Bronx County was the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated. Although the Bronx is the third most densely populated county in the U.S., about a quarter of its area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.
Culture: Bronx County is home to Poe Cottage where Author Edgar Allan Poe spent the last years of his life, home to the New York Yankees, maritime heritage as well as arts and entertainment such as off-off-broadway shows.
Education: Several colleges and universities are located in the Bronx. Fordham University, 3 CUNYs: Hostos Community College, Bronx Community College and Herbert H. Lehman College, The College of Mount Saint Vincent, Manhattan College,Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and two colleges based in Westchester County have Bronx campuses: College of New Rochelle and Mercy College. The State University of New York Maritime College in Fort Schuyler (Throggs Neck)—at the far southeastern tip of the Bronx—is the national leader in maritime education and houses the Maritime Industry Museum.
Land: The Bronx also includes several small islands in the East River and Long Island Sound, such as City Island and Hart Island. Rikers Island in the East River, home to the large jail complex for the entire city, is also part of the Bronx.
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