A 1,146-acre park that lies adjacent to the Woodlawn Cemetery. The 1975 New York City fiscal crisis caused much of the park to fall into disrepair, and even today much of the neglect still remains: Once pristine golf courses on the east side of the park have been reclaimed by small pockets of nature. The grounds away from Cortlandt lake to the south are no longer maintained.
It was given to Clan Gangrel before the last prince left power in an effort to appease them for their help in driving the Sabbat out of New York and back to Staten Island. The gesture was a backhanded one that ultimately failed. Most Gangrel preferred to remain independent and claim domains wherever they pleased, or side with masters who would give them longer leashes.
As such, the Van Cortlandt Park domain is an exercise in diplomacy and the perils of its failure, as the Kindred to whom it was given don't want it - unless someone else expresses an interest in it. Various packs of Gangrel roam here and often fight over the territory, but all are willing to set aside their differences to deal with interlopers up to no good. It is well known that anyone up to something they don't like will meet a bloody end if they do not have a Gangrel who can vouch for them.
The Gangrel packs in the area claim various allegiances. The largest are the Independents which control the north area of the park, their next competitors are Camarilla aligned that hold most of the territory around Cortlandt Lake, and finally the remaining pockets of territory are split between the Anarchs and the Sabbat.
Shootings and gang clashes in the area are frequent.