Morrisania ( ) is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern

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 ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Its boundaries are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 163rd Street to the south, and Webster Avenue to the west. Third Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Morrisania. The name derives from the Manor of Morrisania, the estate of the powerful and aristocratic Morris family, who at one time owned most of the Bronx as well as much of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The family includes

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

, 4th Lord of the Manor and signatory to the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

, and

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the ...

, the penman of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

. Both are buried in the crypt at St. Ann's Church of Morrisania. Today the name is most commonly associated with the neighborhood of Morrisania, which is only a small corner of the original Morrisania. Morrisania is part of Bronx Community Board 3, and its ZIP Codes include 10456 and 10459. The area is patrolled by the NYPD's 42nd Precinct. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue in the Melrose section of the Bronx.

History

From 1644 to the early 20th century, the land of the neighborhood was the estate of the Morris family in

Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...

. In 1790,

, owner of the estate and signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

, proposed the land as the site of the federal capital. The area was sparsely populated until 1840, when Gouverneur Morris Jr., son of the famous congressional delegate and nephew of Lewis, allowed a railroad to be built across the property. In 1848, he sold the land next to the line for the development of a new settlement called the Village of Morrisania. In 1855, additional settlements along the rail line became the Town of Morrisania (with its own police force), with its political center in the original 1840 village (which was eventually incorporated in 1864). At first, the village was an early forerunner of today's bedroom communities, populated by people who worked in

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 ...

, but it quickly developed its own local industries and craftsmen as it developed into a full-fledged town. In 1874, the area was annexed to New York City (then consisting only of

) as part of the Twenty-Third Ward. In 1887, the Third Avenue Elevated was extended to the area to provide easy and quick access to and from Manhattan. By the time the

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 ...

was extended to the area in 1904, a large influx of European immigrants had given the neighborhood an urban character, with a high concentration of tenement buildings replacing houses as the dominant form of dwelling. History of Art for Beginners Vol 3 Architecture 131

History of Art for Beginners Vol 3 Architecture 131

In the 1950s along with changing demographics,

Robert Moses Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid-20th century. Moses is regarded as one of the most powerful and influentia ...

destroyed various tenements in favor of a colony of public housing. After the construction of the Cross-Bronx Expressway, the poverty that East Tremont suffered spread into Morrisania. As a result, and also due to the aggressive 1968

Program for Action Metropolitan Transportation: A Program for Action, also known as simply the Program for Action, the Grand Design, or the New Routes Program, was a proposal in the mid-1960s for a large expansion of mass transit in New York City, created under t ...

, the Third Avenue El closed in 1973. During this time period, a wave of arson destroyed or damaged many of the residential, commercial, and industrial structures in the area. Many social problems associated with poverty, from crime to drug addiction, have plagued the area for some time. Despite crime declines versus their peaks during the crack and heroin epidemics, violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the community. Morrisania has significantly higher drop-out rates and incidents of violence in its schools. Other problems in local schools include low test scores and high truancy rates. Drug addiction is also a serious problem in the community. Due to the lucrative drug trade in the area, many addicts reside in the community. Peer pressure among children who come from broken homes contributes to the high rate of usage. Many households in the area are headed by single mothers, which contributes to the high poverty rate. Single parent homes often have a harder time providing at the same level as two-parent homes. Many of the families living in Morrisania have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high. Morrisania is home to a significant number of inmates currently held in New York state prison and jail facilities. After a wave of arson ravaged the low-income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s, most of the residential structures in Morrisania were left seriously damaged or destroyed. The city began to rehabilitate many formally abandoned tenement-style apartment buildings and designate them low-income housing beginning in the late 1970s. Also many subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and newly constructed apartment buildings have been or are being built on vacant lots across the neighborhood.

Demographics

Morrisania is a low-income neighborhood that predominantly consists 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 Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Morrisania was 37,865, a change of 8,068 (21.3%) from the 29,797 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 -

Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 1.4% (523)

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 ...

, 38.4% (14,531)

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% (94) Native American, 0.5% (205) 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 ...

