Our
Community
JRP Pups & Pawrents
Our community, known as JRP Pups & Pawrents (formerly "Jackie's Home Run"), is a network of 80+ New Yorkers residing near Jackie Robinson Park. In partnership with the Jackie Robinson Park Conservancy, we are dedicated to making our historic landmark park a green oasis for the pups and paw-rents of Harlem. Community efforts include park cleanups, dog-centric events, canine education, and the Polo Grounds Dog Run.
Polo Grounds Stadium History
One unique and exciting aspects of our dog run project is the site's history. From 1890 through 1964, the land, now home to Polo Grounds Towers, was the site of a series of stadiums generally referred to as Polo Grounds Stadium. While primarily home to New York Giants baseball before their relocation to San Francisco, Polo Grounds Stadium had an array of tenants throughout its life including the Yankees and Mets, NFL's Titans/Jets, and Giants, and Negro National League teams like the New York Cubans and New York Black Yankees. Polo Grounds was also the site of multiple World Series, College Football, Soccer, Gaelic Football, Boxing, Motorsports, and a 1916 concert of Verdi's Requiem performed by a chorus of 1,200 singers, backed by 120 players from the New York Philarmonic.
It was at Polo Grounds that Giants baseball players Monte Irvin and Hank Thompson followed Jackie Robinson's lead and made history as the first Black players on the team, further paving the way for soon-to-follow legends like Willie Mays. Many of these baseball greats lived in Harlem near the stadium during their tenure with the New York Giants.
Despite a long and storied history, Polo Grounds was generally considered obsolete by the mid 1900's. After losing its anchor tenant, New York Giants baseball, in 1957, the stadium largely sat empty with only a few seasons of use by the newly formed Titans of New York (present-day New York Jets). In 1961 the city began the process of claiming the land under eminent domain to build a high-rise housing project on the site, Polo Grounds Towers.
Additionally, we acknowledge that Polo Grounds Stadium stood upon the ancestral lands of the Lenape peoples, who continue to live in New York City, and beyond.
Dog Run Project
@ 155th & Bradhurst
Our neighborhood is a dog run desert. With a sharp increase in dogs during COVID, the lack of dog-friendly space to play became extremely apparent. So we're doing something about it.
> > > Swipe the image to see the difference!
In 2022, a grassroots effort called "Jackie's Home Run" emerged to build a dog run in or near Jackie Robinson Park. After months of community building, petition gathering, site visits, and community board presentations, Community Board 10 gave their enthusiastic support for a dog run on a stretch of land on the north side of 155th, near Bradhurst. We are currently working with NY Parks and Historic Harlem Parks, as well as a wide range of community stakeholders, to get the project off the ground!
The Site
The Polo Grounds Dog Run site is located on the north side of 155th & Bradhurst, with an entrance planned just to the right of the base of the stairs up to Harlem River Drive. Once built, the dog run will include a small and large dog run, accessible via a protected path. The sheltered space sits tucked away under ample tree cover, a healthy distance from residences, minimizing the impact dog runs sometimes have on adjacent residential buildings.
The site is inactive Highbridge Park land which has been a hotspot for illegal dumping. Our vision cleans up years of accumulated waste, restoring the natural environment while also adding a vital new community amenity.
Before
After
Once built, the dog run will provide our Harlem community with a place for dogs to socialize and exercise away from other NYC Parks resources, improving overall canine comfort and success while protecting park amenities like baseball fields and other green space. For pawrents, the dog run will serve as a fenced space for training, as well as a "third space" for pawrent to pawrent relationships to flourish, improving the community response in instances of lost/found pets, canine emergencies, and overall community safety.
Renderings by Rissa
Get Involved
Stay In The Loop!
Make It Happen!
This dog run is 100% community-led and maintained. A large volunteer team is essential to the establishment and success of all dog runs. Interested in getting involved? Send us an email using the contact form below.