Soundview is a neighborhood on the Clason Point peninsula, on the southern section of the

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 A ...

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 Y ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north,

White Plains Road White Plains Road is a major north-south thoroughfare which runs the length of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It runs from Castle Hill and Clason Point in the south to Wakefield in the north, where it crosses the city line and becomes ...

to the east, Lacombe Avenue to the south, and the

Bronx River The Bronx River (), approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States and drains an area of . It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. Besides the Hutchinson River, the Bronx River is the only fresh water river in ...

to the west. The

Bruckner Expressway The Bruckner Expressway is a freeway in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It carries Interstate 278 (I-278) and I-95 (and formerly I-878) from the Triborough Bridge to the south end of the New England Thruway at the Pelham Parkw ...

bisects the neighborhood horizontally along the center and the Bronx River Parkway runs north to south. Soundview Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Soundview.

History

Quonset Huts in the Bronx -- about 1947 (50583671982)

Most development initially concentrated near the

IRT Pelham Line The IRT Pelham Line is a rapid transit line on the New York City Subway, operated as part of the A Division and served by the 6 and <6> trains. It was built as part of the Dual Contracts expansion and opened between 1918 and 1920. It is ...

on Westchester Avenue and in close proximity to Soundview Avenue (once served by a

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...

). Prior to the late 20th century, large parcels across the neighborhood remained undeveloped. Some land in the neighborhood was used in 1947 for a temporary

New York City Housing Authority The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the U ...

(NYCHA) housing project made up of 947 apartments in 473

Quonset hut A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War ...

s. One remaining Quonset hut is still visible on the south side of Seward Avenue at Croes Avenue. In 1941 Clason Point Gardens was the first development constructed by the NYCHA in the Bronx. It was followed by many other NYCHA developments across the neighborhood from the 1950s until the 1970s, which boosted the population significantly. During the 1950s, two controlled-access highways, the Bronx River Parkway and

, were constructed. Later in the 1970s, large high-rise rental and

co-op A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

apartment complexes were constructed across the neighborhood following the establishment of the

Mitchell Lama Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

program. Like neighboring Hunts Point, Soundview began to fall into rapid decay in the 1970s 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 ...

, growing poverty rates, and a citywide fiscal crisis. Abandonment was a problem as the exodus picked up pace but much of the White non-Hispanic population was replaced by poor and working class

Latin Americans Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-et ...

and African Americans. As a result, abandonment was much less extensive than in neighborhoods to the west including

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 ...

. The neighborhood was gravely affected by the

crack epidemic The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in Amer ...

throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, setting yearly murder totals among the highest in the city. During that time, the Weed and Seed program was put into place by the federal government to improve the situation in Soundview, nearby

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 ...

, and East New York, Brooklyn and later Operation Impact. Policing methods include NYPD monitored CCTV along known high drug trafficking areas, increased foot presence, and improved statistical mapping. In 1999, an unarmed man,

Amadou Diallo In the early hours of February 4, 1999, an unarmed 23-year-old Guinean student named Amadou Diallo (born September 2, 1975) was fired upon with 41 rounds and shot a total of 19 times by four New York City Police Department plainclothes offic ...

, was shot and killed by four plainclothes officers near the corner of Wheeler and Westchester Avenues. Starting in the 2000s, a citywide housing crisis spurred construction of modern multi-unit row houses and apartment buildings. Many are multi zoned for retail and have mixed-income qualifications. There are also plans to develop this type of housing on vacant land within the confines of NYCHA property along with significant renovations and improvements to existing grounds and buildings.

Soundview Park Soundview Park (sometimes referred to as Sound View Park) is a park on Clason Point in the southern portion of the Bronx, New York City. The park is adjacent to the Clason Point, Hunts Point, and Soundview neighborhoods, situated where the B ...

, built on a former landfill and the largest in the South Bronx, has undergone a complete transformation including enhanced pedestrian access and completely renovated and redesigned recreational areas. Future plans in accordance with

PlaNYC PlaNYC was a strategic plan released by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 to prepare the city for one million more residents, strengthen the economy, combat climate change, and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers. The plan ...

initiatives will create an urban oasis in this dense community; complete with recreation nodes, Greenway connections, bike/hike trails, designated fishing areas, a boat launch, and esplanades with skyline views. The neighborhood has become increasingly more diverse with a rise in varied Latin American and Asian immigration in recent years. Crime has also seen a significant decline as a result of a number of factors including enhanced policing techniques and changing economic demographics.

