VanCortlandt_Park_User_Study

A CULTURAL USER STUDY OF VAN CORTLANDT PARK
May 30, 1998
FINAL REPORT
Principal Author : Katherine H. Brower, M. S. U. P.
Research Associate, Public Space Research Group
With Setha M. Low, Ph.D., Director
Suzanne Scheld, M. A., Research Associate
Dana H. Taplin, M. U. P., Associate Director
Public Space Research Group,
Center for Human Environments
Graduate School and University Center,
City University of New York

CONTENTS
Introduction
PART I: ETHNOGRAPIDES
Southwest Corner
Van Cortlandt Pool
Picnic Area
Van Cortlandt Stadium Area
Playground Area
Parade Ground Area
Parade Ground
Vault Hill
Van Cortlandt Lake Area
Van Cortlandt Lake, Putnam Railroad Trail,
and John I<ieran Nature Trail
Van Cortlandt Golf Course and Clubhouse
Woodlawn Playground Area
Woodlawn Playground
Gaelic Football Field
Sean Healy Field
Jerome-Gunhill Area
Playground
Open Space Along Jerome Avenue
Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range
Classic Playground
PART II: CULTURAL VALUES SURVEY QUESTIONS
AND FINDINGS
Sample, Interview Questions and Findings
Sampling Characteristics
Additional Demographic Characteristics
Visit Characteristics
Cultural Values, Preferences and Meaning
Park Knowledge
PART III. CULTURAL VALUES ANALYSIS
Cultural Values Analysis
Analysis of Activity Groups
Analysis of Park Meaning
Analysis of Preferences
Analysis of Reason for Choosing This Park
Analysis of Places in the Park Perceived as Dangerous
Weekend and Weekday Analysis
Discussion of Findings
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PART IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Maintenance and Management
Design, Infrastructure and Development
Special Constituencies and Activities to Consider
Appendix A. Methodology
Appendix B. Instrument
Appendix C. Charts
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1
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Interview Location
Interviews In Ethnographic Locations
Weekday And Weekend Usage
Time Of Day
Weather
Season
Temperature
Entrance Today
Age Of Persons Interviewed
Census Group
Country Of Origin
Continent Of Origin
Education
Household Income
Occupation
Neighborhoods According To Postal Codes
Neighborhoods Near The Park
Transportation Mode
Travel Time
Visit Group Today
Last Visit
Visits To The Park Over Time
Reasons For Choosing This Park
Today's Activities
Types Of Activities
Special Meaning
Cultural Events At The Park
Likes
Dislikes
Desired Changes
Fears
Reason For Fear
Underutilized Natural Areas
Observed Changes In The Park
Class And Visitors Positive Preferences
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Introduction
Understanding the culturally-influenced values and behaviors of park users, and the role
that a park plays in visitors' lives is essential to effective management. Urban parks, though,
pose a special challenge to identifying and assessing the use patterns of its visiting populations
due to the social diversity of user groups, and the various types of relationships user groups
have to park resources, to each other, and to larger political, economic and social systems. Yet,
urban park managers may be in need of current and reliable ethnographic data in order to better
plan for their parks.
The following report documents our study of cultural diversity in Van Cortlandt Park
and how that diversity influences who comes to the park, who uses the park, how satisfied
users are with park facilities, what conflicts may exist among users, and what values are
represented within cultural/ethnic groups. We compared what visitors like (and dislike) about
the park as well as how visitors used the park and their values in order to generate the
necessary cultural knowledge for managing an urban park in the culturally heterogeneous
borough of the Bronx. We also provide an analysis of the culturally diverse values, activities,
concerns, and preferences of users. At the same time we represent users through their own
words so that they may have a voice in the park's future.
We approached this research project as an opportunity for community outreach and
increased cultural/ ethnic group involvement. This project was a collaborative effort in which
the research team, the park staff, and the park users worked together to create better
communication and understanding. Researchers carried maps of the park, park information
sheets and newsletters, and were prepared to answer questions about the park as well as about
the project. We approached interviewees as "consultants" who were sharing their valuable
knowledge in order to improve park facilities and program activities. We maintained a close
working relationship with park staff so that our efforts could enhance the staff's ability to
respond to what they perceived as important.
The most challenging part of fulfilling these objectives was reaching each of the diverse
cultural groups that use the parks. We sampled the identified cultural/ethnic groups through
the use of identified activity areas, participant observation throughout the calendar year, a user
survey, and an in-depth values survey administered by a multi cultural group of researchers
each month. It was not possible to survey a random sample based on the local population,
therefore, our conclusions cannot be generalized to all people in the neighborhood or to all who
are members of the cultural group. What we have produced, however, is an overview of the
range of values, concerns, conflicts, and interests of park users from most cultural/ ethnic
groups providing quantitative projections and interpretive insights as well as data-based
suggestions and recommendations to guide the park's administration in their planning and
management.
This final report is organized into four sections: Ethnographies; Cultural Values Survey
Questions and Findings; Cultural Values Analysis; and Conclusions and Recommendations.
Each section's subsections represent self-contained "modules." This format was selected over a
more traditional narrative report in order to provide a document which is "user-friendly" to
park managers and staff. Part I consists of "ethnographies," or the qualitative findings of six
specially selected areas of the park which were studied predominately using participant
observation. Each section includes a description of the "social life" within the physical space,
highlighting the variety of users, use patterns and user conflicts in each area. Part II contains the
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quantitative results and findings of the values survey, a face-to-face questionnaire which was
systematically administered to 322users over the course of the year-long study. Part ill includes
a statistical analysis and examination of relationships between variables that describe visitor
groups (e.g. gender, age, census group, education and income level) and visitors' responses to
five questions from the survey (activities, special meaning, likes and dislikes, choice, and fear).
This section also includes an analysis of weekend and weekday usage of the park according to
the same above mentioned visitor group variables. Part N summarizes the significant findings
of the qualitative and quantitative approaches which were not directly addressed in Part I, II, or
ill . This final section also discusses recommendations for future planning and management.
Definitive answers to every management issue is beyond the scope of this study and do
not appear in this report. A conscientious effort has been made to avoid factual errors and
report ethnographic information, as well as park management and community concerns, as
closely as possible to ways in which they were understood by the individuals and groups who
reported them. Still, some gaps and misinterpretations may be discemable to knowledgeable
readers.
The study team wishes to thank Administrator Linda Dockeray, Marianne Anderson,
Director of Community Outreach; and the staff of Van Cortlandt Park for their support of this
project which required extensive access to park resources, records and personnel during the
summer and fall of 1996,and winter and spring of 1997.Bob Bealin, Frank Colella, Eddie
Hutton, Kevin Jenkins, David Kunstler and Mark McKeller provided much critical information
about the park operations as did concessionaires and their employees. Also, we wish to thank
Community Board 8 for welcoming us to their meetings, Dan Broe and Evan Lemonides and the
members of Metro Commute for their work on the census survey. Finally, we wish to thank the
program of Environmental Psychology and the Center for Human Environments at the Graduate
Center for the use of their facilities.
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Ethnographies
Southwest Corner
Situated at the southwest corner of the park, this area is defined by: Broadway to the
west, Van Cortlandt Park South to the south; the Putnam Railroad Trail to the east; and the
Park Headquarters Building, Mansion Road (path), Van Cortlandt House Museum and a set of
tennis courts on the northern edge. Conveniently located to public transportation, the 1/9 IRT
Subway 242nd Street Station and the bus stop along Broadway, this area is one of the more
heavily frequented areas by visitors who make use of the large number of active facilities
located there as well as by those who walk through on their way to other places in the park.
The southwest comer provides a dense and varied number of facilities, including: an
outdoor pool; open areas for picnicking and places with seating; two sets of tennis courts;
handball and paddleball courts; a stadium with track and field; and several black top play and
playground areas. The Van Cortlandt House Museum and the Urban Forest Ecology Center,
two attractions of the park that provide cultural and educational programming, are also located
within this area.
While the southwest corner is made up of a number of distinct places, spaces and
activity areas, they flow into one another functioning together as one geographic area clearly
defined by the pathways and wooded areas that surround them.
1. The Pool
Situated on a crest of a hill, the pool is surrounded by a picnic area that is within the
valley area formed between the pool hill and the incline that leads up to Broadway. The pool
is surrounded by thick black iron fencing, brightly colored walls of yellow, blue and red, and
contains sparkling aqua-blue water that looks very inviting on hot summer days. The facility
layout incorporates separate pools for children and adults. A third pool, located to rear of the
pool facility was closed, empty of water and in disrepair during the summer of 1996. Open for
use only during the summer months , the pool is a popular and heavily used facility. During the
summer of 1996, operating hours were from 11:00 am to 7: 00 pm daily, with a one hour break
between 3: 00 and 4: 00 pm when the pool was closed.
Most people choose to get to the pool via one of three pathways that lead into the park
from Broadway: the path nearest the southern entrance stair to the 242nd Street 1/9 IRT
Subway Station; the stairway and pathway next to the Park Headquarters Building, located
just north of the subway station entrance stairs; or by Mansion Road pathway.
While weekends tend to be busier than weekdays, the pool is still very busy during the
week and throughout the day during the summer, weather permitting. In fact, two Puerto Rican
teenage girls, one 15 and the other 16years of age, who were interviewed while they were
waiting in line to enter the pool had this to say about the number of people using the pool:
"More people (are) showing up than expected in the park. We come on a
weekday and think people will be at work-- and not many people here-- but
there are always more people here than we thought."
Given it's popularity, the pool is often filled to capacity. As a control and safety
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measure, people are asked to wait in a formal line and are allowed to enter as others leave.
There are often as many as 80 people waiting in line to enter the pool: groups of teenage and
young girls, mothers with severa l young children; friends; and family groups. The waiting line
snakes in front of the pool entrance and extends along the pathway that leads through the
picnic area. At the entrance to the pool, people wait between two quite menacing looking metal
barricade structures, while Park guards permit a certain number of people in at a time. The line
tends to move slowly, but people wait calmly and quietly .
A sense of the pool experience on a typical summer weekday comes from field notes of
park observations on July 18, 1996 at about 1:00 pm:
"The children 's pool is very crowded. A lot of kids of young ages are playing
and many mothers are sitting in the water and talking to one another. The main
pool is bigger than the children 's pool and not as crowded, but busy nonetheless.
Groups of kids are talking, playing and Ulghtlysplashing one another. Some are
doing handstands in the water. Some people are sunbathing on towels they have
laid out on the concrete sidewalk surrounding the pool. More people are sitting
and sunbathing on the concrete bleachers located on the north side of the pool."
Pool users tend to be of mixed ethnic backgrounds, although African-Americans and
Latinos seem to predominate. The pool is also frequented by a number of day camp programs,
organized groups, as well as families and groups of friends who combine a visit to the pool with
a picnic, party or games in the surrounding picnic area, or other activities in the park.
Users on the whole like and enjoy the pool. Some people indicated that they would like
to have another pool located closer to the eastem edge of the park. Only a few issues or
concerns were mentioned by users about the numbers of people or with respect to certain pool
regulations. A little girl who was interviewed said that the lifeguards were not friendly and that
the pool rules were not posted. She said that she did not know that there was no diving
allowed in the pool. She dove into the pool and the lifeguard whistled and immediately banned
her from the pool. She was upset about this and thought that it was unfair. Another woman
suggested that "(t)he main adult pool should not have such a high height requirement (for
children). They should have a lower requirement if accompanied by an adult."
2. The Picnic Area
The picnic area surrounds the pool and extends as far as the stadium and tennis court
area to the south, and to Mansion Road to the north. As mentioned earlier, the area is also
within a small natural valley created between the crest of the hill where the pool is located and
the edge of the park along the street edge of Broadway. This is one of the few places in
the park designated for barbecuing along Broadway and the western park edge . While there are
a number of small and larger trees, that allow for shady sitting, the grass is stubbly and there
are many large patches of bare dirt. In addition, during the summer of 1996,there were only
three picnic tables provided for picnickers. For a period of time during that same summer, there
was a large green dumpster sitting in the middle of the picnic area. The placement of the
dumpster in such a visible and unlikely area, unfortunately, added a sense that the picnic area
was neglected and was in need of proper maintenance.
Most of the users of this area, like those who make use of the pool, tend to be of mixed
ethnic and racial backgrounds. While African-Americans and Latinos are in the majority here,
larger numbers of Whites and East Indians were observed and interviewed in this area. During
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the week, people from the local businesses may come to eat their lunch in this area, families and
day camps combine a picnic or barbecue with a swim in the pool. Some people come to this
area to sit, stretch out, relax or sunbathe on a blanket while reading a book, newspaper or
