East Tremont, Bronx
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East Tremont is a low income residential neighborhood geographically located in the west Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 6. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 183rd Street to the north, Southern Blvd to the east, the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the south, and the Webster Avenue to the west. East Tremont Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through East Tremont. Zip codes include 10457, 10458, and 10460. The area is patrolled by the 48th Precinct located at 450 Cross Bronx Expressway. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.
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[edit] Demographics
East Tremont has a population over 30,000. For decades East Tremont has been one of the poorest communities in America. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (AFDC, Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). East Tremont has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in all of New York City. The vast majority of households are renter occupied.[1]
[edit] Land Use and Terrain
East Tremont is dominated by 5 and 6-story tenement buildings, older multi-unit homes, vacant lots, and newly constructed subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and apartment buildings. Most of the original housing stock was structurally damaged by arson and eventually razed by the city. The total land area is less than one square mile. The terrain is somewhat hilly.
[edit] Low Income Public Housing Projects
- There are two NYCHA developments located in East Tremont.[2]
- Twin Parks East (Site 9); one, 14-story building.
- East 180th Street-Monterey Avenue; one, 10-story building.
[edit] History
This neighborhood was once predominantly Jewish until Robert Moses rammed the Cross Bronx Expressway through the area. Apartments were razed and tens of thousands were forced to re-locate and migrate to other areas within the city. The community was fragmented, and forced most of the community to migrate away from East Tremont.
[edit] Social Problems
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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] East Tremont 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. Reminiscent a prison environment which many feel encourages bad behavior. 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 East Tremont 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. East Tremont 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, most residential structures in East Tremont were left seriously damaged or destroyed. The city began to rehabilitate many formally abandoned tenement style apartment buildings and designate them low income housing beginning in the late 1970s. Also many subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and newly constructed apartment buildings have been or are being built on vacant lots across across the neighborhood.
[edit] Schools
[edit] Public
- PS/MS 3: Raul Julia (East 180th St and LaFontaine Av)
- PS 23: Early Childhood (East 181st St and Washington Av)
- PS 32: Belmont (East 183rd St and Belmont Av)
- PS 44: David Farragut (East 176th St and Prospect Av)
- PS 57: Crescent (East 180th St and Crotona Av)
- PS 58: Tremont Park (East 176th St and Washington Av)
- PS 59: Bathgate (East 182nd St and Bathgate Av)
- PS 92: (East 179th St and Clinton Av)
- PS/MS 211: Bilingual (Fairmount Place and Prospect Av)
- PS 300/MS 129: Twin Parks (East 180th St and Mapes Av)
- MS 118: William J. Niles (East 179th St and Arthur Av)
[edit] Facts
- East Tremont is often considered part of the socioeconomic South Bronx.
- St. Barnabas Hospital forms the border between East Tremont and neighboring Belmont. It is on East 183rd Street and 3rd Avenue.
[edit] References
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