Williamsbridge, Bronx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Williamsbridge is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 222nd Street to the north, Boston Road to the east, East Gun Hill Road to the south, and the Bronx River to the west. White Plains Road is the primary thoroughfare through Williamsbridge. The local subway is the 2 line, operating along White Plains Road. Zip codes include 10466. 10467, and 10469. The area is patrolled by the 47th Precinct located at 4111 Laconia Avenue. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx.
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[edit] Demographics
Williamsbridge has a population over 65,000. The neighborhood has the highest concentration of Black West Indians in the Bronx and also contains a very significant African American population. Over 20% of the population lives below the poverty line.[1]
This is known by many youths as a very dangerous area in which to attend school. Gang recruiting methods often involve targeting teens who attend the nearby high schools.
[edit] Land use and terrain
Williamsbridge is dominated by multi-unit homes of various types. There are also tenements concentrated near the Subway station at White Plains Road. The total land area is roughly a mile and a half. The area is low laying and flat.
[edit] Low income public housing projects
There are three NYCHA developments located in Williamsbridge.[2]
- Baychester Houses: 11 buildings, six-story tall.
- Edenwald Houses: 40 buildings, three- and 14-story tall. The largest public housing development in Bronx.
- Gun Hill Houses: six buildings, 14-story tall.
[edit] History
The neighborhood was historically heavily Jewish and Italian-American. It became predominantly African American in the 1970s, and since the 1980s, has received an influx of Caribbean and West Indian immigrants. Currently, the neighborhood is overwhelmingly black.
Williamsbridge was once called Edenwald, but it is claimed that Edenwald houses are part of Wakefield rather than of Williamsbridge. [citation needed] The Gun Hill housing projects are also located in the area.
[edit] Urban renewal
Due to White flight some of the homes in the area have been left vacant. Many homes today are being rehabilitated and offered as rentals to the growing West Indian population found in the area.
[edit] Transportation
- Bx8: to Locust Point (via Williamsbridge Rd)
- Bx28: to Co-op City or Fordham Center (via Gun Hill Rd)
- Bx30: to Co-op City or Norwood-205th St station (via Boston Rd)
- Bx39: to Clason Point (via White Plains Road)
- Bx41: to Wakefield or The Hub (via Webster Avenue)
- Bx55: Limited to The Hub (via Third Avenue)
- BxM11: Express Bus to Midtown Manhattan
- 219th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line) (2, 5)
- Gun Hill Road (IRT White Plains Road Line) (2, 5)
[edit] References
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Coordinates: 40°52′38″N 73°51′58″W / 40.8773220°N 73.8662462°W
