An orthodontist was killed while taking his 5-year-old daughter to the Annadale playground at Flushing Meadows Park. Around 11AM, Daniel Malakov was shot in the chest twice by someone who witnesses say was wearing a black fleece. Malakov had been taking his daughter to meet his ex-wife, and his family believes their divorce may be related to his killing. Malakov had won custody of little Michelleka last week "after a brutal court battle," according to......

There's a fun NY Times City section article about the Queens Museum of Art's Panorama Challenge. The Queens Museum of Art's panorama is a to-scale model of New York City: One inch equals 100 feet (the Empire State Building is 15 inches tall) and the model was originally designed for the 1964 World's Fair, as a "helicopter" ride over New York City. (And, yes, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses commissioned the panorama in 1964, just......

This is a report we'd love to get our hands on: The Post reveals details from a 44-page City Council report about crimes in the city's biggest parks. And it turns out that Riverside Park leads all parks, with 36 major crimes reported during the spring and summer; Flushing Meadows Park had 35 crimes, and Prospect Park was number three, with 25 major crimes. Central Park was not included "because it is its own......

Police believe that the man severely beaten on Christmas Day near the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park was part of a string of robberies by the same men. The victim (pictured and still unidentified) in Monday's Christmas attack had been riding his bicycle and is now in critical condition. So far, nine people have been robbed. Two men were attacked on Christmas Eve - one pedestrian and one bicyclist - and the only person not......

Yesterday, there were two mugging incidents in city parks. Last night, a man was beaten with a club near the Unisphere in Queens' Flushing Meadows Park. He had been walking through the park around 6:40PM when two men attacked him. Police believe they were trying to rob the man, who is now in critical condition at Elmhurst General. And yesterday afternoon, a tourist from Singapore was threatened at knife point in a Central Park bathroom.......

If you're looking for some non-traditional activities this weekend, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is taking place all weekend long. Saturday and Sunday from 9-5, there will be dragon boat racing, food, and other cultural activities in Flushing Meadows Park. Dragon boat racing has a long history that, according to legend, symbolizes the race to save someone that committed suicide. Gothamist will be there, participating in at least four races. How will you......

News that Queens Borough President Helen Marshall is putting her discretionary account towards repairing the Unisphere (regularly working fountains!) reminds Gothamist of another classic, and often forgotten, New York trip: The Queens Museum of Art and the Panorama of the City of New York located within it. The QMA in Flushing Meadows Park is located within the New York City Building from the 1964 World's Fair. The Museum regularly shows works by local Queens......

There's a really cute picture in the New York Times of little kids dressed up as the Bible action hero, Bibleman. Bibleman has been in Flushing Meadows Park, on hand for the Billy Graham revival (which saw Bill and Hillary Clinton last night), is fascinating to Gothamist because who knew Christians would think men wearing tights would be okay. That, and the "Jew-y villains" that WFMU's blog pointed out. For instance, here's WFMU's description of......

Starting today, the Reverend Billy Graham will be preaching in Flushing, Queens in what it seems like everyone is excitedly calling "his last crusade" because he's old and seems to be ready to die. The "crusade" is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people, and it'll be a big media event, too - Brian Williams anchoring the NBC Nightly News tonight from Flushing Meadows Park tonight; the Hollywood Reporter points out that Graham's......

City Rag tipped us off to another annual NYC barbecue event. Gothamist has attended the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party this year and last year, but we haven't yet made it to BBQ NYC, which was held on July 24th in Flushing Meadows Park. City Rag was able to interview the founder of the event, Travis Mills, and take some mouthwatering pictures which makes us even more sad that we weren't there. We'll be sure......

If it's the U.S. Open, then it's that time of year to complain about how expensive food at Flushing Meadows Park is. USTA officials were trying to enforce a "no food policy" to spectators - to the point of forcing fans to fork over $5 to check in their food - but when faced with a nasty fan revolted, they revoked it. Claiming heightened post-September 11, fans hadn't been able to bring food in containers......