PHOTOS: The Grand Concourse Begins Here! At 161st Street (Part II)

The Grand Concourse originally ran from 161st Street to Mosholu Parkway before absorbing Mott Avenue to the south, forming the present-day artery from 138th Street to Mosholu Parkway. While Part I of this gallery focused on the subway station, this part focuses on the street scenes; the area surrounding 161st Street and Grand Concourse has a lot to offer in that respect!

[N.B.: All photos taken yesterday (New Year's Day).]

We begin with a view of Heritage Field; this view shows the well-preserved baseball diamond from the old Yankee Stadium.

Heritage Field itself is inside Macombs Dam Park; if this bench doesn’t place you in a New York state of mind, what will?

Entrance to the Yankees – E. 153rd Street station; it’s served by Hudson Line trains but sees extra service to/from the Harlem and New Haven lines when the Yankees are in town.

Bridge over 153rd Street.

Elevator entrance, which leads one…

…to the “area of refuge.”

Past here, one crosses the bridge over 153rd Street to the fare control area and station platforms; the bridge itself features a work of art called “The Home of the Stars” by Ellen Harvey. Here’s a short video showing the entire piece (viewable in up to 720p HD):

Now back to the photos:

Here’s the aforementioned fare control area…

…which leads one to the platforms below; photo taken from the bridge.

Floor plaque in Macombs Dam Park near the MNR station.

Yankee Stadium stands prominently in the background; the track and field in the foreground…

…is the Joseph Yancey track and field.

Heritage Field and part of Macombs Dam Park from across 161st Street.

A peek inside Yankee Stadium.

Foodtown at 161st Street and Gerard Avenue.

I took the next seven photos inside the beautiful Joyce Kilmer Park:

Lorelei Fountain.

View facing north.

Louis J. Heintz Memorial.

View facing the Grand Concourse; the Concourse Plaza hotel stands prominently at photo left.

View facing Walton Avenue; note the beautiful architecture of the apartment buildings.

More Walton Avenue architectural goodness.

Partial view of the Grand Concourse Historic District from inside the park around 163rd Street.

Speaking of the Grand Concourse Historic District:

Here’s a view of the Concourse from 163rd Street, facing south…

…and here’s the northward-facing view from the same area.

Moving a few blocks south affords one this northward-facing view of the Concourse from 161st Street.

161st Street and Grand Concourse, facing west.

Eastward-facing view of 161st Street from 161/Concourse.

The sign says it all.

View of Joyce Kilmer Park from Lou Gehrig Plaza.

The old Bronx Criminal Court building stands at 161st Street and Sheridan Avenue.

Concourse Village West, facing south; photo taken from East 161st Street.

Northward view of Sheridan Avenue from 161st Street.

Next to the old Criminal Court building is the much newer Bronx County Hall of Justice (a.k.a. Bronx Supreme Criminal Court)…

…which features a “jagged” glass façade…

…and spans the block from Sherman Avenue to Morris Avenue.

This is Concourse Plaza, the outdoor mall and multiplex (it’s across the street from the criminal court and Supreme criminal court buildings); it’s empty because it was New Year’s Day (i.e. few open stores).

Concourse Plaza, facing east.

Concourse Plaza; view facing just south of the Food Bazaar.

Apartment building overlooking Concourse Plaza.

Back on the Grand Concourse, this photo gives a view from 159th Street facing south; note the Bronx Walk of Fame – this sign honors Valerie Capers.

Sculpture at the Bronx Borough Hall (Grand Concourse side)…

…and here’s a similar sculpture a short distance away.

The Bronx Borough Hall, as seen from across the Grand Concourse. The message above the columns reads: “Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human rights. Men have a right that these wants should be provided for by this wisdom.”

Just south of 158th Street on the Grand Concourse, the Bronx Walk of Fame continues; these signs honor Herman Badillo and Dominic Chianese

I took the next eight photos in or around Franz Sigel Park, located next to the Grand Concourse just south of the Bronx Borough Hall:

Sign and entrance to the park at the Grand Concourse.

Here’s a peek at Walton Avenue from the park…

…and here’s another.

Southwesterly view; this tree still has its leaves.

Northeasterly view; here we see the part of the Grand Concourse formerly known as Mott Avenue. The high-rise apartments in the background make up part of the Concourse Village neighborhood.

Chill spot.

Softball diamonds.

Lastly, here’s another peek at Walton Avenue and the awesome apartment building architecture.

After nearly two hours of taking pix, I gained a deeper appreciation of the architecture along Walton Avenue; the last three photos of this gallery showcase some of it:

Apartments at Walton Avenue and 157th Street…

…Walton Avenue and 158th Street…

…and some more at Walton Avenue and 161st Street.

*****

© Nelson Beltran, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any part of this post without express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. You may use excerpts and links, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nelson Beltran with proper and specific direction to the original content.