Van Nest
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Van Nest is a
working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
neighborhood geographically located in the
East Bronx The East Bronx is the part of the New York City borough of the Bronx which lies east of the Bronx River; this roughly corresponds to the eastern half of the borough. Neighborhoods include: Baychester, Castle Hill, City Island, Co-op City, ...
section of
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 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 ...
. Going clockwise, its boundaries are Bronxdale Avenue to the northeast, the
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
tracks to the southeast, and
Bronx Park Bronx Park is a public park along the Bronx River, in the Bronx, New York City. The park is bounded by Southern Boulevard to the southwest, Webster Avenue to the northwest, Gun Hill Road to the north, Bronx Park East to the east, and East 180 ...
to the west. Van Nest predated Morris Park by 20 years and is considered the older of the two communities. Morris Park Avenue and
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 ...
are the primary commercial
thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highway ...
s through Van Nest. The neighborhood is part of
Bronx Community Board 11 Bronx Community Board 11 (CB11) is a small unit of the Government of New York City, City of New York (NYC), whose district encompasses the List of Bronx neighborhoods, neighborhoods of Allerton, Bronx, Allerton, Indian Village, Morris Park, Bronx, ...
, and its ZIP Codes include 10460 and 10462. The area is patrolled by the 49th Precinct of the
New York City Police Department 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 ...
.


History

The neighborhood got its name from the former Van Nest station on the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
, which was named after the father of Abraham R. Van Nest, a director of the railroad. A short railroad spur was constructed off the main line from the Van Nest station to serve the adjacent
Morris Park Racecourse Morris Park Racecourse was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 to 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later developed as the neighborhood of Morris Park. T ...
, which was the site of
thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...
from 1889 to 1904. Between 1892 and 1896, lots were subdivided from farmland by the Van Nest Land & Improvement Company. Before the city graded the streets in 1895, the flat terrain and accumulation of rainwater in low-lying areas resulted in this area being nicknamed "Mud West". The multi-legged intersection of Van Nest Avenue, Unionport Road, and Victor Street is still known as the "Five Corners" by many old timers and locals.


Demographics

Van Nest has a population under 15,000. The neighborhood has a concentration of
Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants. Overview The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...
and also contains a significant
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 ...
population. A small longstanding
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
and
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
population exist east of White Plains Road near Morris Park. The majority of residents rent. Almost 20% of the population lives below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
. For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Van Nest as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Van Nest/Morris Park/Westchester Square. 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 servin ...
, the population of Van Nest/Morris Park/Westchester Square was 29,250, a change of 2,115 (7.2%) from the 27,135 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 ...
. 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 -
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 ...
Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 27.3% (7,987)
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 on ...
, 11.1% (3,245)
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% (82) Native American, 10.6% (3,100)
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1% (15)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1% (292) 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 1.4% (410) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
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 48.3% (14,119) 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 -
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 ...
Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.
The entirety of Community District 11, which comprises Van Nest, Morris Park, and Allerton, had 116,180 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 79.9 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: 22% are between the ages of between 0–17, 30% between 25 and 44, and 24% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 14% 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 11 was $48,018. In 2018, an estimated 21% of Van Nest and Allerton residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in eight residents (12%) 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 Van Nest and Allerton, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Van Nest and Allerton are considered high-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 ...
.


Politics

Politically, Van Nest is in
New York's 14th congressional district New York's 14th congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City, represented by United States Democratic Party, Democrat A ...
, represented by Democrat
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
. It is also part of the 33rd and 34th
State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
districts, represented respectively by Democrats Gustavo Rivera and
Alessandra Biaggi Alessandra Rose Biaggi (born May 20, 1986) is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Senate since 2019, representing the 34th district, which includes portions of Bronx and Westchester Counties. She is the chair of th ...
, and the 80th and 87th
State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...
districts, represented respectively by Democrats
Nathalia Fernandez Nathalia Fernandez (born May 6, 1988) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the New York State Senate representing the 34th Senate District. Early life Fernandez was born to parents William and Sonia. Her father immigrat ...
and
Karines Reyes Karines Reyes is a Dominican- American politician and nurse from the state of New York. A Democrat, Reyes has represented the 87th district of the New York State Assembly, covering Parkchester and Castle Hill, since 2019. Career Reyes was bo ...
. Van Nest is located in New York's 13th and 15th
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
districts, represented respectively by Democrats
Mark Gjonaj Mark Gjonaj ( ; born December 1968) is an American politician who served in the New York City Council from the 13th district from 2018 to 2021. He previously represented the 80th district of the New York State Assembly from 2013 to 2017. His dis ...
and
Ritchie Torres Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres is the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. The district covers most of the South Bronx. It is ...
.


