Melrose is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. It adjoins the business and one-time theater area known as
The Hub. Melrose is rectangular-shaped, being bordered by Saint Anns Avenue on the east, 149th Street on the south,
Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...
on the west, and 163rd Street to the north. Melrose Avenue and Third Avenue are the primary thoroughfares through Melrose.
The neighborhood is part of
Bronx Community Board 1, and its ZIP Codes include 10451, 10455, and 10456. The area is patrolled by the
New York City Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
's 40th Precinct.
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue.
Predominantly
German American
German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry.
According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...
in the 19th century it was home to
Haffen Brewing Company. The German population waned especially post-World War II. The neighborhood until the 1960s was mostly
Irish and
Italian.
It is now primarily
Latino.
Grupo TACA operates a Bronx-area TACA Satellite at 570 Melrose Avenue. Melrose is considered part of the socioeconomic
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...
.
History

Melrose was a village in the town of
Morrisania,
in the
county of Westchester before being incorporated into New York City in 1874 as part of the Twenty-Third Ward. Originally a dense
working-class
The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
neighborhood, the housing that was often hastily built to capitalize on the turn of the 20th century immigrant escape from
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
soon became unsuitable to all but the poorest. A
mass exodus soon took place as New York City policy–induced arson soon ravaged the neighborhood throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, the City of New York dismantled the
Third Avenue El (an original draw to the neighborhood) due to low ridership. By the 1980s the neighborhood had decayed severely, and much of the original housing stock was lost. Vacant buildings and then lots became commonplace.
Since the mid-1990s, but especially in the 2000s, significant renewal has taken place. A prominent player in the revitalization efforts has been the group Nos Quedamos which in English means "we stay". Many abandoned structures have been renovated and many lots have been constructed on. In most recent years the area has seen a significant "Green" construction boom. Leading the borough in the number of
LEED certified apartment buildings, the largest being Via Verde, winner of the 2013
Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence silver medal. Melrose is also home to The Bronx campus of
Boricua College. Despite lingering social problems due to a continued significant poverty presence, Melrose has come a long way from a previously "forgotten" neighborhood.
Four historic Melrose churches date to before 1900. The German Methodist Church (1878) 790 Elton Ave., The German Reformed Church (1885) (seen in the distance with white steeple picture above) 744 Elton Ave., Immaculate Conception Church (1887) 389 E. 150th St. and the German Lutheran Church (1895) 376 E. 156th St.
The Melrose neighborhood has grown since
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
's famous visit to the Bronx in 1977 and will continue to do so as the city's last parcels are sold for development. Many parcels are still in the development phase but will skyrocket the Melrose population.
In 2012, residents expressed concern regarding the
Melrose Metro-North station in the neighborhood. Residents would like to see more frequent service, but track and capacity limitations hinder the amount of service available for the stop. Other concerns regarded the lack of handicap access, and the past closure of the main entrance to the stop. The main entrance was closed when the community was at the height of its turmoil, but as the community has regained its footing the desire to have the station open to the primary commercial street, East
161st Street, has grown.
Demographics
Melrose is a high-density neighborhood with a population consisting primarily of
Latin Americans
Latin Americans (; ) 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-ethnic and multi-racial. Latin Americans are ...
and
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
s. Almost half of the population lives below the federal poverty line.
Based on data from the
2010 United States Census, the population of Melrose, including northeastern Mott Haven, was 39,214, a change of 6,019 (15.3%) from the 33,195 counted in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. 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 Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 1.5% (571)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 27.5% (10,787)
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% (84)
Native American, 0.8% (314)
Asian, 0% (11)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.2% (93) from
other races, and 0.7% (260) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 69.1% (27,094) 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 Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.
The entirety of Community District 1, which comprises Melrose and Mott Haven, had 98,403 inhabitants as of
NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 77.6 years.
This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.
Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 28% are between the ages of between 0–17, 28% between 25–44, and 21% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 12% and 10% respectively.
As of 2017, the median
household income in Community Districts 1 and 2, including
Longwood, was $20,966.
In 2018, an estimated 29% of Melrose and Mott Haven 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 58% in Melrose and Mott Haven, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Melrose and Mott Haven are considered to be low-income relative to the rest of the city and is
gentrifying.
Land use and terrain

