Concourse is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

which includes the

Bronx County Courthouse The Bronx County Courthouse, also known as the Mario Merola Building, is an historic courthouse building located in the Concourse and Melrose neighborhoods of the Bronx in New York City. It was designed in 1931 and built between 1931 and 1934. ...

, the

Bronx Museum of the Arts The Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), also called the Bronx Museum of Art or simply the Bronx Museum, is an American cultural institution located in Concourse, Bronx, New York. The museum focuses on contemporary and 20th-century works created by ...

, and

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are East 169th Street to the north,

Webster Avenue Webster Avenue is a major north–south thoroughfare in the Bronx, New York City, United States. It stretches for from Melrose to Woodlawn (on the Bronx- Westchester borderline). The road starts at the intersection of Melrose Avenue, East 165t ...

to the east, the

Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connectic ...

's Hudson Line to the south, and

Jerome Avenue Jerome Avenue is one of the longest thoroughfares in the New York City borough of the Bronx, New York, United States. The road is long and stretches from Concourse to Woodlawn. Both of these termini are with the Major Deegan Expressway which r ...

to the west. The neighborhood is divided into three subsections: West Concourse, East Concourse, and Concourse Village with the Grand Concourse being its main thoroughfare. The neighborhood is part of

Bronx Community Board 4 Bronx Community Board 4 is a local government unit of the City of New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Mount Eden, Highbridge and Concourse. It is delimited by Webster Avenue and Park Avenue to the east, Washington Bridge and the Cross ...

, and its ZIP Codes are 10451 and 10452. The local subway lines are the

IND Concourse Line The Concourse Line is an IND rapid transit line of the New York City Subway system. It runs from 205th Street in Norwood, Bronx, primarily under the Grand Concourse, to 145th Street in Harlem, Manhattan. It is the only B Division line, and a ...

(), operating along the Grand Concourse, and the

IRT Jerome Avenue Line The IRT Jerome Avenue Line, also unofficially known as IRT Woodlawn Line and IRT Burnside Avenue Line is an A Division New York City Subway line mostly along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. Originally an Interborough Rapid Transit Company-operated r ...

(), operating along River Avenue. The area is patrolled by the NYPD's 44th Precinct.

Location

The neighborhood is in the

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose, and Port Morris. In the early 1900s, the South Bronx was orig ...

in the southwestern part of the borough, centered on the intersection of Grand Concourse and 161st Street. It is bordered to the west by Highbridge and the

Harlem River The Harlem River is an tidal strait in New York, United States, flowing between the Hudson River and the East River and separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx on the New York mainland. The northern stretch, also called the Spuyt ...

; to the north by Mount Eden; to the east by Claremont Village,

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...

, and

Morrisania Morrisania ( ) is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern Bronx, New York City, New York. Its boundaries are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 161st Street to the south, and Webster Avenue ...

; and to the south by

Mott Haven Mott Haven is an American primarily residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are East 149th Street to the north, the Bruckner ...

. The neighborhoods follows a street grid with avenues crossing east–west streets. Retail is located on streets, and with the exception of Morris Avenue, the avenues are largely residential above 153rd Street. The neighborhood character is more industrialized along the river with the exception of park space and the Bronx Terminal Market. Other large retail nodes are located on 161st Street and adjacent blocks, at Concourse Plaza. Smaller retail nodes are located on 165th Street and on 167th Street. The elevation varies from sea level at the Harlem River short to its highest point of elevation of in Franz Sigel Park. In fact,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

and his troops utilized some of these elevations during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

as vantage points to monitor activity along the

. Elevation can vary greatly, with the Grand Concourse 20 feet higher than adjacent avenues in some instances.

