Adventures of Urban Life

Desiree Caro
Riverbank State Park was the location of our first field trip for this assignment. I had previously been there a few times but i never really got a chance to take a look around. I visited the park, located on West 137th street, on a Sunday morning. the weather was fairly cool and breezy, but still sunny, overall a good day for the park. Upon entering the park i noticed an abundance of places for people to utilize during their trip to the park. Basketball courts, a track, numerous fields and a lot of free space. In addition to these outdoor utilities, the park also offers an indoor pool, a skating rink, and a children's park. the park also appeared to be very well kept and in very good condition. on the day that i visited the park there were a lot of people using the spaces provided for them; people playing basketball, soccer, football, running&walking on the track. there were also a lot of people using the free space, just leisurely strolling and relaxing and even gardening in designated spaces. I feel that this park is definitely a strong essential for the community. it provides a place for people in the area to go and do constructive things in a safe environment.
The second field trip i went on was to the Yankee Stadium 161st street in my hometown of the Bronx. Throughout my whole life I've been to the stadium dozens of times but this is only the second time that I've been to the new stadium since its been built. i wasn't actually able to go into the park this time but i walked around the neighborhood. it wasn't a game day so the entrances of the stadium were not crowded by their usual groups of people. Right next to the new stadium were the remains of the old Yankee Stadium, now just twisted metal and rubble. I think that the neighborhood surrounding the stadium is very interesting because it is not just a typical place where people live but its also a tourist attraction, which means more people and more things to do in an area which ordinarily would not have much to do. in a mile radius from the stadium there is an abundance of food, bars, souvenir shops, bowling allies, and a newly opened shopping center that includes a Toys R Us and various chain stores. All these attractions cause a lot of people to come through the area on a daily basis whether there are Yankee game or not. There are also a number of schools in the area. All of these factors allow for a large number if people passing through the area, which i feel gives the area a certain vitality.