4. Orchard Beach, the Bronx
In the 20th century, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses carried out a number of outdoor public projects to promote the beautification and betterment of New York City. One such project was the man-made Orchard Beach, which Moses planned as part of Pelham Bay Park. The Orchard Beach Project cost approximately $8 million and included an accompanying parking lot and 90,000 square foot bathhouse complex. The “landfill-fortified beach” was extended by 1.25 miles by filling in the water in LeRoy’s Bay with fill from Sandy Hook, New Jersey and the Rockaways. Two former islands, Twin Island and Hunter’s Island, in Pelham Bay are no longer separate but part of the Bronx. “The Riviera of the Bronx” opened in 1936 and remains the only public beach in the borough.
