Parkchester | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 40°50′20″N73°51′36″W / 40.839°N 73.86°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
City | New York City |
Borough | The Bronx |
Community District | The Bronx 9 [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 0.329 sq mi (0.85 km2) |
Population | |
• Total | 33,602 |
• Density | 100,000/sq mi (39,000/km2) |
Economics | |
• Median income | $61,261 |
Ethnicity | |
• Hispanic | 33.0% |
• Black | 35.1% |
• White | 2.7% |
• Asian | 25.4% |
• Others | 3.8% |
ZIP Codes | 10462, 10460, 10461 |
Area code | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Website | www |
Parkchester is a planned community and neighborhood originally developed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and located in the east Bronx, New York City. The immediate surrounding area also takes its name from the complex. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are East Tremont Avenue to the north, Castle Hill Avenue to the east, Westchester Avenue to the south, East 177th Street/Cross Bronx Expressway to the southwest, and White Plains Road to the west. Metropolitan Avenue, Unionport Road, and White Plains Road are the primary thoroughfares through Parkchester.
The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community District 9 and is mostly located within ZIP Code 10462, with small sections in 10460 and 10461. The 6 and <6> trains of the New York City Subway operate along Westchester Avenue. The neighborhood is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 43rd Precinct. [4] The privately owned housing complex is patrolled by the Parkchester Department of Public Safety.
The housing development has the same origins as Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, and Riverton Houses in Manhattan, which were also originally developed and owned by MetLife. The name was later unofficially applied to the entire neighborhood surrounding the apartment complex. The name "Parkchester" itself was derived from the two neighborhoods on each side of the site of the housing development — Park Versailles [5] and Westchester Heights. [6] [7]
MetLife displayed an intricate scale model of the proposed development at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The model showed all of the buildings and facilities, and was accurate down to inclusion of each of the 66,000 windows in the complex. The 51 groups of buildings were planned to house 12,000 families. [8]
The Parkchester residential development was originally designed and operated as a self-contained rental community for middle-class white families new to home ownership. MetLife chairman Frederick H. Ecker said that black renters were excluded because "Negroes and whites don't mix." [9]
It was built from 1939 to 1942 (despite emergency building restrictions during World War II) on the farmland of the New York Catholic Protectory, a home for orphaned and troubled boys conducted by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, which relocated to Lincolndale, Westchester County, where it still exists. Macy's opened their first branch store after their 34th Street flagship store in Parkchester in 1941. [10]
In 1974, approximately one-third of the complex was converted to condominiums, with the remaining portion, now Parkchester South Condominium converted later, in 1986. The complex is best known for its broad, tree-lined walkways between the distinctive red-brown buildings, and for its Works Progress Administration-style terracotta decorations on the buildings, that represent animal and human figures of many types. Many of these are the work of sculptor Joseph Kiselewski. [11]
In 2015 Parkchester celebrated its 75th anniversary with a family event on the Parkchester North Ball Field. [12]
In August 2024, the New York City Council voted to rezone 46 city blocks in Parkchester, Van Nest, and Morris Park, around the Metro-North Railroad's Parkchester/Van Nest and Morris Park stations, as part of the Penn Station Access project. The city government also promised to spend $500 million on infrastructure upgrades around these stations. The rezoning was intended to encourage development around these stations. [13] [14] As a result, up to 7,000 housing units could be constructed in the three neighborhoods. [15] [16]
Based on data from the 2020 United States Census, the population of the Parkchester neighborhood tabulation area was 33,602, an increase of 3,781 (12.7%) from the 29,821 counted in 2010. Covering an area of 210.76 acres (85.29 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 159.6 inhabitants per acre (102,100/sq mi; 39,400/km2). [17] [18]
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 35.1% (11,788) African American, 25.4% (8,550) Asian, 2.7% (907) Non-Hispanic White, 1.4% (479) from other races, and 2.4% (795) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.0% (11,083) of the population. [19] [18]
The Parkchester apartment complex has a total residential population over 25,000 and a population density over 125,000 people per sq mi. It includes a significant South Asian population: Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, including Catholics, Muslims, and Hindus. There are also a number of Italian, Polish, Irish, Eritrean and Albanian residents. Asian residents include Thais, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Burmese, and Cambodians. Parkchester also is home to a large and longstanding population of Puerto Ricans, like Luis R. Sepulveda who represents the area in the New York State Assembly and has his office on Westchester Avenue. Parkchester has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in New York City, as is it situated between Soundview and Castle Hill, which are also notable for having a significantly denser Puerto Rican population in comparison to other parts of the Bronx or the city as a whole. While the population is approximately over 38% African American and 30% Latino, the complex once had a whites-only policy. The resident population of the Parkchester apartment complex reflects a broad age distribution and the changing ethnic makeup of the Bronx. [2] [20] [18]
