Aside from the colorful bees and butterflies you see as your walking in, you feel welcome. There something about butterflies and bees that seem to say to me when we meet "we are friendship and community and love" Then we swat at them - please refrain from swatting, they'll comprehend quickly that your no pretty flower or a newly sprouting seed. As I'm kicking around in the daisy's, big dog has other ideas of a hoot and a holler. He jailbreaks at an unsuspecting hound, a sizable hound at that, tall leggy proportions, trim at the quarters -- thinner necked and bigger headed. Catastrophe averted somehow and the AstroTurf is the closest replica to real grass, stringy as this breed might be - which it is. Like Poa Anna turf that's prominent in Hawaii. And we continued on towards the main soccer field the grass field looked quite the same with exceptional bounce and spring, I felt the decathloner in me and bounced along to the other side. With it's understandably poor upkeep, ya know -- cutbacks, cutbacks, the park has a spirit to it, like a drunkard whose not been home for a day or so and is in bad need of a shower, a shave and a change of clothes. read more

Calvert Vaux Park - Parks Near Me - Gravesend, New York

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First time here, not bad! Nice looking over to the sand bar and seeing the hills and other sea birds. Someone was parasailing, the ocean was pretty choppy on a windy day. There are huge enclosed fields, some with artificial turf for soccer. I saw people running track, exercising and walking their dogs. It is a Loop trail, I started at the parking lot and went around the front through the little walkway that leads to the fields. I let my dog into a giant field where the gat can be closed and let her run. Then we walked towards the water and you see a trail start. A little ominous on a cloudy day and not many people but we kept going. The trail goes along the water line. Carcasses of boats along the coast probably from Sandy but interesting to see. Trail loops back to the parking lot. Not a hike but a nice walk, we did 1.41 miles. The only thing I didn't like was not a bench anywhere along the trail. I have a dachshund that likes to sit on benches when she's getting tired. I have to say it's pretty clean! Olive usually finds every chicken bone or other garbage, she found none here so it was a good walk. I'm using bending down twenty times to pull something out of her mouth Nice place to exercise your dog in the field, clean, garbage cans along the trail. I'll be going back. read more

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Calvert Vaux was a British-American architect who helped design Manhattan's Central Park and Brooklyn's Prospect Park, as well as many parks in Buffalo, NY. He did not design this park, which came into being long after his death, but he happened to drown not too far away from this location in Gravesend Bay when he was staying at his son's house in Bath Beach. This park is okay. It could be/have been much better though. It might look pretty at the front with plenty of benches and flowers, but the layout feels wrong because of the soccer fields right next to this area and too much people traffic. A little further, there is an unsightly concrete lot in the middle of the park. This space could have been utilized differently. There are no benches anywhere further into the park. Overgrown areas that are so dense that some homeless people manage to live there completely unseen by park goers and undetected by park staff. Not enough trails for walking, and especially because the existing single route is interrupted in the middle. At the back, there are some nice hidden spots, but they are all trashed. I once spent an hour or so cleaning up one of such spots, which filled a large garbage bag. Some syringe needles were found among regular trash, also a used diaper. No one cleans those areas and people keep trashing them because they are hidden from view. People like to hang out in those overgrown hideouts because there are no other suitable areas to have some privacy, because the park is mostly all open area and there is also no seating except at the front. Benches can be added and more private spots, but the layout doesn't really allow for more trails. There seems to be a narrow overgrown strip of land next to the entrance that is unused and fenced off. It could be used for more paths and private spots. It would be nice to develop the unused part of Coney Island Boat Basin/Six Diamonds Park across the Coney Island Creek inlet and connect the two with a small bridge. The history of the Calvert Vaux park reflects the transition of this neighborhood from one with scenic beachy areas with hotels, piers, and even a small amusement park and beer garden to what it is now. The park was largely created out of sand, soil and rock excavated for the construction of the Verazanno-Narrows Bridge because there used to be no land here before the Belt/Shore Parkway completely changed the area. The park had a different name at first. As for its design or current redesign, I don't think Calvert Vaux would have approved. The old days of class and grand professional urban designs are over. read more

Great park. My first time being here today though I had it bookmarked for a while on Yelp. I actually randomly surfed on in upon it as part of my huge walk. Awesome pedestrian bridge over the Shore Road attracted my attention and once I jumped along over it the park was right there. The park is huge and spacious. There were two soccer fields if I'm correct and plenty of benches to sit on around the park. There's also a creek/pond/bay, which was my main interest in this park to begin with. I knew it was there from the photos posted by previous yelpers who visited it. Also both this body of water and the pedestrian bridge I've seen numerous times as a passenger in the car, but never been in the actual spot. Wasn't even really aware how to get there. Thumbs up for this great park. It really got everything you woud want. Plenty space for exercise, rest, down time, happy time, fishing, kayaking, cycling, you name it. read more

