Belmont | |
|---|---|
 Arthur Avenue streetscape | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Coordinates:40°51′18″N73°53′10″W / 40.855°N 73.886°W /40.855; -73.886 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Bronx |
| Community District | The Bronx 6[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.476 sq mi (1.23 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 27,378 |
| • Density | 57,500/sq mi (22,200/km2) |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $26,790 |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Hispanic | 58.2% |
| • Black | 18.5% |
| • White | 19.7% |
| • Asian | 2.3% |
| • Others | 1.4% |
| ZIP Codes | 10457, 10458, 10460 |
| Area code | 718, 347, 929, and917 |
| Website | www |
Belmont is a primarilyresidential neighborhood in theBronx inNew York City. Its boundaries areFordham Road to the north,Bronx Park to the east, East 181st Street to the south, andThird Avenue to the west. These boundaries give the neighborhood a crescent-like shape. The neighborhood is noted for its "close-knit community" and "small-town feel", and as a result of its cultural history and wide array of Italian businesses, is widely known as the "Little Italy of the Bronx".[6]Arthur Avenue, noted for its local restaurants and markets, is its primary thoroughfare.[7]
Belmont is part ofBronx Community Board 6, and its ZIP Codes include 10457, 10458 and 10460.[8] It is patrolled by theNew York City Police Department's 48th Precinct.[9]
In colonial times, the land that became Belmont wasfarmland, much like the rest ofwestern Bronx. It was primarily owned by the Lorillard family, the site of the location of theLorillard Snuff Mill (for which a street was named after their family name). After moving itstobacco operations fromLower Manhattan to the central Bronx in the late 18th century, the family greatly expanded its property in the area, which became known as the Belmont Estate. When the Lorillards moved toNew Jersey in 1870, the city acquired part of their land forBronx Park (including what is now theBronx Zoo andNew York Botanical Garden). Another part was divided into the streets that form Belmont today.[10][11]
In the mid-1880s, a large number ofIrish andGerman immigrants began moving into the neighborhood,[6] and its population became very dense after the construction of theThird Avenue El.
With the construction of theBronx Zoo and theJerome Park Reservoir at the turn of the 20th century, a large wave ofItalian immigrants moved into the area,[12] and Belmont was soon considered the "Little Italy of the Bronx".[13] This "Little Italy" was centered atArthur Avenue and East 187th Street; although its historical and commercial center is Arthur Avenue itself. It stretches across East 187th Street from Arthur Avenue to Prospect Avenue, and is lined with delis, bakeries, cafés, and Italian merchants. The neighborhood continues to hold an annualFerragosto celebration on Arthur Avenue each September.[7]
Like many other New York City neighborhoods, Belmont became disenfranchised starting in the mid-20th century. The city dismantled the Third Ave Elevated in 1973, further accelerating its decline. Housing stock was lost to arson, some of it razed by the city in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Starting in the mid-1990s, the neighborhood has experienced a construction and restoration boom,[2] and has maintained its reputation as a thriving business area due to its abundant shops, restaurants, bakeries, delis and markets.[12] It also retains its reputation as the Bronx's "Little Italy" despite its smaller Italian population (prior to the millennium, over 50% of its residents were Italian or of Italian descent),[12] and it is often cited as New York City's "real Little Italy" compared to theLittle Italy of Manhattan.[14]Albanians andPuerto Ricans have added to the mixture of businesses on Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street, but the Italian presence is felt with a number of long-established Italian-owned small businesses.[13][15]
Belmont's residents are a diverse mix of races, ethnicities, religious affiliations and national origins. Traditionally theItalian heart of the Bronx, it now also has a significant population ofHispanic and Latino Americans,Albanians, long-standing Italians, and more recent Italian immigrants.[16] ManyMexican families have also moved there, and Belmont hosts the annual BronxCinco de Mayo Celebration.[17] As of the 2010 census, Hispanics and Latinos make up the neighborhood's largest ethnic group and form a majority.[18][2]
Like most New York City neighborhoods, the vast majority of households are occupied by renters. Almost half the population lives below the federal poverty line and receives public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families,Supplemental Security Income, andMedicaid). However, there is significant income diversity on a block-by-block basis.[19] Belmont is also home to a large population of students atFordham University who reside in the university's off-campus housing[20] and in private apartment buildings.[19]
Based on data from the2010 United States census, the population of Belmont was 27,378, an increase of 1,411 (5.4%) from the 25,967 counted in2000. Covering an area of 313.34 acres (126.80 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 87.4 inhabitants per acre (55,900/sq mi; 21,600/km2).[3] The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 19.7% (5,381)White, 18.5% (5,059)African American, 0.1% (38)Native American, 2.3% (620)Asian, 0.1% (18)Pacific Islander, 0.3% (84) fromother races, and 0.9% (249) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 58.2% (15,929) of the population.[5]
The entirety of Community District 6, which comprises Belmont and East Tremont, had 87,476 inhabitants as ofNYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 77.7 years.[21]: 2, 20 This is lower than 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: 29% are between the ages of between 0–17, 28% between 25 and 44, and 20% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 14% and 9% respectively.[21]: 2
As of 2017, the medianhousehold income in Community Districts 3 and 6, includingCrotona Park East andMorrisania, was $25,972.[24] In 2018, an estimated 31% of Belmont and East Tremont residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in six residents (16%) 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 60% in Belmont and East Tremont, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Belmont and East Tremont aregentrifying.[21]: 7
Belmont is dominated by 5- and 6-story elevator and walk-up apartment buildings, but its residential streets are lined with a vibrant blend of housing types, including row houses and largerArt Deco and Tudor Style apartment buildings. Most of the neighborhood's architecture dates from before 1939[2] and exhibitspre-war architecture styles. In the last decade, construction of modern 2- and 3-unit row houses and apartments have increased the proportion of owners to renters.
