Bedford Park | |
|---|---|
 View of theMosholu Parkway in Bedford Park | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Coordinates:40°52′12″N73°53′10″W / 40.870°N 73.886°W /40.870; -73.886 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Bronx |
| Community District | Bronx 7[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.455 sq mi (1.18 km2) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 37,344 |
| • Density | 82,100/sq mi (31,700/km2) |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $43,850 |
| ZIP Codes | 10458, 10468 |
| Area code | 718, 347, 929, and917 |
| Website | bedfordpark |
Bedford Park is a residential neighborhood in the northwestBronx, New York City, adjacent to theNew York Botanical Garden. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are:Mosholu Parkway to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, East 196th Street to the south, and Jerome Avenue to the west.
The neighborhood is part ofBronx Community District 7, and its ZIP Codes include 10458 and 10468.[1] The area is patrolled by the 52nd Precinct of theNew York City Police Department.
The area now known as Bedford Park was mostly farmland outside the town ofKingsbridge, then an unincorporated suburb of New York City. The area began to be developed with the construction of theJerome Park Racetrack, forthoroughbred horse racing, byLeonard Jerome andAugust Belmont, Sr. in 1866. Jerome Park Racecourse became the first home of the famousBelmont Stakes horse race, until 1890. To attract the wealthy to the racecourse, Leonard Jerome built what is today Jerome Avenue. The town of Kingsbridge was officially incorporated into New York City in 1874.[3][4]
In 1890, Jerome Park Racecourse was sold. Construction was started to convert it into the Jerome Park Reservoir, to store fresh water from the New Croton Aqueduct. At the same time, the neighborhood of Bedford Park was beginning to take shape. Forty "villas" (suburban houses) were built on a 23-acre (93,000 m2) stretch, in a planned community, named Villa Avenue.[4]
The area became a part of the newly created Borough of the Bronx in 1898. The Italian and Irish immigrants who worked on the Jerome Park Reservoir project soon anchored the community there. In 1906, 200th Street was renamed Bedford Park Boulevard, likely named afterEdward Thomas Bedford, a director ofStandard Oil, president of the Bank of the State of New York, who was an associate of Leonard Jerome.[4]
Development continued with the completion of theGrand Concourse, a multilane thoroughfare, in 1914; and the extension of subway to the area with theIRT Jerome Avenue Line (present-day4 train) in 1917. TheGrand Concourse saw a boom in housing construction in the post-World War I era.[3] Much of this was from middle-class people (primarilyJews,Italians, andIrish) moving fromManhattan.[4]
During the 1970s and 1980s, when poverty, crime,arson, and drug use were prevalent across the Bronx, Bedford Park was able to somewhat withstand this compared to other neighborhoods in the more southern parts of the borough. This was largely due to community activists and organizers taking an aggressive stance on drugs and demanding increased law enforcement in the area.[5]
Based on data from the2010 United States census, the population of Bedford Park was 54,415, a change of -914 (-1.7%) from the 55,329 counted in2000. Covering an area of 343.81 acres (139.13 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 158.3 inhabitants per acre (101,300/sq mi; 39,100/km2).[6] The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 6.7% (3,637)White, 18% (9,805)African American, 0.3% (145)Native American, 5% (2,727)Asian, 0.1% (29)Pacific Islander, 0.9% (490) fromother races, and 1.1% (623) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 67.9% (36,959) of the population.[7]
The entirety of Community District 7, which includes Bedford Park, Jerome Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge Heights and Norwood, had 148,163 inhabitants as ofNYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 79.4 years.[8]: 2, 20 This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[9]: 53 (PDF p. 84) [10] Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 26% are between the ages of 0 and 17, 31% between 25 and 44, and 23% between 45 and 64. The proportions of college-aged and elderly residents were lower, at 11% and 9% respectively.[8]: 2
As of 2017, the medianhousehold income in Community District 7 was $35,355.[11] In 2018, an estimated 26% of Bedford Park and Norwood residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in seven residents (14%) 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 61% in Bedford Park and Norwood, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Bedford Park and Norwood are considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and notgentrifying.[8]: 7
Bedford Park is home to people of many ethnicities includingKorean,Indians, andBangladeshis.[3] Reflecting a population greatly composed of foreign-born immigrants, there are distinctethnic enclaves in Bedford Park.