Demographics

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 servi ...

, the combined population of the Soundview/Clason Point/Castle Hill/Harding Park tabulation area, which includes the southern half of the neighborhood, was 53,686 in 2010, a change of 2,933 (5.5%) from the 88,823 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 , these neighborhoods had a population density of . The combined population of the Soundview/Bruckner tabulation area, which includes the northern half of the neighborhood, was 35,634 in 2010, a change of 497 (1.4%) from the 35,137 counted in

. Covering an area of , these neighborhoods 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 these neighborhoods was 2% (1,067)

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 o ...

, 37% (19,876)

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 ...

, 0.3% (161) Native American, 1.3% (709) Asian, 0% (22)

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% (239) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.1% (586) 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 forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 57.8% (31,026) 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. Soundview's total land area is roughly 1.3 square miles. The neighborhood predominantly consists of

(mainly Puerto Ricans) and African Americans. The entirety of Community District 9, which comprises Soundview and Parkchester, had 184,105 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 79.7 years. This is about the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 25% are between the ages of between 0–17, 29% between 25–44, and 24% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 10% and 12% 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 9 was $40,005. In 2018, an estimated 26% of Soundview and Parkchester 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 55% in Soundview and Parkchester, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Soundview and Parkchester are considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and not

gentrifying Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

Land use and terrain

The land area contains a mix of uses but is primarily residential. Most of the population resides inside large residential complexes of various types. The neighborhood contains one of the highest concentrations of NYCHA projects in New York City. There is a mixture of

pre-war architecture __NOTOC__ Pre-war architecture refers to buildings built in the period between the turn of the 20th century until the Second World War, particularly in and around New York City. Many mid- and high-rise apartment buildings which were built betwee ...

, mid-century, and modern buildings. Row-houses, semi-detached homes, detached homes, and apartment buildings are found throughout; the overwhelming majority containing multiple units. The neighborhood's primary commercial corridors are White Plains Road, Soundview Avenue, and Westchester Avenue. The central western border of the neighborhood, adjacent to the Bronx River, is primarily used for storage, warehousing, and automotive repair and modification. York Studios: Michelangelo Campus is located at 1421 Story Avenue. The studios for News 12 The Bronx are located at 930 Soundview Avenue. The total land area is roughly 1.8 square miles. The terrain is mostly low laying and flat.

The Shops at Bruckner Commons

The Shops at Bruckner Commons, which greatly expanded throughout the 1990s and mostly renovated in 2018, divides Soundview from neighboring Castle Hill and contains some national chains like

The Gap The Gap may refer to: Places Australia * The Gap, New South Wales, a locality near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales * The Gap, Northern Territory, a suburb of Alice Springs, Northern Territory * The Gap, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland ...

and

Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...

. Other primary thoroughfares contain amenities like supermarkets, pharmacies, barbershops, hair salons, fast food, bodegas, and cheap shops.

Parks and recreation

occupies in the southwestern section of the neighborhood, with ballfields and playgrounds and a pedestrian/bike greenway along the left bank of the Bronx River estuary from Lafayette to Leland Avenue. It was built on filled land starting in 1939. The first of the park were acquired by the City of New York in 1937, and more were acquired along the water's edge in December 1939. "Parque de los Ninos", a playground at the corner of Morrison and Watson Avenues, opened in 1956 and was renamed in 1995 to honor six neighborhood children who were killed in the late 1980s. It was granted $1.6 million for renovations in 2016.

Low-income public housing complex

There are nine NYCHA developments located in Soundview. # 1471 Watson Avenue; one 6-story building. # Boynton Avenue Rehab; three rehabilitated apartment buildings, two 4 stories tall another 6 stories tall. #

Sotomayor Houses The Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses and Community Center is a housing project in Soundview, The Bronx, New York City. Formerly known as the Bronxdale Houses, the project was renamed in honor of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who had spent ...

(formally Bronxdale Houses); twenty-eight 7-story buildings. # Bronx River Houses; nine 14-story buildings. # Bronx River Addition; two buildings, one 6 stories tall another 14 stories tall. #

Clason Point Gardens Clason Point is a peninsula in the East Bronx, New York City. The area includes a collection of neighborhoods including Harding Park, and Soundview, Bronx, Soundview. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are: Lafayette Ave ...

