This quiet triangle of green. This is Ida Court Park. It’s older than the street it’s named after. No one seems to know exactly how it got its name. A mystery cloaked in leaves and sunshine.
Ida Court Park wasn’t always a park. It started as an undeveloped plot of land. Part of a larger land grab. This land was purchased to build the Richmond Parkway. This parkway would connect the Outerbridge Crossing to the Cloves Lake Expressway. The city gifted this specific triangle of land to the Parks Department. This happened on February 23 1965.
The park’s borders are interesting. One side is Ida Court. It was once called Heenan Avenue. Another side is North Railroad Street. The third side follows the Drumgoole Road East. That road is now the Korean War Veterans Parkway. A testament to a different kind of history. Robert Moses planned the Richmond Parkway. He was a powerful figure. He was New York City’s Parks Commissioner. He held many other positions of power. He envisioned a vast network of parkways. The Richmond Parkway was part of this vision. It was planned in the early 1930s but construction only began much later. It was finally completed in 1972.
The original plan was for a much longer parkway. There was opposition. Residents environmentalists and officials protested. Mayor John V Lindsay stopped the eastern extension of the road. A study showed the original route would destroy resources. It would harm scenery and valuable city institutions. So that section was never built. In 1997 the Richmond Parkway was renamed. It is now the Korean War Veterans Parkway. A tribute to the sacrifices made during the Korean War.
Ida Court Park itself remained relatively untouched for years. It was just a green space. Some play equipment eventually appeared along with a chain link fence. Mostly though it’s remained a natural spot. It’s an open green space perfect for neighborhood enjoyment. Sweetgum trees add shade and beauty. The park is simple yet tranquil. It’s a quiet hidden gem in a busy city. A little piece of Staten Island history. A place where the past and the present intertwine beneath the leaves.