▁York ▁State ▁Assembly ▁( the ▁legisl ature ' s ▁lower ▁house ). ▁▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁Governor ▁Gro ver ▁Cleveland ▁signed ▁the ▁New ▁Park s ▁Act ▁into ▁law , ▁author izing ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁park ▁system . ▁The ▁system ▁consisted ▁of ▁three ▁park ways ▁and ▁six ▁par ks , ▁with ▁Bron x ▁Park ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁system . ▁Bron x ▁Park ▁was ▁connected ▁to ▁Pel ham ▁Bay ▁Park ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁via ▁Pel ham ▁Park way ; ▁to ▁Van ▁Cort land t ▁Park ▁in ▁the ▁north west ▁via ▁Mos hol u ▁Park way ; ▁and ▁to ▁Cro ton a ▁Park ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁via ▁Cro ton a ▁Park way . ▁There ▁were ▁no ▁direct ▁connections ▁to ▁Cla rem ont ▁Park ▁and ▁St . ▁Mary ' s ▁Park , ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁par ks ▁in ▁the ▁system . ▁ ▁Const ruction , ▁proposed ▁up gr ades ▁The ▁original ▁Pel ham ▁Park way ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁as ▁a ▁small , ▁two - lane ▁road ▁in ▁today ' s ▁west bound ▁lan es ▁through ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁rural ▁West chester ▁County . ▁The ▁road ▁had ▁strict ▁building ▁codes , ▁as ▁nobody ▁could ▁build ▁within ▁ 1 5 0 ▁feet ▁of ▁it . ▁ ▁When ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁bo omed ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁Bron x ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁neighborhood s , ▁high ways , ▁and ▁par ks ▁built ▁up ,