John Jay Park is a 3.3 acres (13,354.6 m²) park in the New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 borough of Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

. It is located between 76th and 78th streets, and between Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive

Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive

The Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive is a freeway-standard parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan...

 and a short street called Cherokee Place, in Manhattan's Upper East Side

Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...

. The park is named for statesman and New York Governor John Jay

John Jay

John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....

.

In 1902 the city acquired through condemnation

Eminent domain

Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...

 a parcel of land at the site of the park and opened a public bath house in 1906. A swimming pool and promenade was built nearby from 1940 to 1942, part of a Work Projects Administration construction program. In 1941 the bath house was renovated to include an auditorium, recreation room, gym, and changing facility which could accommodate 1,002 male and 590 female bathers.

The park is used for physical education classes by Eleanor Roosevelt High School (New York City)

Eleanor Roosevelt High School (New York City)

Eleanor Roosevelt High School is a public high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Eleanor Roosevelt High School is a small school composed of about 33 teachers and 500 students representing over 40 different countries...

, Lycée français de New York

Lycée Français de New York

The Lycée Français de New York , literally The French High School of New York, is an exclusive French-medium school for K-12 students based in Manhattan, New York which follows the French curriculum of study and allows students to study for the French general Baccalauréat, the international option...

, East Side Middle School

East Side Middle School

East Side Middle School is a public school at 331 East 91st Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.-Relocation:The school relocated to East 91st Street over the Memorial Day Holiday, 2010...

, and P.S. 158.