magazine. In the late afternoon, after work, people come to relax and picnic or swim.
The picnic area takes on a very different atmosphere on the weekends. Weekends tend
to be much busier as more people are off from work and have some extra time to spend in the
park. The picnic area is a popular place to celebrate birthday parties or other types of parties
with organized groups, families and friends and on the weekends, the place takes on a very
social atmosphere. Many people, bring their own card tables , chairs and barbecue grills. People
string streamers amongst the trees, set up large tables full of food and fancy cakes, and play
music on their boom boxes. At times, the area can become quite loud with the large numbers of
people and the different types of music playing.
Many of the users interviewed mentioned having attended picnics or parties in this area.
They also liked the trees and the shade. Many users throughout the interviews noted the need
for more picnic tables as well as additional places where cooking is permitted to alleviate
crowding. Water fountains with cold water were also frequently mentioned. An Indian woman
said that she would like to add water fountains to the picnic area stressing that: "We have kids
and they play and want water, COLD water ( placed emphasis on this)." She noted that the
fountains were needed on the north side of the stadium close to the 242nd Street entrance.
The poor condition of the grass was a point of dissatisfaction with many users as was
the sense that the area was unclean. One Latino woman, a program director of a not for profit
group that had organized an outing for women and their families with Aids commented: "There
is hardly any grass here and it is dirty--- and the dumpster in the middle is not healthy." The
need to better regulate dog walkers to clean up after their dogs was another type of
maintenance issue mentioned.
3. The Van Cortlandt Stadium Area
The Stadium Area is located just south of the picnic area, separated by a narrow
pathway leading into the park from Broadway. The main entrance to the area is along a
wider path from Broadway a bit further south. The Stadium Area includes a stadium with
track and field with bleachers, as well as an area adjacent to the stadium building itself that
includes paddleball, handball and tennis courts. There is also a sitting area, fronting on
Broadway, with benches in front of the paddleball and handball courts from which people can
observe the ongoing games, while waiting or hanging out.
The stadium building itself, the track, and the field seem to be used by relatively few
people. Some people use the track for running in the morning and there are some picnickers and
groups who use the field to play various team sports. There are, however, some cultural events
and one music event held at the stadi um every year that attract many people. One stadium
event, held in May 1997 attracted a large number of people of Mexican origin. The organized
event featured music performances by a variety of Latino bands. A 22 year old Mexican
woman interviewed at the event had this to say:
"...I like the Tex-Mex bands and I had never been here (before). It is like being in
Mexico because people are very happy in the show. They even bring the kids.
Everybody feels like in Mexico and the music is very good."
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She went on to say:
"It (this event) is not related to my family, but with the Latino music, with our
countries and other countries also. There are people from many countries here,
but they all like this music and the park."
By contrast to the more limited use of the stadium for special events, the tennis courts,
paddleball and handball courts are used regularly and on a daily basis. The people who play
paddleball stand out as the most vocal and unified as a group out of the three groups of court
players. Most of the paddleball players are of Latino background and the majority of them
tend to be men in their forties and early fifties. They all know one another, play several times a
week throughout the year and see the paddleball courts as a place for physical and social
activity. A 48 year old Puerto Rican man said:
"I've been coming here for years. I like it here too. See the plaque on the wall (he
points to the comer of the courts), our friend died and that's been put for him.
We're a close knit group, we know each other. We hang out with each other. We
have all these facilities here close by--places for baseball, paddleball, no ice
skating (he suggested that maybe one day this would be good)."
Another 47 year old Puerto Rican man added:
"Ihave a lot of friends here. I left the area for a few years, but always come back
to the park. It's a place to do something--we need something different (to do
outdoors). We're all friends here so it's safe. We see the same people every
day."
Another paddleball player, a 52 year old Ecuadorian man, went as far as to say that
the park held a remarkably special meaning for him: "When I die, I would like to have my
ashes scattered in this park. I feel very happy in this place."
These paddleball players are committed to the area and feel a sense of ownership.
Several of them mentioned with pride that they often shovel snow off the courts in the winter
and that they had painted the benches in the sitting area. They had many suggestions for park
improvements . The biggest recommendation was to include an indoor city recreation center gym
with weights in the stadium building (similar to the one that is in St. Mary's Park). Several
problems with the bathrooms were mentioned, including the following: the women's bathroom is
open only during tournaments; there is a need for the provision of showers in the bathrooms;
and that the bathrooms in general are in bad condition, unsanitary and lacking toilet paper.
The lack of lockers and benches in the locker room were also noted.
A need for more and better lighting on the side of the courts were frequently mentioned
along with the request to have the lights on at night rather than in the early morning. Several
people requested that maps of the park were needed to help people orient themselves in the
park.
Parking was brought up as a conflict and issue by the paddleball players. The price of
the parking meters have gone up and the amount of time one can park has been reduced. One
man added: "I would really like to see them do away with the meters. It is not really a
commercial strip here. I can understand having meters where the stores are, but
there aren't any here." He expanded that he disliked: "(b)eing harassed by park employees--
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they ticket cars parked where there is no yellow line (by the bench and the driveway entrance
from Broadway). The fireplug is dead and it should be removed -- it hasn't worked in 20 years."
4. The Playground Area
While this area has been under reconstruction, since May 1997, the following is a
description of the playground layout prior to the reconstruction.
The playground area is divided into three sections: a black top softball/ baseball court;
and two areas with children's play equipment. As mentioned earlier, the black top
softball/baseball court was underutilized, remain ing empty, seemingly abandoned and in
disrepair. One section of the two play areas for children, located adjacent to the empty softball
court area, included benches around the perimeter, a slide, climbing equipment and some open
black top area . The second section contained a large set of swings, larger climbing equipment, a
big open space black top and was also surrounded on the perimeter with benches.
Most of the users of this area are mothers with children. There are some young couples
with children, a few grandparents with grandchildren as well as teenagers hanging out. African-
Americans, Latinos and Whites make up the majority of users, although other groups are
represented as well. The playground seems to be used throughout the week and weekend by
people who, for the most, part live in nearby neighborhoods.
Users liked that the playground was convenient to where they lived. One father said he
liked the park because "...it is large and because the guys (his boys) can ride their bikes here and
nobody disturbs them. You don't have to be concerned about somebody stealing their
bikes."
A grandfather, on the other hand, said that he would not let his grand children play in
the playground unattended because "...some of these kids are rough and there's no security or
supervision."
A number of users pointed out that the playgrounds required renovation and that fresh
paint, more swings, other games and rest rooms were needed. Others mentioned that there was
a lot of trash and broken glass in the area.
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Parade Ground Area
Situated adjacent and just north of the Southwest comer of the park, the Parade Ground
is bordered by Broadway to the west; Mansion Road to the south; Tibbetts Brook and the Van
Cortlandt Golf Course to the east; and Henry Hudson Parkway to the north. The Parade
Ground is entered mainly from Broadway, and although there are three designated paths or
entry points to the ground, people tend to enter from any number of points along Broadway,
due to ease of direct access. The three designated entrance points are: from Mansion Road; at
West 251st Street; and just below Henry Hudson Parkway.
The Parade Grounds Area physically includes the Parade Ground, 150 acres of open
field, and Vault Hill, a large wooded hill, located on the northeastern edge of the Parade
Ground. The curiously large open expanse of the Parade Ground is the biggest open area in Van
Cortlandt Park. Created in 1901, the Parade Ground originally contained three polo fields and
priority for use was given to the National Guard for maneuvers, mock warfare and polo games.I
After 1938, the field was modified to include baseball/softball, soccer and cricket areas.
Today, the ground also contains a football/ rugby field and a track. Vault Hill, originally
designated as family burial plot by James Van Cortlandt in 1748, is a wooded area that still
contains the Van Cortlandt Family cemetery as well as portions of a cross country running trail
and other nature trails. The hill is accessible from the Parade Ground and provides a marvelous
view over the entire expanse. The rocky and forested character of Vault Hill, as well as the
dramatic change in topography from the Parade Ground, contributes to it's functioning as a
distinct area.
1. The Parade Ground
The Parade Ground contains baseball/ softball, soccer, cricket, football fields as well as
a wood chip track. A segment of the larger cross country trail, the track follows the perimeter
of the field, beginning at the northern end of the field, just below Henry Hudson Parkway,
follows along Broadway connecting to Mansion Road and continues along the eastern edge of
the field, where runners must share the pathway with bicyclists and pedestrians, and then
across to the northern edge of the field. The northeast comer of the track connects to the
segment of the cross country running trail through Vault Hill.
The various playing fields are scattered around the large expanse of the Parade Ground.
Four of the six baseball/ softball fields are located in the middle of the Parade Ground field.
Laid out adjacent to one another so that the home plates for the four ballfields are in the center,
the fields fan out in sections and form a large circle. Narrow pathways are provided in between
the fields for spectators to watch the games on benches or on chairs that they bring themselves.
Some team members even set up small tables there with refreshments for the players. The other
two baseball/softball fields are located closer to Mansion Road.
Approximately seven areas of the Parade Ground are designated for soccer, football
and cricket use. While they are not strongly marked, three of the fields are situated north of the
central baseball/softball fields; two are adjacent to the central baseball/softball fields along
the western edge of the Parade Ground; and another two fields are located on the eastern side
1 Van Cortlandt Park History . Administrators's Office, Van Cortlandt & Pelham Bay Parks, City of New York Parks and
Recreation. Second Printing. August 1994.p. 7.
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of the Parade Ground. A set of new stone bleachers near Broadway and the track were
constructed by May 1997.
The pattern of use of the Parade Ground varies both by time of day and weekday and
weekend. The varied degree of usage gives the Parade Ground a very different atmosphere
during these times. During weekday mornings, mostly before 9:00am, but continuing until
about noon, the Parade Ground is frequented by a variety of users from the surrounding area.
Runners and walkers make use of the track, while others walk their dogs, practice their golf
swings, or sit and read on park benches. Sometimes parents or nannies bring their young
children or charges to play in the grass or for a quiet stroll through the park. The park has a
quiet, tranquil and relaxing atmosphere during 1histime of day and users tend to involve
themselves in more solitary activities.
Weekday afternoons tend to be quieter, although a number of people come with their
young children or come with a friend to walk, socialize or relax. In the Spring, some middle
school or junior high school teams / leagues come to play baseball in the early afternoons. The
late afternoons and evenings become a bit busier, with more people coming to walk, run or play
baseball or other team sports. Summer tends to be the busiest ti.mein this area of the park
although the Parade Ground is well used in the Spring and Fall as well.
The Parade Ground is most heavily used on the weekends, with Sunday receiving the
greatest number of users. Dominated by users involved in organized group activities that require
special permits, the Parade Ground is full of cricket, soccer, baseball/softball and
football/rugby teams. Many of these teams are part of larger leagues that play for the full
designated season. Volleyball games are also popular team activities that take place. Runners,
walkers, and some bicyclists, among other individual activities, continue to take place in the
Parade Ground area on the weekends.
Many users of the Parade Ground tend to be of mixed ethnic backgrounds, including:
Jewish and Irish, African-American, West Indian and Caribbean, and Latino. Latino visitors
are from different origins, including: Puerto Rican; Dominican; Honduran; Mexican; and others.
Some activities attract or are targeted toward users of particular ethnic origins . Other activities
attract users with other demographic characteristics in common and others are frequented by a
more varied group of users. Not surprisingly, different user groups have both similar and
different preferences and concerns about the Parade Ground.
In our particular interview sample, more of the male runners tended to be white
professionals, while more of the females runners tended to be of Spanish-speaking and non and
semiprofessional backgrounds, although not exclusively. Many runners also frequent the park
several times a week or more. A 54 year old white male runner described the runner population
by saying that he usually comes to the park alone:
"...but I find fellow runners ...you have a lot of regulars here, over the years we all
know each other ... you also have a lot of fair weather joggers, people who just
come out when the weather's nice."
A 29 year old woman of Dominican Republic background who was running on the track said
that she liked the park because: "It is a big park. .. you can run and at the same time it is safe.
You don't hear about crime ..."
Many park users expressed their appreciation of the natural and beautiful aspects of the
10