Bedford Park's ethnic diversity manifests itself in an assortment of ways besides the formation of enclaves. Among the national symbols one may see strolling the neighborhood include thedouble-headed eagle (theemblem of Albania), the icon ofOur Lady of Guadalupe (sacred to Catholic Mexicans), theshamrock of Ireland, theArabic calligraphy of theshahadah (the Muslim profession of faith), or thecoquí of Puerto Rico. A vast assortment of newspapers are sold in local convenience stores, includingThe Irish Echo, Albanian-languageBota Sot ofKosovo, and the Spanish-language local newspapersEl Diario/La Prensa, andEl Hoy.
Bedford Park is dominated by 5- or 6-story apartment buildings and three-story Victorian houses. The apartments on the Grand Concourse are often taller.Tracey Towers are two 41-story subsidized apartment buildings built close to the Jerome Park Reservoir. Designed by noted architectPaul Rudolph, they were completed in 1972 as a part of New York City'sMitchell Lama housing development initiative. The total land area is a little less than half a square mile.
In the 2016 Presidential election, most precincts in Bedford Park voted for theDemocratic Party candidate,Hillary Clinton, over herRepublican Party opponentDonald Trump.[12]
Bedford Park is inNew York's 13th congressional district. Beforeredistricting in 2012, it used to be in New York's 16th district, which included theWest Bronx andSouth Bronx; after redistricting, it includes parts of the northern Bronx and southernWestchester County.[13] The district is represented byAdriano Espaillat as of 2018[update].[14]
Bedford Park is patrolled by the 52nd Precinct of theNYPD, located at3016 Webster Avenue.[15] The 52nd Precinct ranked 49th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[16] As of 2018[update], with a non-fatal assault rate of 97 per 100,000 people, Bedford Park's rate ofviolent crimes per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 583 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole.[8]: 8
The 52nd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 76.1% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 14 murders, 37 rapes, 410 robberies, 598 felony assaults, 192 burglaries, 666 grand larcenies, and 254 grand larcenies auto in 2022.[17]
Bedford Park contains aNew York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire station, Engine Co. 79/Ladder Co. 37/Battalion 27, at 2928 Briggs Avenue.[18][19]
As of 2018[update],preterm births are less common in Bedford Park and Norwood than in other places citywide, though births to teenage mothers are more common. In Bedford Park and Norwood, there were 85 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 30.3 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[8]: 11 Bedford Park and Norwood has a relatively average population of residents who areuninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 16%, higher than the citywide rate of 12%.[8]: 14
The concentration offine particulate matter, the deadliest type ofair pollutant, in Bedford Park and Norwood is 0.0078 milligrams per cubic metre (7.8×10−9 oz/cu ft), more than the city average.[8]: 9 Twelve percent of Bedford Park and Norwood residents aresmokers, which is lower than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[8]: 13 In Bedford Park and Norwood, 33% of residents areobese, 19% arediabetic, and 35% havehigh blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.[8]: 16 In addition, 25% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[8]: 12
Eighty-four percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 67% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", lower than the city's average of 78%.[8]: 13 For every supermarket in Bedford Park and Norwood, there are 18bodegas.[8]: 10
The nearest hospitals areSt Barnabas Hospital inBelmont,James J. Peters VA Medical Center inKingsbridge Heights,North Central Bronx Hospital andMontefiore Medical Center inNorwood.[20]
Bedford Park is divided into twoZIP Codes. The area west of Grand Concourse is located within 10468, while the area east of Grand Concourse is in 10458.[21] TheUnited States Postal Service operates two post offices near Bedford Park: the Botanical Station at 2963 Webster Avenue[22] and the Van Cott Station at 3102 Decatur Avenue.[23]
Bedford Park and Norwood generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018[update]. While 23% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 32% have less than a high school education and 45% 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.[8]: 6 The percentage of Bedford Park and Norwood students excelling in math rose from 21% in 2000 to 48% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 28% to 33% during the same time period.[24]
Bedford Park and Norwood's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Bedford Park and Norwood, 28% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days perschool year, higher than the citywide average of 20%.[9]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [8]: 6 Additionally, 70% of high school students in Bedford Park and Norwood graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.[8]: 6
