Soundview Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soundview Park |
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Story Avenue in the northeast end of Soundview Park
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| Type | Municipal park |
| Location | Clason Point, The Bronx, New York |
| Area | 205 acres (83 ha) |
| Owned by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Status | open all year |
| Water | Bronx River |
| Facilities | kayaking, playground |
Soundview Park is a large park in the southern part of the Bronx, New York City. It covers about 205-acre (83 ha). The park is located where the Bronx River meets the East River. It is close to the Clason Point, Hunts Point, and Soundview neighborhoods.
Soundview Park offers many fun activities. You can find playgrounds, running tracks, and sports fields. There are also courts for basketball and handball. If you like being active, there is outdoor fitness equipment. You can even launch kayaks or canoes into the Bronx River Estuary. A bike path runs through the park, perfect for cycling. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation takes care of Soundview Park.
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How Soundview Park Was Created
Soundview Park was built on land that used to be a marshy area. This means it was wet, low-lying land near the water. The park was created by filling this area with soil and other materials. This process is called "landfill."
The park's construction began under Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. He worked with New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. In 1937, New York City bought the first 93 acres (38 ha) for the park. Two years later, in December 1939, they bought 66 acres (27 ha) more along the water.
Plans to prepare the land were made in 1938. The city approved money for the park's construction in March 1939.
A Mystery Gas in 1942
In the summer of 1942, people in the Clason Point area noticed a strange gas. It made silver turn dark and gave people headaches. At first, some thought it was from the garbage buried under the park. But experts soon found the real reason. A company called Consolidated Edison was dumping sulfur into nearby pools of water. This sulfur was causing the gas.
Developing the Area Around the Park
For many years, the area around Soundview Park remained mostly empty. In 1947, a temporary housing project was built nearby. It had 947 apartments inside 473 special buildings called Quonset Huts. These huts were shaped like half-cylinders. You can still see one of these original Quonset Huts on Seward Avenue.
Later, in the 1950s, more permanent homes were built next to the park. The park itself grew larger in 1952 and 1967. This is how Soundview Park reached its current size.
Future Plans for the Park
New plans are being made to make Soundview Park even better. These plans are part of a city project called PlaNYC. Landscape architects, who design outdoor spaces, are working on it.
They want to improve the park in several ways:
- Create welcoming entrance areas at the edges of the neighborhoods.
- Add more quiet places for relaxing and enjoying nature.
- Make existing sports areas even better.
- Open up the waterfront so visitors can easily reach it.
- Clean up any polluted areas and make them natural again.
These changes will help make Soundview Park a great place for everyone to enjoy.
Images for kids
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Bronx Quonset Huts
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