that Forest Hills Stadium is a great part of New York City sports history and a gem of its Queens neighborhood. I think that concert organizers, artists, vendors and patrons are respectful of that history and have been making wonderful new memories there for years now. It would be terrible if it did not continue as the wonderful venue it is now,” Amy Strassler wrote.
“I live down the street from the stadium and I think it’s one of the best things to happen to the area it brings fun and diversity to an neighborhood desperately lacking it. I’ve never had a complaint about anybody who’s come through to see any of the shows and I think that the stadium does a great job managing its impact. I support Forest Hills stadium,” Anthony Stephens added.
“I live basically next door to the stadium and it is a greater neighbor than some of our human neighbors here,” Cindy Bomzer said.
And John Suzuki added, “I’ve lived in FH when the stadium hosted the US Open. I’ve lived in FH while the stadium sat silent, decaying and sad. I’ve lived in FH as the stadium has been revitalized and come back to life. Living in FH is better when the stadium is full of life.”