Melrose is dominated by large residential housing complexes of various types, primarily public housing, and tenement style apartment buildings. Most of the original housing stock which consisted of older multi-unit homes and tenements were structurally damaged by arson during the citywide fiscal crisis and eventually razed by the city. In the last decade, construction of modern 2- and 3-unit row-houses and apartment buildings have increased the percentage of owners versus renters. The neighborhood contains one of the highest concentrations of NYCHA projects in the Bronx. The terrain is somewhat hilly.
The Third Avenue Business Improvement District
The Hub-Third Avenue BID is a major local retail district located where five major thoroughfares converge: East 149th Street, Westchester, Willis, Melrose and Third Avenues. The area is served by the 2 and 5 lines at East 149th Street and Third Avenue. One of The Bronx's largest shopping areas (eclipsed only by Fordham Road).
Low-income public housing projects
*There are five
NYCHA developments located in Melrose.
#East 152nd Street-Courtlandt Avenue; two buildings, 11 and 12 stories tall.
#Jackson Houses; seven 16-story buildings.
#Melrose Houses; eight 14-story buildings.
#Morrisania Air Rights; three buildings, 19, 23, and 29 stories.
#South Bronx Area (Site 402); four buildings, 3 stories tall.
*Park Avenue Green, the largest certified
Passive House in North America, opened in 2019.
Media
The ''
Mott Haven Herald'' is a news outlet that reports in
Mott Haven, Melrose, and
Port Morris. It is produced by students at the
City University Graduate School of Journalism and edited by Joe Hirsch.
Police and crime
Melrose and Mott Haven are patrolled by the 40th Precinct of the
NYPD, located at 257 Alexander Avenue.
The 40th Precinct ranked 59th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. , with a non-fatal assault rate of 186 per 100,000 people, Melrose and Mott Haven'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 (law), force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violence, vio ...
s per capita is greater than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 1,214 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole.
The 40th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 60.2% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 15 murders, 31 rapes, 559 robberies, 850 felony assaults, 365 burglaries, 753 grand larcenies, and 306 grand larcenies auto in 2022.
Fire safety
Melrose contains two
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...
(FDNY) fire stations:
* Engine Co. 71/Ladder Co. 55/Division 6 – 720 Melrose Avenue
* Squad 41 – 330 East 150th Street
In addition,
FDNY EMS Station 14 is located at
Lincoln Hospital at 234 East 149th Street.
Also
FDNY EMS Station 55 is located at 3134 Park Avenue.
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 ...
s and births to teenage mothers are more common in Melrose and Mott Haven than in other places citywide. In Melrose and Mott Haven, there were 95 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 35.1 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).
Melrose and Mott Haven has a relatively high population of residents who are
uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 14%, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 12%.
The concentration of
fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of
air pollutant, in Melrose and Mott Haven is , more than the city average.
Fifteen percent of Melrose and Mott Haven residents are
smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.
In Melrose and Mott Haven, 42% of residents are
obese, 20% are
diabetic, and 38% have
high blood pressure
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, 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 itself. It is, however, a major ri ...
—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.
In addition, 24% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.
Eighty-two 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 Melrose and Mott Haven, there are 25
bodegas.
The nearest hospital is
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.
Post offices and ZIP Codes
Melrose is covered by multiple
ZIP Codes. Most of the neighborhood is located in 10451, but the southeastern corner is part of 10455 and the northeastern corner is part of 10456. The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates two post offices in Melrose: The Melcourt Station at 860 Melrose Avenue, and the
Bronx Station at 558 Grand Concourse.
Education
Melrose and Mott Haven generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . While 16% of residents aged 25 and older have a college education or higher, 41% have less than a high school education and 43% 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 Melrose and Mott Haven students excelling in math rose from 18% in 2000 to 37% in 2011, though reading achievement decreased slightly from 25% to 24% during the same time period.
Melrose and Mott Haven's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Melrose and Mott Haven, 32% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per
school year
An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classes and do rel ...
, higher than the citywide average of 20%.
Additionally, 62% of high school students in Melrose and Mott Haven graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.
Schools

Public schools:
*PS 1: Courtlandt (East 152nd St and Courtlandt Avenue)
*PS 29: Melrose (East 156th St and Courtlandt Avenue)
*
Alfred E. Smith High School (East 151st St and Courtlandt Avenue)
*Bronx Haven High School (East 151st St and Courtlandt Avenue)
Private School:
* Immaculate Conception (378 E 151st St.)
* St. Peter and Paul (838 Brook Avenue)
* Boricua College (890 Washington Avenue)
Libraries

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 a ...
operates the Melrose branch at 910 Morris Avenue. The branch, a two-story,
Carnegie library, opened in 1914. It originally had four stories, but the top two floors were removed in a 1959 renovation.
Transportation

The following
MTA Regional Bus Operations
MTA Regional Bus Operations (RBO) is the Public transport bus service, bus operations division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. The MTA operates local, limited-stop, express, and Select Bus Service (bus rapid transit ...
bus routes serve Melrose:
*: to
Mott Haven-136 Street or
Kingsbridge Heights (via 149th Street and
Grand Concourse)
*: to
Third Avenue–149th Street or Westchester Square (via Westchester Avenue)
* and
Bx6 Select Bus Service: to
Hunt's Point or
Riverside Drive (via 161st and 163rd Streets)
*: to
Fordham Plaza or
The Hub (via
Third Avenue)
*: to
New York Botanical Garden or
Riverbank State Park (via East 149th Street and Southern Boulevard)
*: to Westchester Square or
Mott Haven (via Boston Road and Morris Park Avenue)
* and
Bx41 Select Bus Service: to
Williamsbridge (via Webster Avenue)
The following
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
stations serve Melrose:
*
Third Avenue–149th Street ()
*
Jackson Avenue ()
The
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company , also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State publ ...
also stops at
Melrose station, a local station on 162nd Street that is also served by the
Harlem Line.
[
]
Notable people
Notable current and former residents of Melrose include:
* B-Lovee (born 2000), drill rapper affiliated with the OGz group
* Louis F. Haffen (1854–1935), engineer and politician who was the first Bronx Borough President
* Sha EK (born 2003), drill artist affiliated with the OGz group[Major, Michael]
"Bronx Drill Star Sha Ek Releases New Single 'It's About Time'"
BroadwayWorld, March 31, 2023. Accessed January 2, 2024. "Born Chalim Perry to Honduran parents, Sha EK spent much of his upbringing observing the harsh realities of the Melrose section of the South Bronx."
References
External links
Mott Haven Herald
{{Bronx
Neighborhoods in the Bronx