History

Early history

From European settlement through the late 1800s, the Concourse area occupied wooded lands and rocky formations within and on the periphery of the estate of the prominent Morris family who farmed in what is now Southwest Bronx. Until 1845, the area was part of the Town of Westchester within Westchester County. After the subdivision of the Town of Westchester in 1845, the Concourse area became part of the Town of West Farms. In 1855, West Farms was further subdivided and the Town of Morrisania was created. With the promise of city services, the Morrisania along with the Towns of West Farms and Kingsbridge seceded from

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

to join

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

as part of

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. The three towns were referred to as the "Annexed District". In 1896, the vast majority of what is now the Bronx joined New York County. In 1898 the

City of Greater New York The City of Greater New York was the term used by many politicians and scholars for the expanded City of New York created on January 1, 1898, by consolidating the existing City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Is ...

and Borough of the Bronx were formed, and all former

annexations within

were reconstituted into the independent County of the Bronx in 1914.

20th century

Expansion of the subway system enabled rapid development of the Concourse. The first subway crossed under 149th Street into the area in 1906 and is now the

IRT White Plains Road Line The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the A Division of the New York City Subway serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952. The original part of the line, the part op ...

(). The

opened a decade later in 1917 and spurred enormous development in the area. Concurrent with subway development and inspired by the

City Beautiful The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of introducing beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. It was a part of the ...

movement, the New York City built the

Grand Boulevard and Concourse The Grand Concourse (also known as the Grand Boulevard and Concourse) is a thoroughfare in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Grand Concourse runs through several neighborhoods, including Bedford Park, Concourse, Highbridge, Fordh ...

(shortened to the Grand Concourse). Modeled after Paris’

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is l ...

, the original boulevard stretched from the Bronx Courthouse to near

Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. The park, the city's third-lar ...

, but was later extended south to 138th Street by supplanting the existing Mott Avenue. The Grand Concourse was further improved by the extension of the

() under most of its length in 1933.

was built 1923 when Jacob Ruppert moved the team from the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

in Manhattan, where the

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

shared space with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

, to the Bronx. With the exception of a brief period in the 1970s, the Yankees have been in Concourse for almost 100 years. Infrastructure and services brought residents. Some of the 500,000 people who moved to the borough in the 1920s lived in the Concourse. The new construction to accommodate those residents was inspired by the City Beautiful movement and the 1901 Tenement House Act, which mandated light, air, and fire protection. This yielded 5- and 6- story multifamily residential buildings throughout the neighborhood built in a variety of styles from Tudor,

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

, and

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

Revival to

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

and

Art Moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...

. In the late 1930s the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

dubbed the area “the Park Avenue for the Middle Class”, and the area maintained that reputation through the 1950s. The Concourse inspired visits by presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and John F. Kennedy. However, after 1960, the area began to decline quickly due to

white flight White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...

, incentives to move to the suburbs,

redlining In the United States, redlining is a discriminatory practice in which services ( financial and otherwise) are withheld from potential customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as "hazardous" to investment; these neighborhoods have sign ...

, the development of Co-Op City, disinvestment by New York City, and arson. While no buildings burned down in the Concourse during the period, the population of the area declined until the 1990s when the population started to rebound.

21st century

USDA Old Yankee almost gone New Yankee built

Recent developments in the Concourse include construction and neighborhood improvements, and the neighborhood is gentrifying . The Yankees built a new stadium in 2009. The former stadium was demolished; a large public park—Heritage Field—was established in its place. The

undertook a major expansion in 2006, and is currently exploring another addition. The Bronx Hall of Justice opened in 2007. The Bronx Terminal Market opened in 2009 as did the adjacent

Mill Pond Park Mill Pond Park is a public park in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It was built to compensate for the loss of parkland resulting from the construction of new Yankee Stadium between 2006 and 2009. The park's name was inspired by a dam nea ...

