The Ewen Park Dog Run is a small but wonderful dog park in the Riverdale section of the Bronx in New York City. It is located on 232nd street and Riverdale Avenue and is a 7-10 minute walk from the 231st street 1 train subway stop on Broadway. The Dog Run is within Ewen Park and is named after John Ewen who was a brigadier general in New York States’ National Guard during the Civil War.
The park has a basketball court and several benches for residents in the surrounding neighborhood to utilize. The dog run itself is fairly small but unlike neighboring dog runs, is rarely crowded and has a loyal and dedicated neighborhood following. While the dog run is maintained well, it suffers from a shorter than desirable fence and large rocks that detract from the park aesthetically as well as functionally. Pluses of the park include that it is in close proximity to many neighborhood apartments and homes; the dog owners are loyal and respectful of other dog owners; the park is rarely crowded; it is well maintained by the parks department and it is clean and well located within the park. The dog run, as with most dog runs, could certainly benefit from improvements. It has some benches but would be well served to have additional places for owners to sit as their dogs run and play. The fence could be replaced with a higher fence for larger dogs. Additional waste disposals with additional pop bags would be helpful, especially when the park gets busy. Removal of larger rocks would make the park more inviting for the dogs and humans. Dog slides and other objects would make the park more fun as the dogs interact with each other. Parking is available next to the park on Johnson Avenue, but because the majority of the park users are from the neighborhood, they can easily walk to the park or take the subway to get there. Restaurants, bakeries, and other services are nearby and the park is centrally located within one of the hubs of Riverdale.
Overall, the improvements suggested for the dog run are ones that would make the experience even more enjoyable for everyone, but the fact that it exists in the middle of Riverdale is a testament to the dedication of the parks department and the city to improve the lives of dogs and their owners and for that we say congratulations.