The entirety of Bronx Community District 9, which comprises Bronx River, Castle Hill, Clason Point, Harding Park, Parkchester, Soundview, and Unionport, had 188,249 inhabitants with an average life expectancy of 79.7 years. [21] : 2, 20 [18] This is about the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. [22] : 53 (PDF p. 84) [23] Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 25% are between the ages of between 0–17, 29% between 25–44, and 24% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 10% and 12% respectively. [21] : 2
As of 2017, the median household income in Bronx Community District 9 was $40,005. [24]
In 2018, an estimated 26% of Bronx Community District 9 residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in eight residents (13%) were unemployed, compared to 13% in the Bronx and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 55% in Bronx Community District 9, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 [update] , Bronx Community District 9 is considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying. [21] : 7
This section needs additional citations for verification .(November 2022) |
The Parkchester complex is composed of 171 four-sided brick buildings, either eight or 13 stories in height and numbered M (for Main) through 7 and M through 12, respectively. The 13 story buildings have dual elevators positioned side-by-side, while they eight-story buildings only have one. Some buildings even have a Terrace level - apartments that are located on the ground floor and noted by the T in front of the apartment letter, i.e., TA, TB, etc. These apartments differ from all others in the community in that they have an additional screened door in the living room section of the apartment that leads out onto a concrete patio where tenants usually put patio/lawn furniture.
The surrounding area, commonly referred to as "Parkchester", is dominated by multi-unit buildings unrelated to Parkchester complex. 78.4% of housing units are renter occupied. Retail locations are interspersed throughout the neighborhood as well as along Starling Avenue, McGraw Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Tremont Avenue, Unionport Road, and White Plains Road; the latter four streets are considered the backbones of the area.
Points of interest include:
A prominent feature of Parkchester is the Bangla Bazaar located throughout Olmstead Ave., Odell St., Purdy St., and Castle Hill Ave. The long stretch of blocks are occupied by businesses owned by Bangladeshis and is the heart of their community.
There are two subsections of the neighborhood. Parkchester Apartment Complex is a subsection of Parkchester. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are East Tremont Avenue to the north, Castle Hill Avenue to the east, McGraw Avenue to the south, and White Plains Road to the west. The apartment complex has recently undergone substantial renovations of many of their apartments. [33] Additionally, Stratton Park is on the west part of Parkchester. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are the Amtrak Northeast Corridor to the west and north, White Plains Road to the east, and East 177th Street (the Cross-Bronx Expressway service road) to the south. Its zip code is 10460, and its residents consider themselves as part of Parkchester.
At the heart of Parkchester is the 2 acres (0.81 ha) Aileen B. Ryan Oval, formerly Metropolitan Oval. [34]
Parkchester was designed with aesthetics in mind as evidenced by intricate patterns of brickwork [35] and architectural ornaments. [36] The development contains 500 terra cotta statuettes and 600 plaques, [35] [36] and depict a wide array of figures, including bullfighters, soldiers, mermaids, and Native American chiefs, [35] and animals, including gazelles, puffins, kangaroos, and bears. [36] Sculptures were largely provided by the Federal Seaboard Terra Cotta Corporation. [37] Among the nine sculptors on the project were Raymond Granville Barger, Joseph Kiselewski, Carl Schmitz and Theodore Barbarossa. [36] Their sculptures adorn the entrances and can also be seen high on the corners of the taller buildings. [11] Some are polychromatic, painted in bright colors, and some figures appear within rondels. [36] In the Aileen B. Ryan Oval, a fountain named Fantasia, created by Barger, was installed in 1941 and is often the backdrop of photographs. [35] The former Loew's American Theater is ornamented with figures of two harlequins in the front and a matador, hula girl, flamenco dancer, and other figures in the rear. [36]
Approximately 45 of the sculptures were removed from 2018 to 2021; a campaign by history preservationists and architectural historians has launched to preserve the Parkchester sculptures. [36]
Parkchester and the rest of Bronx Community District 9 is patrolled by the 43rd Precinct of the NYPD, located at 900 Fteley Avenue. [4] As of 2018 [update] , with a non-fatal assault hospitalization rate of 100 per 100,000 people, the 43rd Precinct's rate of violent crimes per capita is more than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 603 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole. [21] : 8
The 43rd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 63.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 6 murders, 48 rapes, 747 robberies, 806 felony assaults, 302 burglaries, 1,039 grand larcenies, and 561 grand larcenies auto in 2022. [38]
The Parkcheaster Department of Public Safety is a privately owned and operated security force that protects the residents, visitors and property of Parkcheaster Preservation Management company area only. The Parkcheaster Department of Public Safety currently employs 100 public safety officers and civilians.