, which includes a Stadium Tennis Center. In the 2000s, the

New York City Department of Transportation The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is the agency of the government of New York City responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure. Ydanis Rodriguez is the Commissioner of the Depart ...

started making capital, aesthetic, and safety improvements to the Grand Concourse with much of the work completed within the Concourse neighborhood. A redesign of 161st Street during the 2000 reconstruction of the Grand Concourse brought additional pedestrian space to the neighborhood. In 2011, the

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

designated a large portion of the neighborhood as the Grand Concourse Historic District. In 2016, the

New York City Economic Development Corporation New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is a nonprofit corporation whose stated mission is to "leverage the city’s assets to create beneficial jobs that drive growth. This ensures equitable and sustainable development across al ...

issued requests for proposals for a new redevelopment project in the Concourse, along the Harlem River shore. A $300 million proposal, announced in September 2017, includes 1,045 affordable housing units as well as a new Universal Hip Hop Museum that is to open in 2020. The first of two phases will have 600 affordable unites, a waterfront promenade, a public plaza, a performance space, a movie theater, and the hip hop museum.

Demographics

Concourse is divided into two neighborhood tabulation areas, East Concourse/Concourse Village and West Concourse, which collectively comprise the population of Concourse. Based on data from the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, the combined population of Concourse was 101,566, a change of 3,048 (3%) from the 98,518 counted in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. Covering an area of , the neighborhood had a population density of .Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
Population Division -

Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 1.6% (1,635)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 32.7% (33,176)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% (219) Native American, 1.8% (1,836) Asian, 0% (24)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.4% (447) from other races, and 1% (1,064) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 62.2% (63,165) of the population.Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
Population Division -

Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016. The area has become more middle class starting in the 2000s. In the 2010 census, there were 3,055 non-Hispanic White residents in the area around Concourse, having increased from 2,600 in the 2000 census. The 2010 census also marked the first time in 40 years where the Concourse neighborhood had seen a net increase in population. The entirety of Community District 4, which comprises Concourse and Highbridge, had 155,835 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 78.6 years. This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 27% 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 11% and 10% respectively. As of 2017, the median

household income Household income is a measure of the combined incomes of all people sharing a particular household or place of residence. It includes every form of income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, near cash government transfers like food stamp ...

in Community District 4 was $30,900. In 2018, an estimated 32% of Concourse and Highbridge 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 61% in Concourse and Highbridge, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Concourse and Highbridge are considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

Police and crime

Concourse and Highbridge are patrolled by the 44th Precinct of the

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

, located at 2 East 169th Street. The 44th Precinct ranked 39th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. , with a non-fatal assault rate of 123 per 100,000 people, Concourse and Highbridge's rate of

violent crime A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objecti ...

s per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 813 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole. The 44th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 73.7% between 1990 and 2020. The precinct reported 14 murders, 35 rapes, 414 robberies, 749 felony assaults, 253 burglaries, 671 grand larcenies, and 182 grand larcenies auto in 2020.

Fire safety

Concourse is located near three

New York City Fire Department The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), is an American department of the government of New York City that provides fire protection services, technical rescue/special operations services, ...

(FDNY) fire stations. Engine Co. 71/Ladder Co. 55/Division 6 is located at 720 Melrose Avenue, Engine Co. 92/Ladder Co. 44/Battalion 17 is located at 1259 Morris Avenue, and Engine Co. 68/Ladder Co. 49 is located at 1160 Ogden Avenue. In addition, FDNY EMS Station 17 is located at 1080 Ogden Avenue.

Health

preterm birth Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is betwee ...

s and births to teenage mothers are more common in Concourse and Highbridge than in other places citywide. In Concourse and Highbridge, there were 93 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 34 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Concourse and Highbridge has a relatively average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 13%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of

fine particulate matter Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter (PM) or suspended particulate matter (SPM) – are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The ter ...

, the deadliest type of

air pollutant Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...

, in Concourse and Highbridge is , more than the city average. Fifteen percent of Concourse and Highbridge residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Concourse and Highbridge, 34% of residents are

obese Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

, 17% are

diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

, and 42% have

high blood pressure Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 23% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Eighty-three percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 72% of residents described their health as "good," "very good," or "excellent," lower than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Concourse and Highbridge, there are 18 bodegas. The nearest hospitals are NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in Melrose and Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Claremont.

