At NYCHA’s first dog park, Bronx K-9 and human neighbors alike are making fast friends

Jose Carrion and his partner, Jenny Sanchez, took their pit bull, Duke, to the new dog park nestled in the middle of the Castle Hill Houses on Monday afternoon.

It had only been two days since the park’s grand opening — but Castle Hill residents Carrion and Sanchez were already regulars.

“This will be my third time, and I like it. And not only that, he likes it,” Carrion said, gesturing to Duke.

The facility — the first of its kind in a NYCHA complex — includes separate gated spaces for large and small dogs, complete with turf mounds and doggy water fountains. There’s a renovated BBQ and picnic area nearby. And there are also now 32 doggie waste stations decorated with community art throughout the complex.

On Monday, Duke ran freely off-leash around the space while Carrion and Sanchez sat and watched. Sanchez said the park was much-needed in the complex, where many people own dogs that could use more outdoor space.

“They have a lot of space here, which in our apartments — everything is limited. Here they're more free, and they get to have access with other dogs,” Sanchez said.

Carrion said in just three days, the dog park had transformed how he interacted with many of his neighbors. Pit bulls like Duke are popular at the complex, and Carrion said owners tended to be guarded when walking past each other with their pups. But he thinks the dog park is changing that.

“It takes a dog park to get people together for them to talk and communicate. All of a sudden everybody knows each other's name. It’s crazy,” he said. “I've been here a long time and I see people with dogs and actually didn't know their name. Now all of a sudden — Larry, Curly, Moe, and I'm like, ‘Oh Lord, look at this!’”

Carrion was one of the more than 800 residents who voted on the project during workshops over a year-long design process. It’s part of a $3.2 million initiative led by the Public Housing Community Fund to create open spaces at four NYCHA developments in the Bronx and Brooklyn known as the Green Space Connections.

The park was a collaboration between a number of groups, including the Castle Hill Resident Association, the Design Trust for Public Space and the Center for Justice Innovation.

“Our residents were deeply involved in the park’s design, and it’s incredible to see their vision become a reality,” said Jeanette Salcedo, the Castle Hill Resident Association’s president. “This project will bring joy and vibrancy to Castle Hill Houses for many years to come.”

Beyond beautifying the space, local councilmember Amanda Farias said, green spaces are crucial for improving health outcomes.

“Dog parks are important to any community, especially in my district. We are all pet owners,” Farias said. “When we're looking at the Bronx being the unhealthiest county out of all New York state, when we're looking at accessibility to open green space, we really want to make sure we're creating a positive impact and a direct impact both physically and mentally on residents throughout the community.”

Over at the small dog section of the dog park, Tunisia Losey brought her French bulldog, Callie, and shih tzu, Elon, to the park for the first time Monday. They ran freely off-leash — something that she would never do in the open spaces in the rest of the complex.

“It’s a nice setting for them somewhere for them to actually feel free. [I] don’t have to worry about them running into the street,” she said. “Being able to let them off the leash and know they're safe because it's a closed-in area is more comfortable.”

Losey said while the space is primarily for the dogs, she also sees the benefit it’s bringing people.

“This is a space where people get to know each other more. The dogs get to be comfortable around each other,” she said. “This is something that’ll definitely bring people together.”

This story has been updated to include more information.