Land use and architecture

Van Nest is dominated by single family homes of various types. There are also some
tenements A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, i ...
scattered across the neighborhood. The total land area is roughly one square mile. Architectural styles are diverse in Van Nest, which was started as a residential community in 1893. Italianate, Queen Anne,
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 Unite ...
and contemporary brick and mortar are all found.
Con Edison Consolidated Edison, Inc., commonly known as Con Edison (stylized as conEdison) or ConEd, is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues as of 2017, and over $62 b ...
's Van Nest Service Center is located north of the Amtrak
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
line between Unionport Road and Bronxdale Avenue, occupying the former maintenance shops of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The Con Edison Service Center was purchased in September 1959 from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad for $3 million. The former Van Nest Yards were built in 1907 and the Yards, now Con Edison Service Center consists of .


Park

Van Nest Park is bound by
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, Unionport Road to the west, and Van Nest Avenue to the north. Mead Street bisects Van Nest Park from Van Nest Memorial Square, which houses the war memorial. Van Nest Park was acquired by New York City in August 1913, the present location of Van Nest Memorial Square. In April 1922, the land was placed under Parks' jurisdiction. The monument, which stands at the center of the original park, was erected in April 1926 by the Van Nest Citizens' Patriotic League, who were, at one time, located at 1800 Hunt Avenue. The monument is made of Deere Isle granite and was designed by architect Arthur G. Waldreaon. The park, like the neighborhood, was named after Reynier Van Nest, a saddle maker. Three of the four granite panels have the names of fallen soldiers from
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Korea, and Vietnam. The main facing panel has a tribute to fallen soldiers from
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. By 1938, the park expanded to include not only a monument but playground equipment. The monument was rededicated by the Italian-American War Veterans' Bronx County Post #39 in October 1973. Memorial and Veterans' Day services have been reinstituted in previous years to pay respect to the deceased, as well as current and former servicemen and women. The monument area is slated to be redesigned and upgraded starting in Spring 2018. Additionally, a flagpole will be added to complete renovation. In 1997, Mayor
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
funded a $30,000 renovation of the park replacing the old playground equipment. Dialogue concerning the renovation of the park was started in 2010. However, as of May 2011, $950,000 had been allocated for renovations to the playground. Construction of the park was started in March 2014 and lasted for a year. The renovated park's railroad theme is based on the neighborhood's long-standing ties to the Van Nest station along the
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
. Additionally, security cameras were installed through a contribution from Cross-County Federal Bank to monitor night time activity in the park. State Senator
Jeffrey D. Klein Jeffrey David Klein (born July 10, 1960) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He represented the New York State Senate's 34th District, serving parts of Bronx and Westchester Counties from 2005 to 2018. Klein also s ...
was instrumental in securing the proper permits for the cameras. Van Nest Park, after being completely renovated, was officially opened to the public in May 2015.


Police and crime

Van Nest and Allerton are patrolled by the 49th 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 2121 Eastchester Road. The 49th Precinct ranked 43rd safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. , with a non-fatal assault rate of 64 per 100,000 people, Van Nest and Allerton'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 violence, violent act is t ...
s per capita is slightly more than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 372 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole. The 49th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 80.7% between 1990 and 2020. The precinct reported 6 murders, 17 rapes, 181 robberies, 253 felony assaults, 167 burglaries, 397 grand larcenies, and 191 grand larcenies auto in 2020.


