Eae J Mitchell Park

Eae J. Mitchell Park is named for a community activist, Eae J. Mitchell. When fires devastated parts of the southeastern Bronx in the late 1970s, Mitchell volunteered to help rebuild many of the parks.

Mitchell was keenly interested in purchasing this lot on 174th Street, between Vyse Avenue and Boone Avenue, which at the time was essentially a dustbowl. The City sold it to Mitchell for a dollar. Over the next few years Mitchell created the park, clearing the area of trash, leveling the ground, erecting a fence around the park and maintaining it daily. When it was ready for community use, Mitchell arranged for the staging of plays, music shows, and cookouts for neighborhood residents.

Mitchell was responsible for the park until his death on April 9, 1989. In 1993, the City restored the park, granting the property to Parks on November 29 of that year. Though first named Mitchell Mall, Parks Commissioner Henry Stern renamed the property Eae J. Mitchell Park on August 12, 1997.

The Mitchell Mall Committee, located on East 174th Street and Longfellow Avenue, has continued careful watch over the park maintenance. The park’s perimeters are dotted with evergreens and shrubbery, and a flag with a yardarm stands in its corner. The park is frequently used as a leisurely sitting area, with benches and game tables. Part of the park is elevated like a stage, and is still used on occasion for various neighborhood functions and performances. The site was recently renovated with a $183,000 grant from City Council Member Jose Rivera.