park. One enthusiastic 71 year old woman from the Dominican Republic who was fast walking
said:
"When I die, I just want to take this (the park) with me. It's so beautiful.... God,
he made all of this and it's just such a joy to walk in it. You think I can take this
with me and walk up there [laughs]?"
A white man in his early SO'ssaid that the park was special to him in this way: "It's a place
where you can leave your cares. You cross Broadway and you enter another world."
A 48 year old woman who described herself as Black-American finds the park relaxing in
another way:
"Well it's big and quiet-you can always find some space. I remember bringing
my kids here to swim. I'd bring them as soon as the trees got green. Time to chill
out with my kids. And I come for a special tree. It's over there [points north and
tells me that she can see it from where we are standing]. It's a perfect tree, but I
can't tell you the rest [laughs]."
A 46 year old man from Ireland, who was reading the newspaper on a bench said: "I like
everything about it (the park) .. It is lovely, it is beautiful and peaceful. It is a nice
park ... nice and clean."
Other users did not think the park was so clean, however. This same user raised some
issues of concern about people allowing their dogs to run loose as well as the serious danger
involved when people golf on the Parade Ground: "People go golfing over on the Parade
Ground-- they are not supposed to -- it is scary (you could get hit in the head)."
The cricket players are another distinct user group. Many of the cricket players have
backgrounds originating from the Caribbean or West Indies . Played regularly on Saturdays and
Sundays, the two leagues of cricket players attract people from all over the city. A
representative from the New York League, estimates that the games attract about 250 people,
players and spectators included.2 The cricket games take place on the fields along Broadway
near 251st Street.
The soccer players make up another group of users. Comprising of three different
leagues, one league attracts team members of Honduran origin, another attracts players of
Mexican backgrounds and the third league attracts a more varied group of Spanish-speaking
players, including persons of Ecuadorian origin among others. Spectators of the games attend
the matches regularly. Users said that they enjoyed being outside , the park landscape , and the
fresh air. They also felt the park was more peaceful now that there was no longer an Italian
soccer league.
One 68 year old Ecuadorian man said:
"In the past, buenas peleas (good fights) arose when the Italian league played,
but that league does not exist any longer . Italian followers were too belligerent,
2 Taken from a public Bronx Community Board 8 Parks Committee meeting of June 27, 1996with New York City Bronx
Parks and Recreation Department Representatives.
11

and they frequently clashed with the other team supporters. Some of them even
brought guns, and there were shots after the matches."
Many soccer spectators and players disliked the condition of the soccer fields, the lack
of water fountains and trash cans. A 42 year old Ecuadorian man said: "The field is in pathetic
condition. Nobody can play good soccer without grass. Also, as I mentioned before, there
should be some picnic areas nearby."
Another 29 year old Jamaican man referred to space conflicts between soccer and cricket
players: "They play more cricket and that's unfair because they use lots of space and don't
like soccer players around."
Another significant group of users are the baseball/ softball players. Characterized by
men of various Spanish-speaking backgrounds who are seriously involved in the several
softball/baseball leagues, these men wear official looking uniforms with the name of their league
on the back: Gomez; De La Rosa; Deportivo Dominicano. These leagues seem to be an
important cultural activity for these men and their families.
Players and spectators often spend between 3 and 7 hours at the games and picnic
afterward. Many of the players come to the park only to participate in the league's activities
and like to come to the park because they have friends who are also involved in the league.
Players were very concerned about the lack of maintenance of the fields. The fields are not level
and they have holes that fill with water when it rains. The lack of lights for the field, the need
for bleachers, a concession stand, distance of bathrooms from the field, and a water fountain
are also concerns. A 27 year old man of Dominican American origin summed up his dislikes as
such:
"They don't have lights. All the fields are·messed up with holes, the grass ain't
thick enough , and the dirt is too hard. When it rains there is always puddles in
every field. It takes an hour and a half to fill in the field. This morning there
were holes here. We took dirt to fill in the field-- there should be extra dirt
provided here to fill in the field. There should be a drainage system like they
have in Central Park for the dirt. They don't have no close bathrooms and if
they do they are usually closed."
Another player, a 25 year old Hispanic man, had the following suggestions for desired changes:
"Make more softball fields, have more permits for fields that they are going to
make new. Lights- it is better for everybody. Food....vendors with permits.
They should have bleachers. They should have people who maintain the field,
the City should better the maintenance. Scoreboards."
There are also many special events that are held at the Parade Ground, given the great
open expanse. Some of these events include the New York City Philharmonic, Metropolitan
Opera, and other national events including cross country meets. These diverse events draw
users from throughout the city, and at some events from places all over the country as well as
from the surrounding neighborhoods.
The cross country meet, for example, held on October 12, 1997, drew about 10,000
people including about 8,500 kids competing in the events from 292 schools from all over the
U.S. Yellow school buses were parked all along Broadway beginning at the Parks Headquarters
12

Building heading north. The Parade Ground was transformed. Girls and boys were dressed in
various t-shirt / shorts and sweat suits with the name of the various high school teams to which
they belong were running in groups to warm up and sitting on the ground stretching out. Tents
were set up on the grass south of Mansion Road as well as in the middle of the north end of the
Parade Ground that teams brought along for people to change in and to store their belongings.
As races began, probably 230 kids (roughly one kid per foot), lined up behind a line and took
off-- running north across the Parade Ground expanse. The courses ran along the west and east
side of the Parade Ground and some included a portion of the trail through Vault Hill.
2. Vault Hill
As mentioned previously, Vault Hill is rocky and wooded. It contains the Van
Cortlandt Family Cemetery and a portion of the cross country running trail. Park users who
frequentVault Hill tend to go running or walking on the trails; climb the rock face and relax,
sunbathe, picnic and watch the activities taking place on the Parade Ground; and visit the
cemetery.
Not many users seem familiar with this particular area. Many users also expressed
fear about the lack of security, meeting strange people and of being attacked on the trails in
general. One 43 year old Swiss-American woman said she thought that:" ...we (she and her
husband) met ... (a) weird man, and no rangers. (I suppose that) as you get used to ... (the
trails) you become more familiar (less afraid)." Patterns of use and issues of concern to users
about trails will be addressed more in depth in the next section.
13