Social issues

Van Nest contains one of the highest concentrations of poverty in Bronx Community District 11. It is believed many of the newest residents are from higher poverty sections of the Bronx such as neighboring West Farms and
Parkchester Parkchester is a planned community and neighborhood originally developed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and located in the central Bronx, New York City. The immediate surrounding area also takes its name from the complex. Its boundari ...
. With this relocation some of the social problems commonly associated with those communities have come to Van Nest. Drug trafficking, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and violent crimes, including gang activity, are common. Van Nest, being roughly one square mile, is one neighborhood within the larger 49th Precinct. In January 2010, a community organization known as the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA) was created, which meets monthly. Their agenda is to work jointly with the 49th Precinct to ensure that any reported crimes are handled quickly and follow-up conducted thoroughly. Additionally, aside from merely reporting and following up with crimes, both the 49th Precinct and the VNNA are trying to direct the youth into precinct sponsored programs such as kids and cops basketball and Explorers. The rise in youth-related crimes is a genuine concern for the VNNA and the local 49th police precinct.


Fire safety

Van Nest is served by the
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)'s Engine Co. 90/Ladder Co. 41 fire station at 1843 White Plains Road. Ladder Co. 41, also known as the Van Nest Hose Company originally started out as volunteer company and was known as Van Nest Hose Co. No. 1. They were originally located at 1703 Unionport Road and were organized in 1906. Additionally, Van Nest Hose Co. No. 2 was located at East Tremont and Rosedale Avenues and disbanded in 1910, the same year as Hose Co. No. 1. When the Van Nest Hose Co. 1 made the move to White Plains Road in May 1910 they became a paid company. In May 2010, Engine Co. 90/Ladder Co. 41 celebrated its 100th anniversary. The area around White Plains Road where the firehouse is located was blocked off for the celebration. In attendance were 147 alumni from the firehouse, FDNY Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and an additional 153 guests. The final part of the ceremony was the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the 100 years of dedicated service in addition to an existing plaque that was originally placed inside the firehouse in 1910 when it opened. A few members of Engine Co. 90 have also served in the U.S. military, and one had died after suffering from
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
related to 9/11.


Health

,
preterm birth Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the Childbirth, birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks Gestational age (obstetrics), gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 we ...
s and births to teenage mothers are slightly more common in Van Nest and Allerton than in other places citywide. In Van Nest and Allerton, there were 90 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 19.7 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Van Nest and Allerton has a low 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 12%, the same as the citywide rate of 12%. 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 types ...
, in Van Nest and Allerton is , less than the city average. Fifteen percent of Van Nest and Allerton residents are smokers, which is slightly higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Van Nest and Allerton, 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 ...
, 14% 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 app ...
, and 31% 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 lower than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 80% of residents described their health as "good," "very good," or "excellent," slightly higher than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Van Nest and Allerton, there are 17 bodegas. The nearest large hospitals are Calvary Hospital,
Montefiore Medical Center Montefiore Medical Center is a premier academic medical center and the primary teaching hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City. Its main campus, the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, is located in the Norwoo ...
's Jack D. Weiler Hospital, and
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. The
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a research-intensive medical school located in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein operates as an independent degree-granting institution as part of t ...
campus is also located in Morris Park.


Post office and ZIP Codes

Van Nest is located within ZIP Codes 10460 west of Unionport Road and 10462 east of Unionport Road. 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 the Parkway Station post office at 2100 White Plains Road.


Education

Van Nest and Allerton generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . While 32% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 24% have less than a high school education and 44% 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 Van Nest and Allerton students excelling in math rose from 32% in 2000 to 48% in 2011, though reading achievement remained constant at 37% during the same time period. Van Nest and Allerton's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is slightly higher than the rest of New York City. In Van Nest and Allerton, 23% 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 compulsor ...
, a little more than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 74% of high school students in Van Nest and Allerton graduate on time, about the same as the citywide average of 75%.


Schools

Van Nest once had two Catholic grammar schools:
St. Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientis ...
's at 1684 White Plains Road and Our Lady of Solace at the intersection of Holland and Morris Park Avenues. Both schools had grades K–8. However, by 2006, Our Lady of Solace had closed its doors due to budget cuts within the New York Catholic Archdiocese. Our Lady of Solace school building remained vacant until September 2010, when the Bronx Charter School of Excellence annex opened; the school's main site is at Benedict Avenue, while the Holland Avenue site serves as only an annex for grades five and six. The School of Excellence began leasing the Solace building in August 2010, and had made $400,000 worth of renovations from electric wiring, plumbing, and exterior masonry work. The School of Excellence plans to expand to grades fifth through eighth within the next two years. The New York Archdiocese announced in January 2011 that St. Dominic's, along with four other Bronx grammar schools, would be closing by the end of the school year in June. St. Dominic's grammar school, founded in 1952, had approximately 200 students, who needed to transfer to other schools in the area. Some of the staff members, especially the nuns will be transferring to St. Raymond's school which is located in Parkchester. Prior to its closing in the end of June 2011, a farewell Mass was held to commemorate the school's 59-year history. As of September 2015, the former St. Dominic's Catholic elementary school will be opened up as Public School 481, a school with grades K–5.