, 0.3% (127) from other races, and 0.9% (339) 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 58.2% (22,035) of the population.Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
Population Division -

Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016. The entirety of Community District 3, which comprises Morrisania and Crotona Park East, had 91,601 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 76.2 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: 29% are between the ages of between 0–17, 29% between 25–44, and 21% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 12% and 9% respectively. As of 2017, the median

household income Household income is a measure of income received by the household sector. It includes every form of cash income, e.g., salaries and wages, retirement income, investment income and cash transfers from the government. It may include near-cash gover ...

in Community Districts 3 and 6, including Tremont and Belmont, was $25,972. In 2018, an estimated 31% of Morrisania and Crotona Park East residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in six residents (16%) 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 60% in Morrisania and Crotona Park East, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Morrisania and Crotona Park East are

gentrifying Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has been us ...

Land use and terrain

Morrisania is dominated by public housing complexes of various types, vacant lots, and tenement buildings. Most of the original housing stock which consisted of older multi-unit homes and tenements was structurally damaged by arson and eventually razed by the city. The total land area is over a square mile. The terrain is somewhat hilly.

Morris High School Historic District

The landmark Morris High School Historic District is north of the Forest Houses. The two square blocks between Boston Road, Forest Avenue, and East 166th Street have Morris High School and adjacent brownstones.

Clay Avenue Historic District

The Clay Avenue Historic District consists of two blockfronts on Clay Avenue between 165th and 166th Streets. The district retains a well-preserved architectural character dating back to early urban development in the Bronx consisting of

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

forms and

neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

motifs. Prior to being developed as a residential avenue, Clay Avenue had been part of Fleetwood Park Racetrack, a horse trotting track used by the New York Driving Club.

Public housing developments

Park Av 168 St sun Webster Houses NYCHA jeh

Twenty NYCHA developments are located in Morrisania: * 1162-1176 Washington Avenue; one rehabilitated 6-story tenement building * Butler Houses; six 21-story buildings * Claremont Parkway-Franklin Avenue Area; three buildings, 3 and 7 stories tall * Davidson Houses; one 8-story building * Eagle Avenue-East 163rd Street; one 6-story building * Forest Houses; fifteen buildings, 9, 10, and 14 stories tall * Franklin Avenue I (Conventional); three rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 stories tall * Franklin Avenue I M.H.O.P. (Multi-Family Homeownership Program); two rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 stories tall * Franklin Avenue II (Conventional); three rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 stories tall * Franklin Avenue III (Conventional); one 5-story rehabilitated tenement building * Franklin Avenue III M.H.O.P. (Multi-Family Homeownership Program); three rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 stories tall * Jennings Street M.H.O.P. (Multi-Family Homeownership Program); three rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 stories tall * McKinley Houses; five 16-story buildings * Morris I; ten buildings, 16 and 20 stories tall * Morris II; seven buildings, 16 and 20 stories tall * Morrisania Air Rights; two 16-story buildings * PSS Grandparent; one 6-story building * Union Avenue-East 163rd Street; one nine-story building * Union Avenue-East 166th Street; six 3-story buildings * Webster Houses; five 21-story buildings

Police and crime

Morrisania and Crotona Park East are patrolled by the 42nd Precinct of the

NYPD 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 ...

, located at 830 Washington Avenue. The 42nd Precinct ranked 45th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010. , with a non-fatal assault rate of 161 per 100,000 people, Morrisania and Crotona Park East'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 1,243 per 100,000 people is higher than that of the city as a whole. The 42nd Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories have decreased by 63.3% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported 7 murders, 44 rapes, 437 robberies, 672 felony assaults, 314 burglaries, 515 grand larcenies, and 293 grand larcenies auto in 2022.

Fire safety

Morrisania 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. 50/Ladder Co. 19/Battalion 26 is located at 1155 Washington Avenue, while Rescue 3 is located at 1655 Washington Avenue. In addition, FDNY EMS Station 26 is located at 1264 Boston Road.

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 Morrisania and Crotona Park East than in other places citywide. In Morrisania and Crotona Park East, there were 107 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 35.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Morrisania and Crotona Park East has a relatively average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 12%, equal to the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of

air pollutant Air pollution is the presence of substances in the air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be gases like ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles like soot and dust. It affects both outdoor ...

, in Morrisania and Crotona Park East is , more than the city average. Sixteen percent of Morrisania and Crotona Park East residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Morrisania and Crotona Park East, 36% of residents are

obese Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classified as obese when ...

