The High Bridge and the Park

High Bridge, New York c. 1880
Tinted Stereoview by the New York Stereoscopic Co.

Welcome to The High Bridge -- Its Past, Present & Future website.  This site connects all interested parties on exciting developments associated with The High Bridge, Highbridge Park, and the immediately surrounding area.

We are in the process of sprucing up our site and making it more presentable.  As most of you already know, the High Bridge was reopened on June 9, 2015 after about 45 years of having been closed and years of planning and reconstruction.  The adjacent Highbridge Park is also undergoing extensive refurbishment as part of the NYCPlan 2030, and the immediate neighborhood near the Park, particularly along Amsterdam and Edgecombe avenues is starting to experience a renaissance with building renovations and new commercial ventures.
With this in mind, we are now shifting gears away from the reconstruction of The High Bridge to the other improvements that will be forthcoming.  We also recognize that there will be more visitors to the bridge, the Highbridge Park, and the surrounding areas, so we will be providing more information for those who do not have familiarity with the area and its attractions. 

At present the public funding for the improvements and redevelopment effort for the Bridge and the Park have exceeded $130 Million. On Jan. 11, 2013 Mayor Michael Bloomberg broke ground on the construction phase of the plan for the redevelopment of the High Bridge and the cost of reopening the bridge has been publicized at $61.8 Million. Just in 2016, $30 Million of additional funds have been allocated to Highbridge Park by Mayor De Blasio as part of the Anchor Park initiative.

On June 9, 2015, the official reopening ceremony of the High Bridge occurred. (Please see the specific posts for this event).  On July 25, 2015 the High Bridge Festival celebrating the reopening of the High Bridge occurred.

There are many other activities progressing simultaneously with the redevelopment of the High Bridge. This web site focuses on the developments in and immediately adjacent to The High Bridge and Highbridge Park.  Please make sure to scroll down to see previous posts on new and exciting developments.

It is our belief that with this site we can foster an appreciation of the past, an understanding of the present and a catalyst for the development of the future needs of this immediate area.

Hopefully, we will find common ground to dramatically improve the buildings, the retail establishments and the quality of life in such a way as to compliment the redevelopment effort associated with the High Bridge and High Bridge Park and make this area a destination for more of the millions of residents of New York City and some of the more than tens of millions of visitors who come to New York City each year.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Sept 6, 1879

Please contact us and let us know if you have any interests in participating as a contributor, volunteer, or merely to coordinate with your community organization, or even if you are just an interested neighborhood resident. If you want to contribute to the site with any comments please feel free to do so.

Organizationally, we have been adding information to each page as it is appropriate.  You should return to pages on a regular and frequent basis to catch up on latest developments on each topic.  We have also provided for reader feedback at the bottom of each topic.

There are almost 200 posts with information and pictures on all sorts of topics. Information about the history of the High Bridge and the building of the aqueduct, articles about what is going on right now, and articles about the future changes that we all hope will come to the High Bridge, the park, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Please click on the Area of Interest on the right and a whole host of topics will present themselves. Or, you may scroll through the archive of articles on the right to find and article of interest to you. Or, you may also search by keyword in the box provided at the right above the archive listings. Or, you may just scroll down and look at the articles in chronological order going backward in time.

 If you are experiencing any difficulty using our site please let us know.

Please subscribe to our newsletter.


last modified 7/28/2015

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1915 Black & White Image of the High Bridge & Speedway

I just came across this striking black and white photo of the High Bridge Aqueduct over the Harlem River.  It also includes the Speedway which passes under the High Bridge. The image was taken over 110 years ago, in 1915, just before World War I. The photographer took the shot, no doubt, from the Washington Bridge at 181st St., just to the North of the High Bridge by about seven blocks. 