; forty-five buildings, all 2 stories tall. # Monroe Houses; twelve buildings, either 8, 14, or 15 stories tall. # Sack Wern Houses; seven buildings, each 6 stories tall. # Soundview Houses; thirteen 7-story buildings.

Police and crime

Soundview is one of several neighborhoods in the Southeast Bronx patrolled by the 43rd 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 900 Fteley Avenue. The current 43rd Precinct was constructed in Soundview in 1978, and the overall coverage area was reduced significantly with the introduction of the 49th Precinct north of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor right-of-way in the East Bronx. The 43rd Precinct has a lower crime rate than historic highs in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 76.1% between 1990 and 2020. However, the 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 more than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 603 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole.The precinct reported 9 murders, 36 rapes, 399 robberies, 671 felony assaults, 244 burglaries, 680 grand larcenies, and 233 grand larcenies auto in 2020.

Fire safety

Soundview contains a

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 station, Engine Company 96/Ladder Company 54, at 1689 Story 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 between 2 ...

s and births to teenage mothers are more common in Bronx Community District 9 including Soundview than in other places citywide. There were 106 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 26.4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). The area has a relatively average population of residents who are

uninsured Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to Hedge ( ...

. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 16%, higher than the citywide rate of 14%. The concentration of fine particulate matter, 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 Bronx Community District 9 is , more than the city average. Eighteen percent of residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. 32% 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 ...

, 16% 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 ...

, and 34% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 25% 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 Bronx Community District 9, there are 13 bodegas. The nearest hospital campuses are Montefiore Medical Center's

Westchester Square Westchester Square is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the eastern section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street, Blon ...

and West Farms campuses, as well as

Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center The BronxCare Health System, previously known as "Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center," is a hospital in the Bronx, New York City. It was founded as the Lebanon Hospital by Jonas Weil in 1890. In 1962, Lebanon Hospital merged with Bronx Hospital, and si ...

's Longwood campus. The nearest large hospital is

NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Jacobi Medical Center (NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi) is a municipal hospital operated by NYC Health + Hospitals in affiliation with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The facility is located in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx, Ne ...

in Morris Park.

Post offices and ZIP Codes

Soundview is located within two ZIP Codes. The area north of

Interstate 278 Interstate 278 (I-278) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in New Jersey and New York in the United States. The road runs from US Route 1/9 (US 1/9) in Linden, New Jersey, northeast to the Bruckner Interchange in the New Yor ...

is in 10472, while the area south of Bruckner Expressway/I-278 is in 10473. 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 U ...

operates three post offices nearby: * Clason Point Station – 829 Soundview Avenue * Cornell Station – 1950 Lafayette Avenue * Soundview Station – 1687 Gleason Avenue

Education

Bronx Community District 9 including Soundview generally has a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the Bronx . While 23% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 30% have less than a high school education and 47% 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 students excelling in math rose from 23% in 2000 to 44% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 27% to 30% during the same time period. The rate of elementary school student absenteeism is higher than the rest of New York City. 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 ...

, more than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 69% of high school students graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.

Schools

The following public schools are located in Soundview: Public: * P.S. 47 John Randolph (1794 E 172nd St) * P.S. 93 Albert G Oliver (1535 Story Ave) * P.S. 69 Journey Prep School (560 Theriot Ave) * P.S. 100 Isaac Clason (800 Taylor Ave) * P.S. 107 (1695 Seward Ave) Boys Prep Elementary Charter School * Bronx Arena High School (1440 Story Ave) * Felisa Rincon De Gautier Institute For Law And Pub High School (1440 Story Ave) * Bronx Public School 152 (1007 Evergreen Ave) * Junior High School 123 James M Kiernan (1025 Morrison Ave) * Junior High School 131 Albert Einstein (885 Bolton Ave) * Soundview Academy For Culture And Scholarship (885 Bolton Ave) * Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School There is also one parochial school: * Holy Cross Elementary School

Libraries

The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates three branches near Soundview. * The Clason's Point branch is located at 1215 Morrison Avenue. The branch opened in 1952 and moved to its current location in 1971. * The Parkchester branch is located at 1985 Westchester Avenue. The branch opened in 1942 within the Parkchester development and moved to its current two-story structure in 1985. * The Soundview branch is located at 660 Soundview Avenue. The branch opened at this location in 1973.

Transportation

Soundview - Clason Point - Castle Hill, Bronx (34432171054)

The

, an

elevated An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks ...

