“Boating on Bronx Lake”

Yes, really—this bucolic postcard from just after the turn of the last century depicts several New Yorkers rowing down a placid body of water in the Bronx near the newly opened zoological park.

“In this park there are two lakes, which owe their existence wholly to the Bronx River,” explains a 1912 New York Times write-up. “One is Lake Agassiz, of about six acres in area, and the other Bronx Lake, embracing 25 acres and nearly a mile long. 

“Bronx Lake is available for boating, and in 1911 the boats there were used by more than 46,000 persons.”

And the Bronx River is still used for boating, and parts of it look very much like this old postcard. Check out this parks department virtual tour.

One busy little beaver

This little guy gnaws away at the Astor Place 6 station, a reminder of how John Jacob Astor made his fortune: beaver pelts.

There’s another beaver in New York City: Jose, the slick furry dude spotted swimming in the Bronx River last year. Take a look at a photo and fairly recent update of Jose’s whereabouts.