Van Cortlandt Park

June 15, 2023

New York City’s best spots for bird watching

With hundreds of parks and over 500 miles of waterfront, New York City is an excellent place for bird watching. The five boroughs serve as a temporary and permanent home to over 400 species of bird, thanks to both habitat diversity and location on the Atlantic Flyway, the route birds follow during migrations. From Pelham Bay Park in the northeast Bronx down to Great Kills Park on the South Shore of Staten Island, there is no shortage of birding activities in New York. We've rounded up the best places to find feathered friends throughout the city, most of which are accessible via public transportation. For guided bird-watching tours and walks, check out events from NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, and the Linnaean Society of New York.
Full list ahead
November 1, 2022

15 ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in NYC

In November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month as a way to commemorate the cultures, histories, and traditions of indigenous peoples across the country. Although New York became the first state to recognize "American Indian Day" in 1916, it's important to remember that the forceful removal of Native people from their homes is inextricably linked to the history of New York City and the surrounding area. Ahead, find ways to honor Native American Heritage Month, from events at the National Museum of the American Indian to nature-inspired tours through city parks.
Get the list
April 27, 2022

10 of the best running spots in New York City

For avid runners and beginners alike, New York City offers a wide range of places to hit the pavement, from its iconic bridges to green trails nestled in the city's parks. The scenic routes provide unbeatable views of the river and skyline that can keep you motivated to keep going when you're ready to give up. Ahead, we round up the 10 most iconic spots to go for a run in the city, fit for regular marathoners, treadmill-devotees looking for a change of scenery, and total newbies.
Lace up those sneakers...
March 18, 2020

131 affordable apartments available near Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, from $667/month

An affordable housing lottery launched this week for 131 apartments in a newly constructed building in the Bronx. The 13-story building at 150 Van Cortlandt Avenue East in Bedford Park sits near a handful of public parks and playgrounds, including the Williamsbridge Oval recreation center, Harris Park, and the city's third-largest park, Van Cortlandt Park. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50, 60, 90, 110 percent of the area median income can apply for the units, which range from $667/month studios to $2,346/month three-bedroom apartments.
Find out if you qualify
November 7, 2019

10 events in NYC that celebrate Native American Heritage Month

It’s impossible to truly know the history of New York City without understanding the experience of the Native Americans who first inhabited the five boroughs long before Dutch settlers arrived. In November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month as both a way to learn about the culture and contributions of indigenous people and to reacquaint ourselves with the often distorted history surrounding Thanksgiving. From live performances from Ojibwe artist Kelsey Pyro to enjoying a Lenape Harvest in the city's largest concentration of forest, these events, festivals, and exhibits help New Yorkers understand just how significantly Native Americans shaped our city.
See the full list
November 5, 2019

Best of the Bronx: What to do and see in the northernmost borough now

You're probably familiar with the big attractions in the Bronx: Yankee Stadium, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. But the borough has a lot more going on, from historic and cultural treats and treasures to new breweries and restaurants and acres of beaches, parks, trails, and gardens. Read on for a collection of destinations in the city's northernmost, greenest, and most diverse borough that are worth the trip, wherever you’re coming from.
More to do in the Bronx, this way
September 27, 2019

Live near Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, from $1,075/month

A lottery will launch next week for 36 middle-income units in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 3470 Fort Independence Street, the newly constructed building sits about a ten-minute walk from New York City's third-largest park, Van Cortlandt Park, and steps from Jerome Park Reservoir. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 70 and 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, which range from $1,075/month studios to $2,388/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
April 30, 2018

Lottery opens for 15 affordable apartments in Riverdale, just across from Van Cortlandt Park

If you're looking for a bit of the suburban lifestyle without leaving the boroughs, this affordable housing lottery in the Bronx may be for you. Fifteen apartments at Stagg Group’s Riverdale project The Station (so named for being adjacent to the 1 train station) at 5959 Broadway are up for grabs for New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income. These include 12 $1,292/month one-bedrooms and three $1,458/month two-bedrooms. Just as good as the price is the location; the mixed-use building is directly across from the southeast entrance to Van Cortlandt Park, right near the swimming pool and Van Cortlandt House Museum. And for families, it's also just a couple blocks from the prestigious Horace Mann School and Manhattan College.
Find out if you qualify
August 8, 2016

Apply Today for 24 Affordable Apartments Near Van Cortlandt Park, Starting at $1,292/Month

The third largest park in the city (behind Pelham Bay Park and the Staten Island Greenbelt), Van Cortlandt Park is not only adjacent to Woodlawn Cemetery, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo, but it's also home to the country's first public golf course, the oldest house in the borough, and the city's largest freshwater lake. If living near this 1,000+ acre oasis sounds appealing, an affordable housing lottery has just launched for 24 brand new units at 3677 White Plains Road in the Olinville neighborhood. One bedrooms are going for $1,292/ months and two-bedrooms for $1,458.
Find out if you qualify here
May 25, 2016

$40 Million Overhaul Will Make 8 Parks More Neighborhood-Friendly

The city has announced plans to make eight of the city's parks more welcoming and integrated into their surrounding neighborhoods, the New York Times reports. According to officials, the green-space face-lifts are part of a plan to improve city parks and part of the larger goal of having 85 percent of New Yorkers living within walking distance of a park. The parks, chosen by a nomination process that used feedback from residents, include Seward Park on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Faber Pool and Park on the North Shore of Staten Island, Jackie Robinson Park in northern Manhattan, Van Cortlandt Park and Hugh Grant Circle and Virginia Park in the Bronx, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and Fort Greene and Prospect Parks in Brooklyn. According to parks commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, the many improvement suggestions the city received were "proof positive of how excited New Yorkers are to increase accessibility and openness in their favorite parks.”
Find out more about the park plans
December 24, 2014

Skating Through Time: A Look Back at NYC’s Ice Rinks

One of the most festive holiday activities doesn't end at New Year's, but rather lasts through the winter. Ice skating in NYC is a hot activity, with lines easily wrapping around the block at the Bryant Park Winter Village and Rockefeller Center's ice rink. But this isn't a new trend. Ice skating has long been a popular social pastime for New Yorkers, whether on a frozen pond in Central Park or at the Biltmore Ice Garden at the Biltmore Hotel. Plenty of historic photographs exist, documenting the transformation of the New York ice skater; so we've put together a timeline of this winter activity.
All the photos ahead