University Heights | |
|---|---|
 Looking east on 183rd Street fromCroton Aqueduct | |
 Location in New York City | |
| Coordinates:40°51′36″N73°54′32″W / 40.86°N 73.909°W /40.86; -73.909 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | The Bronx |
| Community District | Bronx 5 andBronx 7[1][2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.397 sq mi (1.03 km2) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
• Total | 25,702 |
| • Density | 64,700/sq mi (25,000/km2) |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $29,651 |
| ZIP Codes | 10453, 10468 |
| Area code | 718, 347, 929, and917 |
| Website | www |
University Heights is a neighborhood of theWest Bronx inNew York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are: WestFordham Road to the north,Jerome Avenue to the east, West Burnside Avenue to the south and theHarlem River to the west. University Avenue is the primary thoroughfare in University Heights.
The neighborhood is mostly part ofBronx Community Board 5, with a small portion inCommunity Board 7. Its ZIP Codes include 10453 and 10468. The nearest subway is theIRT Jerome Avenue Line (4 train), operating alongJerome Avenue. The area is patrolled by theNew York City Police Department's 46th Precinct.New York City Housing Authority property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue in theMelrose section of the Bronx.
The neighborhood takes its name from the hill on whichNew York University's Bronx campus was built in 1894. The campus includes theHall of Fame for Great Americans. Although NYU sold the campus to theCity University of New York to houseBronx Community College in 1973, the neighborhood name has endured.[4][5]The New York Times quoted theEncyclopedia of New York City as saying that NYU "dominated the neighborhood", since much of University Heights was filled with dormitories and other residential buildings for NYU.[5]
With the opening of theNew York City Subway'sIRT Jerome Avenue Line in 1917, the neighborhood began a rapid transition from a one-time farm community that had become a place where wealthy people had their mansions and suburban villas, to an urban neighborhood built almost entirely of low-rise apartment buildings housing the prosperous middle classes.[6][7]
University Heights has a population of around 25,702.[3] There is a mix of renter-occupied as well as owner-occupied households.[8] The demographics are 23.0% African American, 2.0%White, 3.4% Asian orPacific Islander and 72.6%Hispanic or Latino, the majority of which are ofDominican andPuerto Rican descent.
Based on data from the2010 United States census, the population of University Heights and Morris Heights was 54,188, a change of −147 (−0.3%) from the 54,335 counted in2000. Covering an area of 484.32 acres (196.00 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 111.9 inhabitants per acre (71,600/sq mi; 27,700/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 1.4% (760)White, 31.8% (17,219)African American, 0.2% (106)Native American, 1.3% (688)Asian, 0% (11)Pacific Islander, 0.3% (158) fromother races, and 0.8% (424) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 64.3% (34,822) of the population.[10]
The entirety of Community District 5, which comprises University Heights and Fordham, had 136,151 inhabitants as ofNYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 79.9 years.[11]: 2, 20 This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[12]: 53 (PDF p. 84) [13] Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 28% are between the ages of between 0–17, 29% between 25 and 44, and 23% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 12% and 8% respectively.[11]: 2
As of 2017, the medianhousehold income in Community District 5 was $30,166.[14] In 2018, an estimated 34% of University Heights and Fordham 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 65% in University Heights and Fordham, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], University Heights and Fordham are considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and notgentrifying.[11]: 7
University Heights consists of 5- and 6-story buildings, older multi-unit homes, newly constructed multi-unit townhouses and apartment buildings, and co-ops. The total land area is roughly one square mile. The terrain is elevated and hilly. There are many shops alongFordham Road.
University Heights and Fordham are patrolled by the 46th Precinct of theNYPD, located at 2120 Ryer Avenue.[16] The 46th Precinct ranked 27th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[17] As of 2018[update], with a non-fatal assault rate of 126 per 100,000 people, University Heights and Fordham's rate ofviolent crimes per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 1,033 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole.[11]: 8
The 46th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 74.6% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 17 murders, 34 rapes, 384 robberies, 729 felony assaults, 218 burglaries, 611 grand larcenies, and 219 grand larcenies auto in 2022.[18]
University Heights is located near twoNew York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations.[19] Engine Co. 43/Ladder Co. 59 is located at 1901 Sedgwick Avenue,[20] while Engine Co. 75/Ladder Co. 33/Battalion 19 is located at 2175 Walton Avenue.[21]
As of 2018[update],preterm births and births to teenage mothers are more common in University Heights and Fordham than in other places citywide. In University Heights and Fordham, there were 93 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 35.3 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).[11]: 11 University Heights and Fordham has a relatively average population of residents who areuninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 14%, higher than the citywide rate of 12%.[11]: 14
The concentration offine particulate matter, the deadliest type ofair pollutant, in University Heights and Fordham is 0.0083 milligrams per cubic metre (8.3×10−9 oz/ft3), more than the city average.[11]: 9 Sixteen percent of University Heights and Fordham residents aresmokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.[11]: 13 In University Heights and Fordham, 34% of residents areobese, 16% arediabetic, and 27% havehigh blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.[11]: 16 In addition, 24% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.[11]: 12
Seventy-eight 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%.[11]: 13 For every supermarket in University Heights and Fordham, there are 20bodegas.[11]: 10
The nearest hospitals areBronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Claremont,James J. Peters VA Medical Center inKingsbridge Heights, andSt Barnabas Hospital inBelmont.[22]
University Heights is covered byZIP Codes 10453 south of Hall of Fame Terrace and 10468 north of Hall of Fame Terrace.[23] TheUnited States Postal Service operates the Morris Heights Station post office at 2024 Jerome Avenue.[24]
University Heights and Fordham generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018[update]. While 10% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 34% have less than a high school education and 46% 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.[11]: 6 The percentage of University Heights and Fordham students excelling in math rose from 19% in 2000 to 43% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 24% to 28% during the same time period.[25]
University Heights and Fordham's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In University Heights and Fordham, 30% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days perschool year, higher than the citywide average of 20%.[12]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [11]: 6 Additionally, 66% of high school students in University Heights and Fordham graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.[11]: 6
Public schools include:
In the past, the neighborhood had two parochial schools, operated by theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. They have both closed, leaving no local parochial schools.
In the early- to mid-20th century, University Heights had a significant Jewish population, with a number of large synagogues. The Akiba Academy functioned from 1947 to 1970 out of the Hebrew Institute of University Heights building at 1835 University Avebue, now the Kips BayBoys and Girls Club building. In 1968, it merged with two other Jewish day schools to formSalanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, and moved to a new Riverdale campus in 1970.[28][29]
TheNew York Public Library (NYPL) operates two branches near University Heights. The Francis Martin branch is located at 2150 University Avenue. Named after Bronx's first district attorneyFrancis W. Martin, the branch opened in 1957 and was renovated in 2008.[30] The Jerome Park branch is located at 118 Eames Place. The branch first opened in 1957, but moved to its current one-story structure in 1969 and was renovated in 2007.[31]
The followingMTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve University Heights:[32]
The followingNew York City Subway stations serve University Heights:[33]
TheMetro-North Railroad'sHudson Line also serves University Heights via theUniversity Heights station.
University Heights Bridge connects the neighborhood toInwood, Manhattan over theHarlem River to the west.
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| East Bronx | ||
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