Wakefield, Bronx, New York
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Wakefield 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 ...
and
middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Comm ...
section of the northern borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by the city's border with Westchester County to the north, East 222nd Street to the south, and the
Bronx River Parkway The Bronx River Parkway (sometimes abbreviated as the Bronx Parkway) is a long parkway in downstate New York in the United States. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue ...
to the west. Wakefield is the northernmost neighborhood in New York City (although the city's northernmost point is actually in Riverdale, at the College of Mount Saint Vincent). The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community District 12 and its ZIP Codes are 10466 and 10470. Wakefield is patrolled by the 47th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.


History

Wakefield, originally in Westchester County, became part of New York County, and New York City, when the eastern section of The Bronx was incorporated and merged with the western section (previously incorporated in 1873) as a boro of New York City, in 1895. Like the rest of the Bronx, it was once mainly forested and later became farmland. With the expansion of railroad transportation via the arrival of the
New York and Harlem Railroad The New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line) was one of the first railroads in the United States, and was the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and ...
circa 1840, the area experienced moderate development. In 1898, the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx were merged with greater New York City as a result of the state legislature's decision to amalgamate New York City with Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The Bronx later attained independent county status on April 19, 1912, which makes it the 62nd and youngest county in the state. The current Wakefield station of the
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
's Harlem Line was on the site of a village called Washingtonville, which was incorporated into Wakefield when it became a village on August 8, 1889. Wakefield was named after the Virginia plantation where
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
was born (now part of George Washington Birthplace National Monument). Neighboring Mount Vernon, in Westchester County, is named for
the plantation ''The Plantation'' is the first novel by Chris Kuzneski. First published in 2000, it introduced the characters Jonathon Payne and David Jones, who have been featured in all of Kuzneski's thrillers. The book was endorsed by several notable auth ...
where Washington lived for most of his adulthood.


Demographics

Formerly, Wakefield was home to large
Irish American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...
and Italian-American populations. During the 1980s, these communities were replaced with large Caribbean and Guyanese populations, which now compose 72.3% of the neighborhood's total population. 19.6% of the population is Hispanic. Many residents are or are descended from the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
(mostly Jamaican) and Guyanese immigrants. 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 ...
reported a population of 67,813 residents in the surrounding area, while the
2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
reported a total of 68,787 residents.


Police and crime

Wakefield and Eastchester are patrolled by the 47th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 4111 Laconia Avenue. The 47th Precinct ranked 35th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. The 47th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 71.6% between 1990 and 2020. The precinct reported 12 murders, 44 rapes, 321 robberies, 678 felony assaults, 241 burglaries, 433 grand larcenies, and 285 grand larcenies auto in 2020.


Social problems

Wakefield has seen a rise in gangs and gang-related violence from neighboring Edenwald. The high school drop-out rate is higher than the city average, but lower than central Bronx neighborhoods. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother.


Fire safety

Wakefield is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 63/Ladder Co. 39/Battalion 15, located at 755 East 233rd Street.


Post office and ZIP Codes

Wakefield is located within two ZIP Codes. Most of the neighborhood is located in 10466, but certain areas around East 241st Street and White Plains Road are part of 10470. The United States Postal Service operates the Wakefield Station post office at 4165 White Plains Road.


Education


Schools

There are several public schools scattered throughout the neighborhood including PS 16, PS 21 and PS 103. There are also many private and catholic schools including St. Francis-Assisi, Our Lady of Grace and the prominent all-male Catholic secondary school Mount Saint Michael Academy, which serves 1,100 students from grades 7-12. The all-female
St. Barnabas High School Saint Barnabas High School is an American all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school located in the Woodlawn Heights section of The Bronx, New York. It also borders the southeastern section of the city of Yonkers in neighboring Westcheste ...
is located further west in Woodlawn and serves many students from Wakefield as well.


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 Wakefield branch is located at 4100 Lowerre Place. The branch opened in 1938 and contains collections in its basement and first floor.


Transportation

The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Wakefield: * : to Locust Point (via Williamsbridge Road) * : to Eastchester or Norwood – 205th Street (via Nereid Avenue and Mundy Lane) * : to Woodlawn or
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 ...
(via Eastchester Road) * : to Soundview and Clasons Point, Bronx (via White Plains Road) * : Express bus 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 ...
Wakefield is also served by the following
Bee-Line Bus System The Westchester County Bee-Line System, branded on the buses in lowercase as ''the bee-line system'', is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation. History ...
routes to Westchester County, New York: * BL25: to Yonkers (via Kimball Avenue and Midland Avenue) * BL26: to
Bronxville Bronxville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km2) of land in its entirety, ...
(via Bronx River Road) * BL40: to White Plains and Valhalla (via
NY Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border. ...
) * BL41: Limited Stops to White Plains and Valhalla (via
NY Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border. ...
) * BL42: to New Rochelle (via White Plains Road, West 1st Street and Sanford Blvd) * BL43x: Express to Valhalla (via Sprain Brook Parkway) The following
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 ...
stations serve Wakefield: * Wakefield–241st Street () * Nereid Avenue () * 233rd Street () * 225th Street () The
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
also stops at Wakefield station, served by the Harlem Line.