Van Cortlandt Lake Area
The Van Cortlandt Lake Area is situated in the center of the park, between the
Southwest Comer, the Classic Playground, and the Jerome-Gunhill Area. The area is bordered
by the Putnam Railroad Trail and John Kieran Nature Trail to the west; the free parking lot
for the Van Cortlandt Golf Course and the Major Deegan Expressway to the south; and
Mosholu Parkway to the east and north.
The Lake Area consists of several distinct areas: the Van Cortlandt Lake, the
Putnam Railroad Trail, the John Kieran Nature Trail, and the Van Cortlandt Golf Course
and Clubhouse. There are three main ways that users enter the area. The most common choice
by users is to meander along Mansion Road, from Broadway, through the Parade Ground, and
over the bridge at the Putnam Railroad Trail. Another frequently used entrance to the area,
for visitors who come by car, is via the Major Deegan Expressway and the free parking lot for
the Van Cortlandt Golf Course. Another pedestrian entrance, the least used by visitors
interviewed, is from Van Cortlandt Park south along the Putnam Railroad Trail.
1. Van Cortlandt Lake. Putnam Railroad Trail. and John Kieran Nature Trail
Situated in the center of the area, the Van Cortlandt Lake is bordered by grassy areas
and a paved walking path that leads from the bridge at the Putnam Railroad Trail past the
Van Cortlandt Clubhouse to the Golf Course Area . The path continues through the golf course
area by way of an underpass, alongside a portion of the Major Deegan Expressway, and into a
section of the golf course.
The Putnam Railroad Trail and the John Kieran Nature Trail are located adjacent to
and west of the lake. The railroad trail is the old Putnam Line, that ran through the park into
Yonkers and Westchester on its way to Boston beginning in 1880. While it ceased operation for
passengers in 1958 and for freight in the mid 1980s3,the filled in path is now actively used by
park users as a trail for walking and riding their bicycles. The circular John Kieran Nature Trail,
snakes around the lower part of the Putnam Railroad Trail.
The highest usage of these areas by visitors is on the weekends during the summer, early
fall and spring. There is some weekday usage during these seasons as well, however. Users
who come to the lake, come to fish, sail a toy boat, walk, sit, read, picnic, and feed the ducks or
birds. They come by themselves or with friends and or family . Users of the trails come to walk
or bicycle and tend to come with someone else most of the time, although some male users said
they come by themselves.
Users tend to be of mixed ethnic backgrounds, including: Italian-American and Irish-
American origins as well as more recent immigrants from Ireland, Switzerland and Albania;
Spanish speakers from Puerto Rican and Mexican origins; and African-Americans.
Many users of the lake come to fish. Some people choose to fish from the bridge which
is part of the Putnam Railroad Trail, while others locate themselves past the clubhouse,
along the section of the lake that follows the path that leads to the start of the golf course. The
3 Van Cortlandt Park History . Administrator's Office, Van Cortlandt & Pelham Bay Parks, City of New York Parks and
Recreation . Second Printing , Augu st 1994. p . 11.
14

(
majority of our sample of fishermen and women were of Puerto Rican and Mexican origins,
although there were some African-Americans and one person of mixed European-American
origin. Many of the fishermen and women inteirviewed expressed their appreciation of the
natural environment and wildlife, and the quieltand relaxing atmosphere of the lake. A 40 year
old man of Mexican origin, reflecting on the special meaning of the park, said:
"It (the park) is truly special. This is the place where we can breathe pure air,
and observe nature. Besides, one must leave the apartment for a while, and this
is quite an economic way to take the kids out."
Many users in this area, however, were concerned about the condition of the lake, the
amount of trash after the weekend, the lack of fish in the lake, the poor maintenance of the
trails. A 30 year old Puerto Rican man said: "They don't clean enough. The water in the lake is
really dirty and they don't have enough fish in the lake. They should stock it again."
A 43 year old Swiss-American woman, in describing the Putnam Railroad/John Kieran Nature
Trails talked about the need to pay more attention to the maintenance along the trails:
''We were crossing over that bridge (the Van Cortlandt map shows a bridge over
Tibbetts Brook) and you have only two pieces of wobbly wood to cross over ...
We had to hold on to a chain link fence (for balance). (Meanwhile) on the other
side of the fence there 's a wide path and a fine bridge for the golf carts, and
they're going back and forth as you 're clutching the chain link on two wobbly
pieces of wood . But the main thing is the chain link.it's just not right. I
understand the golf courses need to keep people out of the course , but they need
to find another way ... This is a totally unfair crossing. It's a misuse; they should
restrict them (the golfers). They also need good signals (directional
language) ...make it more inviting to pedestrians."
Recommendations for park improvements included: boats, rafts and fishing pole rentals;
educational programs and organized activities for kids; clean up the lake and trails; and to
institute fines against people who litter. A 45 year old African-American man suggested:
"Ifthey could put boats (on the lake) and have tournaments. 110th Street used
to rent bamboo poles for kids (for fishing). Have some educational seminars for
kids on how to clean up the lake....They could do it (rent the fishing poles) from
the office where the rangers used to be on the other side of the Golf house."
Some users mentioned concern and fear about Tibbetts Brook and a wooded area across
the lake from the club house where they said "weird people", homosexuals, and military people
hung out.
The same 45 year old African-American man warned:
"Tibbett s Brook- my partner got robbed by the second bridge during a holiday
walking down along there-- You don't know what you will run into--- there are
also homosexuals and military kids that hang out around there."
15

2. The Van Cortlandt Golf Course and Clubhouse
The Van Cortlandt Golf Course extends as far as the Vault Hill and the John Kieran
Nature Trail to the west; abuts the lake and the Major Deegan Expressway to the south;
Mosholu Parkway and the Aqueduct Trail to the east; and the Aqueduct Trail, not far from the
Yonkers border to the north. The Golf course is an 18hole course.
Users of these facilities tend to be of mixed ethnicity. Of the sample of the people who
were interviewed in this area, a nwnber of people were of Irish-American, Finnish, Ukrainian,
Asian, and Anglo-American backgrounds. A larger number of users interviewed in this area
were in their mid to late 20's; generally tending to be younger than users of the Mosholu Golf
and Driving Range.
Not surprisingly, more users came by car and entered the park from Van Cortlandt Park
South entrance. Users liked the golf course and some people remarked on the fact that Van
Cortlandt Golf Course was the first public golf course in the country. Some people liked that the
golf course was convenient to where they live. Many people had come to the park, specifically
to golf and most did not come to the park for any other activities or were not that familiar with
other places in the park.
While many users did not have much to say about what they disliked, one user
mentioned that she did not like having to pay for parking, and another suggested that he would
like to see more attractions in the park such as boat rentals, bicycle rentals, ice skating, and
rollerblading.
16

Woodlawn Playground Area
The Woodlawn Playgronnd Area is located in the upper east comer of the park,
bordered by the Northeast Forest to the west; Indian Field to the south; Van Cortlandt Park
East to the east; and East 242nd Street, Parkway North, Yonkers and Westchester County to
the north. While there is no subway service to this area, public transportation is available by
bus, although most users come by car or walk from the surrounding neighborhood.
The Woodlawn Playgronnd Area consists of three distinct areas: Woodlawn
Playgronnd; Gaelic Football Field; and Sean Healy Field. The playgronnd contains a lot of play
equipment for young children as well as some activity areas for older kids and adults. The
Gaelic Football Field is an enclosed football field located just behind and west of the
playground. Sean Healy Field is a softball/ baseball field located just to the north of the
playground.
1. Woodlawn Playgronnd
Entered directly from Van Cortlandt Park East, through one main entrance gate,
Woodlawn playground is divided into three main activity areas. One area contains a range of
play equipment and activities for young children, including swings, jungle gym, see saws, slides,
and an area with sprinkl ers in the shape of frogs, for kids to cool down in the summer. This
first area, is located adjacent to the front entrance gate and extends to the back fence of the
playground. Generally rectangular in shape, it is surrounded along the front fence by benches
and along the perimeter by 2 rows of benches back to back.
The second area is raised, reached by climbing a few steps, and contains picnic tables
to the left (south side) and a jnngle gym with a cupola on top. The third area is along the south
side of the playground. This area is fenced off, a distance away from the 2 rows of back to
back benches, with a chain link fence and divided into two separate activity areas; one section
contains basketball courts with basketball hoops, and the other section, also fenced with a
chain link fence, has a large wall for paddleball or handball games.
The pattern of use of the playground tends to be heaviest during the summer, fall and
late spring, during weekday afternoons and weekend days, especially. Weekday mornings tend
to be quieter year round, with more people arriving and activity increasing during and after the
lunch hours. Mothers mentioned meeting one another for lunch sometimes, as well as a popular
summer free lunch program that attracts a lot of children during the summer months. Parents
with young children make use of the area with the swings, see saw, slides, sprinkler and jungle
gym. Many kids like to run around in the open space areas as well. In the late afternoons and
evenings, older kids and adults come to play basketball, paddleball and handball.
Observations made of the playground on March 15, 1997, a weekend day during the
spring at about 12:30indicated about fifteen kids, 3 of African-American origin and the rest
White, playing in the basketball court area-- in about 4 groupings around the basketball hoops.
About twenty-one other people were in the playground area which included adults and their
young kids, some in strollers, Dads and Moms. Two kids were riding their bikes around (2
wheelers) and one younger child had a tricycle. Another child was rollerblading.
Young kids were centered, for the most part, aronnd the jungle gym play equipment in the far
northwest comer of the playground. All the parents were White, with the exception of perhaps
17