New York City Subway line serving the , traverses southwest to northeast through the neighborhood, along Westchester Avenue. * Elder Avenue () * Morrison Avenue–Soundview () * St. Lawrence Avenue () The following

MTA Regional Bus Operations MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the surface transit division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It was created in 2008 to consolidate all bus operations in New York City operated by the MTA. , MTA Regional Bus Operations ru ...

bus routes serve Soundview: * : to

() or Third Avenue-149th Street () (via Westchester Avenue) * : to

() or Simpson Street () (via Westchester Avenue and Metropolitan Oval) * : to

Co-op City Co-op City (short for Cooperative City) is a cooperative housing development located in the northeast section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by Interstate 95 to the southwest, west, and north and the Hutchinson River ...

and

Bay Plaza Shopping Center Bay Plaza Shopping Center is a shopping center on the south side of Co-op City, Bronx, New York City. In addition to various department stores and shops, such as Macy's, JCPenney, Staples, and Old Navy, it has a multiplex movie theater, several ...

or Simpson Street () (via Story Avenue) * Bx11: to

George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authori ...

(via 170th Street, Claremont Parkway, 174th Street) * : to Simpson Street () or Clason Point (via Rosedale Avenue) * : to Pugsley–Randall Avenues or

(via Tremont Avenue and White Plains Road) * : to Wakefield–241st Street () or Clason Point (via White Plains Rd)

NYC Ferry NYC Ferry is a public network of ferry routes in New York City operated by Hornblower Cruises. , there are six routes, as well as one seasonal route, connecting 25 ferry piers across all five boroughs. NYC Ferry has the largest passenger fleet ...

's Soundview route started serving Soundview on August 15, 2018.

Notable residents

Ahmed Best Ahmed Best (born August 19, 1973) is an American actor, comedian and musician. He is known for providing motion capture and the voice of the character of Jar Jar Binks in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Best likewise collaborated with director G ...

(born 1973), voice of

Jar Jar Binks Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character of the Gungan race from the '' Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with ...

in Star Wars movies. *

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...

(born 1929), cartoonist, playwright, and author, grew up on Stratford Avenue *

Marcus Jansen Marcus Antonius Jansen (born 1968) is an American painter. Early life and education Jansen was born and raised in New York City. He attended the Kunstgewerbe Schule Berufskolleg für Technik und Medien am Platz der Republik in Mönchengladba ...

(born 1968), painter who resided in the Lafayette Boynton Apartments *

Yaphet Kotto Yaphet Frederick Kotto (born Frederick Samuel Kotto; November 15, 1939 – March 15, 2021) was an American actor known for numerous film roles, as well as starring in the NBC television series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–1999) as ...

(1939–2021), actor who grew up in Soundview Houses. * KRS-One (born 1965), rapper, lyricist and occasional producer who resided in a group home on Lacombe Avenue near the Soundview Houses. *

John Orozco John Orozco (born December 30, 1992) is an American artistic gymnast who competed in the 2012 Olympics and is the 2012 U.S national champion. He was selected to the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team for the 2016 Olympic Games, but withdrew on July ...

(born 1992), Olympic gymnast. *

Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...

(born 1954), U.S. Supreme Court Justice since 2009, grew up in the Bronxdale Houses. *

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

(1939–2021), producer, songwriter, and originator of the "

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session ...

" was born and raised in Soundview Houses. * Kemba Walker (born 1990), point guard for the New York Knicks, grew up at the Sack Wern Houses. * Sylvia Woods (1926–2012), owner of the Harlem establishment

Sylvia's Restaurant Sylvia's Restaurant of Harlem, often called Sylvia's Soul Food or just Sylvia's, is a soul food restaurant located at 328 Lenox Avenue, between 126th and 127th Streets, in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1962 by Sylvia Woods. It ...

, had residences in the Soundview-Bruckner neighborhood. * The Jazzy Five MCs are the first rappers from the Soundview Houses. * DJ

Jazzy Jay John Bayas (born November 18, 1961), also known as The Original Jazzy Jay or DJ Jazzy Jay, is an American hip hop DJ and producer. Background Jazzy Jay was born into a Gullah family in coastal South Carolina. He moved with his family to New Y ...

is from Bronx River Houses. * Senior Management Executive of

Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...

Shawn "Pecas" Costner lived in Soundview. * Several members of the Hip Hop group Money Boss Players, including Lord Tariq—also known for his work as part of the duo

Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Sean "Lord Tariq" Hamilton and Peter "Peter Gunz" Pankey, from The Bronx, New York. They are best known for their 1997 single "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)", which reached th ...

