Ralph's Park Traditional Cache
Tatanka49: Time for this one to go opening the area to others. It was placed when no other caches were in Astoria Park
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This is my third cache where you can enjoy the view of the mighty Hellgate as you search for a cache. The cache was a standard tupperware container until I had to replace it. It may one day become one again. Right now it's an Altoid can.
This cache is located in Ralph Demarco park.
Ralph Demarco (1908-1977), a community and political leader in Queens County, envisioned a park at this site, and worked hard to turn his dream into reality. Convinced that an attractive waterfront would improve the quality of life for people in Astoria, he fought to make the East River a place to relax and enjoy the beautiful view of Manhattan.
In 1652, this area was part of Newtown; subsequently, it became part of the village of Astoria in 1839, of Long Island City in 1870, and finally of New York City in 1898. An original Indian trail between 20th and 21st Avenues led from Hell Gate to eastern Long Island. The trail, which was laid out as the Bowery Bay and Out Plantations Road in 1638-50, still lies under 20th Road. The Hell Gate was described in 1670 as "a narrow passage, [through which] there runneth as violent stream both upon flood and ebb, and in the middle lied some islands of rocks, which the current sets so violently upon, that it threatens present shipwreck.¨ It was formed by underground faults, and contained some of the deepest water in New York Harbor.
In 1968, the land was mapped as an addition to Astoria Park. The new mapped area was an irregular elongated strip of decrepit waterfront, 1,790 feet in length and varying in width from 39 feet to about 244 feet, much of it still underwater. The New York City Transit Authority used the material excavated from the 63rd Street subway tunnel as landfill for the park, greatly reducing costs. Demarco died in 1977, never having seen the finished park. The arrangement of the narrow park, with paths, sitting areas, and weeping willows, provides a beautiful walk along the shore of the East River.
As much as I dislike micros, I had to place one here temporarily until I can put a more creative cache back on line. This is a slightlt new location since cachers were destroying the bushes.
Watch for muggles on nice days and the neighbors on the porch across the street.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pbhyq or zntargvp (ohg vg'f abg) Nyy'f jryy gung raqf jryy.