Library

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)'s Pelham Parkway-Van Nest branch is located at 2147 Barnes Avenue. The branch opened in 1912 as one of NYPL's "Travelling Libraries", and between 1917 and 1968, moved to a series of permanent locations. The current building, which opened in 1968, has been known as the Van Nest or Van Nest Pelham branch through its history.


Religious organizations


Catholic

The present location of St. Dominic's Church at 1739 Unionport Road was started in 1925 and was completed in May 1927. Msgr. Domenico Fiorentino was instrumental in the construction of the church. At the dedication mass on May 8, 1927, Cardinal Hayes officiated and was a guest of honor at the dinner held after the services. Preceding the dedication mass a procession moved from Van Nest Memorial Square to the church and was attended by many local organizations one in particular the Van Nest Recreation Club, which is still in existence today. Our Lady of Solace Church is located at 731 Morris Park Avenue


Protestant denominations

7th Day Adventist Church is located at 800 Morris Park Avenue. Episcopalian, St. Martha's is located at 1858 Hunt Avenue. Lutheran, St.Luke's is located at 1722 Adams Street. Pentecostal, Van Nest Assembly of God is located at 755 Rhinelander Avenue.


Jewish

There was as well a significant
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
population in the later part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century in Van Nest. The
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
located at 1712 Garfield Street was built in 1905. The B'nai Jacob First Van Nest Hebrew Congregation was established in 1895 and by the early 1920s had upwards of 50 families, a religious school within the synagogue to accommodate 80 pupils, and services in
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
,
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
, and English. By January 1979, the First Van Nest Hebrew Congregation had disbanded and sold the property and building to the Mission Christiana Rehoboth church.


Transportation

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 Van Nest: * Bx21: local service to
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 ...
subway station or Third Avenue–138th Street subway station (via Boston Road/Morris Park Avenue) *
Bx22 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates a number of bus routes in the Bronx, New York, United States. Many of them are the direct descendants of streetcar lines (see list of streetcar lines in the Bronx). All local buses are ope ...
: local service to
Bronx High School of Science The Bronx High School of Science, commonly called Bronx Science, is a public specialized high school in The Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science involves passing the Spec ...
or Castle Hill (via
Fordham Road Fordham Road is a major thoroughfare in the Bronx, New York City, that runs west-east from the Harlem River to Bronx Park. Fordham Road houses the borough's largest and most diverse shopping district. It geographically separates the North Bron ...
/Castle Hill Avenue) * Bx39: local service to Wakefield – 241st Street subway station or Clason's Point (via White Plains Road) * Bx40/Bx42 local service to Morris Heights or
Throgs Neck Throggs Neck (also known as Throgs Neck) is a neighborhood and peninsula in the south-eastern portion of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by the East River and Long Island Sound to the south and east, Westchester Creek on ...
. (Bx40/Bx42 operate between the Van Nest and Parkchester border lines) * BxM10: express service to
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 Buildin ...
(via
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 Parkway ...
/
Triborough Bridge The Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (RFK Bridge; formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Triborough Bridge) is a complex of bridges and elevated expressway viaducts in New York City. The bridges link the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, a ...
) The
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 2 ...
's
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 o ...
() operates along Birchall Avenue and has a stop at the
Bronx Park East Pelham Parkway is a working- and middle-class residential neighborhood geographically located in the center of the Bronx, a borough of New York City in the United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Waring ...
station. The
IRT Dyre Avenue Line The IRT Dyre Avenue Line (formerly the IND Dyre Avenue–East 174th Street Line) is a New York City Subway rapid transit line, part of the A Division. It is a branch of the IRT White Plains Road Line in the northeastern section of the Bronx, n ...
() occupies the old right of way of the
New York, Westchester and Boston Railway The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway Company (NYW&B, also known to its riders as "the Westchester" and colloquially as the "Boston-Westchester"), was an electric commuter railroad in the Bronx and Westchester County, New York from 1912 t ...
(NYW&B). The East 180th Street station on the IRT White Plains Road Line, built in 1912, was once the Administration Building for the NYW&B. The station was designed by Stem, Allen H., Fellheimer & Long, in a style reminiscent of late 19th and early 20th century revivals. It was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on April 23, 1980. From 2010 to 2013, the station underwent a major rehabilitation. The NYPD's Transit District #12 resides directly across the street from the East 180th Street station at 460 Morris Park Avenue. The Amtrak's
Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
is used by trains traveling to and from
Penn Station Pennsylvania Station is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals. Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may also refer to Current train stations * Baltimore Penn Station * Pennsylvania Station (Cinci ...
via the
Hell Gate Bridge The Hell Gate Bridge, originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or the East River Arch Bridge, is a steel through arch railroad bridge in New York City. Originally built for four tracks, the bridge currently carries two tracks of Amtr ...
, and connects with
Metro-North 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 Connecticut D ...
's
New Haven Line The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...
near
New Rochelle station New Rochelle station is a Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak train station located in New Rochelle, New York. The station serves Metro-North's New Haven Line and Amtrak's ''Northeast Regional''; Bee-Line Bus System buses serve a bus stop just outside ...
in Westchester. However, the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...
(MTA) has proposed
Penn Station Access Penn Station Access is a public works project underway by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. The goal of the project is to allow Metro-North Railroad commuter trains to access Penn Station on Manhattan's West Side, using ...
, which could possibly bring
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 New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
's New Haven service along the Hell Gate Line. Four possible new stations include Hunts Point, Parkchester-Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City. When built, the Parkchester-Van Nest station may occupy the footprint of the former Van Nest station.