If you look really closely, you can see the smokestack on the pumping station above the bridge and to the right.  You can also see steam from either a tug boat or a train over on the left side below the bridge.  You will also note that by 1915, New York was fully electrified as noted by the numerous street lights and the building lights in lower Manhattan.  Of course, all the columns located in the river are still there and wouldn't be removed until about 1927, when they started the construction of the steel span over the river to replace those columns to allow for navigation on the river by larger shipse

 

Another Reported Jumping From the High Bridge into the Harlem River

                                API

As we reported in a previous blog post,  Ronald Donaldson successfully jumped from the center span of the High Bridge into the Harlem River on August 18, 1880.  We have now found another historical record of a successful jump on April 7, 1914. That's over 110 years ago!  Pictured above, Barney McPhee of Tarrytown, NY, who, from the walkway of the High Bridge walkway at the center span, jumped a distance of 120 feet down into the Harlem River, and lived to tell the tale. At that date, only three men ever attempted the feat before, and two died in the attempt. McPhee jumped in on a $300 wager. The camera caught him midway in his jump. The insert shows McPhee poised on the edge of the bridge. For readers of this blog, you may recall that we also reported that a worker on the reconstruction of the High Bridge died when he fell from the High Bridge on January 16, 2013.

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Another Look at High Bridge, Lincoln, England

 Way back in January 2013, we did a post on other bridges named High Bridge, and in that blog, we mentioned the High Bridge in Lincoln, England. 

That particular High Bridge was constructed in the year 1160. It is one of the earliest known masonary bridges to be found in England.  We recently came across a photo of that bridge from the other angle and thought that the readers here would be interested in seeing it:

This is in comparison to the earlier view of the photo posted, which is shown here:

There is another picture of this same view taken in 1902, as they reconstructed the bridge, which looked fairly interesting:

In this photo, you can see the original half-timber construction used in the structure.

It is our understanding that there is, now, a wonderful coffee shop on the ground floor.

What a delight to have a bridge with so much character.

 

Illustrations of the Croton Aqueduct by F. B. Tower, published in 1843

 

Title Page of the book

Below is an illustration from 1843 of the proposed High Bridge Aqueduct over the Harlem River that would not be completed until 1848.

The World’s Most Extreme Bridges

 

I found this YouTube video on bridges that I thought you might enjoy.  

The World's Most Extreme Bridges. I hope you enjoy watching it.

ON 174th Street

ON 174th STREET (The World of Willie Mittleman) presents the hilarious and always heart-warming experiences of an American family in the years of the Great Depression. Contrary to popular belief, everyone did not fall apart during the catastrophic 1930s. Life went on. Most families clung together and, in their love and closeness, met each day's challenges with imagination, humor and guts. Up in the Bronx, in New York City, little Willie and the Mittleman clan possessed these traits in abundance. Yes, they struggled and worried: How could they keep food on the table, and a roof over their heads? Where should they look for work when, for them and 22,000,000 other Americans, there was no work to be found? Uncertainty filled every day and night. Nevertheless, they found reasons to laugh, and they tried to enjoy every moment of life. They joked, they celebrated, they sang, they danced... and they survived! ON 174th STREET (The World of Willie Mittleman) is a slice of Americana that will have you laughing all the way and admiring the amazing strength of the American spirit.

AUDUBON TERRACE

If you happen to be visiting the High Bridge Aqueduct, you may also consider some of the other notable historic landmarks in the area.  One of those landmarks, the Audubon Terrace, is located on Broadway on the northwestern corner with 155th St.  This is only a short walk from the southern part of the Highbridge Park. Before you go, though, we would strongly recommend that you read up on this delightful venue.

In a recent article in Harlem World Magazine on 1/24/2022 entitled, "The Legendary Audubon Terrace A Cultural Arts Complex Uptown In Washington Heights, 1904" 

Bridges

 

I just came across a book entitled Bridges - A History of the World's Most Famous and Important Spans, by Judith Dupre, with an introductory interview with Frank O. Gehry.  It was published by Black Dog & Levanthal Publishers, NY, 1997, 128 pages. And, while the High Bridge is not mentioned in this book, I found it fascinating in its description of the different types of bridges, including many pictures of them.  However, many of the other bridges of New York City and its environs are included in the book. See my post on The Bridges of Manhattan. The format of the book is particularly well suited for the topic.  The book measures 18 1/4" by 7 7/8" with some photos spanning across two pages (i.e., 36 1/2" wide), making for very dramatic views.  For the the bridge lovers out there, this is a must see.