Incidents

In 2017, several residents were sickened or killed due to a rare outbreak of

leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacteria '' Leptospira''. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, muscle pains, and fevers) to severe ( bleeding in the lungs or meningitis). Weil's disease, the acute, sever ...

. The cases were reported at 750 Grand Concourse, a building that had reported hundreds of health violations. In March 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, a doorman at nearby 860 Grand Concourse was among the first people in New York City to die of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

Post offices and ZIP Codes

Concourse is covered by multiple ZIP Codes. While the area south of 161st Street is covered by 10451, the area to the north falls within 10452 (west of the Grand Concourse) and 10456 (east of the Grand Concourse). The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

operates two post offices near Concourse: the Stadium Station at 901 Gerard Avenue, and the Highbridge Station at 1315 Inwood Avenue.

Parks

Concourse contains five separate parks and a plaza. At the center of the neighborhood and to the north of Bronx Courthouse, Joyce Kilmer Park and Lou Gehrig Plaza border the intersection of the Grand Concourse and 161st Street. Originally called Concourse Plaza, Joyce Kilmer Park was named for the author of the poem "Tree" in 1926. Joyce Kilmer Park contains the

Lorelei Fountain The Lorelei Fountain, also known as the Heinrich Heine Memorial, is a monument located on East 161st Street in the Concourse section of the Bronx, New York City, near the Bronx County Courthouse. It was designed by German sculptor Ernst Herte ...

which celebrates the German poet

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

. The park is flat with many walking paths. To the south is Lou Gehrig Plaza, which bridges 161st Street between the Bronx Courthouse and Joyce Kilmer Park. To the south of Bronx Courthouse, Franz Sigel Park offers a more rustic park space. Named for Franz Sigel, a patriot and educator in his native Germany and the United States who lived in the area until his death in 1902, the park is characterized by variations in elevation and bedrock. Formerly part of a Native American trail, a visitor can view Manhattan and surrounding rooftops from the terrace within the park. The park was extended in the 1960s to include a ball fields on the south side. A comfort area was added in 1993. Mullaly Park, named for reporter and park advocate

John Mullaly John Mullaly (1835–1915), known as father of the Bronx's park system, was a newspaper reporter and editor who was instrumental in forming the New York Park Association. He was born in Belfast, Ireland. After coming to the United States, he wo ...

, is an active-use recreational space with a pool and a skate park. Yankee Stadium and Heritage Field, September 2012

Expanded in 2009,

Macombs Dam Park Macombs Dam Park ( ) is a park in the Concourse section of the Bronx, New York City. The park lay in the shadow of the old Yankee Stadium when it stood, between Jerome Avenue and the Major Deegan Expressway, near the Harlem River and the Macom ...

includes the 400-meter Joseph Yancy Track and Field, all weather turf, a soccer field, a baseball field, and grandstand seating for 600 people. The park, on the site of the original Yankee Stadium south of 161st Street and west of River Avenue, connects to the

Yankees–East 153rd Street station Yankees–East 153rd Street station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line, serving Yankee Stadium and the Highbridge neighborhood in the Bronx, New York City. It opened on May 23, 2009, and provides daily local ser ...

on the

's Hudson Line. Construction started on

in 2006 and ended in 2009. Located between the Harlem River and River Avenue adjacent to Bronx Terminal Market, the Park features Stadium Tennis Center, walking paths, picnic areas, and views of the waterfront. The second floor of the Power house in Mill Pond Park is the future home of the

Bronx Children's Museum The Bronx Children's Museum is a children's museum founded in 2005. Its exhibition space is located in Mill Pond Park in the South Bronx, New York City. The Museum provides ongoing in-school, afterschool and summer enrichment programming thro ...

Education

Concourse and Highbridge generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . While 36% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 43% have less than a high school education and 21% 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. The percentage of Concourse and Highbridge students excelling in math rose from 17% in 2000 to 40% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 21% to 25% during the same time period. Concourse and Highbridge's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Concourse and Highbridge, 28% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per

school year A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...

, higher than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 67% of high school students in Concourse and Highbridge graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.

