Soundview, Bronx

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Soundview

Soundview is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Located in the south-central Bronx, it is bounded by the Cross Bronx Expressway to the north, White Plains Road to the east, the East River to the south, and the Bronx River to the west. Bronx River, Bruckner, and Clasons Point are all sub-neighborhoods of Soundview. The neighborhood is within Bronx Community Board 9.

Soundview is often perceived as a dangerous and high-crime neighborhood. This perception is perhaps fueled by high-profile incidents of violence associated with Soundview, including the murder of unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo by four NYPD officers in 1999, at 1157 Wheeler Avenue. It was also the childhood home of convicted serial killer David Berkowitz. In 2004, Soundview was named the car theft capital of New York City^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Clasons Point - A Historical Perspective

Clasons Point of the Soundview region is bordered by the East River, the Bronx River, and Pugsley's Creek. This area is part of the Southernmost Bronx.

In ancient times, the Bronx River area to the West was known to Native Americans as "Aquahung". The site of a large Native American settlement, comprising more than seventy dwellings, Clasons Point was then known to natives as "Snakapins", or "Land By The Two Waters". There was a local and plentiful food source of oak acorn nuts for grinding purposes here.

In more modern times, an early English settler, Thomas Cornell, began farming here in the mid-17th century. Clasons Point was named after Isaak Clason, a Scottish merchant and a major land owner. Development in the 19th century soon attracted resort seekers and the area became known for its amusements and entertainment.

Clasons Point in the early-20th century was an era of trolley cars on the main thoroughfare, Soundview Avenue or, as it was were, Clasons Point Avenue. Clasons Point was a mixture of mansions, farmland and plenty of undeveloped fields and swampland. There were ferryboat and steamer excursions from "The Point" to downtown (Manhattan) as well as local service across the East River to College Point, Queens.

The area was then known for dance halls, roller coasters, picnic groves and baseball games, as well as the worlds largest saltwater outdoor swimming pool known as "The Inkwell". There was a volunteer fire department, even a small airport and docks for sailboats and motorboats.

Clasons Point was an area for family outings, children’s parades and, in contrast to the heavily built metropolis of today, open fields consisting of wild rabbit and pheasant.

There were also many shoreline fishing spots where fish such as porgie, flounder, striped bass and bluefish could be caught. Alternatively, there were also plenty of saloons and novelty shops.

Kanes' was a major saloon in the Soundview/Clasons Point area in the 1920's which featured Helen Kane, a singer who coined the phrase "Boop-oop-a-doop". Cartoon flapper Betty Boop was modeled after her. With all the amusement park rides and novelties in 'Clasons Point Park' the Clasons Point area of Soundview was then known as "The Coney Island of the Bronx".

Today the southern tip of Clasons Point (Harding Park) is known as "Little Puerto Rico" with narrow streets and bungalow type homes along the waterfront.

[edit] Parts of Soundview

The Soundview section of the Bronx extends from Lacombe Avenue (Soundview Projects) north to the Cross Bronx Expressway (Bronx River Projects). From the Bronx River east to White Plains Road. The Bruckner Expressway bisects the neighborhood along the center and the Bronx River Parkway runs north to south.

In the 50's and 60's along with the expressways, massive amounts of public housing were constructed. Clasons Point Projects were formerly military barracks converted into low income housing. This development is made up of over 40 two-story buildings. The Bronxdale Projects were built just north of the Bruckner Expressway along Watson, Rosedale and Soundview Avenues. This development takes up three blocks, over 20 buildings. Monroe Projects was built just south of the Bruckner Expressway along Rosedale and Story Avenues. This is a high rise development built in the early 60's. Bronx River Projects were built just south of the Cross Bronx Expressway on 174th Street and Morrison Avenue. This development is a single super block of high rise public housing towers. The infamous Soundview Houses are located at the bottom of a non stop row of housing projects on Randall and Rosedale Avenues. These are some of the most violent developments in the nation and have been that way since they were first opened. This development suffered the worst through the crack epidemic where there were no less then 20 homicides a year in the area immediately surrounding the complex. In the 70's the city built the Sack Wern Projects on vacant lots on the neighborhood. These projects are located on both Taylor/Lafayette Avenues and Lafayette/Croes Avenues. The city also rehabbed a number of vacant buildings in the area during the 80's. The Boynton Avenue Rehabs on Boynton and Watson Avenue were once vacant tenements renovated into housing projects. 1471 Watson Avenue was built in 1970 on a vacant lot to provide low income housing to the neighborhood.

Much of Soundview's population resides in housing projects. Many others live in the many Mitchell-Lama complexes (State public housing) such as Leland Houses, Lafayette-Morrison, Lafayette-Boynton, Evergreen Gardens, Carroll Gardens, Stevenson Commons, and many others. Some like infamous Stevenson Commons became just as bad as New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing projects.

Because of all the low income housing poverty is a problem in the Soundview community. Through much of the early 90's/late 80's, the Soundview section had one of the top 10 total homicides citywide. The Weed and Seed program was put into place by the federal government in the 90's to improve the situation in the neighborhood. In 1999, the unarmed Amadou Diallo was shot and killed by 4 officers on Wheeler Avenue. These officers were pursuing the worst serial rapist in NYC history who lived in the neighborhood. Also in 1999-2000 the NYPD along with the federal government was able to make mass arrest in the Soundview Projects to take back the projects from one of the cities most infamous drug gangs: Sex, Money, Murder. In 2002 the Soundview community (43rd Precinct) was the murder capital of NYC. Soundview is also one of the NYPD's targeted "Operation Impact" neighborhoods. These are areas where crime is a serious problem in the community and extra police are brought into the area. Recently Soundview was named the car theft capital of NYC. The reason for this is the multiple expressways make an easy get away for a thief in a hurry. The neighborhood also has problems with the Bloods and Crips which populate the neighborhood in ever increasing numbers.

[edit] Music and Soundview

The Jazzy Five MC's are the first rappers from the Soundview Houses.
Rapper Lord Tariq from the rap duo Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz hails from the Soundview Houses.
Former Def Jam recording artists The Cru are from the Lafayette Island Houses.
Treston Irby from R&B quintet Hi-Five is from Stevenson Commons.
Ruff Ryders recording artist Drag-On and legendary hip hop DJ Disco King Mario are from the Bronxdale Houses.
It is rumoured that rapper Cuban Link resides in Clasons Point section of Soundview.
Afrika Bambaataa is from Bronx River Houses, which is considered the foundation of hip hop's legendary Zulu Nation. He was also a founding member of the Black Spades, which began in the Bronxdale Houses.
Terror Squad members Tony Sunshine and the late Big Pun are also from Soundview.
Watson-Gleason Playground (Rosedale and Watson Avenues) was also home to some of the first breakdancing and DJing competitions.