Nestled in the northeast corner of the Bronx, Pelham Bay is a working-class neighborhood with a rich history dating back to the mid-1600s, when Connecticut doctor Thomas Pell purchased more than 9,000 acres of land from the Siwanoy Native Americans. It included parts of modern-day Westchester along with the Bronx's City Island and Pelham Bay, which became a burgeoning residential neighborhood in the 1920s as European immigrants settled in the area.

Located at the last stop on the 6 train (a station made famous in the classic 1974 movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), today's Pelham Bay is a cultural melting pot with an incredibly diverse population. It's also extremely family-friendly, which I know firsthand as a local mom raising three kids here. Our crown jewel is indisputably the 2,765-acre Pelham Bay Park, NYC's largest green space, featuring an equestrian center, bike trails, playgrounds, two golf courses, Orchard Beach and the historic Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. But my family also moved here because we love the suburb-in-the-city vibe conjured by lovely single-family homes on tree-lined streets, longtime ma-and-pa businesses and neighbors who know your names.

Throughout the month, we'll be highlighting all Pelham Bay has to offer families including the best places to eat, play and experience with kids. For the purposes of our posts, our geographic boundaries are Middletown Road to the Westchester County border, Hutchinson River Parkway to Eastchester Bay. We kick off our our coverage with the top 25 things to do with kids in Pelham Bay.