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Kayaker eye candy.... This park is amazing. Sure, there is some trash that builds up and once in awhile and the parking lot is rarely packed during a soccer or baseball game. This review does not reflect the baseball or soccer fields as I do not utilize them. For walking to dog there is a decent trail that boarders the waterfront. The real gem is the waterfront. The launching of a kayak here is easy and allows for a spectacular tour of Coney Island Creek. The kayak launch was built horribly but launching from the beach is easy. I saw the launch was designed bad because at low tide there is still a walk to the water. The bigger issue with the launch is horseshoe crabs occasionally get their shell wedged in between the spacing, which they cannot become free and dry out and die. So check for our friends, If they are caught give em' a hand. Great wrecks, views and of course the Quester I, a home built a yellow submarine. The beach at this park is a hospitable spawning point for horseshoe crabs during the summer months. I never had any sort of issue here whatso ever, my review may be a bit biased because I mainly use this park as a kayak launch point. FYI This Park is connected to 6 diamonds park. Most do not realize they are separate parks. read more

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Great hidden park no one know about. There's a yellow sunken submarine plus amazing views of the Verrazano Bridge. It's not too big to walk around the entire perimeter, with sever short trails. There's also a big parking lot. I went on a sunday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. read more

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this park has some nice fields for soccer and softball. There are at least 4 soccer fields, two of which are public turf fields, one grass field, and some private grass fields. There are two softball diamonds and one private baseball field. There is plenty of parking around the soccer fields and softball fields. people come here to sit on the grass, play soccer, softball, walk their dogs, and fish. However, beware the outer edges of the park as they are relatively undeveloped and somewhat dirty. so be careful. There's always people here on the weekends that fly their toy helicopters. read more

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:.Looks at Kim K. - You really need to get a life! You message me none stop for a year now and I see you even mention me in your review! Get over it lady! the wildlife is safe with my pomeranian walking slowly through the park on or off the leash!.: This is an amazing park that makes you feel like you have left NY and are out in the country. Although by the entrance it has beautiful soccer fields, batbrooms and a huge parking lot, if you venture out further beyond that you can find yourself in untouched fields of flowers, tree lined alleys or even on a virgin beach. The park is never crowded, especially during the day on weekdays. It is great to bring your dogs to and let them run around off the leash. Truly a nice place to explore and escape to. read more

Shambles. Don't get fooled by the prominently displayed soccer,baseball and track fields. The park might look beautiful upfront,but once you reach its interior,its in shambles. Garbage here is rampant. I remember this used to be a condemned polluted park back in the 90s. The layout is confusing. Bags full of feces,rampant, trash o rama, concrete slabs,I noticed a porto potty that was toppled over,pretty nasty stuff. Grassy areas,open fields,a concrete lot smacked in the middle. Teens dipping their feet (which I wouldn't recommend) into a small beach and throwing rocks, pretty much a park in shambles. This park has a lot of potential of becoming a great urban oasis. Parks and Rec need to take a look at this one, and hope they renovate and improve this potentially beautiful landscape. Calvert Vaux must be rolling in his grave. read more

Calvert Vaux Park - Thrashed park. - Parks Near Me - Gravesend, New York

Decided to finally venture through the park on this gorgeous sunny day. It has many new fields and a pretty entrance. Now, the park needs to get cleaned up. There was tons of shattered glass and trash. Made me nervous as I jogged through because I kept thinking glass may get in my sneaker. What I really liked was the scenery around the park. It looks like a pirate ship grave yard. Overall, I enjoyed the park. read more

:: looks at Yana B. :: DOGS are never allowed off-LEASH in this park! (not even before 9 am or after 9 pm) This park is a sensitive wildlife area and habitat. All off-leash dogs pose a threat to birds, small mammals, and amphibians in this park. http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas Dogs are never allowed off-leash in wild areas. They only areas where there are allowed off-leash after hours are lawn areas. (In addition, dogs are never allowed in: playgrounds, ball fields, or on basketball, handball, or tennis courts. Dogs are never allowed on any beaches between May 1st and Oct. 1st.) You should not allow your dogs to be off leash anywhere where wildlife would be disturbed, destroyed, killed, or frightened (ex. - birds, and birds nesting on the ground, etc.) Ground nesting birds need protection from dogs. Birds become used to sounds of machinery, children, etc., but they (with good reason) never become used to the stress of carnivores like dogs and cats. It is illegal in New York to harass, disturb, threaten, etc. wildlife. This includes harassment by dogs. read more

Very nice soccer field when I went there about 8 years ago it was a mess now it's a very nice organized field and being diversity and community together. read more

Still an awesome park! Discovered secret paths toward the back of the park which is even more visually delicious and un-city-like. However, there are many hazardous "pathways" areas that have quicksand spots and toward the right-round back countless used condoms plus litter reside. Go with someone or exercise tremendous caution in the more forested areas. read more