Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park – Tourist Attractions in New York City
Pelham Bay Park
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Pelham Bay Park
Pelham Bay Park, located in the northeast corner of the New York City borough of The Bronx, is at 2,764 acres (11 km²) the largest public park in New York City, more than three times the size of Manhattan’s Central Park. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
About 600 acres (2.4 km²) fluctuate between being walkable and underwater, due to the rapid tide changes in the salt marshes and the receding shoreline of Orchard Beach. It includes land on both sides of the Hutchinson River, as well as all of Hunters Island, Twin Island, and Two-Trees Island in Long Island Sound (now also part of the mainland). On its north is the village of Pelham Manor in Westchester County. The park borders the Bronx neighborhoods of Country Club, Pelham Bay, City Island, and Co-op City.
The southern part of Rodman’s Neck is not part of the park but is occupied by the NYPD Rodman’s Neck Firing Range. The City Island Bridge connects the park to City Island. A 19th century plantation-style mansion called Bartow-Pell Mansion is a colonial remnant done in Greek revival style. It is a National Historic Landmark.
The lagoon nearby was once part of Pelham Bay and was called Le Roy’s Bay in colonial times. The lagoon was widened and dredged when it was chosen as the site of the 1964 Olympic Rowing trials.
At the northeast section of the park is Orchard Beach and a parking lot that were created by Robert Moses as the Riviera of Long Island Sound. One third of Pelham Bay, from which the park got its name, was filled in with landfill to make Orchard Beach. The park is crossed by the New England Thruway, the Hutchinson River Parkway, and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor railroad.
In the southeast section of the park, near the New England Thruway, there are 4 softball/baseball fields, a playground for children, picnic area, tennis courts, a parking lot and several trails for walking/biking/running. Moreover, there is a large running track that was recently renovated. The renovation was part of New York City’s attempt to obtain the 2012 Summer Olympics. This track has a bleacher section off to its side and surrounds a grassy area that is used for both soccer games and football games. There are two overpasses that span the New England Thruway and bring parkgoers from the residential area of Pelham Bay directly into this section of the park.
The park is the home of the Bronx Equestrian Center where visitors can ride horses through the parks’ trails, enjoy pony rides or obtain riding lessons.
Location
The Bronx, New York City, NY, USA