Vinmont Veteran Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vinmont Veteran Park |
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| Type | Playground |
| Location | Bronx, New York |
| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 hectares) |
| Owned by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
Vinmont Veteran Park is a fun park and playground in the Riverdale area of The Bronx, New York. It's about 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) in size. This park has restrooms, a playground, a peaceful woodland, and a baseball field called Sid Augarten Field. The city bought the land for the park in 1945 and 1947. It first opened in 1951. It was originally called the PS 81 Playground because it was next to a school. In 1986, it was renamed to honor military veterans from the Vinmont neighborhood.
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What You Can Find at Vinmont Park
This park is 3.5 acres (1.4 hectares) big and is located in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, New York City. It has clean bathrooms and a playground with a cool spray shower for hot days. The park is also easy to use for people in wheelchairs.
Sports and Nature Areas
You'll find the Sid Augarten baseball field here, where local teams play. The park also has a lovely woodland area. This part of the park is home to many native trees. You can see red and white oak trees, black cherry trees, and sweetgum trees. Other trees include Norway maple, black locust, American elm, pignut hickory, and redtwig dogwood.
Park Location and Neighbors
Vinmont Veteran Park is right next to Bronx Public School 81. It is surrounded by Riverdale and Mosholu avenues. You can also find it between West 254th and 256th streets.
How Vinmont Park Started
The land for Vinmont Veteran Park was bought by New York City in 1945 and 1947. The city used a process called condemnation to get the land. The park officially opened its gates on September 26, 1951.
Park Name Changes and Upgrades
When it first opened, the park was called PS 81 Playground. This name came from the school right next door. In November 1986, the park got its new name, Vinmont Veteran Park. The park has been improved several times over the years. In 1992, it was updated with new fences, benches, picnic tables, and water fountains. They also added new plants and improved the Sid Augarten Field with a new backstop. Another big update happened in 2002. This project made the children's play and swing areas better. They also fixed the spray shower and added more new plants. The baseball field got even more improvements in 2013.
Who Are the Namesakes of the Park?
The park is named after the Vinmont neighborhood. It also honors the brave military veterans who live in that area.
The Story Behind "Vinmont"
The Vinmont neighborhood itself is named after Robert Weinberg. He worked for the New York City Department of Parks in the 1930s. Robert Weinberg was a city planner. He helped design many urban parks and worked on landscape architecture. He was the main architect for the Vinmont Houses project in Riverdale. The name Vinmont is a French translation of Weinberg. In German, Weinberg means Wine Mountain.
Honoring Sid Augarten
The baseball field next to the park is named after Sid Augarten. He was the commissioner of the North Riverdale Baseball League. This league still plays games at the field today.