Notable places

Conti's Pastry Shoppe was established on October 1, 1921 on Victor Street and eventually relocated to 786 Morris Park Avenue in 1928. Purchased in 2003 by Sal Paljevic from the original owners, it went through a four-week renovation in February 2007 to restore its tin ceiling and wood panel walls. Other antique features include an original marble countertop, collection of black-and-white photographs and vintage tin advertisements. In the summer of 2005, the exterior of the bakery was renovated to include a retractable, old-fashioned awning and traditional display windows. Conti's Bakery is known for its
Boston cream pie A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were cooked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a " ...
. In October 2021, Conti's Pastry Shoppe celebrated its 100th anniversary. Riviera Ravioli is located at 643 Morris Park Avenue. It started out as a deli back in 1946 and eventually moved to its present location in 1976. Riviera features a wide variety of not only ravioli but specialty filled raviolis such as lobster, crab and walnut. Other types of
pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...
include: tortellini, cavatelli, manicotti, and fettuccini. According to its owner, Joseph Giordano the name Riviera Ravioli has its origins from the Italian Riviera which is located in the northwest portion of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Giordano's descendants are from that area specifically. Riviera Ravioli has closed as of August 2014. The Morris Park Boxing Club located at 644 Morris Park Avenue was started back in 1978 by Joe DeGuardia Sr. Joe DeGuardia, the founder's son presently owns the club. Dex Pejcinovic, a former club member and fighter oversees the daily operations. The club had a setback in December 2009 with an electrical fire which displaced members of the club and residents living in the apartments above the club. Some notable fighters to come out of the Morris Park Boxing Club include WBA world champions welterweight Aaron Davis and light heavyweight
Lou Del Valle Louis Del Valle (born July 13, 1968, in Long Island City, New York) is an American boxer and the former WBA light heavyweight title holder. He is currently the boxing trainer of former super middleweight champion, Badou Jack. Professional caree ...
.


