to Van Cortlandt Park-242 St

Situated at the crossroads of Riverdale, Kingsbridge, and Fieldston, this subway stop deposits riders into one of the most storied corners of the Bronx. Anchored by Van Cortlandt Park, the third-largest park in the city, the area just off the 1 is full of historic sites and natural attractions; it's also one of the borough's wealthiest enclaves.

The neighborhood dates back to well before Dutch settlers arrived in New York. Glacial activity created the terrain of what later became Van Cortlandt Park, and the Lenape took up residence in the area more than a thousand years ago. Once European settlers arrived, they quickly established some of the landmarks the area is best known for, including the park and the Van Cortlandt House Museum (named for the Van Cortlandt family, who lived there for more than 100 years).

As time progressed, Riverdale became a genteel settlement, while Kingsbridge remained solidly middle-class. Irish immigrants settled in the area (hence the proliferation of pubs and Catholic churches), and in the latter part of the 20 century, the two neighborhoods became more diverse. Fieldston, a hamlet close to the park, is one of the Bronx's richest enclaves, and home to tony institutions like Horace Mann School and the Ethical Culture Fieldston School.

To see these historical areas for yourself, take the 1 to the end of the line. You'll exit right into Van Cortlandt Park, but be sure to wander the quiet streets, which seem like something out of a storybook rather than the Bronx.

1 Van Cortlandt Park. Set on more than 1,000 acres, this massive park is one of the city's best-preserved natural spaces. There are miles of trails, natural forest, and wetlands.

2 Van Cortlandt House Museum. Built in 1748, this stone structure is the oldest house in the Bronx. It was built by Frederick Van Cortlandt for his family, and now holds artifacts from New York's earliest days.

3 Tortoise and the Hare statue. This sculpture has been a marker on Van Cortlandt Park's three-mile cross-country track since 1997, alluding to the fable about the slow and steady tortoise and the too-quick hare.

4 Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course. Yes, there's a golf course in the middle of the Bronx: "Vanny" (the local nickname) opened in 1895, and has been a popular spot for tee time ever since.

5 Bell Tower Park. The heart of this small park is a 50-foot stone tower designed by architect Dwight James Baum. It was erected in 1930 and dedicated to World War I veterans.

6 Jake's Steakhouse. A former sports bar-turned-chophouse, Jake's offers solid renditions of classic steakhouse dishes: wedge salad, filet mignon topped with blue cheese, and creamed spinach, to name a few.

7 Bronx Alehouse. Yes, you can watch football and basketball at this pub, but it's no mere sports bar: delicious pub grub (try the nachos) and an oftrotating draft list elevate it to the ranks of an excellent neighborhood bar.

8 Gaelic Park. Harking back to Riverdale's Irish roots, this stadium hosts sporting events (including hurling, a high-speed lacrosse-like game) for the Gaelic Athletics Association, as well as Manhattan College.

9 An Beal Bocht Cafe. This convivial Irish pub is one of the neighborhood's best spots for live music, a pint (try the house beer, Le Chéile), and a comforting plate of grub, like bangers and mash.

5 FACTS OFF THE

1

1. As a small child, President John F. Kennedy lived in a house on Independence Avenue and went to Riverdale Country School.

2. Famous non-Presidential Riverdale residents include Carly Simon, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Lou Gehrig.

3. Jack Kerouac, who spent a year at Horace Mann, referenced the 242 Street stop in his seminal novel On the Road.

4. Riverdale is among the highest New York City neighborhoods with views of Manhattan.

5. The lake in Van Cortlandt Park is the largest freshwater lake in all of the Bronx.

ALONG THE WAY

231 St Tibbett Diner. The expansive menu at this local favorite encompasses diner classics, Greek specialties, and more.

Marble Hill-225 St Marble Hill Avenue. This small street in Manhattan's northernmost neighborhood is full of Victorian-style homes.

Dyckman St Sherman Creek Park. Rowing clubs gather at the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, just one feature of this waterfront park.

191 St Primavera. Artist Raúl Colón created this glass subway mosaic, inspired by the diversity of Washington Heights.

157 St Trinity Cemetery. Ralph Ellison, Jerry Orbach, and Ed Koch are among the famous folks buried at this gravesite.

4

to Woodlawn

Exit the subway at the end of the 4, and you'll be in a bit of an odd place. Despite its name, the station doesn't sit in the Woodlawn neighborhood; that area's main thoroughfares (Katonah Avenue, McLean Avenue) are a solid mile from the end of the line.

The neighborhood and the subway stop actually take their name from Woodlawn Cemetery, a 400-acre gravesite that abuts Van Cortlandt Park to the west, and Bronx Park to the east. The cemetery opened in 1863, and its first famous resident — Admiral David Farragut, a naval officer who fought in the Civil War — was interred there in 1870. Since then, a veritable who's-who of famous New Yorkers have chosen to spend eternity there, including newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer and jazz legend Max Roach.

The cemetery is bordered to the south by the neighborhood of Norwood, home to Montefiore Medical Center and Williamsbridge Oval. (For more on that, see page 22.) Woodlawn, to the north, is colloquially known as Little Ireland, with Katonah Avenue in particular crowded with Gaelic pubs, shops, and restaurants.

That section of Woodlawn might be a bit of a hike from the end of the line, but considering all that you'll see along the way — many of the neighborhood's best attractions are within the cemetery — it's worth the trek, especially since a perfectly poured pint...