All Riverdale's summer in a day

The pool in Van Cortlandt Park brings out a crowd every summer, offering everyone a chance to cool off and make a splash. Photo by Samantha Katzeff

SUMMER LIVING: A Riverdale Press special report

By N. Clark Judd

Ibis Baez pulled his line out of the water and frowned. The fish in Van Cortlandt Lake had eaten his bait but hadn’t taken the hook.

Jose Blanco, 18, stepped aside so Ibis could put more bait on the line. He then pulled out his cell phone.

“Look, I caught this bass here,” he said, and showed a picture he had taken earlier that morning. “That’s a six-pound bass.”

After getting a new line in the water, Ibis, 13, of Mosholu Avenue, showed off a similar picture of a carp.

Van Cortlandt Park’s lake, like many lakes and ponds in the city parks system, are fair game for catchand- release fishing through the summer. Vannie’s lake, the largest in the Bronx, has bass, perch, carp, bluegill and catfish, according to Ibis and Mr. Blanco, who lives in Yonkers.

When people think of Riverdale, they probably don’t think of fishing first. Maybe they should. Or maybe they should be thinking about golf, or restaurants, or open spaces, or any of the many things to do in the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area during the summer.

6 a.m. — Take a hike
Riverdale Park/Raoul
Wallenberg Forest

Public transit access: Hudson Metro-North line to Riverdale station — Park entrance on West 254th Street just above train station; Bx10 or Bx7 to West 252nd Street, left on Independence Avenue, right down Spaulding Lane to parking lot

Cost: Free

The 112 acres of Riverdale Park are well worth walking. The park abuts the Hudson River in places, and in others overlooks the river and New Jersey’s Palisades as well. The Raoul Wallenberg Forest across the street is host to some truly impressive trees, including a 52-inch-thick European beech. The park extends from Spuyten Duyvil through Riverdale’s estate area. Van Cortlandt Park’s only east-west trail, the John Muir Trail, is another clearly marked standout. It’s accessible from Broadway and Mosholu Avenue, and traverses the rocky terrain at Vannie’s heart.

7 a.m. — Breakfast al fresco
Corner Café, 3552 Johnson Ave.
718-601-2861

Public transit access: Bx7 to Riverdale Avenue, walk up West 236th Street to Johnson Avenue

Cost: Plain bagel with cream cheese, $2.17; coffee (to stay), $1.63.

Featuring kosher baked goods and outdoor seating, Corner Café is just about the only place in Riverdale to enjoy a schmear and a sunny day at the same time. Alternatively, get some iced coffee and pastries from Palombo Bakery & Café, at 3700 Riverdale Avenue, and walk down Riverdale Avenue to Ewen Park, at West 232nd Street, for an outdoor picnic.

Corner Café is open from 7 a.m. 9 p.m. except on Friday, when it closes at 2 p.m., and on Saturday, when it’s closed altogether.

8:30 a.m. — Fore!
Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course, 105 Van Cortlandt Park South
718-543-4595

Public transit access: No. 1 train to West 242nd Street; Bx9 bus to Broadway and West 240th Street

Cost: NYC Residents with a resident permit ($6) for 18 holes before noon, $34.50 per person; cart, $18/person; parking, $3; Club rental, $25 (men’s and women’s, right- and left-handed)

Opened in 1895, Vannie’s 18-hole par-70 is America’s oldest public golf course.

It was redesigned in 2001, and wends through the park’s central reaches, hugging Van Cortlandt Lake. Golfers can book tee times in advance at www.golfnyc.com.

The less links-inclined can still enjoy the view (and a beverage) from the clubhouse’s deck.

Information on the Van Cortlandt course’s neighbor, the nine-hole Mosholu Golf Course, is available by calling 718-655-9164.

10 a.m. — Go fish
Van Cortlandt Lake
Broadway at West 242nd Street

Public transit access: No. 1 train to West 242nd Street; Bx9 bus to Broadway and West 242nd Street

Cost: State resident 7-day fishing permit, $12

Local fishermen say the fish are biting all day at this lake and a nearby pond also in the park. Sportsmen (and women) interested in the catch-and-release fishing available in the park can take their pick of fishing spots along the Old Putnam Trail, which passes by the lake as it follows the right-of-way of a commuter rail line that ceased operation in the mid-1950s. Artifacts from the trail’s former life still dot the area, from what looks like an old coaling station to telegraph poles and the remains of a station platform.

Noon — Bar as bistro
An Beal Bocht, 445 W. 238th St.
718-884-7127

Public transit access: No. 1 train to West 328th Street, walk up the step street; Bx7 bus to the corner of Riverdale and West 238th Street, walk downhill

Cost: Full Irish breakfast, $12; basic hamburger with trimmings, $8

This Irish pub, with a name that means “The Poor Mouth” in Gaelic, is a neighborhood favorite. When Manhattan College is in session, locals often gripe that An Beal Bocht is too popular, especially with its Tuesday open mic series. With the college students gone for the summer, An Beal Bocht is once again left to the neighborhood, and area residents take full advantage of its outdoor seating. Bring a book and sit outside, but beware, the pub is on a sharply sloped street — so make sure to pick a sturdy chair. The pub is known for its lively evenings, but the Gaelic burger ($10) — with Irish bacon, cheddar cheese, and grilled onions — is worth a visit anytime.

An Beal Bocht is open from 10 a.m. to late.

3 p.m. — The hills are alive
Wave Hill, West 249th Street at Independence Avenue
718-549-3200

Public transit access: Shuttle buses run hourly from the West 242nd Street No. 1 stop and the Riverdale Metro-North station

Cost: Adult non-member admission, $6; parking, $8

No list of summer activities in Riverdale is complete without mentioning Wave Hill, the public garden that overlooks the Hudson River and the Palisades. Come earlier for greenhouse and gallery tours and special events, or arrive later on just to stroll the grounds and watch the stretching shadows cast by the garden’s impressive trees. Wave Hill’s café also offers snacks, beverages, and terrace seating.

Bring barbecue from The Barbecue Pit (5788 Mosholu Avenue, 718-601-2400) and make it an early dinner in Wave Hill’s picnic area.

This summer, Wave Hill is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesdays, the garden stays open until after sunset, and stretches its shuttle service to compensate.

10 p.m. — Midsummer nights
Ibiza Lounge, 220 W. 242nd St.
718-796-1108

Public transit access: No. 1 train to West 242nd Street

Cost: Entry free before 11; non-alcoholic drinks from $3; others $5 to $14

If a full day in Riverdale isn’t enough, there’s a full night in store, too.

This Mediterranean-themed lounge is named after the island of the coast of Spain that is a European club capital. Open from 9:30 p.m. until 4 in the morning, visitors can dance to a mix of songs that tend towards meringue, salsa and reggae, and can take advantage of bars and table service on two floors.

Though the club’s owners are all Spanish speakers, owner Johnathan Cespedes says, “We cater to everybody.”

This is part of the July 9, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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