Another High Bridge Has Been Located

Over a decade ago, on January 15, 2013, to be more precise, we noted on this blog an entry on other bridges with the same name as our High Bridge here in New York.  We have now located yet another bridge with the namesake of our beloved New York High Bridge, but this one is located in Spokane, Washington.  Just like our High Bridge here in New York, the Spokane High Bridge is located at High Bridge Park.  If you are interested in learning more about this bridge and its namesake park, you can find more information here.

Last Call at Coogan's Bar - The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar by Jon Michaud

 

The uniquely inspiring story of our beloved neighborhood bar that united the communities it served. Coogan's Bar and Restaurant opened in New York City's Washington Heights in 1985 and closed its doors for good in the pandemic spring of 2020. Sometimes called Uptown City Hall, it became a staple of neighborhood life during its 35 years in operation--a place of safety and a bulwark against prejudice in our multi-ethnic, majority-immigrant community undergoing rapid change. Last Call at Coogan's by Jon Michaud tells the story of this beloved saloon, from the challenging years of the late 80's and early 90's, when Washington Heights suffered from the highest crime rate in the city, to the 2010's, when gentrification pushed out longtime residents and nearly closed Coogan's itself; only a massive community mobilization including local politicians and Lin-Manuel Miranda kept the doors open. This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today: race relations, policing, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, readers will meet the bar's owners and an array of its most colorful regulars, such as an aspiring actor from Kentucky who dreams of bringing a theater company to Washington Heights, a television reporter who loves karaoke, and a Puerto Rican community board manager who falls in love with an Irish cop from the local precinct. At its core, this is the story of one small business in Washington Heights, the people who worked there, the customers they served, and the community they all called home. 

Last Call at Coogan's was much more than just another nonfiction book about a neighborhood bar. It takes the reader through more than three decades of history about Washington Heights and the changes in the area, ranging from gang crime, crack drug use bordering on epidemic, and finishing with a social phenomenon almost as pernicious as those: gentrification. When the bar was on the ropes because its evil landlord, New York Presbyterian Hospital, raised their rent from $7,000 a month to $40,000 a month, the area came to the bars aid, pressuring the hospital, void of any conscience and hard-pressed to explain its not for profit status, to raise the rent to a much lower amount allowing them to survive another three years. Finally, the evil that finally put the last nail in Coogan's coffin was the same evil that did many businesses (and people) in: covid 19. The book is a tribute to the people who both ran Coogan's and those who patronized the bar. All of them were family, the Coogan's family. 

The book was published in June 2023 by St. Martin's Press.

A New Stereoview of the High Bridge

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An Homage to the High Bridge at 175 years by Duane Bailey-Castro for Untapped New York

If you press the start button for the above Vimeo video you will see Duane Baily-Castro's short time lapse celebration video to the 175th Anniversary of the Aqueduct High Bridge here in New York City which will be going on this month. This video is part of a very good article in Untapped New York: HOW TO CELEBRATE THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HIGH BRIDGE, NYC’S OLDEST SPAN. Just click on the link here and you will find it.

HAPPY 175 !!!!!

The number 175 seems to be a very important number up in Washington Heights this week.

First of all, today is the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the High Bridge.  It was on July 4, 1848, that the opening of the High Bridge was celebrated. That was a very different time and the High Bridge looked very different at that time.  

There was no steel span over the Harlem River as you see the bridge today. Rather, it was the stone arches that continued across the river. It wasn't until the 1920s that a number of the stone arches were removed in order to allow for improved navigation on the Harlem River for maritime traffic.

Also, there were only two tubes for water to cross the river on the bridge.  The third tube which sits on top of and between the first two tubes wasn't added until the 1860s.  It was at that time that the stone walls on the edge of the bridge were incorporated into the bed to carry the new water line.  Upon completion of the third line, the brick herringbone pattern on the deck and the railings were installed.

In addition to the High Bridge celebration this week, we are also honored to host the Tony Awards at the Palace Theater at the corner of Broadway and 175th Street on Sunday, June 11.  There is excitement in the air.  Workers are sprucing up Broadway in the area and there are hopes that this will lead to a revival of the area as a destination for both New Yorkers and the millions of visitors that come to New York each year.

We, of course, are hoping that the visitors will stroll along Broadway and down 175th Street to Highbridge Park and continue their stroll across the Highbridge and take in the magnificent views.

