Things To Do In Floral Park

Once upon a time, a deserted stretch of Commerce Avenue may have been enough to make even the most unflinching New Yorker jumpy after dark. But today, something truly terrifying is lurking in the borough. Haunted-house vets Timothy Haskell, Bobby Ferrara, and Steve Kopelman have unleashed a horrifying host of zombies into this fog-filled, strobe-lit warehouse, where groups of willing victims must navigate each twist and turn if they hope to save their delicious brains. To make it through the 15- to 20-minute journey alive, guests must steady their nerves against loud noises, uneven footing, and tight spaces, as well as actors who may try to touch them or pass them a copy of their newest headshot.

Mike Cannon fell in love young, and he fell in love hard. He was only 6 years old when he first stepped on board a fishing boat. For the next three years, his seasick father dutifully took him fishing every weekend, until one day, Mike told his dad that he didn’t need to come along. So it was at age 9 that Mike began his career as a bucket cleaner. At age 13, he became a deck hand for Capt. Mike Abbaticchio aboard the Capt. Mike, which he purchased for his own 16 years later. Today, he still commands the Capt. Mike, setting off into Jamaica Bay and the New York Bight with fishers of all experience levels for full- or half-day charters. Mike provides rods, bait, and tackle and doles out advice for catching winter flounders or avoiding direct eye contact with enraged striped bass.

A colorful creature soars high above Rocky Point's coastline. Its rainbow sail lifts, dips, and turns over sandy beaches and a blue ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see. The gliders in question belong to GMI Paragliding School, which makes its home along Rocky Point, a site insured by the United States Hang Gliding Paragliding Association. The school’s skilled instructor introduces beginners to the basics of paragliding, which include ground control, monitoring the weather, theory, and techniques to avoid attracting amorous vultures. After mastering beginner skills, new flyers can join Long Island Paragliding Club to pursue dreams of someday touching the sky’s ceiling.

With more than 100 years of history behind it, the St. John's University athletics department has earned the respect of rival programs in a number of sports. The past century has seen the St. John's men's basketball team rack up the seventh-most victories in the NCAA, sending 60 players to the pros in the process. As a testament to its success, the basketball team now plays most of its home games at Madison Square Garden, world-famous for its bewildering lack of plantlife. The school has also had success in baseball and soccer, making six College World Series appearances and taking home the NCAA Division I men’s soccer championship in 1996.

Staffed by tennis professionals, Alley Pond Tennis Center is home to one of the largest indoor tennis bubbles in North America and spaciously houses 11 hard courts, along with several located outdoors. Mini-camps are excellent both for the tennis tenderfoot who wants to master the game's basics or the evil supervillain who wants to infiltrate the meddling League of Mutant Tennis Teens. In classes ranging from five to eight players, students will be provided with rental racquets and balls and within two hours will have subdued the strokes, savored the scoring, and charmed the miserly nets of the game.