1. Wave Hill

Wave Hill House, the scenic villa perched up in Riverdale, was built in 1843 by William Lewis Morris, grandnephew of Lewis Morris, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Amazingly enough, the panoramas of the Hudson River that the Morris family enjoyed in the 1800s are still undisturbed today. Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain and Arturo Toscanini all resided at Wave Hill. Today the villa serves as a cultural center with art exhibitions, garden parties and other special events.

Let’s not forget that these are just the grandest of the borough’s parks. The Bronx has a plethora of green spaces spread throughout. Although many of these parks have been receiving better attention from the New York Parks and Recreation department due in part to necessary renovation, there are still plenty of them in need of work.

Programs like the Bronx Parks for the 21st Century project will help address these issues with more than $200 million promised for the improvement of over seventy-five Bronx parks during the next five years.

Despite the number and size of these parks, we must also work to continue greening the borough. The Bronx is still home to some of the more industrial areas in the city. Hunt’s Point and Port Morris for example, can greatly benefit from more trees, community gardens and urban redesigns, given the lack of tapestry throughout their residential blocks.

With the right direction and work, we can start paving the way for an even greener and completely tree-lined borough. For volunteering opportunities and more information in contributing to the Bronx’s green future please continue to Sustainable South Bronx.

Get in touch with the author @Bronxiite