In popular culture

Several scenes from the 1970 film ''
Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...
'' starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw were filmed on East 233rd Street, East 238th Street (Nereid Avenue), and Barnes Avenue, all located within the neighborhood. The Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church located at 4360 Boyd Avenue (corner of Barnes Avenue) is featured in the film. Many internal and external bar scenes from the second season of the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
network's drama series '' Billions'' were filmed at the longtime neighborhood bar Cullen's Tavern, located at 4340 White Plains Road. Scenes for '' The Sopranos'' prequel film, '' The Many Saints of Newark'' were filmed in Wakefield and neighboring Edenwald in May 2019.


Notable natives and residents

* Lloyd Barnes – Jamaican music producer *
Dick Bertel Richard Bertelmann, professionally known as Dick Bertel, is a retired American radio and television personality and broadcasting executive who is best known for his work locally in Hartford, Connecticut, nationally on the NBC and Mutual Broadcasti ...
- American media personality and broadcast executive * Darcel Clark – current
Bronx District Attorney The Bronx County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for Bronx County, which is coterminous with the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. (Fed ...
*
Rocco B. Commisso Rocco Benito Commisso (; born 25 November 1949) is an Italian-born American billionaire businessman, and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mediacom, the fifth largest cable television company in the US. As of 2011, the ...
 – founder and CEO of Mediacom and notable philanthropist * Desus Nice – comedian and TV personality *
Joseph Augustine Di Noia Joseph Augustine Di Noia (born July 10, 1943) is an American member of the Dominican Order who is a Roman Catholic archbishop and theologian. Since 2013 he has been Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He has ...
, Roman Catholic Archbishop based in the Vatican City. * Silvio DiSalvatore – independent filmmaker and reality television personality * Funkmaster Flex – hip hop DJ, rapper and producer *
Ramarley Graham The shooting of Ramarley Graham took place in the borough of the Bronx in New York City on February 2, 2012. Richard Haste, a New York Police Department officer, shot Graham in the bathroom of the latter's apartment. The 18-year-old Graham was in ...
 – police-brutality victim. *
Craig muMs Grant Craig O'Neil Grant (December 18, 1968 – March 24, 2021), also known as Craig muMs Grant and muMs the Schemer, was an American poet and actor best known for his role as Arnold "Poet" Jackson on the HBO series '' Oz''. Life and career Grant wa ...
- poet and actor (series '' Oz'') *
Rosetta Lenoire Rosetta LeNoire (born Rosetta Olive Burton; August 8, 1911 – March 17, 2002) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to contemporary audiences for her work in television. She had regular roles on such series as ' ...
, theatrical and television actress; she spent her final years living on East 232nd Street and was a parishioner of St. Frances of Rome Church on East 236th Street. * Adelina Patti – 19th century opera singer *
Carlotta Patti Carlotta Patti (c. 1840 – 27 June 1889) was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano and older sister to famed soprano Adelina Patti. Various sources list her birth year as 1835, 1840, and 1842. Born Florence, Italy into a musical family, ...
 – 19th century opera singer * Harry G. Pellegrin – musician and author *
Christian Petroni Christian Petroni is an American celebrity chef and restaurateur. He came to prominence in 2018 as the joint winner of the fourteenth season of the Food Network television series ''Food Network Star ''Food Network Star'' is a reality televi ...
 – notable chef and Food Network personality * Cristina Santiago – LGBT activist, was one of seven victims killed during the August 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse * AJ Silver (''born Angelo Iodice'') – American rodeo circuit celebrity''Bronx Buckaroo AJ Silver is the real Urban Cowboy''
from ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
, April 4, 2014.
* Anthony Thomopoulos - former network American Broadcasting Company chairman and motion picture producer. *
Mildred Trouillot Mildred Trouillot-Aristide (born 1963) is an American lawyer who married Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former President of Haïti, in 1996. Mildred Trouillot grew up in the Bronx. Both her father, Emile, and mother, Carmelle, were natives of Haït ...
, attorney and former First Lady of Haiti; resided on Carpenter Avenue in her youth and graduated from St. Barnabas High School * Jerry Vale - singer, entertainer. He resided with his family on Mundy Lane during his early years.


References

*


External links

*
Wakefield local interest group
{{bronx Former villages in New York City Neighborhoods in the Bronx Wakefield, Bronx