Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - All the Cool Kids are Volunteering

 

Wetland Wednesdays

Wednesdays, August 5, 12, 19, 26 - Meet at 9am

Start the month removing water chestnut on Hester & Piero’s Mill Pond and finish with pulling out phragmites from the wetlands. We’ll provide waders, gloves, and all the tools you’ll need to hop in the water with us and help remove these pesky plants.

RSVP Now

Meet at Van Cortlandt Golf House

 

Trail Work Thursdays

Thursdays, August 6, 13, 20, 27 - Meet at 9am

Blaze trails with us! Whether you’re an experienced trailblazer or new to trail maintenance, your help will make a significant impact to ensure trail safety for runners and hikers.

RSVP Now

Meet at VCPA Learning Garden 

Forest Fridays

Fridays, August 7, 14, 21, 28 - Meet at 9am

Help restore Van Cortlandt Park’s vital northwest forest by removing invasive plants like Norway maples, multiflora rose, bittersweet, and porcelain berry. Your efforts will create space for native plants to thrive and support long-term forest health.

RSVP Now

Meet at VCPA Learning Garden

 

Tune Up Tuesday

Tuesday, August 11, 25 - 10am to 1pm

Turnip to volunteer! Volunteers will help care for our garden, maintain compost bins, weed, water, and harvest produce. No gardening experience needed – just show up in clothing that can get dirty!

RSVP Now

VCPA Learning Garden

 

Canine Court Volunteer Clean Up

Thursday, August 20 - 1pm to 4pm

NYC Parks staff does not perform daily maintenance inside dog runs. Daily maintenance is up to volunteers- like YOU! Join us for an afternoon of weeding, cleaning and spreading woodchips to spruce up Canine Court.

RSVP Now.

Canine Court- enter the Park at Broadway and W. 252nd Street

26.2 in 26

Join the Challenge — hike, run, stroll, or skip your way to 26.2 miles in Van Cortlandt Park anytime in 2026.

You choose the trails. You choose the pace. You choose the timeline.

Register Now

Make a Donation

The park is really big. Our staff is really small. Only with your help can we grow our capacity, hire more staff, and take on projects to improve Van Cortlandt Park… for YOU!  Please consider a gift to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance today.

Donate!

VCPA Merch Shop!

Show your love for Van Cortlandt Park while supporting the Alliance!

Shop Now!

Become a Member

Members get VCPA merch and invitations to member only hikes while supporting their favorite park!

Join Now!

Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org

Mayor Mamdani, The Doe Fund Break Ground on New Supportive and Affordable Housing in Hunts Point

 

The Casanova Residence will create 96 supportive and affordable homes with on-site services for formerly homeless New Yorkers 

 

Mamdani administration investing $1 billion over the next two fiscal years in supportive housing 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani was joined by The Doe Fund and local leaders to break ground on the Casanova Residence, a new supportive and affordable housing development in Hunts Point, the Bronx. When complete, the residence will provide 96 supportive and affordable homes with on-site services.  

 

Casanova reflects the Mamdani administration’s commitment to confronting New York City’s housing crisis with the urgency it demands. Through Block by Block, the administration’s housing plan, and the recently adopted City budget, Mayor Mamdani is investing $1 billion over the next two fiscal years to create and preserve supportive housing – a 60% increase over the previous two fiscal years. 

 

“Affordable and supportive housing is how we build a city where every New Yorker can live with dignity. We’re making historic investments in homes that will give New Yorkers the stability they deserve and show what’s possible when government meets the housing crisis with urgency instead of excuses. This groundbreaking is another step toward a more affordable city,” said Mayor Mamdani. 

 

“Supportive housing plays a critical role in the city’s housing ecosystem, and I’m happy to mark this milestone with The Doe Fund, for future Casanova tenants and for Hunts Point. This project will help New Yorkers for decades to come,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “We are investing in supportive and affordable housing at an unprecedented scale across the city, including through creating new housing like Casanova, and by providing the preservation assistance that many of our existing supportive housing residents deserve.”  

 

“This project represents the type of innovative housing we need to support the New Yorkers most at risk of homelessness and displacement,” said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. “Nearly 100 families and individuals will have an affordable and safe place to live. A majority of these will be in supportive housing — with on-site social services, case management, and job training. Housing like this is helping our neighbors get back on track and live dignified, fulfilling lives.” 

 

“Having worked in the Hunts Point community since 2016, I’ve seen firsthand the urgent need for more affordable housing here,” said Jennifer Mitchell, President & CEO of The Doe Fund. “That’s why I’m so excited for The Doe Fund to break ground on the Casanova Residence, and, once completed, I look forward to welcoming tenants to the newest addition to our growing portfolio. Today, that portfolio provides more than 1,300 safe, dignified affordable and supportive homes across New York City — part of our nearly 40-year record of providing New Yorkers with histories of homelessness with the tools to build brighter futures.” 

