Greenwich's Bruce Park Nominated For 'Best City Park' In The Country

GREENWICH, CT — Bruce Park is one of Greenwich's crown jewels, and now residents have the chance to show the rest of the country why.

USA Today 10 Best is currently running a contest to determine the top 10 city parks in the country. Bruce Park is listed as one of the nominees.

According to their website, 10 Best provides users with "original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world."

Residents can vote now until April 11 at noon ET. The top 10 winning parks will be announced April 22. As of Thursday afternoon, Bruce Park was ranked 16th out of 20 nominees.

Click here to vote for Bruce Park

"This sixty-acre park in Greenwich offers a variety of activities, plus a scenic view of Long Island Sound. Walkers and joggers will enjoy the marked and measured trail, and ponds and wooded areas offer visitors a peaceful getaway," the description of Bruce Park says on USA Today. "Tennis courts, horseshoe pits, a croquet court, a baseball diamond, and playgrounds are available for those more athletically inclined, and picnic areas are provided with tables and grills. Visit the hilltop gazebo, or pick a bench to sit, read and meditate in the beautiful surroundings."

First Selectman Fred Camillo told Patch Bruce Park has always been a huge part of the town's park system.

Camillo, a Greenwich native, has fond memories going to the park as a kid. It's the place where he learned how to ice skate and go sledding.

"The fire department would come there at night and put the lights on the ice on the pond when it froze over, and there'd be an ice cream truck selling hot chocolate. It was something out of a Norman Rockwell scene," Camillo said.

Bruce Park is the town's oldest public park, having been built in 1908 through a bequest of Robert Moffat Bruce.

Over the years, the town has deconstructed some of the buildings located within the park to give the property more of a park-like feel. Neighbors have been concerned about future development.

"That's why I'm working with them and the Greenwich Historic District Commission to try and get that protected going forward so there are no threats of any type of development going on there," Camillo said.

In January, the Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to appoint the commission to examine and study the components and merits of the park for the historic property designation.

An outside study is being done on the park and could be completed in 1-2 months, according to Historic District Commission Chair Stephen Bishop.

Local historic property designation would give Bruce Park the highest level of protection possible, Bishop said.

"It's a tremendous resource to the town. It's a beautiful park. It's got playgrounds and walking paths, and it has great history," he added.

The period of historical significance for the park, according to documents from the Historic District Commission, is 1908 to 1958. Such periods are defined by the National Park Service as the span of time for which an historic landscape attains historical significance.

During this 50-year timeframe, the park was established and its major physical features were constructed, which included ponds, roadways and recreational facilities. In those years, Greenwich added granite curbstones and various plantings to enhance the visual appeal of the park.

"It really is a beautiful asset for our town," Camillo said.

Parks and open spaces have been extra important over the last two years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The parks are an integral part of what makes Greenwich such a wonderful place to live and a destination," Camillo said. "I would put our parks up there with anybody's."