Van Cortlandt Park

Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx, a hilly, wooded stretch of mainland Gotham, is beautiful at this time of year. It's also very busy with sports activities, especially cross country. Runners from the New York region fill the park's unforgiving cross country circuit on weekends. The athletes include many of the city's high school sports teams, from track and field to basketball. On a given Saturday in October, it's not unusual to see runners who will one day become pro sports stars. They run on this course because cross country gets one fit. The experience is similar to training camp: no one likes it, but there's no substitute for its rigor.

Cross country events take place rain or shine, regardless of temperature or other conditions. The event is a timed one, and records are kept, but I've never known an athlete who cared about a cross country record. The idea is to get in shape, and go home.

Other visitors to Van Cortlandt Park play the public golf course there. I did when I was in high school. At the time, I had no game whatsover. I hardly knew how to properly hold a club. While my golf partner, a cross-eyed classmate, could hit a ball straight, I hooked and sliced them all over the course. As a result, I became very familiar with the trees along the fairways. I had many opportunities to admire their brilliant fall colors while searching for my Titleist, Champion, or other golf balls among the fallen leaves.

Van Cortlandt Park is a side of New York that still feels stubbornly rooted to the city, its quirky personality, and the people that call it home. Now is the best time of year to see the park, and get a sense of one of New York's locally known icons.