"The High Bridge" Lithograph by D. Buchner & Co.

 

Recently discovered Trading Card issued by D. Buchner & Co. as part of the promotion of its chewing tobacco products, from series N287, entitled New York City Scenes, dated ca. 1888. Produced by Gust Lithography & Engraving Co., New York lithographers, on card stock.  Size 4" x 2 1/2" 

The Highbridge Silver Mining Company

 I ran across this Silver Mining Company Certificate recently.   It bears no relationship, I think, to the Highbridge, which is the subject of interest of this blog.  However, I did find some curious points that I have yet to explain.

First, the Highbridge Silver Mining Company of Nevada was organized in the State of New York in1868. Curiously, both the President and the Secretary of the Company were also located in New York State.  Of further interest is the fact that the Highbridge Mine was located near Manhattan, Nevada, which is located in Nye County.

The mine was only active for a short period of time and is not currently producing any output.

Was this connection of the Mine to the Highbridge in Manhattan, NY coincidental, or, was it motivated by the owners residing in New York?

I think we will be waiting a long time to find the answer to this question.

Invitation to the Ribbon Cutting Cerimony of the Restoration of the Highbridge Water Tower

Activities at Highbridge Park October 15 -- November 15, 2021

Dear Friends of Highbridge Park, Happy Autumn! We hope you are enjoying the recently reopened areas of Laurel Hill Terrace that were restored as part of the $30M Highbridge Anchor Parks Project; the 100 year old staircase at Laurel Hill and 183rd Street as well as the restored mid-level forest pathway heading north from there to Wallenberg Playground. TONIGHT at 7 p.m. is the last night of the Highbridge Film Festival! Join NYC Parks for a block party at 4 p.m. on the Highbridge Pooldeck, followed by a 7 p.m. screening of IN THE HEIGHTS, which had amazing scenes filmed within the pool. More details are in the flyer, attached. There are an abundance of fitness programs, stewardship events and opportunities for you to learn and grow at Highbridge Park; including free membership to the Highbridge Recreation Center! See below for a full listing: Highbridge Park October 15 – November 15, 2021 Events Starting Monday, September 13, recreation centers across the five boroughs reopened to all New Yorkers — members and non-members — for free. Free memberships are available to New Yorkers who sign up at Highbridge Recreation Center at 2301 Amsterdam/173rd, now through December 31, 2021. The membership term will last for one year from the date the individual signs up, and will grant access to citywide facilities. Ongoing Highbridge Recreation Center Programs: Open Pickleball Play Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue Free open Pickleball play at Highbridge Recreation Center with membership. Instructional Pickleball Play Saturdays 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue Free open Pickleball play at Highbridge Recreation Center with membership. Sit & Stretch Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Youth Sports Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Open Play Adult Basketball Mornings Wednesdays & Fridays 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Open Play Adult Basketball Mornings Thursdays 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Open Play Adult Basketball Mornings Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Open Play Adult Basketball Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Open Play Adult Basketball Fridays 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Teen Calisthenics Tuesdays 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Adult Calisthenics Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Calisthenics for All Saturdays 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 emPOWERred Walking Wednesdays & Thursdays 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Total Body Conditioning Wednesday & Friday 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Teen Fitness Wednesdays 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Youth Baseball Saturdays 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Teen Baseball Wednesdays @ 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Fridays @4:00 pm- 6:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Teen Lounge Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Abs Blast Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:00 pm- 6:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Teen Dodgeball Saturdays 1:00 - 3:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Media Lab Schedule All Ages Open Access (Mornings) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Saturdays 9:00 am - 2:30 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 All Ages Open Access (Afternoons) Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Wednesdays & Fridays 2:30 pm - 7:30 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Digital Media Club Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30 - 6:00 pm Highbridge Recreation Center -2301 Amsterdam Avenue For more information call 212-927-2400 Highbridge Park Programs Zumba Sundays: October 17, October 24, and October 31 