one Latino father with his two kids. The kids playing basketball tended to be older -- they also
seemed to have come to the playground on their own. There was no adult supervising the
games going on, but the kids seemed to be engaged in their own games without bothering one
another.
Users tend to be predominantly White, from mixed ethnic origins, including: Irish,
Italian, Jewish, and German. Although less in number, persons of African-American and
Dominican backgrounds also frequent the playground . Many users live in Yonkers, with a zip
code of 10470.
Users on the whole feel safe in the park. Parents like the variety of activities offered for
the young children and think that the playground provides a good opportunity for their children
to run around and socialize. A 34 year old German-American mother who had grown up in the
neighborhood and had come here herself as a child, said: "The park is a place for my child to
play, socialize and it is also a learning environment and it is fun as well."
Adults also make use of and enjoy the pilayground facilities. A 29 year old
Italian-American woman, who was playing handball, said: "I love the courts and the fact that
we come here and we play, no race stuff. No male-female stuff, just play." A 31 year old Irish
American father said that he liked the playgrow1d because "...it is clean and safe. In the
summer they have sprinklers. It is close to my house, it is convenient. There are no broken
bottles. "
Many users disliked that there were not enough swings and that it seemed that the ones
that were in the playground had remained broken for a long time. A 27 year old Irish-American
mother said: "Not enough swings, and there is a war in the summer! This part (the woods)
should be fenced off. He (her son) tends to run up here ."
Several users were concerned about teenagers who hang out in the playground, making it
unsafe for the younger kids to play. A 32 year old father who was born in Ireland said:
"A lot of 16 and 17 year old kids hang out and smoke in that little house (cupola
on play equipment). There should be a park ranger. The kids play in the mid
summer by rollerblading on the railings, it is dangerous for the younger kids. "
A 43 year old Irish born man gave a detailed explanation about what he disliked about the park
and an issue of concern:
"There's some dumping going on in the park.I've noticed in the woods over there
(behind the playground and on to Indian Field) that there are car parts and
tires .... If there could be more policing around here that would be good (he
mentions the Jerome Avenue as a place in need of policing) ... This place needs a
big fence around it... There's a lot of vandalism too, the seats are missing on the
swings and we'd like to get them back."
"...One issue I'd like to bring up .. A lot of teenagers come here to rollerblade.
They prop up a ramp on the benches over there and they jump off of it. We've
had an incident here ... Parents had some words with the teens .. The problem is
they come down off the ramp and there are toddlers around ...its not safe for the
toddlers .. It;'s a real conflict, I spoke with them myself. Their bone of contention
is there is no where in the neighborhood for the teens to rollerblade ... They are
18

just doing things that teens do, but its a conflict. They told me we don't want to
hurt anyone', but they have no where to play, do the thing teens do. These aren't
the teens who are drinking and smoking, some of them are even 9 or 10 years
old ... They want things to do.. But this area is really for little kids, and these
were big kids ..." ( I ask him if there really aren't any places in the neighborhood
for these kids. He told me the school has a center, but this is indoors and its not
open on the weekend. He named a few other things, but in the end he was
sympathetic with these teens)."
2. Gaelic Football Field
Located on a raised plateau behind Woodlawn Playground, Gaelic Football Field is
nestled between the Northeast Forest to the west and south; Woodlawn Playground to the east
and Nursery Road to the North. The field is enclosed by a chain link fence with entrances that
are kept locked, during off hours. Entrance to the field is through the back of the playground
via a narrow dirt path and a few stone steps, or through an entrance gate, just off Nursery
Road.
Gaelic Football Field is a football field that locals often refer to as Paddy's Field after a
local resident who volunteers to help maintain the field.
The field seems to be used most on weekend mornings and afternoons during Spring and
Summer. Users tend to be players of Gaelic Football, spectators, as well as parents with young
kids, and young adults in their 20's who live in the neighborhood or have friends in the
neighborhood . Players involved-in the Gaelic Football games are organized in separate teams of
kids, men and women . While many of the players and spectators live in Rockland County,
there are a number of people who live in the adjacent neighborhood. Parents with young
children make use of the field to run around, play baseball, catch, and to play with toy
motorized vehicles. They often visit the playground area as well. Young adults may come to
hang out, fix their bicycles or spend time before or after going riding in the woods, or walk
around.
The majority of users of this area are of Irish or Irish-American backgrounds,
although persons of Italian-American, East-Indian, and West-Indian/Caribbean origins were
observed as well as interviewed.
While many users are not familiar with other places in the park, users feel safe, like the
open space, the grass and trees, and that it is convenient. Dislikes and recommendations
included taking care of the grass, repairing the steps on the path from the playground, and that
the fence is sometimes locked.
3. Sean Healy Field
Located further north along Van Cortlandt Park East, Healy Field is just north east of
Gaelic Football Field and north of the Woodlawn Playground. Nursery Road borders the field
to the north. Primarily set up for baseball games, the field contains a baseball field with
bleachers provided for spectators placed around the fields edge.
The field is used more frequently on weekday afternoons and weekends during Spring
and Summer . Most users are involved in little league activities that take place here. Children ,
their parents, families and friends who come to watch and support them are the most frequent
19

and pervasive users of Healy Field. Other users, adults and children, come to the field to hang
out, walk their dogs and to relax.
While many of the users of this field tend to be of African-American and West Indian
backgrounds, there are visitors of Spanish-speaking and Irish or Irish-American backgrounds
who make use of the field as well.
In general, most of the users in this area were unfamiliar with other parts of the park,
although they liked the open field and the natural environment. One user disliked that one
could not play at night and suggested that lights be installed to allow for night play. Others
remarked upon the dog excrement and broken glass left lying around. A 27 year old
Trinadadian mother was concerned about the dogs because "...being as it is kids (who come
here) ... I don't feel that dogs should be walked in here ... Kids roll in the grass ... They run
around ... Get into dog mess .."
This same woman raised a more serious issue about what she feels is segregated usage of
the park: "Everything in the Park is divided ... I think it needs to be changed ... We all live
together, we should play together, ... I think that's wrong, it needs to be changed." This issue
requires further investigation, as other comments to this effect were not reflected in the
interviews conducted in this area. Given that users of the Woodlawn Playground Area are
predominately White, however, fewer interviews were conducted with non-Whites. Whether the
ethnic pattern among users in this area is one of segregation or of preference needs additional
focused research.
20

Jerome-Gunhill Area
Situated at the southeast corner of the park, this area is defined by: Mosholu Golf
Course to the north; West Gunhill Road to the south; Jerome Avenue to the east; and Mosholu
Parkway to the west.
The Jerome-Gunhill Area contains three distinct areas: a playground area and
surrounding open space; a strip of open land, sandwiched between the fence enclosing the
Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range and Jerome Avenue, that extends up to Mosholu
Parkway; and the Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range itself. Conveniently located to
public transportation, the Mosholu Parkway Station stop on the #4 Lexington Avenue Line, as
well as to the Major Deegan Expressway this area is frequented by visitors who make use of
the Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range as well as by those who frequent the playground.
1. The Playground
Opened in July 1997,the Jerome-Gunhill Playground was constructed with funds and
employee labor donated by the Saturn Car Company. The playground was a first in this area,
which prior to that had been open space included as part of the Mosholu Golf Course. Located
on a natural hill that slopes up from the corner of West Gunhill Road and Jerome Avenue, the
playground is within a clearing encircled by trees at some distance away. The playground is
constructed of wood and brightly colored pieces of magenta, blue, turquoise, red, orange, and
yellow plastic play equipment and is designated for young children. The name "Kids Kingdom"
is printed on a plaque attached to the play equipment. The equipment is set on a slightly
raised circular platform that is covered with wood chips and edged with wood. The equipment
has sections for climbing, sliding, sitting and spaces for playing. There are two benches near the
play area for sitting and a few picnic tables. There are also a number of natural rock
outcroppings, located under the trees and at some distance from the equipment, that people use
to sit on.
There is also a lawn section of the playground area that is located next to the
playground equipment on the west side along West Gunhill Road. Older children tend to use
this area to play soccer or other team sports. Parents also use the area to play catch or football
with their children.
Most people enter the playground along the main entrance path that leads up from the
corner of West Gunhill Road and Jerome Avenue. Others enter more informally from various
points of the sidewalk along West Gunhill Road or Jerome Avenue.
While the playground is used continuously during the summer, especially on weekday
afternoons and weekends, Spring and Fall are busy times as well. Weekday mornings tend to
be quiet year round, with some adults corning to sit on the two benches by the playground and
young men come to hang out. In the afternoons and evenings, families with children come to the
playground to play on the equipment and to picnic, often several mothers with kids will come
or extended family groups will come together . Adults bring blankets and layout and relax, bring
picnic food or barbecue grills and cook. Most of the users are from the immediate
neighborhoods, and while people seem to recognize one another, they don't seem to talk to one
another, keeping to their own groups.
Users are of mixed ethnic backgrounds. African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and
21