In 2022 Parkchester public safety officers became Special Patrolmen and amended their uniforms and logo to match such change. They continued their function and responsibilities as before but are using a new name Parkchester Police. They employ 100 officers who are special patrolmen as listed and defined by their website. [39] special patrolmen have limited peace officer authority in connection with their special duties of employment pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law § 2.10 sub 27. The exercise of this authority is limited to the employee's geographical area of employment and only while such employee is working as listed defined in Chapter 13 subsection (C):.. [40] all special patrolmen are prohibited to represent themself as a Police Officer as listed and defined in Special partolmen chapter 13 section 13-05 (conduct) and new york state penal law 190.25. Special patrolmen are required to comply with the New York City Police Department's rules and requirements to receive special patrolman status. Parkchester special patrolmen are issued a pistol license by the New York City Police Department and carry a firearm while performing their duties only.
Parkchester is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 64/Ladder Co. 47 fire station at 1224 Castle Hill Avenue. [41] [42]
As of 2018 [update] , preterm births and births to teenage mothers are more common in Parkchester and Clason Point than in other places citywide. In Parkchester and Clason Point, there were 106 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 26.4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). [21] : 11 Parkchester and Clason Point has a relatively average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 16%, higher than the citywide rate of 14%. [21] : 14
The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Parkchester and Clason Point is 0.0076 milligrams per cubic metre (7.6×10−9 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. [21] : 9 Eighteen percent of Parkchester and Clason Point residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. [21] : 13 In Parkchester and Clason Point, 32% of residents are obese, 16% are diabetic, and 34% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. [21] : 16 In addition, 25% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. [21] : 12
83% of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 72% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", lower than the city's average of 78%. [21] : 13 For every supermarket in Parkchester and Clason Point, there are 13 bodegas. [21] : 10
The nearest hospital campuses are Montefiore Medical Center's Westchester Square and West Farms campuses, as well as the Longwood campus of the BronxCare Hospital System.
In 2006, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was responsible for the deaths of six Parkchester residents. Although a fountain located in the Metropolitan Oval and featuring a whimsical bronze sculpture by Raymond Granville Barger was initially suspected as the source of the outbreak, New York City health officials later determined that it was linked to infected cooling towers in the area. [43] [44]
Parkchester is located within multiple ZIP Codes. The housing development proper is part of 10462, but the areas to the immediate west are located in 10460, and the immediate east, in 10461. [45] The United States Postal Service's Parkchester Station is located at 1449 West Avenue. [46]
Parkchester and Clason Point generally have a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018 [update] . While 23% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 30% have less than a high school education and 47% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 26% of Bronx residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. [21] : 6 The percentage of Parkchester and Clason Point students excelling in math rose from 23% in 2000 to 44% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 27% to 30% during the same time period. [47]
Parkchester and Clason Point's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is higher than the rest of New York City. In Parkchester and Clason Point, 28% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, more than the citywide average of 20%. [22] : 24 (PDF p. 55) [21] : 6 Additionally, 69% of high school students in Parkchester and Clason Point graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%. [21] : 6
The New York Public Library (NYPL)'s Parkchester branch is located at 1985 Westchester Avenue. The branch opened in 1942 within the Parkchester development and moved to its current two-story structure in 1985. [49]
The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Parkchester: [50]
The following New York City Subway station serves Parkchester: [51]
Throggs Neck is a neighborhood and peninsula in the south-eastern portion of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by the East River and Long Island Sound to the south and east, Westchester Creek on the west, and Baisley Avenue and the Bruckner Expressway on the north.
Soundview is a neighborhood on the Clason Point peninsula, on the southern section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, White Plains Road to the east, Lacombe Avenue to the south, and the Bronx River to the west. The Bruckner Expressway bisects the neighborhood horizontally along the center and the Bronx River Parkway runs north to south. Soundview Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Soundview.
Tremont is a residential neighborhood in the West Bronx, New York City. Its boundaries are East 181st Street to the north, Third Avenue to the east, the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the south, and the Grand Concourse to the west. East Tremont Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Tremont.
Country Club is a residential neighborhood located in the East Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood's boundaries are Middletown Road and Watt Avenue to the north, Eastchester Bay to the east, Layton Avenue and the Throggs Neck neighborhood to the south, and the New England Thruway and Pelham Bay neighborhood to the west. Pelham Bay Park, the largest public park in New York City, is located just north of Country Club.