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Highbridge's Raoul Wallenberg Basketball Courts W. 189th St. & Amsterdam Ave. Zumba is a fusion of Latin, International and popular music dance routines creating a dynamic, exciting, effective fitness system! If you love Salsa, Hip-Hop, Merengue, and Bollywood, this is the class for you! The class will meet at the basketball court near 189th and Amsterdam Avenue. For everyone’s safety we’re asking participants and instructors to maintain social distancing of six feet during class. Wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick. Please continue wear a mask if you are unvaccinated, or if social distancing cannot be maintained. Instructor: Jennifer Please register at: https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2021/10/17/zumba1 (October 17) https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2021/10/24/zumba1 (October 24) https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2021/10/31/zumba1 (October 31) Highbridge Film Festival: In the Heights Friday, October 15, 2021 4:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. Highbridge Pool Deck -2301 Amsterdam Avenue Join NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for a free film! A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life. PG-13. Grab a blanket and snuggle up for this year’s Fall Film Festival at High bridge Pool Deck. NYC Parks will host a series of movie screenings accompanied by fun and exciting activities fit for the whole family. Check what will happen on Friday: October 15, 2021 4:00 p.m. // Block Party 7:00 p.m. // In the Heights Know Before You Go - For everyone's safety, we are asking all participants to observe the following guidelines: Please wear a mask if you are unvaccinated, or if it makes you feel more comfortable All individuals should maintain social distancing of six feet during programming, regardless of vaccination status Please wear a mask if social distancing cannot be maintained Wash your hands before attending a program Stay home if you are sick Glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. Contact (212) 360-1430 or accessibility@parks.nyc.gov for more information regarding accessibility. Fall Foliage Walk in Highbridge Park Saturday, October 23, 2021 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Highbridge Park -158th Street and Amsterdam Avenue Mid to late October is the prime time for fall color in NYC, so don’t miss it! Come join urban naturalist Ken Chaya to observe the natural splendors of the autumn season. This tour will focus on local tree identification, as well as searching for birds and other forms of local flora and fauna in Highbridge Park. Tour capacity is limited. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-foliage-walk-in-highbridge-park-tickets-168975021839 Program presented by the Fort Tryon Park Trust Second Saturdays Trailwork Party + Bike Share at Highbridge Bike Park Saturday, November 13, 2021 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Highbridge Park: BMX Jump Park – Fort. George Ave Dig, then ride with us on NYCMTB's monthly welcome days at Highbridge Park in Manhattan! Bring your friends and family for a day of fun in the woods and learn what it takes to build, maintain, and ride the most progressive urban bike park in America! There will be light trail maintenance tasks for all ages from 10:00 a.m. to noon. All participants, NYCMTB members, or anyone with logged volunteer hours, receive a free 20-minute clinic and a guided ride throughout the trails from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bikes and helmets provided! Highbridge Park is the home of NYC's first Mountain Biking Course. The 3-mile course offers trails of varying difficulty from intermediate to expert and a free-ride trail that includes drops, steeps, and berms. The park also features a dirt jump park and pump track, making it a good place to develop different skills at all levels. The course has been featured in national media and is stewarded by volunteers just like you! Make this day your introduction to the park, or to the sport of off-road cycling. Interested volunteers are encouraged to participate regardless of age, ability or gender. There is something for everyone at Highbridge - It's NYC's bike park! Please bring water, sunscreen, bug repellant, and sturdy shoes or boots. Register on Eventbrite at www.nycmtb.eventbrite.com

Highbridge Pool, In The Heights, Volunteer at the Mansion SUNDAY 6/6 & More!

Dear Highbridge Park Community, 

It feels like summer and there is much to celebrate! More than $35 Million in city capital improvements are nearing completion in Highbridge Park. We've opened a brand new soccer field, a world class playground, an adult work-out area, and pathways improved with lighting. We look forward to the restored Grand Staircase at Laurel Hill Terrace and the mile long pathway improvements down to Dyckman Street, which will be completed later this summer. The restoration of the Highbridge Water Tower is progressing, with some of the uppermost scaffolding having been removed. Get gardening! 

Sunday June 6 at 10 a.m., you can volunteer at Roger Morris Park, Highbridge Park's sister-park, at 65 Jumel Terrace. More details about our Garden Day event and other upcoming volunteer opportunities are listed below. 