—hail from the Soundview Houses. * Treston Irby from R&B quintet

Hi-Five Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet from Waco, Texas. Hi-Five had a No. 1 hit on ''Billboards Hot 100 in 1991 with "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)". The band was formed in 1989 and consisted of founding and original members: Tony Thomps ...

is from Stevenson Commons. * Serial killer

David Berkowitz David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco, June 1, 1953), also known as the Son of Sam and .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight shootings that began in New York City on July 29, 1976. Berkowitz ...

, also known as Son of Sam, lived in the neighborhood as a child. *

Ruff Ryders Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darin "Dee" and Chivon Dean. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Fontana Dist ...

recording artist

Drag-On Melvin Smalls, known professionally as Drag-On, is an American rapper. He is best known for his time on Ruff Ryders, through whom he released his debut album, '' Opposite of H2O'' (2000). The album was successful, debuting at number five on th ...

and hip hop DJ

Disco King Mario Disco King Mario (July 1, 1956 – May 21, 1994) was a pioneer of Hip Hop. In the 1970s, Mario was a prominent DJ of the New York City, New York Bronx. At the time, he lived in the Bronxdale Housing projects, where his parties made him well-known ...

are from the Bronxdale Houses. * Afrika Bambaataa is from Bronx River Houses, which is considered the foundation of hip hop's Zulu Nation. He was also a member of the

Black Spades The Black Spades are a mostly African-American street gang which started in the Bronx during the late 1960s and gained popularity in the 1970s. The gang began to spread from the Bronx to Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Rochelle, ...

which began in the Bronxdale Houses. * The late

Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the e ...

grew up on Commonwealth Avenue in Soundview. * Professional bodybuilder and exotic dancer Rodney St. Cloud grew up in Soundview and attended P.S. 100 and Adlai E. Stevenson High School. *

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

's former manager and music industry professional Jeff Robinson grew up in Bronxdale Houses. * Sex Money Murder street gang founder Peter Rollock, or Pistol Pete is from Soundview Houses. * Four time

New York Golden Gloves The New York Golden Gloves boxing tournament was considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves. Named for the small golden gloves given out to the winners of each weigh ...

champion and former heavyweight boxer

Mitch "Blood" Green Mitch Green (born January 13, 1957) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. He is best known for having gone the distance with Mike Tyson in 1986, who was undefeated at the time, and had won 20 matches in a row ...

lived in Bronxdale Houses, and was a member of the

. * Former welterweight boxing champion Aaron Davis is from Bronxdale Houses. *

Uptown Records Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...

founder and former CEO of Motown Andre Harrell is from Bronxdale Houses. * Former NBA player

Ed Pinckney Edward Lewis Pinckney (born March 27, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. College career He attended Villanova University and was a part of the Villanova Wildcats' 1981 heralded recruiting class that included Gary McL ...

is from Monroe Houses. *

Wesley Snipes Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), '' Passenger 57'' (1992), '' ...

lived in Soundview, attending I.S. 131. * Girl group

The Chiffons :''The Chiffons also briefly recorded under the name The Four Pennies; for the British band of the latter name see The Four Pennies.'' The Chiffons are an American girl group originating from the Bronx, a borough of New York City, in 1960. Hist ...

, known for their 1963 hit He's So Fine, are from Bronx River Houses. * Author Susan J. Elliott, J.D., M.Ed. grew up on Soundview and Banyer Place and attended Holy Cross School. * The original members of the Latin Rock band Seguida are from Soundview. * Record producer and songwriter,

Ron Rogers Ronald Bruce Rogers (born November 5, 1952), better known as Ron Rogers or Ronnie Rogers, is a songwriter, composer, recording artist and record producer from New York City. His career spanned from the late 1970s until the 1990s. Life and career ...

, composer of the 1979 disco hit Deputy of Love and other dance records is from Soundview. * August Darnell, member of disco band Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band and lead singer of

Kid Creole and the Coconuts Kid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created by August Darnell with Andy Hernandez and Adriana Kaegi. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular a mix of disco and Latin American, Caribbean ...

is from Soundview.

References

External links

* http://www.bronxmall.com/commboards/cd9.html
Web page at NYC.gov
- Official site of the Community Board {{Bronx Neighborhoods in the Bronx