Schools

Public schools are operated by the

New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is t ...

. The following elementary schools are located in Concourse: * PS/MS 31 The William Lloyd Garrison (grades PK-8) * PS 35 Franz Siegel (grades K-5) * PS 53 Basheer Quisim (grades PK-5) * PS 64 Pura Belpre (grades 3–5) * PS 70 Max Schoenfeld (grades K-5) * PS 88 S Silverstein Little Sparrow School * PS 114 Luis Lorens Torres School (grades K-5) * PS 170 (grades K-2) * PS/IS 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School (grades K-8) * Grant Avenue Elementary School (grades PK-5) * Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders (grades K-5) * The Family School (grades PK-5) * Performance School (grades 4–5) The following middle schools serve grades 6-8: * Bronx Writing Academy * JHS 145 Arturo Toscanini * JHS 151 Lou Gehrig * JHS 22 Jordan L Mott * New Millennium Business Academy Middle School * Science and Technology Academy A Mott Hall School * Urban Science Academy The following middle and high schools serve grades 6-12: * Bronx Early College Academy For Teaching And Learn * Bronx High School for Medical Science * Bronx School For Law Government And Justice * Eagle Academy for Young Men The following high schools serve grades 9-12 unless otherwise indicated: * Bronx Collegiate Academy * Bronx High School of Business * Dreamyard Preparatory School * Jonathan Levin High School of Media and Communications (grades 11–12)

Libraries

NYPL Bronx Grand Concourse Branch Library IMG 2291 HLG

The

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...

(NYPL) operates three branches in the Concourse area: * The Grand Concourse branch is located at 155 East 173rd Street. The branch is a two-story structure that opened in 1959. * The High Bridge branch is located at 78 West 168th Street. The branch was opened in the early 20th century and was renovated in 2010. * The Melrose branch is located at 910 Morris Avenue. The branch, a two-story, Carnegie library, opened in 1914. It originally had four stories, but the top two floors were removed in a 1959 renovation.

Transportation

The

separates the Bronx and Manhattan, with the Macombs Dam Bridge connecting the two boroughs within Concourse. Interstate 87, the

Major Deegan Expressway Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. It is most of the main highway between New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New York ...

, has exits that can access the neighborhood. The Grand Concourse terminates onto roads leading across the Triborough Bridge with connections to Queens and Manhattan.

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October ...

routes include the

() at 161st Street and 167th Street, and the

() at 161st Street and 167th Street. MTA Regional Bus Operations also operates several routes in the area: * : to Riverdale or Third Avenue–138th Street station () (via Grand Concourse) * : to Kingsbridge Heights, Bronx, Kingsbridge Heights or Third Avenue–138th Street station () (via Grand Concourse) * and Bx6 SBS: to Hunts Point or Riverside Drive (via 161st and 163rd Streets) * : to Bronx Terminal Market,

Boricua College Boricua College is a private college in New York City designed to serve the educational needs of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics in the United States. It was founded by Victor G. Alicea and several others. Faculty The school employs a largel ...

, or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via Ogden Avenue) * : to

Crotona Park East Crotona Park East, also known as Crotona or East Morrisania, is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwest Bronx in New York City. Crotona Park East is considered part of the South Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the ...

or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via 167th Street) * : express to Woodlawn Heights or

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

The

Harlem Line The Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York and Harlem Railroad, is an commuter rail line running north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Sou ...

has a

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

station at

Points of interest

The neighborhood hosts a variety of institutions including: * Andrew Freedman Home * BronxWorks *

* Bronx Courthouse *

File:Andrew Freedman Home Exterior.jpg, Andrew Freeman Home File:Bronx Museum Art jeh.JPG, Bronx Museum of the Arts File:Bronx Courthouse from the intersection.jpg, Bronx Courthouse at 161st and Grand Concourse File:Bronxworks CAB 1130 GC jeh.jpg, BronxWorks File:Yankee Stadium Bleacher 2009.jpg, Yankee Stadium

References

External links

* {{Bronx Neighborhoods in the Bronx