The Bronx · Bronx County
University Woods
Nature Preserve
- Location
- Sedgwick Avenue near West 190th Street, University Heights
- Size
- 3.00 acres
- Hours
- Dawn to dusk
- Type
- Nature Preserve
University Woods is a three-acre nature preserve near Sedgwick Avenue and West 190th Street in the University Heights section of the western Bronx. The woods preserve a remnant of the native forest that once covered the hillsides above the Harlem River.
The preserve's mature hardwood trees, understory plants, and rocky terrain provide habitat for songbirds, woodpeckers, and small mammals within the dense urban landscape. The woods' survival amid surrounding development is a testament to the community's commitment to preserving natural heritage.
University Heights takes its name from the former uptown campus of New York University, whose buildings now house Bronx Community College. The Hall of Fame for Great Americans, the first hall of fame in the United States, stands on the college campus overlooking the Harlem River.
The preserve provides a quiet, contemplative natural space in a neighborhood where the combination of educational institutions, residential buildings, and busy commercial corridors creates a complex urban environment. The woods offer a moment of wildness amid the built landscape.
University Woods represents the preservation of natural habitat at the neighborhood scale, demonstrating that even small parcels of urban forest can provide ecological value and nature access for the communities that surround them.