Dominicans are the predominate groups, although East-Indians, especially Pakistani, stand out
as a group who seem to frequent this area. The East-Indian/ Pakistani women hang out in
groups and dress in traditional clothing . Other groups such as Mexicans, German-Americans,
and Russians are also represented, but to a lesser degree.
Users on the whole say that they like tha 1t there is play equipment for the children and
that the park provides a place for families to get together outside, to relax and picnic, and to
get some fresh air. Many people like the natural greenery of the park and the quiet and
tranquility of the park atmosphere. Comments about the park as a place for families to get
together were expressed by one African American family group who said:
"It means a lot just to be able to get together like this, we all live in the same
building, we're all family-- and this is a way to get outside, relax, get some air
and have some fun at the same time."
A 22 year old Hispanic woman who brought her two nephews to the playground liked that:
"(It's) not far away from where you can observe the children. Everything is visible- there are no
secluded areas--- makes people feel safe." She went on to say that the park was meaningful to
her because she used to come here as a young teenager:
"we used to rehearse dances here for school. ( I ask what kind of dances) A
talent show for Junior High School 80. There used to be more of a flat area--
where there are trees now. I went to that school for nine years."
Users had a lot to say about what they dilsliked and what they would like to see
changed. Many people would like to see bathroom facilities provided, water fountains, lights,
swings, more tables and places for sitting, and sprinklers for the kids in the summer. Activities
for older kids like basketball hoops, and a place for rollerblading were also suggested. A pool
facility also was suggested by a few users.
Other people were concerned about the existing playground design. A 35 year old
Pakistani man was particularly concerned about the layout of the equipment, the wood chip
ground, and children's safety:
"There are many reasons why this is a dangerous park---let me explain--first
look-- what do you see? Too many children all crowded together, so easy to hurt
someone like that-- why is this park all pushed together, there is a lot of ground
here, plenty of room for it to be spread out, also to put some swings and other
things. I must watch all the time because there are big children who don't belong
here and hurt the younger children-see that [he points out some kids who must
be at least twelve, acting rough among the babies and other children--nearly all
parents are there standing watching carefully-- I see his point, the area is all
squashed together and big and small children are on top of each other.] also this
covering on the ground is dangerous and dirty-- why wood chips--why not
rubber on the ground. When it rains this stuff gets wet--it's bad, also children
throw it at each other, little ones try to eat it, already I saw a little one nearly
choke because he tried to swallow it. The big kids throw it and there are
splinters that get into each others eyes. There is a lot of glass--broken glass in
with the chips from other people, the dog stuff---this is a bad park--the Saturn
people tried but it is a bad park and too dangerous---too close for too many
people---tell someone that! They need security and first aid also."
22

Safety from the drug addicts in the area was another concern people expressed. An
African-American family group said: "Get rid of the drug addicts, --this is needle
city--crackhead park--even if they aren't in here right now--in fact some of them are--it's
disgusting." Their 8 year old grandchild added: "Iwatch them shoot up a lot of times--the cops
see it too, they don't pay any attention. "
Many people remarked on problems with trash, broken glass, dog excrement, and
poor condition of the grass . A 35 year old man from the Dominican Republic said: "I would like
for the City to take care of the park--the grass is not green--it is dying. They let it grow too long
and it is too rough. This park also needs some sitting places."
2. Open Space Along Jerome Avenue
This open grassy area has a slight incline as it is on the side of the hill extending along
Jerome Avenue from West Gunhill Road to Mosholu Parkway, at the entrance to the parking lot
for the Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range. The northern edge of this open area abuts the
fence of the Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range . There are a number of rock outcroppings
in this open space, and the area nearing the corner at West Gunhill Road contains several
benches at the edge of the sidewalk.
While this area conveys a sense of neglect and seems to serve as a green strip that
borders the adjacent sidewalk, observations indicate that people sit, picnic, read, or relax here.
A number of these park users live in apartment buildings across the street. The area with the
benches is a big hang out area for drug users, addicts and people who, according to other park
users in the playground, attend programs at a methadone clinic across the street. There are
remains of crack vials around the benches, and not surprisingly the people who hang out here
are regarded with suspicion by the playground users. Observations also indicated that a
number of older users like to sit on the benches in this area.
3. Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range
The Mosholu Golf Course, Clubhouse and Driving Range extend as far as the Major
Deegan Expressway to the north; abut the playground area to the south, the open area and
Jerome Avenue to the east; and border Mosholu Parkway to the west. The Golf course was an
18 hole course until the summer of 1990,when the course was reduced to 9 holes.
Users of these facilities are of mixed ethnicity. Of the sample of golfers interviewed at
this facility, a number of people were of Italian-American; African-American; and
Danish-American backgrounds . A larger number of users interviewed were in their early to
late SO's, while a few were in their late 20's and early 30's.
People generally liked the tranquil, natural and friendly atmosphere of the course
and its proximity to home. A 34 year old Italian-American man said that the course had special
meaning to him in this way:
"It's a good place to take up the sport. J[mean the old-timers around here
always give you tips, sometimes they're a little too helpful, but at least they
don't look down their nose at you because you're rotten or you're taking
up their space like at some other places---in fact closer to me there are a lot of
golf courses--public and private-but none quite as friendly."
23

A 55 year old African-American man liked: "It's proximity to home. All the different animals.
It's like being in the country. I saw my first woodpecker here and many other animals."
Many users were disappointed that the course had been reduced to 9 holes. They also
had concerns about the security of the surrounding neighborhood and kids who come to the golf
course and are destructive. The manager of the golf course disliked :
"... the security problems with the neighborhood. We have had bad
situations with the properties in which the equipment is stored. The children
come to the course from the playground and it is dangerous."
24

Classic Playground
Situated along the southern edge of the park, this area is bordered by the Major Deegan
Expressway and the southwest corner to the west; Van Cortlandt Park South to the south;
Mosholu Parkway and the Jerome-Gunhill Area to the east; and a section of the Mosholu Golf
Course and the Major Deegan Expressway to the north. Located directly across the street from
the Amalgamated Housing Complex, this area includes an enclosed playground with several
different activity areas. The playground is surrounded by an open area with benches, grass and
pathw ays that lead into the wooded areas.
The playground is covered with black top and surrounded by a 10 to 12 foot high chain
link fence. The playground is divided into three sections by two chain link fence partitions, the
same height, that run from the back fence to three quarters width of the playground. The first
section is on the eastern side of the playground, entered into directly from the main entrance
gate, and contains a range of play equipment, mostly for younger children. The second section,
located to the left of the first on the other side of the partition, contains activity space and
basketball hoop s for older children and adults. This second section is further divided into a
third section that contains open space and a handball/paddleball wall.
The back fence (north) of the first section is lined by a swing set with 6 swings
(surrounded by its own shoulder high chain link fence) 2 slides, and in the east corner, a below
grade concrete pool with sprinklers (also surrounded by a vertical black cast iron fence). The
playground 's side fence (east) is lined with 3 see saws, another slide, and another swing set
with 6 swings (surrounded again by a shoulder high chain link fence). The south fence wall,
contains benches , arranged both parallel and perpendicular, that are centered around a black
cast iron fenced sand pit. This same fence wall includes the main entrance gate, and more
benches that stop just before the partition fence wall that marks the second section. Additional
benches line the partition fence (west) in this first section so that they face a Parks Department
building that contains rest rooms and storage, and a green painted wood jungle gym (at the
more northern edge). Another jungle gym, one made out of metal with monkey bars , was
located previously next to this green wood set and in front of the back wall swing set, until it
was removed in December 1996 or January 1997. A flag pole is located near the partition fence
entrance to the second section, between the Parks Department building and the set of benches
along the front playground fence wall. The entire area is black topped and there is a big central
open space that children like to run around in.
The second section, on the western side of the partition fence has two basketball hoops
without nets located against the partition fence. There is no equipment located along the back
fence. There is a closed gate entrance there, however, not far from the partition fence. Another
chain link partition fence, similar to the other one, is erected about midway along the back fence
wall. Against this partition fence are two more basketball hoops wi~h no nets. More benches
are located against the southern fence wall (that contains the entrance to the playground).
The third section, on the most western side of the playground is located behind the
second partition fence. This space is again cut in half by a chain link fence wall with gate that
creates two spaces. The most northern of these 1twosections contains a 10 to 12 foot high
concrete wall, parallel to the western fence of the:playground, for use for paddleball, handball
or for hitting balls against. The southern area contains open space black top.
Weekday afternoons and weekend days tend to be more heavily used at the
25

playground. The warmer months, during the summer, early fall, and late spring are the busiest
seasons at the playground. These patterns of usage are not surprising given that these are the
times when many children are out of school. There is a nursery school, however, located in the
Amalgamated Complex that makes use of the playground facility during the earlier hours of the
day.
Parents with young children make use of the area with the swings, sand pit, slides and
sprinkler. Many kids like to run around in the open space areas. Not surprisingly, many users
know one another as many of them live in the Amalgamated Housing Complex across the street
and children often play with one another, while their parents talk.
The playground is not only used by young kids and their parents, however. In the late
afternoons and early evenings, teenagers make use of the basketball court area, where they play
ball or ride their bicycles. They hang out on the benches located along the fence in the second
and third sections where they meet their friends and talk. Teenagers also use the area in the far
comer of the third section, behind the paddleball/ handball wall, to hang out, and according
to some users, smoke marijuana. Many older adults live in the Amalgamated Complex who
make use of the playground area as well. Older men and women come to sit and talk with one
another, meet their friends and socialize, or watch their grandchildren from the benches in the
area around the sand pit. Older men also come to sit and read, play chess or backgammon, or
feed the birds on the benches on the path just outside the playground.
A cultural mix of people from Eastern-European, African-American, Latin-American
speaking, and Asian and Philippine backgrounds are users of this area. Men of the older
population tends to be of Jewish or Eastern-European backgrounds, while many parents of
young children are of African-American, Latin-American, or Asian origins.
Users on the whole like that the playground is safe and clean. They also like that it is
peaceful, quiet and relaxing. Parents think it is a good place for their children to play because
of the equipment and because they feel that there is a sense of trust amongst the users.
Parents also enjoy coming here to socialize.
A 25 year old woman from the Dominican Republic who had brought her kids to the
park with two of her friends and their kids said i;he liked: "the peace and quiet. There are
always people here and you feel safe. Everyone's here to have a fun time so nobody starts
trouble." Another mother, a 40 year old Puerto Rican woman said that she liked:" The swings,
the games, the calm and peacefulness. If I'm angiry, stressed, feeling lazy--it goes away here in
the park. We have picnics, lunches ."
Another 42 year old Ecuadorian woman, who was sitting with another woman who had
brought her grandchildren, said that the playground was a meaningful place because:
"...I'm raising my daughters here. They enjoy themselves here. I've met a lot of
people-- we come here to socialize (this was ... accented and followed by a slight
smile). People don't come here looking for problems. It's a very family oriented
environment- and people come from all classes. (Awhile before this
question someone came in looking for their pocketbook, and another woman
asked her if the one she found was hers. It was immediately returned. The
interviewees explained that type of honesty and trust existed in that park
playground and that made them feel more relaxed and safe in the area.)"
26

