Castle Hill, Bronx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Castle Hill is a working class residential neighbourhood geographically located in the south central area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The neighbourhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Westchester-Waterbury Avenues to the north, the Hutchinson River to the east, the East River to the south, and White Plains Road to the west. The Bruckner Expressway bisects the neighbourhood along the centre. Castle Hill Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Castle Hill. The local subway is the 6 line; operating along Westchester Avenue. Zip codes include 10462, 10472, and 10473. The area is patrolled by the 43rd Precinct located at 900 Fteley Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throgs Neck section.
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[edit] Demographics
Castle Hill has a population over 35,000. The neighbourhood has a high concentration of Puerto Ricans and also contains a significant African American population. Over 20% of the population lives below the poverty line. The vast majority of households are renter occupied.[1]
[edit] Land Use and Terrain
Castle Hill is dominated by multi-unit homes of various types. There are also tenements concentrated near the El on Westchester Avenue. The total land area is roughly 2 square miles. The area is low laying and flat. There is a small pocket of industry located along the Hutchinson River and Zerega Avenue. The Zerega Industrial Park.
[edit] Low Income Public Housing Projects
- There is one NYCHA development located in Castle Hill.[2]
- Castle Hill Houses; fourteen buildings, 12 and 20-stories tall.
[edit] History
Castle Hill was once a majority White neighbourhood. However through the 1960s and 1970s decay hit the area and White flight occurred. Much of the neighbourhood was undeveloped and left to rot. Some homes were left abandoned and stripped cars left on curbs and in lots was a common sight. The area around the Castle Hill Houses was especially damaged by the worsening conditions in the projects. By the time the crack epidemic hit the Castle Hill area was known for its vast supply of drugs and violent crime.
Today violent crime and many other social issues associated with poverty are still a problem in the community. There are new efforts being done to fight crime and develop on vacant land. Very recently five new blocks of attached multi-unit homes were constructed across from Castle Hill Park at the southernmost tip of Castle Hill Avenue. These homes mark a new beginning for a community which has dealt with high rates of violent crime and many other social problems for decades. Much still needs to be done but the new residential developments aimed at local families are a step in a positive direction for the community.
[edit] Social problems
Many social problems associated with poverty from crime to drug addiction have plagued the area for some time. Despite crime declines versus their peaks during the crack and heroin epidemics violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the community. [3] Castle Hill has significantly higher drop out rates and incidents of violence in its schools.[4] Students must pass through metal detectors and swipe ID cards to enter the buildings. Reminisce a prison environment which many feel encourages bad behaviour. Other problems in local schools include low test scores and high truancy rates. Drug addiction is also a serious problem in the community. Due to the lucrative drug trade in the area many addicted reside in the community. Peer pressure among children who come from broken homes contributes to the high rate of usage. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother which contributes to the high poverty rate.[5] Many of whom had their children at a very young age and unfortunately could not provide for their children. Many of the families living in Castle Hill have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high.[6] Many if not most males in the community have been arrested at some point in their lives. This has a direct correlation to aggressive policing tactics including "sweeps" due to the area's high crime rate. Castle Hill is home to a significant number of inmates currently held in New York state prison and jail facilities.
[edit] Urban renewal
After a wave of arson ravaged the low income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s, some of the residential structures in Castle Hill were left seriously damaged or destroyed. At the same time much of the undeveloped land in the community was left to rot. Many homes have been rehabilitated also many subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and newly constructed apartment buildings have been or are being built on vacant lots across the neighbourhood.
[edit] Transportation
- Bx4: to Westchester Square or 3rd Av-149th St station (via Westchester Av)
- Bx5: to Pelham Bay Park or Simpson St station (via Story Av)
- Bx22: to Bronx High School of Science (via Castle Hill Av)
- Q44: to Bronx Zoo or Jamaica (via Main St)
- Castle Hill Av station (IRT 6)
[edit] Facts
- There is a dispute regarding which region of the Bronx encompasses Castle Hill. Many include this neighbourhood in the socioeconomic South Bronx, taking Westchester Creek as a traditional boundary. In order to eliminate negative stereotypes, Castle Hill is now included in the "Southeast Bronx" along with Soundview and Harding Park.
- On the southern end of Castle Hill Avenue is Castle Hill Point Park. It features the Castle Hill YMCA.
- The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club (Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse) is located at 1930 Randall Avenue.
[edit] Notable Natives
- Jennifer Lopez (1969-), musician and actress, raised on Blackrock Avenue.
- Remy Ma (1981-), female rapper, was raised in the Castle Hill Houses.
Remy Ma has been a resident of Cliffside Park, New Jersey.[7]
- Kenny Satterfield (1981-), former NBA player with the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Dallas Mavericks.
[edit] References
- ^ Bronx Community District 9
- ^ NYCHA
- ^ 43rd Precinct CompStat Report
- ^ NYC Dropout Rates
- ^ Bronx Census Data Analysis
- ^ NYC Prison Expenditure
- ^ Buckley, Cara. "After Shooting in Manhattan, a Rapper Is Arrested", The New York Times, July 15, 2007. Accessed March 17, 2008. "Ms. Smith, who lives in Cliffside Park, N.J., grew up in the Castle Hill Houses in the Bronx and used to perform as Remy Martin."
 Retail along Castle Hill Avenue. |
 Large tenement buildings. |
 Newer low income apartment building and vacant lot. |
 New attached multi-unit homes, the Castle Hill Houses sit in the background. |
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