New York City Riverdale And Van Cortlandt Park

In stark contrast with the rest of the Bronx, Riverdale features some extremely wealthy residences and a triumvirate of esteemed private schools: Fieldston School, Fieldston Rd., at Manhattan College Pkwy.; Horace Mann School, 231 W 246th St.; and Riverdale Country School, 5250 Fieldston Rd. The Riverdale Historic District is on Sycamore Ave., between W 252nd and W 254th St. The shady suburbs here seem light-years away from Manhattan.

Van Cortlandt Park. Van Cortlandt Park spreads across 1146 acres of the northwest Bronx and is the third-largest park in the city. Apart from soccer, football, and cricket fields, the park also has tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a kiddie recreation area, two golf courses, a large swimming pool, and barbecue facilities. Hikers and mountain bikers have plenty of options: the Cass Gallagher Nature Trail, in the park’s northwestern section, leads to rock outcroppings amid the most untamed wilderness in the city. The area is also known as a birdwatcher’s paradise. The Old Putnam Railroad Track, once the city’s first rail link to Boston, now leads past the quarry that supplied marble for Grand Central Terminal. Ballplayers have a choice between the baseball and softball diamonds of the Parade Grounds and the Indian Field recreation area (located atop the burial grounds of the Stockbridge Indians, who were massacred by British troops during the Revolutionary War). Horseback riders of all abilities are welcome at the Riverdale Equestrian Center. For those who would rather see the park by foot, there are racing tracks, cross-country courses, and well-maintained hiking trails. (Sprawling east of Broadway and north of Van Cortlandt Park S, all the way to the Westchester border. S 1 to Van Cortlandt Park/242nd St. ☎718-601-1460, programs office ☎718-601-1553; www.vancortlandt.org. The park’s programs office has info about the many concerts and sports activities that take place during the warmer months. Park closes at 10pm.)

Van Cortlandt House. This national landmark, built in 1748 by the prominent political clan of the same name, is the oldest building in the Bronx. It is located near the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park. George Washington held his 1781 meeting with Rochambeau in this building to determine Revolutionary War strategy. He also began his triumphal march into New York City from here in 1783. The stone house, operated by the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York, features various rooms decorated in period styles. These include an 18th-century kitchen, the nation’s oldest dollhouse, and a colonial-era garden and sundial. (Broadway, at W 246th St. S 1 to Van Cortlandt Park/242nd St. ☎718-543-3344; www.vancortlandthouse.org. Open Tu-F 10am-3pm, Sa-Su 11am-4pm. $5, seniors and students $3, on W and under 12 free. Self-guided tour booklet free. Call or check website for seasonal exhibits.)

Manhattan College. As you walk up 242nd St., you’ll see the red-brick buildings and chapel of this 140-year-old private liberal arts institution. The campus sprawls over stairs, squares, and plateaus. Hardy souls who ascend the campus’s peaks can take in a cinemascopic view of the Bronx. The college was originally located at 131st St. and Broadway in Manhattan. The Manhattan College Jaspers are named after their first baseball coach, Brother Jasper of Mary, who may have invented the seventh-inning stretch. (From the corner of Broadway and 242nd St., take 242nd St. to the top of the hill. S 1 to 242nd St. ☎718-862-8000; www.manhattan.edu. Campus tours arranged through the admissions office; available M-F 10am-3:30pm.)

Wave Hill. This 28-acre garden and cultural center commands a broad view of the Hudson River and the Palisades. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain ), conductor Arturo Toscanini, and Teddy Roosevelt all resided in the original Wave Hill House, built in 1843. The current building, a Georgian revival structure known as Glyndor House, was erected in the 1920s, after the original was destroyed by fire. Horticultural enthusiasts will enjoy the greenhouses and formal gardens, which showcase rare trees and seasonal flowers. The Wild Garden’s hillside garden and gazebo date from 1915. The garden was inspired by the informally planted English wild garden and is one of the most popular wedding locations in the state. The T.H. Everett Alpine House features a collection of high-altitude rock garden plants. Glyndor House and the Wave Hill House both feature contemporary art exhibits. The estate is bordered by 10 acres of woodlands, which can be explored via a cedar trail. (Independence Ave., at W 249th St. S 1 to 231st St., then bus Bx7 or Bx10 to 252nd St. ☎718-549-3200; www.wavehill.org. Walk across the Henry Hudson Pkwy. and turn left; walk to 249th St., turn right and walk to Wave Hill Gate. Open Apr. 15-Oct. 14 Tu-Su 9am-5:30pm, Oct. 15-Apr. 14 Tu-Su 9am-4:30pm. $6, students and seniors $3, children $2. Sa 9am-noon; Tu free all day, except May-June and Sept.-Oct. only free 9am-noon. Greenhouses open 10am-noon and 1-4pm. Galleries open 10am-4:30pm. Free garden and greenhouse tours depart the conservatory Su at 2:15pm. Wheelchair-accessible. Glyndor and Wave Hill art exhibits June-July Tu-Su 10am-4:30pm.)