If you long for some quiet from the Manhattan crowds, then the 1,146 acres of Van Cortlandt Park is made for you. This is the third largest park in New York City, but one of the least well known. It is filled with playgrounds, fields, picnic areas, a lake, and the Van Cortlandt House Museum. There is also a swimming pool, horseback riding and stables, a golf course, cross-country skiing trails, tennis courts, two nature trails and a bird sanctuary. Admission is free.
The Kingsbridge Armory is an imposing red-brick building that's full of history and culture. It was erected in the early 1900's and is impressively one of the largest armories in the world. The building echoes medieval and Baroque architecture with a moat that surrounds the building and its massive circular conical-topped towers and crenelated battlements. The building frequently hosts major local events, music concerts, and other city functions and is a must visit when in the Bronx.
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Purportedly named after the execution style of the British who chained prisoners to the reef at low tide and let the high tide carry out the death sentence, this old lighthouse has a rich history. Completed in 1850 the lighthouse sits on the largest exposed rock on the reef in Manhasset Bay, New York. Having survived multiple fires, Execution Rocks Light was manned by various keepers throughout the years until 1979 when it was refitted with an automatic optic light. The occasional ghost sighting has been reported, but nowadays no one is there to see it as the lighthouse is only rarely visited by the Coast Guard for routine maintenance. However for those of you interested in paranormal activity check out the television show, Ghost Adventures which featured the lighthouse in an episode in 2009.