Belmont's land area is roughly 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2). Its terrain is relatively low-lying and flat.[19]
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Among the neighborhood's array of Italian restaurants and markets, there are multiple points of interest.Our Lady of Mount Carmel, aRoman Catholic church on E. 187th Street at the corner of Belmont Avenue, was constructed in 1906.[25] The Arthur Avenue Retail Market, which extends the block between Arthur Avenue and Belmont Avenue, features an array of Italian meats, cheeses, and other goods, as well ascigars, a bar, and a dining area.
Parks in the area include the Ciccarone Playground; and the D'Auria Murphy Triangle located at 183rd Avenue, which features a monument toChristopher Columbus.Theodore Roosevelt High School, a large public school, opened in 1918.
TheBronx Zoo and theNew York Botanical Garden are also at the northeastern edge of Belmont, attracting worldwide visitors.[26] Adjacent to them is the campus ofFordham University, onFordham Road at Belmont's northern boundary. A privateRoman Catholic university originally established asSt. John's College in 1841,[27] it featuresCollegiate Gothic architecture and is frequently listed among America's most scenic campuses.[28] It has been used as a filming location for many movies, includingA Beautiful Mind,Center Stage andThe Exorcist.
Belmont and East Tremont are patrolled by the 48th Precinct of theNYPD, located at 450 Cross Bronx Expressway.[9] The 48th Precinct ranked 56th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[29] As of 2018[update], with a non-fatal assault rate of 152 per 100,000 people, Belmont and East Tremont's rate ofviolent crimes per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 1,015 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole.[21]: 8
The 48th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 60.9% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 14 murders, 26 rapes, 447 robberies, 646 felony assaults, 252 burglaries, 467 grand larcenies, and 304 grand larcenies auto in 2022.[30]
Belmont contains twoNew York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations.[31] Engine Co. 48/Ladder Co. 56/Division 7 is located at 2417 Webster Avenue,[32] while Engine Co. 88/Ladder Co. 38 is located at 2223 Belmont Avenue.[33]
As of 2018[update],preterm births and births to teenage mothers are more common in Belmont and East Tremont than in other places citywide. In Belmont and East Tremont, there were 113 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 30.4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[21]: 11 Belmont and East Tremont has a relatively average population of residents who areuninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 12%, equal to the citywide rate of 12%.[21]: 14
The concentration offine particulate matter, the deadliest type ofair pollutant, in Belmont and East Tremont is 0.008 milligrams per cubic metre (8.0×10−9 oz/cu ft), more than the city average.[21]: 9 Sixteen percent of Belmont and East Tremont residents aresmokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[21]: 13 In Belmont and East Tremont, 36% of residents areobese, 22% arediabetic, and 32% havehigh blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.[21]: 16 In addition, 20% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[21]: 12
Eighty-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 69% 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 Belmont and East Tremont, there are 37bodegas.[21]: 10
The nearest hospitals areSt Barnabas Hospital in Belmont andBronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Claremont.[34]
Belmont is covered by theZIP Code 10458.[35] TheUnited States Postal Service operates two offices nearby: the Fordham Station at 465 East 188th Street,[36] and the Mount Carmel Station at 652 East 187th Street.[37]
Belmont and East Tremont generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018[update]. While 19% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 36% 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.[21]: 6 The percentage of Belmont and East Tremont students excelling in math rose from 19% in 2000 to 44% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 25% to 30% during the same time period.[38]
Belmont and East Tremont's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Belmont and East Tremont, 35% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days perschool year, higher than the citywide average of 20%.[22]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [21]: 6 Additionally, 61% of high school students in Belmont and East Tremont graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.[21]: 6
TheNew York Public Library operates the Belmont Library and Enrico Fermi Cultural Center, located at 610 East 186th Street. The branch opened in 1981 and contains an extensive collection of Italian-language materials, as well as work by Italians and Italian-Americans.[39]
The followingMTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Belmont:[40]
Belmont is also served by the followingBee-Line Bus System routes toWestchester County, New York:[40]
Railroad service is provided byMetro-North'sHarlem Line andNew Haven Line atFordham station. The closestNew York City Subway station is about a mile west of Belmont, atFordham Road, which is served by theB and D trains.
The filmA Bronx Tale (1993) starringRobert De Niro was set in the neighborhood and the main character Sonny tells Calogero that he was attending the University of Belmont Avenue.[6] The opening scene of 1955'sMarty was shot on Arthur Avenue. Other films with scenes shot on location in Belmont includeThe Seven-Ups andThe Incident. The character of Leonard inJames Frey's novelA Million Little Pieces grew up in the neighborhood. The 2019 movieBottom of the 9th, which starsJoe Manganiello andSofia Vergara, was filmed throughout the neighborhood, specifically featuring Arthur Avenue. The screenplay for the film was written by Robert Bruzio, who grew up on Arthur Avenue.[49]
I would take the D train to Coney Island, take the D train back to the Bronx where I lived on Hughes Avenue.
| South Bronx |  | |
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| West Bronx | ||
| East Bronx | ||
| Related areas | ||