6. The Oldest Living Organism in NYC Exists in Alley Pond Park

The oldest and tallest tree in New York City, known as “the Queens Giant” can be found in Alley Pond Park. According to a 2004 article in The New York Times, the gigantic tulip tree is believed to be over 450 years old. In 2005, it stood tall at 134 feet and continues to withstand the test of time. A NYC Park sign, placed at the location of the tree, reveals just how old it is:

“It was standing tall when General George Washington passed close by in 1790 on a tour of Long Island, and it was most likely a young tree when the Dutch East India Company sent a group of Walloon families to Manhattan in 1624.”