When most people dream of New York, the vibrant lights and bustling streets of Manhattan are usually the first images they conjure up. Queens usually nestles in the back of their mind, shrouded by the splendor of urban communities. Forest Hills Stadium, however, has consistently brought mobs of both music and sports lovers to the often overlooked borough.
Since its inception in 1923, the venue has been a hub for New York’s culture. It was initially the home of the U.S Open, a battleground where tennis stars like John McEnroe, Chris Evert, Helen Wills, and Rod Laver dueled it out on court. It was on the lush greens of the stadium that Laver polished off one of the most extraordinary tennis careers ever.
The Forest Hills Stadium has also been the backdrop for some of the most important cultural turning points in sports history. In 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American tennis player to win the U.S Open. This victory was enormous in light of the racial barriers he had to strike down to win. Similarly, incredible progress for women unfolded on the courts of Forest Hills. Billie Jean King, a champion of gender equality, prevailed in an intense match against Evonne Goolagong on the courts. Maureen Connolly also advanced the women’s movement through her historic win over Doris Hart. She became the first woman to achieve a tennis Grand Slam, creating an enduring legacy. Their victories elevated women’s voices in sports and politics, challenging the prejudiced attitudes towards female athletes of their time.
The stadium doubled as a live concert venue as well. During the 1960s, it began hosting some of the biggest names in the music industry: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones. Most notable is the Beatles’ iconic performance at the venue at the height of Beatlemania. Scores of eager fans lined the streets of Forest Hills, eagerly waiting for the biggest band on the planet to grace the stage. In a desperate attempt to obtain tickets, sleep-ins and raffles were hosted. Some even bartered with their most prized possessions to gain entry to the venue. When the British boyband finally stepped on stage, it was electrifying. The show ran for thirty minutes, but its short duration was easily made up for by the lifetime memories it made.
Many also reminisce about Frank Sinatra’s extraordinary three-show sensations in the stadium. Sinatra engaged the crowd with an exhilarating performance of his hit songs, including ‘My Way’ and ‘Fly Me to the Moon.’ Louis Armstrong even made a surprising appearance during his opening night. The number of memorable performances that the stadium hosted during its heyday was remarkable, cementing the stadium as a musical hotspot of Queens.
But this golden age did not shine forever.
In the early 2000s, the stadium fell into an intense state of disrepair. The sound systems were in ruin, the courts were cracked, and bushes engulfed the area. The neglect made a renovation seem like a hopeless endeavor. That is until ambitious music promoter Mike Luba burst onto the scene.
Despite initial apprehension from the Forest Hills community, Luba worked with Tiebreaker Productions to restore the classical beauty that it once possessed. The seating was renovated, the concrete was patched, and the walls were insulated to mitigate noise. The revival was extraordinary.
To commence the stadium’s resurgence in Queen’s culture, Mumford & Sons performed a sold-out show on August 28th, 2013. The band played tennis onstage, tossed tennis balls to the crowd, and displayed an electric performance at the venue. The concert revitalized the music scene, something that residents believed to be impossible a few years before.
Since its comeback, Forest Hills stadium has hosted a variety of big names in the music field, including Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, The Strokes, and Drake.
The renowned band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, performed at the fully-packed venue in 2017, marking a significant milestone since the stadium’s resurrection. Petty entranced the crowds with his most popular hits, including the famed ‘American Girl.’ Though his two-night show at the stadium was the last that New York City would get to experience, the walls of the stadium retain the intoxicating thrill of his music.
The progress of the stadium has also instilled a sense of pride in the Forest Hills residents.
“I think that it holds a lot of old authentic charm because it was really significant to New York City culture through the U.S. Open. There are a lot of symbols of that when you walk in. Queens in itself isn’t a typical tourist destination, but when you go in you see these huge crowds of people. As a Queens resident, you are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people, and it’s kind of a surreal experience when it’s your hometown” said resident Ananya Kothari ’27.
Despite many locals enjoying their accessibility to live music, some believe the venue is doing more harm than good.
The stadium is nestled in the picturesque suburbs of Forest Hills Gardens, but the quiet of the neighborhood is constantly disrupted by the raging concert seasons. Forest Hills resident Carol, who has been living there for 24 years, said, “It really bothers me. They started off doing 10 [concerts] but now they’re up to around 20 to 30. Poor people pay their taxes to live in a very beautiful neighborhood. These big corporations are making a lot of money, but it affects these people.”
Many members of the community have submitted complaints regarding noise issues and street congestion. Some have been working tirelessly to prevent the disruptions. The Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, a local nonprofit, filed a lawsuit arguing that the stadium was a constant nuisance to the neighborhood. The judge ruled that there should be a collaboration of both parties to institute the crowd control policies that are needed to satisfy the residents. Mike Luba, the spearhead of the venue’s rehabilitation project, is working on addressing these concerns. He has poured thousands of dollars into noise mitigation with installations such as sound-dampening lining in the stairways. The stadium’s management also works closely with public transits like the LIRR and the MTA in order to secure safe transportation options for concertgoers so as to curtail any major disruptions. Luba has constantly reiterated that he is open to tackling the issues that the Forest Hills community has brought up.
The venue has been making additional strides on the environmental front as well. They have set a goal of reducing carbon emissions in light of the increasingly daunting threat of climate change. The stadium has implemented solar-powered charging stations, energy-efficient lighting, and free water refill stations. According to their management team, “Forest Hills Stadium has offset the venue’s carbon footprint by 150% for each of the past two years, offsetting more than 2,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions while protecting 6,900 acres of grassland from being developed.”
Forest Hills Stadium is committed to making live music a carbon-neutral endeavor. They’re also committed to making it a flavorful one. The food vendors in the amphitheater are like no other. Concertgoers can enjoy dining in a variety of cuisines, including Greek, Italian, and Korean. One of the most notable food attractions of the site is Nick’s Bistro, a bar and restaurant that is a beloved eatery that serves classic Mediterranean food. The stadium has also partnered with many other local eateries in order to strengthen community bonds and support the businesses, including 5 Burro Cafe, Eddie’s Sweet Shop, and Gloria Pizza.
With the iconic performances, green initiative, and diverse assortment of food, one thing is clear — the stadium is the epitome of all that Forest Hills represents: community, preservation, and heritage. The venue remains a testament to the never-say-never attitude that Mike Luba had when he emerged ten years ago. Though the concert season has come to a conclusion, the stadium remains a community cornerstone of Queens.
“I think that it holds a lot of old authentic charm because it was really significant to New York City culture through the U.S. Open. There are a lot of symbols of that when you walk in. Queens in itself isn’t a typical tourist destination, but when you go in you see these huge crowds of people. As a Queens resident, you are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people, and it’s kind of a surreal experience when it’s your hometown” said resident Ananya Kothari ’27.