Barretto Point Park
Barretto Point Park central lawn, with East River in the background
Map
TypeMunicipal park
LocationHunts Point, The Bronx, New York
Coordinates40°48′20″N 73°53′18″W / 40.8056°N 73.8883°W / 40.8056; -73.8883
Area12.22 acres (4.95 ha)
Opened2006 (2006)
Owned byNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Statusopen all year
WaterEast River
Public transit accessNew York City Bus: Bx46
Facilitiesswimming pool, picnic area, fishing pier, waterfront promenade, children's playground, basketball court, handball court, kayak/canoe launch, restrooms
Websitewww.nycgovparks.org/parks/X307/

Barretto Point Park is a waterfront public park on the East River located in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. New York City. Its namesake is Francis J. Barretto, a 19th-century merchant and State Assemblyman who lived in the area.[1]

History

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation acquired the property in 2001 from the City's Department of Environmental Protection, and the park opened to the public in 2006. The land on which the park was created was remediated and capped to make sure it was clean and safe. Prior to 1950, the site housed a sand and gravel operation and an asphalt plant. Between 1954 and 1978, the placement of fill on the site increased the size of the upland.[2][3]

Since 2008, Barretto Point Park has been host to a barge named The Floating Pool Lady. The 20,000 square-foot vessel contains an outdoor 25-meter swimming pool with a pool house; locker rooms with showers; bathrooms; a children's spray shower; a gangplank leading to and from the barge; and other amenities,[4][5] including a small amphitheater.[6]

Landscape

The landscape of Barretto Point Park recalls the rustic atmosphere that once characterized Hunts Point and provides a popular outdoor gathering space for its residents. The park is accessible from the East River by canoe and kayak, and provides views of the North and South Brother Islands, which are bird sanctuaries with histories that span three centuries. The islands themselves are closed to the public.

Tiffany Street Pier

To the immediate west of Barretto Point Park is the Tiffany Street Pier, a recreational space that predates the park and also offers views of the bird sanctuary islands in the East River. Previously used as a loading dock, it became popular with recreational fishermen and local residents in search of a quiet space on the waterfront.

In 1995, the city rebuilt the pier out of an innovative material produced from 1.5 million recycled plastic bottles.[7] The hard plastic structure can withstand damage caused by wood boring marine insects but it succumbed to damage from the sky when a lightning strike in September 1996 melted a third of the pier, including its gazebo.[8] The pier reopened in 2000 and in the following year, the City's Department of Citywide Administrative Services assigned the pier and surrounding underwater parcels to Parks.[9][10] Although at the time, the pier was a considerable walk from residential sections of Hunts Point, it again welcomed individuals seeking fishing, sunbathing and a view of the water.

Gallery

  • Barretto Point Park from Tiffany Street Pier
    Barretto Point Park from Tiffany Street Pier
  • Tiffany Street Pier near Barretto Point Park, with North Brother and South Brother islands in the distance
    Tiffany Street Pier near Barretto Point Park, with North Brother and South Brother islands in the distance
  • Amphitheater
    Amphitheater
  • Amphitheater
    Amphitheater
  • Floating Pool Lady
    Floating Pool Lady
  • Floating Pool Lady
    Floating Pool Lady

References

  1. ^ McNamara, John (1984). History in asphalt : the origin of Bronx street and place names, Borough of the Bronx, New York City. Bronx, N.Y: Bronx County Historical Society. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-941980-16-6. OCLC 10696584.
  2. ^ Kadinsky, Sergey. "Barretto Point Park, Bronx". Hidden Waters. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  3. ^ Gonzalez, David (July 15, 2011). "Barretto Point Park, a Secret Oasis in the Bronx". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "Barretto Point Park News - Mayor Bloomberg Opens New York City's Pools And Unveils The Floating Pool In Barretto Point Park : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "Barretto Point Park News - Floating Pool At Barretto Point Park Receives Best Of Parks "Keeping It Cool Award" : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  6. ^ Gonzalez, David (July 15, 2011). "A Bronx Oasis With a Gritty, Industrial Past". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  7. ^ Almeida, Miguel (June 4, 1995). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: HUNTS POINT;Just Sittin' on the (Plastic) Dock of the Bay". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  8. ^ Grobler, John (September 8, 1996). "Plastic Pier Is Worm-Free But It Melts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Martinez, Jose (June 12, 2000). "Melted Pier Reborn". New York Daily News.
  10. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (August 23, 2011). "Cleaner New York Harbor Brings Pests That Plague Park Projects". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 12, 2019.

External links

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