In the 1930s, unclaimed land near the Jerome Park Reservoir offered opportunities forNew Deal-related construction to alleviateunemployment from theGreat Depression. Therefore, Bedford Park is home to a group of schools and a college located along the Jerome Park Reservoir, known as "Educational Mile". There are three high schools there (Walton,DeWitt Clinton, andBronx Science), along with two elementary schools andLehman College, formerly the Bronx Campus ofHunter College. After the end ofWorld War II, in 1946 Hunter College's Bronx Campus served briefly as host of theUnited Nations. Currently, two of the nine specialized high schools in New York City are in the Bedford Park area, which includesBronx High School of Science and theHigh School of American Studies at Lehman College. There was also a small private high school, Bedford Park Academy (founded in 1932, sold to Grace Lutheran Church in 1981), and a private Lutheran elementary school, Grace Lutheran School, which closed in 2006.[25][26]
The Convent of Mount St. Ursula is located on Bedford Park Boulevard and Bainbridge Avenue.[27] It was established by a group of Roman Catholic nuns from theUrsuline order in 1892. TheAcademy of Mount St. Ursula High School, an all-girls prep-school, is located there today; the order is also associated with theSt Philip Neri Elementary School. It recently celebrated its 150th anniversary with the class of 2005. The academy is now the oldest, all female Catholic school in New York state.
One of the most notable places in the neighborhood isLehman College, which was originallyHunter College's uptown campus.[28] TheWorks Progress Administration built the original four buildings of the campus in grey stone in theCollegiate Gothic style, with finials, turrets, and other decorative features. Additional buildings, including the Lehman Library and Center for the Performing Arts, were added in the style ofmodern architecture. The newest building, the APEX, has facilities for athletics and dance. The scenic campus, which spans intoKingsbridge, has been used as a shooting location for episodes of the television seriesLaw & Order and its spin-offs.
TheNew York Public Library (NYPL) operates the Mosholu branch at 285 East 205th Street, next to Whalen Park. The branch opened in 1955 and contains two floors: a ground floor and a basement. The library hosts several programs, such as ESL for Non-English Speaking Adults and kids programs. The library contains a well stocked children area and brightly lit adult reading area.[29]
Among Bedford Park's oldest buildings are its churches and other religious institutions. The oldest church in the area, Bedford Park Congregational Church at the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 201st Street, dates to 1882. ItsAmerican Queen Anne-style design hints at Bedford Park's origin as a small rural community. It was designated a City Landmark in 2000. (New York City Landmarks Commission 2005)
On the Grand Concourse lies the Roman CatholicChurch of St. Philip Neri (Bronx, New York). The church was dedicated to the Italian saint due to its origin as a church for immigrant Italian laborers, who also worked on the construction of theJerome Park Reservoir. The cornerstone of the church (dated 1899) was in fact quarried from what became Jerome Park Reservoir, and brought there by a horse-drawn carriage. (Greene 2002) When built and for many years thereafter, this parish served an Italian and Irish congregation. On June 13, 1997, the church suffered a massive fire, and was given major renovation into the mid-2000s.
The followingNew York City Subway stations serve Bedford Park:[30]
TheMetro-North Railroad'sHarlem Line also serves Bedford Park via theBotanical Garden station.
The most notable roads in the area include Jerome Avenue, Grand Concourse, Bedford Park Boulevard, Sedgwick Avenue, and Mosholu Parkway.
Mosholu Parkway is a part limited access, part surface highway that is the main east–west arterial through the neighborhood, and acts as the northern border of Bedford Park. The limited access section ends at an intersection with Gun Hill Road and Goulden Avenue on the border between Bedford Park andVan Cortlandt Park.Other smaller but still noteworthy streets in Bedford Park include Goulden Avenue, which runs north–south along the Jerome Reservoir;Gun Hill Road, a major street that clips the corner of the neighborhood;Webster Avenue, which is just over the border inBronx Park; and 198th Street, which is just across the border inKingsbridge.
The followingMTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Bedford Park:[31]
Bedford Park is also served by the followingBee-Line Bus System routes toWestchester County, New York:[31]
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