 

Fifty-eight apartments at Casanova will be supportive housing, pairing affordable homes with on-site services for individuals and families living with mental illness, substance use disorders, or disabling medical conditions. The remaining affordable apartments will be available for working class New Yorkers through the City’s housing lottery.  

 

Residents will have access to comprehensive on-site services including case management, education and job training. The building will also include free broadband, a fitness center, landscaped outdoor space, and dedicated community and service areas operated by The Doe Fund.

 

The Casanova Residence is one part of the Mamdani administration’s broader effort to strengthen supportive housing across New York City. Earlier this year, the City launched the Supportive Preservation Program, which provides dedicated funding and technical assistance to preserve and stabilize existing supportive housing, including developments financed through city, state and federal programs. The administration has also advanced its “SPEED” initiatives, which will reduce pre-development timelines for affordable and supportive housing by as much as two years so New Yorkers can move into housing sooner. 

 

These investments are part of the administration’s “all of the above” approach to addressing the housing crisis through Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era. The plan charts a path to create 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve another 200,000 over the next decade while investing in public housing, strengthening tenant protections and expanding homeownership opportunities.

This Week on Ta lking Politics

 

Talking Politics

youtube.com/watch?v=greJLL7K5YE

This week, is the U.S. running out of bombs to drop on Iran, Hochul refunds campaign donations, 9/11 families don't want Mayor Mamdani at 25th anniversary memorial, Mamdani's Bronx bus tour, more tricks on Bronx Community Board 11, and lots more anytime on YouTube at the link above.

Permits Filed for 610 East 226th Street in Wakefield, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 12-story residential building at 610 East 226th Street in Wakefield, The Bronx. Located between Bronx Boulevard and Carpenter Avenue, the lot is near the 225th Street subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains. Steven Westreich of Westorchard Management is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 124-foot-tall development will yield 128,840 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 189 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 681 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have 25 enclosed parking spaces.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Wave Hill Weekly Events (Aug 13 – Aug 20) | Find Your Community at the Garden

 

In a place of familiarity and comfort, many call the Gardens their home. From our tallest trees to the smallest critter nestled in a shield of foliage, our living gardens rely on each other uncoveringthe different bonds created through their shared spaces. Artist, David Antonio Cruz, explores similar ideas of bonding, community, belonging, and possibility, in his latest exhibit. Learn more about his vision in a walk-through of his exhibit and take inspiration as we find ways to pour into our communities and uplift others in theirs. 

Nature & Wellness

Garden Highlights Walk

Sun, Aug 16, 1:00PM – 1:30PM 

Free with admission to the grounds    

Registration not required.   

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide; each walk varies with the Guide leading it.

Art

Dots and Loops: Jen Chen-su Huang, Rita Maas, and Audra Wolowiec

Jul 21 — Jan 3 | All Day 

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.   

Dots and Loops brings together the work of multidisciplinary artists, Jen Chen-su Huang, Rita Maas, and Audra Wolowiec, who take up the musical score as a visual and conceptual framework to investigate questions around language, legibility, and perspective. Working site-specifically, the artists in Dots and Loops engage with themes relating to the natural world, presentness, and interpretation. 

Family

Family Art Project: Garden Guardians

Sat, Aug 15, 10:00AM – 1:00PM  

Sun, Aug 16, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.

At Wave Hill, the gardens are watched over by our amazing gardeners! Use your imagination to come up with your very own garden guardian and then bring your dream to life in a sculptural form.  At 11:30am families can enjoy a storytime program in the Gund Theater.

Kids on the Move! Growing Gardens

Sun, Aug 16, 1:00PM – 2:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.

How do Wave Hill's gardens grow? Through work, love, and the efforts of the Wave Hill team! During this month's Kids on the Move! go on a guided walk through the Garden with guest educator Corinne Flax and visit the compost pile to learn how gardeners take care of the Garden. Then, channel your inner garden guardian as you move your body like a variety of garden tools during a yoga-inspired movement practice. Recommended for ages three to eight.

Special Events

Early Closing: 2PM

Thu, Aug 13, 10:00AM – 2:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.

Wave Hill closes at 2PM today to prepare for our annual Garden Fête. Wave Hill House, including The Café, the Perkins Visitor Center, the Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory, and Glyndor Gallery will close at 1:30PM. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Afternoon Tea 

Thu, Aug 13, 11:00AM – 2:00PM   

Tue, Aug 18, 11:00AM – 2:00PM    

7-day Advanced Registration required 

Enjoy delicious tea sandwiches and delectable pastries with a specialty tea selection every Tuesday and Thursday with seatings at 11AM or 2PM. Served on the Kate French Terrace or in our quaint Tea Room at historic Wave Hill House, Afternoon Teas are provided by our exclusive partner Great Performances whose menu uses local and seasonal ingredients, inspired from their own organic farm, Katchkie Farm.

HOURS STARTING MARCH 15: 10AM–4:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday  

Shuttle Service free from Subway and Metro-North, Saturday–Sunday

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.