At the end of the month, Highbridge Pool is slated to reopen to the public for summer swimming! The COVID-testing center has transitioned out of the Recreation Center and pool into mobile vans. Highbridge Pool is one of the "stars" in the soon to be released In the Heights movie. Check out the recent Playbill feature, and the slide show including many Highbridge Pool photos! The article shares the film's stars' reflections on how the show has evolved since its inception in the early 2000’s, what it meant for the film to be delayed because of the pandemic, and how Highbridge Park Pool was selected for “96,000.”

https://www.playbill.com/article/watch-anthony-ramos-daphne-rubin-vega-more-go-behind-the-scenes-of-the-in-the-heights-movie 

As part of the film's release, the City's tourism agency, NYC & Co, developed a travel guide to Northern Manhattan, including Highbridge Park among other parks, restaurants and uptown destinations. You can view it here: 

https://www.nycgo.com/boroughs-neighborhoods/manhattan/washington-heights/ 

Upcoming Opportunities: 

Roger Morris Park - Garden Volunteer Day 

Sunday, June 6, 2021 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Roger Morris Park- 65 Jumel Terrace 

Whether you have a green thumb or just a curiosity for what makes a garden grow, all are welcome to volunteer in Roger Morris Park, the grounds of the Morris-Jumel Mansion, under the supervision of NYC Parks at these scheduled Garden Days. 

All tools and instructions are provided, just bring a willingness to get a little dirty as we beautify our special park. Close-toed shoes are required. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Please note: RSVP by emailing John.Kelly@parks.nyc.gov and write "Volunteer" in the subject line. Due to COVID, we are requesting individuals only, rather than large groups or organizations. 

Second Saturdays Trailwork Party + Bike Share at Highbridge Bike Park Highbridge Park 

Saturday, June 12, 2021 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. 

BMX Course at Fort George Avenue 

Dig, then ride with us on NYCMTB's monthly welcome days at Highbridge Park in Manhattan! 

Bring your friends and family for a day of fun in the woods and learn what it takes to build, maintain, and ride the most progressive urban bike park in America! There will be light trail maintenance tasks for all ages from 10:00 a.m. to noon. All participants, NYCMTB members, or anyone with logged volunteer hours, receive a free 20-minute clinic and a guided ride throughout the trails from 12:30 p.m to 3:00 p.m. Bikes and helmets provided! 

Highbridge Park is the home of NYC's first Mountain Biking Course. The 3-mile course offers trails of varying difficulty from intermediate to expert and a free-ride trail that includes drops, steeps, and berms. The park also features a dirt jump park and pump track, making it a good place to develop different skills at all levels. The course has been featured in national media and is stewarded by volunteers just like you! 

Make this day your introduction to the park, or to the sport of off-road cycling. Interested volunteers are encouraged to participate regardless of age, ability or gender. There is something for everyone at Highbridge - It's NYC's bike park! Please bring water, sunscreen, bug repellant, and sturdy shoes or boots. Register on Eventbrite at nycmtb.eventbrite.com. 

Monday Morning Pitch-In at Highbridge Park 

Monday, June 21 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

Highbridge Recreation Center 

2301 Amsterdam Avenue 

Show your park some love and join a Monday Morning Pitch-In! 

New York City’s parks are being used more than ever before as a result of the pandemic, which often means more litter. You can help! Join us at a Monday Morning Pitch in and beautify Highbridge Park so its clean and welcoming! Remember to wear a face covering when volunteering. You can also pitch-in at Highbridge Park on August 2. Flyer attached. Register at: https://www.nycgovparks.org/reg/pfp-private/11229. For any questions, contact Rene.Cuenca@parks.nyc.gov 

***** 

Thank you for your continued partnership in the ongoing revitalization of our 130-acre Highbridge Park! Hope to see you in the park soon!

best, 

Jennifer Hoppa for the Northern Manhattan Parks Team

Retrospective of the High Bridge Five Years After Reopening in Photos

Photo of the High Bridge by Duane Bailey-Castro

We are very fortunate, indeed, to have another set of photos by Duane

Bailey-Castro. An article has just appeared in Untapped New York with his

dazzling display of new photos. Bravo!  It is hard to imagine that it has been 

five years since the reopening ceremonies back in the summer of 2015.