Users had a number of things to say about what they disliked and had suggestions for
playground improvements. Young teenage kids who were interviewed mentioned the need to
smooth out the surface of the basketball courts and to repaint the court lines. They also thought
there should be more bathrooms and that they should be open more frequently. Other users
mentioned the need to maintain the cleanliness of the sand pit and to fix the now dangerous
sidewalks and stairs going down into the woods near the playground area. Security was also a
concern for several users. Concern was expressed about the lack of security of an abandoned
path located east and north of the playground and the need for additional police patrol was
suggested. Others felt that the playground needs lights and that it should be locked at night for
added security. A 25 year old Dominican mother said:
"I've found glass in the sprinkler area once. I don 't think they close this place at
night. If they don't, they need to, because this place is really for children and
families. If you let other people in at night, they can destroy the park for
everyone else."
While, for the most part, users felt that the playground was clean, a number of users
mentioned the unfortunate problem that pigeons tend make use of a particular tree in the
playground to sit and rest. They also regularly relieve themselves, and the droppings often land
on the playground users heads.
Older users mentioned the need to maintain the pruning and maintenance of the area in
order to ensure that broken branches and other trash are picked up in order to prevent older
users from tripping or falling. This group also saw the need for more benches in the
shade, especially during the summer months.
Some of the comments had to do with the connection or lack of connection of this
playground with other sections of the park. One woman disliked that there was no path that
one could walk on that would lead to the lake directly from their area. She said that she was
told that she was not permitted to walk through the golf course to get there.
Another comment made by several users was that they would like to have maps of the
layout of the whole park posted so that people could use it as a guide to get around as well as
to inform them about the park.
27

• I
This part of the report has examined six areas of Van Cortlandt Park in terms of
observed patterns of visitor usage and has attempted to give voice and personality to the many
diverse visitors as well as to the convey a sense of the relationships that visitors have to one
another as well as to the environment of these six selected park places over time.
The next section moves from a focus on park places to describing the sampling of 322
park visitors interviewed in Van Cortlandt over a year period. A discussion of the sampling
techniques, who the visitors are, how they use the park, their cultural values, preferences and
meanings associated with the park, and their knowledge of the park are presented.
28

Part II. Cultural Values Survey Questions And Findings
29

Sample, Interview Questions And Findings
The Culrural Values Survey is a twenty-nine question interview designed to understand
visitors' use patterns, perceptions of the park and the cultural dimensions of these behaviors
and beliefs. Three hundred and twenty-two (322)interviews were collected between July 1996
and June 1997. We interviewed visitors throughout the park, during all seasons of the year, all
days of the week, during diverse times of the day, and in the first language of the visitor. (See
Appendix A for a full description of the methodology, instrument and sampling approach). In
selecting participants for the survey, we made use of a cluster sampling method. The sampling
was directed in that we attempted to interview numbers of males and females, adults and
children, and visitors of ethnic backgrounds that roughly corresponded to the demographic
profile of the park. The following sections of the report present the results of the surveys. First
we describe the basic demographic characteristics of the sample, the interview questions, and
the findings to these questions. We then discuss additional demographic characteristics of the
sample population, that were not part of the sampling criteria. Finally, we present the survey
questions that sought to understand the characteristics of users' visits, their preferences and
their knowledge of the park.
1. Sampling Characteristics
The sample of visitors was struchlred so as to include a variety of locations in the park,
times of day, days of the week, different weather conditions, and seasons in order to gather
data on the widest variety of park users over the course of a year. The sample also attempted
to reflect patterns of demographic characteristics of visitors with respect to gender, age and
race. The demographic dimensions to the sample were to be informed by a coinciding census
count. The census count, however, began after the face-to-face surveying had commenced. The
dimensions of the interview sample, therefore, were guided by knowledgeable park
representatives.
Location. Interviews were conducted within eleven (11)broadly defined areas of Van
Cortlandt Park, as shown in Table 1. In order to capture the widest representation of locations
and places within the park, the eleven areas were broken down into specific locations and
places (See Appendix C ). Five of the eleven broadly defined areas are located within western
sections of the park, four areas within eastern sections, and two areas are within southern and
central sections of the park.4
4 Western sections of the park include the Southwest Comer, Parade Ground, and Northwest Forest, Upper Broadway
and Stables. Eastern sections of the park include Woodlawn Playground Area, Indian Field, Shandler Recreation Area,
and the Jerorne-Gunhill Area. Southern sections of the park include the Amalgamated Housing Area . Central sections
of the park include the Lake Area.
30

Table 1. INTERVIEW LOCATION
Valid Cum
Value Label Value Frequency Percent Percent Percent
Southwest Corner 1 52 16.1 16.1 16.1
Parade Ground Area 2 58 18.0 18.0 34.2
Lake Area 3 33 10.2 10.2 44.4
Amalgamated Hsg Area 4 30 9.3 9.3 53.7
Jerorne-Gunhill Area 5 29 9.0 9.0 62.7
Shandler Recreation 6 9 2.8 2.8 65.5
Indian Field 7 46 14.3 14.3 79.8
Woodlawn Playground 8 32 9.9 9.9 89.8
Northwest Forest 9 11 3.4 3.4 93.2
Upper Broadway 10 10 3.1 3.1 96.3
Stables 11 11 3.4 3.4 99.7
Other 12 1 . 3 . 3 100.0
----- - - ------- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Of the total visitor population sampled, 44 percent were interviewed in western sections
of the park, 36 percent in eastern sections of the park, and 20 percent in central, southern, and
other sections of the park. Seventy-three percent of the all the interviews were conducted
within the specially selected ethnographic areas, shown in Table 2.
Table 2. INTERVIEWS IN ETHNOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
Valid Cum
Parade Ground Area 2 58 18.0 18.0 34.2
Lake Area 3 33 10.2 10.2 44.4
Amalgamated Hsg Area 4 30 9.3 9.3 53.7
Jerorne-Gunhill 5 29 9.0 9.0 62.7
Woodlawn Playground 6 32 9.9 9.9 72.6
Other Park Locations 7 88 27.4 27.4 100.0
------- -- ----- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Weekday and Weekend Usage. Interviews were conducted throughout the week and on
weekends. Roughly 49 percent (159interviews) were conducted on weekdays, while 51 percent
(163interviews) were with weekend park visitors, as shown in Table 3. This division of
sampling does not, however, reflect the same visitor distribution found in the census count of
visitors which indicates a higher proportion of weekday usage. The census count conducted in
Van Cortlandt for the year indicates the weekday attendance accounted for approximately 55
percent of the average weekly attendance, while weekends accounted for the remaining 45
31

percent.5
Table 3. WEEKDAY AND WEEKEND USAGE
Valid Cum
Weekday 1 159 49.4 49.4 49.4
Weekend 2 163 50.6 50.6 100.0
------- -- ----- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Time of Day. Interviews were conducted throughout the day spanning from before 9:00am.
until after 6:00 pm., as shown in Table 4.
Table 4. TIME OF DAY
Valid Cum
Before 9am 0 12 3.7 3.8 3.8
9:01 to 12:00 1 37 11.5 11.6 15.3
12:01 to 3:00pm 2 149 46.3 46.6 61. 9
3:01 to 6:00pm 3 89 27.6 27.8 89.7
6:01pm and later 4 33 10.2 10.3 100.0
------- --- ---- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 2
Roughly 46 percent of the interviews were conducted with users between the hours of
12:01pm. and 3:00 pm., and 28 percent were conducted between 3:01pm and 6:00pm.
Approximately 12percent of the interviews were conducted with users of the park between
9:01 am and noon, followed by 10 percent after 6:01pm and 4 percent of the total interviews
were with users before 9:00 am.
Season, Weather and Temperature. Most of the interviews were conducted on sunny days
(68 percent), while overcast days characterized only 15 percent of the days when visitors were
interviewed. Alternatively, about 13percent of the days were described by interviewers as
partly cloudy. Weather conditions were not recorded for the remaining 4 percent of the
interviews conducted, as shown in Table 5.
5 These numbers are provisional and do not include census counts on days when there have been special events held in
the Park. Please see the census report for Van Cortlandt Park for the final figures .
32

Table 5. WEATHER
Valid Cum
Sunny 1 218 67.7 67.7 67.7
Partly cloudy 2 41 12.7 12.7 80.4
Overcast 3 49 15.2 15.2 95.7
No Answer 99 14 4.3 4.3 100.0
------- ------- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
With respect to season, 53 percent of the visitors were interviewed during the summer;
21 percent during the spring; 16 percent during the fall; and 11 percent during the winter. The
high number of summer interviews reflects the choice to interview during the higher season of
park visitation. Table 6 shows the breakdown of interviews by season .
Table 6. SEASON
Valid Cum
Spring (4/1-5/31) 1 66 20.5 20.5 20.5
Swnrner (6/1-8/31) 2 171 53.1 53.1 73.6
Fall (9/1-11/30) 3 50 15.5 15.5 89.1
Winter (12/1-3/31) 4 35 10.9 10.9 100.0
----- -- ------- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Temperature over the year sampling period ranged from a low of 29 degrees recorded in
the winter months to a high of 94 degrees in the summer. As shown in Table 7, the interviews
were predominantly conducted in weather characterized by temperatures of 60 or more degrees.
While temperature was recorded on only 62 percent (221) of the total interviews conducted, 20
percent of those interviews were conducted in temperatures of 70-79 degrees. Roughly 18
percent were conducted in temperatures of 60-69 degrees. About 14 percent were conducted in
degrees of 80 and above. Approximately 10percent of the interviews were conducted in
degrees of 45 and below.
Table7. TEMPERATURE
Valid Cum
29 to 45 degrees 1 30 9.3 9.3 9.3
46 to 59 degrees 2 2 .6 . 6 9.9
60 to 69 degrees 3 59 18.3 18.3 28.3
70 to 79 degrees 4 64 19.9 19.9 48.1
80 to 94 degrees 5 46 14.3 14.3 62.4
No Answer 6 121 37.6 37.6 100,. 0
------- --- --- - -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
33