Notable people

*
Stokely Carmichael Kwame Ture (; born Stokely Standiford Churchill Carmichael; June 29, 1941November 15, 1998) was a prominent organizer in the civil rights movement in the United States and the global pan-African movement. Born in Trinidad, he grew up in the Unite ...
(1941–1998), a 1960s civil rights activist, moved to Van Nest in 1952 from
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
when he was 11. Carmichael along with his father Adolphus and mother Mabel resided at 1810 Amethyst Street. * General
James F. Collins James, Jim, Jimmy, or Jamie Collins may refer to: Sports Association football *Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1872) (1872–1900), Scottish footballer *Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1895), Scottish footballer *Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 19 ...
(1905–1989), a four-star general, moved to 1820 Unionport Road from Manhattan in 1909. He attended P.S. 34 from 1911 to 1919, and then Regis High School; afterward, he was appointed to the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
. * General William Fiorentino (born 1935) resided at 1842 Hunt Avenue in his younger years. He graduated from P.S. 34 and
Cardinal Hayes High School Cardinal Hayes High School is an American Catholic high school for boys in the Concourse Village neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York. The school serves the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It is a member of the Catholic Hi ...
. He attended
Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...
and graduated with a degree in physics. * Kenneth E. Gazzola, who lived on Matthews Avenue, is an aviation professional and President and CEO of FlightLogix and Board Member of The Wings Club, an aviation society. He is also a board member of the Smithsonian's
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...
. *
Carl Paul Jennewein Carl Paul Jennewein (December 2, 1890 – February 22, 1978) was a German-born American sculptor. Early career Jennewein was born in Stuttgart in Germany. At the age of seventeen, he immigrated to the United States in 1907. He was apprentice ...
(1890–1978), an artist and sculptor, had his studio at 538 Van Nest Avenue from 1928 until his death in 1978. On June 2, 2011, the section of Van Nest Avenue between Melville Street and Van Buren Street was renamed ''Carl Paul Jennewein Place'' in honor of the sculptor. *
Roland La Starza Roland La Starza (May 12, 1927 – September 30, 2009) was an American boxer and actor. Life and career Originally from the Van Nest section of the Bronx, La Starza fought 66 professional bouts from July 7, 1947 to May 8, 1961. He won 57 of the ...
(1927–2009), a boxer, was born May 12, 1927, and lived on Van Nest Avenue near Van Buren Street. He attended Columbus High School, then went to City College when his boxing career took off. * Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien was born in Van Nest. His Irish Catholic family lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Van Nest. He is pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem; the
pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
's representative to Catholics in the
Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
; and the chief fund raiser for the preservation of that region's sacred sites. He was ordained in 1965 by Cardinal
Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...
and assigned to West Point. Prior to his present position, he was Archbishop of Baltimore. Since May 1997, O'Brien has been returning to his boyhood parish of Our Lady of Solace to perform the sacrement of confirmation. * Eugene D. Orza went to St. Dominic's elementary school and was once the general counsel of the
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
Players' Association. He graduated from
St. John's University School of Law St. John's University School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school in Jamaica, Queens, New York, United States, affiliated with St. John's University. The School of Law was founded in 1925, and confers Juris Doctor degrees and degrees for Maste ...
. *
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
(1931–2020), a television personality, attended Our Lady of Solace School on Morris Park and Holland Avenues. A block of Cruger Avenue, where he lived, was renamed in his honor. In January 2010, his boyhood home at 1990 Cruger Avenue was demolished. *
Nick Sandow Nick Sandow (born August 3, 1966) is an American actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Joe Caputo in ''Orange Is the New Black''. Early life Of Italian descent, Sandow grew up in the Italian neighborhood of Van Nest i ...
, was raised on Van Nest Avenue and plays the role of Joe Caputo in
Orange is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
* Michael Sardo, a Hollywood writer and executive producer, grew up in Van Nest. He has written for many television series, such as '' Caroline in the City'', ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'', and ''
Fairly Legal ''Fairly Legal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series which aired on USA Network from January 20, 2011, to June 15, 2012. The series starred Sarah Shahi, Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, Baron Vaughn, and Ryan Johnson. USA Netw ...
''. *
John Patrick Shanley John Patrick Shanley (born October 13, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film ''Moonstruck''. His play, '' Doubt: A Parable'', won the 2005 Pulitzer P ...
(born 1950), a playwright and screenwriter, grew up in Van Nest. He wrote the script for the 1987 film Five Corners, which was set in the east Bronx and took its name from an intersection in Van Nest.


References


Notes


Further reading

* DiBrino, Nicholas. ''The History of the Morris Park Racecourse and the Morris Family'' (1977) * *


External links


East Bronx History Forum

Morris Park Boxing Club





Van Nest Assembly of God
{{bronx Neighborhoods in the Bronx