Out of the five boroughs, Queens, not surprisingly, has the most public bocce courts. One of them is located in Corona at William Moore Park. Despite the area's largely Hispanic population the locals refer to it as "Spaghetti Park" since the area surrounding the park retains such a strong Italian identity.How does an area remain "Italian" even as the population shifts? Well, in this case, the bocce court helps, but many of the businesses surrounding the park appear Italian-- for example, not only are there multiple restaurants displaying the Italian flag, but this is also the home to the Lemon Ice King of Corona, where you can get the best Italian ice in the City. So, more than the reality of population composition, it is the presence of recognizable ethnic identifiers that, as Philpott shows, leads a neighborhood to be defined as an ethnic enclave.
From there, I made my way to another of Queens' bocce courts. This one is at Astoria Park, in the shadow of the Hell Gate Bridge. this morning, I found six old men playing a game that was sedate in comparison to the roiling water under the bridge. It is easy to understand why the river at this spot got the reputation it did, but the quiet Italians were definitely defying stereotypes.