Entrance To The Park. Visitors were asked where they entered the park that day and where
they usually enter the park. As shown in Table 8, 24 percent of the visitors interviewed
indicated that they used the entrances along Broadway to the Southwest Corner Area, followed
by 16 percent entering from Broadway entrances to the Parade Ground, and 14percent entering
through entrances at Indian Field. Another 9 percent of visitors entered through the main
entrance to the Woodlawn Area, while 8 percent entered through the entrances at the Classic
Playground and Amalgamated Housing Area, and 7 percent entered through the Jerome-Gunhill
Area. About 6 percent entered the park at the Kelly/Caryl Fields area, and roughly 4 percent
of the visitors indicated that they enter through the free parking lot connected with the Van
Cortlandt Golf Course as well as through the entrance that leads to the stable. Entrances
leading to the Mosholu Driving Range, Shandler Recreation Area and other areas were identified
as being used by 3 percent, 2 percent and 2 percent of the visitors, respectively.
Table 8. ENTRANCE TODAY
Valid Cum
Parade Ground 1 51 15.8 15.9 15.9
Woodlawn Area 2 30 9.3 9.3 25.2
Indian Field 3 46 14.3 14.3 39.6
Amalgamated Housing 4 27 8.4 8.4 48.0
Mosholu Driving Range 5 8 2.5 2.5 50.5
Shandler Recreation 6 7 2.2 2.2 52.6
Stables Area- Upper Bdway 8 12 3.7 3.7 80.4
Kelly/Caryl Fields-U Bdway 9 20 6.2 6.2 86.6
Free Parking Lot V.C 10 13 4.0 4.0 90.7
Jerome-Gunhill Area 11 21 6.5 6.5 97.2
Other 13 7 2.2 2.2 99.4
Refused To Answer 14 1 . 3 .3 99.7
No Answer 15 1 .3 . 3 100.0
-- - -- - - - ------ ---- -- -
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 1
Responses by visitors to where they usually enter the park were similar. While 40
percent of the visitors interviewed chose not to respond or found the question not applicable
due to first time or infrequent visits, the responses differed slightly in that the entrances at
Indian Field were identified as usual entrances slightly more frequently (11percent) than those
at the Southwest Corner (10percent) and the Parade Ground (9 percent). The entrances at the
Classic Playground and the Amalgamated Housing Area, Woodlawn Area and Jerome-Gunhill
followed in frequency with 8 percent, 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively . The remaining 6
percent of the visitors who answered the question said that they usually enter through the free
parking lot connected to the Van Cortlandt Golf course, Kelly and Caryl Fields, or used several
different entrances.
Language of Interviews. Visitors participating in the study were given the option to be
interviewed in either English or Spanish . Sixty-nine percent chose to be interviewed in English
compared with 31 percent of those interviewed in Spanish. While researchers were prepared to
34

interview visitors in their native language, many Spanish-speaking bilingual visitors, chose to be
interviewed in English.
Gender. Of the 322 individuals interviewed, 51 percent (165) were men and 49 percent (157)
were female. This interview sample does not reflect, however, the findings of the census count
conducted of visitors to Van Cortlandt, where males accounted for 61.9 percent of the users,
while women were found to make up 39.1percent of the visitor population. The findings of our
sample, therefore, slightly over represent womern, although the percentage of women and men
visitors to the park could vary from day to day.
Age. Of the overall population sample, Adults were the largest group interviewed (38 percent),
followed by Young Adults (20percent). Middle Aged Adults represent 17percent of the
sample, while 14 percent of the interviews were of Older Adults, and 11percent were Youth.
Census count results, however, indicate that youth accounted for 51 percent of the users, while
Older Adults accounted for only 3.7 percent of the visitor population . Table 9 shows the
results of the interview sample.
Table 9. AGE OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED
Valid Cum
Youth (0-20) 1 35 10.9 10.9 10.9
Young Adult (21-30) 2 64 19.9 19.9 30.8
Adult (31-45) 3 122 37.9 38.0 68.8
Middle Age Adult (46-60) 4 56 17.4 17.4 86.3
Older Adult (61+) 5 44 13.7 13.7 100.0
-- -- - -- --- ---- -------
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 1
Census Group ("Race"). Four general categories were used to classify responses according to
"race". While a breakdown of the population sample according to these categories is shown in
Table 10., it is important to note that these standard categories of race are very broad and
therefore problematic . Census groups have more meaning when combined with geographic
origin, language of interview, and country of origin.
Table 10. CENSUS GROUP
Valid Cum
White 1 131 40.7 40.7 40.7
Latino 2 135 41. 9 41. 9 82.6
Black 3 44 13. 7 13. 7 96.3
Asian/East Indian 4 8 2.5 2.5 98.8
No Answer 5 4 1.2 1.2 100.0
---- --- -- ----- ----- --
Total 322 100.0 100.0
35

Of the visitor population sample, 41 percent were Latino, 41 percent were White, 14
percent were Black, and 3 percent were Asian/ East Indian. The census count of park visitors
found that Latinos accounted for 43.8 percent of the total visitor population, while Whites
accounted for 35.1 percent, Blacks for 19 percent, and Asians for 2.1 percent.
Although the census shows that Blacks were under sampled and Whites were
over sampled in our study, the percentage is still relatively small. While our sample would have
benefitted by adjusting the representation of the Black and White groups, the sample of Black
visitors that we did interview has provided us with ample information upon which we can
statistically draw conclusions.
2. Additional Demographic Characteristics
The Cultural Values Survey generated additional demographic information about
visitors such as information about their country of origin, ethnic background, number of years of
completed schooling, occupation and neighborhood of residence. This information was not part
of the sampling criteria. The following section describes the findings.
Country of Origin. U.S. And Non U.S. origins emerged as significant categories after analyzing
the diversity of ethnic backgrounds, nationalities and languages spoken during the interview.
Table 11. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Value Label
u.s
Non U.S.
Did Not Ask
No Answer
Missing cases 2
Value
1
2
3
4
Total
Frequency
209
109
1
1
---- - --
322
Valid Cum
Percent Percent Percent
64.9 65.3 65.3
33.9 34.1 99.4
.3 . 3 99.7
. 3 . 3 100.0
------- -------
100.0 100.0
The majority of individuals interviewed were born in the United States (65 percent),
while 34 percent of the park visitors interviewed were born in other countries. As shown in
Table 11,roughly a third of the park visitor sample were not born in the United States.
Continent of Origin. Participants identified themselves as belonging to forty-three (43)
ethnic categories, including three religions (SeeAppendix C for this list). The list of ethnic
identifications was later regrouped into nine categories based on general geographic regions
(Table 12).
Fifty-six percent of the park users interviewed identified themselves with the U.S.,while
another 9 percent specifically identified themselves with Puerto Rico. Roughly 18percent of the
park users identified themselves with other Spanish-speaking regions such as the Caribbean and
Dominican Republic (12.7percent), Mexico and Central America (2.8 percent), and South
America (2.8 percent) . Alternatively, 11percent of the visitors identified with Western Europe
and another 3 percent specified Eastern Europe. The number of visitors who identified
themselves with Asia represented only about 2 percent of the visitor sample.
36

Table 12. CONTINENT OF ORIGIN
Valid Cum
Value Label Value Frequency Percent Percent. Percent
us 1 181 56.2 56.6 56.6
Caribbean 2 69 21.4 21. 6 78.1
Latin America 3 18 5.6 5.6 83.8
Asia 4 5 1. 6 1. 6 85.3
Europe 5 44 13.7 13.8 99.1
Other 7 1 . 3 .3 99.4
Did Not Ask 9 1 .3 . 3 99.7
No Answer 10 1 . 3 . 3 100.0
------- ---- - -- - - --- --
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 2
In the regrouping ofthe sample, shown in Table 12, the U.S represents approximately 56
percent of the visitor population, while the Caribbean, regrouped to include Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean, accounts for
approximately 21 percent of the sample. Europe represents approximately 14 percent of the
sample of visitors, and Latin America is associated with about 6 percent of the sample. In sum,
these statistics reflect the wide divers ity of cultural groups at the park.
Education. Visitors level of education was broken down into five categories, as shown below.
Table 13. EDUCATION
Valid Cum
Not completed H.S. 1 65 20.2 20.3 20.3
Completed H.S. 2 59 18.3 18.4 38.8
Some College 3 42 13.0 13.1 51. 9
Full College 4 74 23.0 23.1 75.0
Graduate Training 5 50 15.5 15.6 90.6
Did Not Ask 6 16 5.0 5.0 95.6
No Answer 8 14 4.3 4.4 100.0
---- --- ------- --- ----
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 2
Of those interviewed , 20 percent did not complete high school, while 18 percent had
completed high school. Another 36 percent had some college or had completed a college
education and 16 percent had graduate training . Only 9 percent of those interviewed either
were not asked or did not respond to the question. In sum, 40 percent of those interviewed had
a high school diploma or less, and about 39 percent of those interviewed had higher education
degrees.
37

Household Income. Initially, a scale of income and household size adapted from the federal
government's definition of household income eligibility for community development block grant
monies was used to classify the responses by park users (See Appendix C). These responses
were then regrouped into four general categories, as shown in Table 14.
Table 14. HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Valid Cum
Low Income 1 29 9.0 9.4 9.4
Low to Middle income 2 85 26.4 27.5 36.9
Middle Income 3 67 20.8 21. 7 58.6
Higher Income 4 63 19.6 20.4 79.0
Other 5 1 . 3 . 3 79.3
Nothing 6 2 .6 . 6 79.9
Refused 7 23 7.1 7.4 87.4
No Answer 8 39 12.1 12.6 100.0
--- -- - - -- -- - -- --- ----
Total 322 100.0 100.0
Missing cases 13
Among the individuals interviewed, 9 percent identified themselves as having low
income and 26 percent identified themselves as having low to middle income. 21percent of the
sample of park visitors identified with the middle income category. Higher income visitors
made up roughly 20 percent of the sample. Another 24 percent of those interviewed either
refused to answer or provided no answer. Based on reports from field workers, this high
number partially reflects the sensitive nature of questions referring to one's income.
Occupation. Eighteen (18)categories of occupation were initially established to classify how
park visitors identified their field of work. Approximately 16 percent of the sample identified
themselves in fields that were professional, 14 percent in field that were technical and semi-
professional, 12 percent as students, and 12 percent were retired.
38

VanCortlandt_Park_User_Study

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