University Heights is a neighborhood of the West Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are: West Fordham Road to the north, Jerome Avenue to the east, West Burnside Avenue to the south and the Harlem River to the west. University Avenue is the primary thoroughfare in University Heights.
The Black Spades were a mostly African-American street gang which started in the Bronx during the late 1960s and gained popularity in the 1970s. The gang began to spread from the Bronx to Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Rochelle, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut by the late 1980s. During this period Latino and white members were more common. The Black Spades have made a comeback in 2019 with more members joining. They are now TBS New Direction, a community service group championing anti-violence initiatives and providing food distribution for the food insecure.
Van Nest is a working-class neighborhood geographically located in the East Bronx section of the Bronx, New York City. Going clockwise, its boundaries are Bronxdale Avenue to the northeast, the Amtrak tracks to the southeast, and Bronx Park to the west. Van Nest predated Morris Park by 20 years and is considered the older of the two communities. Morris Park Avenue and White Plains Road are the primary commercial thoroughfares through Van Nest.
Bronx Community Board 9 is a local government unit of the city of New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Castle Hill, Parkchester, Soundview, Harding Park, Bronx River, Clason Point and Unionport. It is delimited by Westchester Creek to the east, Sheridan Boulevard to the west, the Cross Bronx Expressway and East Tremont Avenue to the north and the Bronx River and the East River to the south.
Crotona Park East, also known as Crotona or East Morrisania, is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwest Bronx in New York City. Crotona Park East is considered part of the South Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, the Bronx River to the east, East 167th Street to the south, and Crotona/Prospect Avenues to the west. Southern Boulevard is the primary thoroughfare through the area. The neighborhood is adjacent to, but distinct from, the nearby park named Crotona Park.
Morris Heights is a residential neighborhood located in the West Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: West Burnside Avenue to the north, Jerome Avenue to the east, the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the south, and the Harlem River to the west. University Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Morris Heights.
Pelham Parkway is a working- and middle-class residential neighborhood geographically located in the center of the Bronx, a borough of New York City in the United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Pelham Parkway South, to the east the IRT Dyre Avenue Line tracks and to the south Bronxdale Avenue and to the west, Bronx Park East. White Plains Road is the primary commercial thoroughfare through Pelham Parkway. The neighborhood is named after Pelham Parkway, a major west–east parkway that travels through the East Bronx.
West Farms is a residential neighborhood in The Bronx, New York City. Its boundaries are Bronx Park to the north, the Bronx River to the east, the Cross Bronx Expressway to the south, and Southern Boulevard to the west. East Tremont Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through West Farms.
Castle Hill is a neighborhood located in the southeast section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries are Waterbury Avenue and Westchester Avenue to the north, Westchester Creek to the east, the East River to the south, and White Plains Road to the west. Unionport is a subsection of Castle Hill, typically considered north of Lafayette Avenue.
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The East Bronx is the part of the New York City borough of the Bronx which lies east of the Bronx River; this roughly corresponds to the eastern half of the borough. Neighborhoods include: Baychester, Castle Hill, City Island, Co-op City, Country Club, Eastchester, Edenwald, Edgewater Park, Harding Park, Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Pelham Parkway, Soundview, Throggs Neck, Van Nest, Wakefield, Westchester Square, and Williamsbridge.
White Plains Road is a major north-south thoroughfare which runs the length of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It runs from Castle Hill and Clason Point in the south to Wakefield in the north, where it crosses the city line and becomes West 1st Street of Mount Vernon, New York. The Bronx River Parkway lies to its west and parallels much of its route. Between Magenta Street & 217th Street, White Plains Road is very wide due to the presence of the Gun Hill Road station house in the road's median.
Clason Point is a peninsula and a neighborhood in the East Bronx, New York City. The area includes a collection of neighborhoods including Harding Park, and Soundview. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are: Lafayette Avenue to the north, White Plains Road/Pugsley Creek Park to the east, the East River to the south, and the Bronx River to the west.
Annabel Palma is an American politician and Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. She previously served on the New York City Council from the 18th district from 2004 to 2017. She is a Democrat. The district includes Castle Hill, Clason Point, Hunts Point, Parkchester, Soundview, West Farms and Westchester Square in The Bronx.
Westchester Square is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the eastern section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street, Blondell Avenue and Westchester Creek to the east, Waterbury Avenue to the south and Castle Hill Avenue to the west. The main roadways through Westchester Square are East Tremont Avenue, Westchester Avenue and Williamsbridge Road.