, 22% are

diabetic Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, and 32% 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, 20% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Eighty-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is less than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 69% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", lower than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Morrisania and Crotona Park East, there are 10 bodegas. The nearest hospitals are NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in Melrose and Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in Claremont.

Post offices and ZIP Codes

Morrisania is mostly covered by the ZIP Codes 10456, although the southern edge of the neighborhood is part of 10451 and the northernmost several blocks are part of 10457. 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 Morrisania: * Melcourt Station – 860 Melrose Avenue * Morrisania Station – 442 East 167th Street * Hub Station – 633 St. Ann's Avenue

Education

Morrisania and Crotona Park East generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . While 19% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 36% have less than a high school education and 45% 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 Morrisania and Crotona Park East students excelling in math rose from 19% in 2000 to 41% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 28% to 32% during the same time period. Morrisania and Crotona Park East's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Morrisania and Crotona Park East, 34% 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, 63% of high school students in Morrisania and Crotona Park East graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.

Schools

Public schools include: * PS 2/63: Morrisania (East 169th Street and Franklin Avenue) * PS/MS 4: Crotona Park West (East 173rd Street and Fulton Avenue) * PS 42: Claremont Village (Claremont Parkway and Washington Avenue) * PS 35: Franz Siegel (East 163 Street and Grant Avenue) * PS 88: Morrisania (Sheridan Ave and Marcy Place) * PS 90: George Meany (McClellan and Sheridan Avenue) * PS 53: Basheer Quisim School (East 168th Street) * PS 55: Benjamin Franklin (St. Paul's Place and Washington Avenue) * PS 110: Theodore Schoenfield (Crotona Park South and Fulton Avenue) * PS 132: Garrett A. Morgan (East 168th Street and Washington Avenue) * PS 140: Eagle (East 163rd Street and Eagle Avenue) * PS 146: Edward "Pops" Collins (East 164th Street and Cauldwell Avenue) * PS 186: Walter J. Damrosch Day Treatment Center (Jennings Street and Union Avenue) * PS 198:(East 168th Street and Tinton Avenue) * PS/MS 212: Theodore Gathings (Home Street and Union Avenue) * PS 463-Urban Scholars Community School * MS 128: Mott Hall III (St. Paul's Place and Washington Avenue) ccupying the 5th & 6th floor of the Benjamin Franklin School* MS 145:

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

(East 165th Street and Teller Avenue) * MS 219: Charles Richard Drew (East 169th Street and Third Avenue) * MS 301: Paul Laurence Dunbar (East 161st Street and Cauldwell Avenue) * MS 313/339: Diana Sands (East 172nd Street and Webster Avenue) * Morris High School (East 166th Street and Boston Road) * Jane Addams High School (East 161st Street and Tinton Avenue) * Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics (East 169th Street and Fulton Avenue) * Eximius College Preparatory Academy (East 169th Street and Fulton Avenue) * Bathgate High School Campus (Claremont Parkway and Bathgate Avenue) * Success Academy Bronx 3, a K–2

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

* The Eagle Academy for Young Men (East 176th Street and Third 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 Morrisania branch at 610 East 169th Street. The branch, a Carnegie library, opened in 1908 and was designed by Babb, Cook & Willard. Another branch, the Grand Concourse branch, is located at 155 East 173rd Street. The branch is a two-story structure that opened in 1959.

Transportation

There are no

stations in Morrisania, though several bus routes connect with subway stations. 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 Morrisania: * and Bx6 SBS: to Hunts Point or Riverside Drive in Washington Heights (via 161st and 163rd Streets) * : to Parkchester station () or

George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter Bus station, bus terminal at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights, Manhattan, Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The bus stati ...

(via 170th Street, Claremont Parkway, 174th Street) * : to Fordham Plaza or The Hub (via

Third Avenue Third Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, as well as in the center portion of the Bronx. Its southern end is at Astor Place and St. Mark's Place. It transitions into Cooper Square ...

) * : to Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue () or Third Avenue–138th Street () (via Boston Road–Morris Park Avenue) * : to Crotona Park East or

(via 167th Street) * and Bx41 SBS: to Gun Hill Road () or Third Avenue–149th Street () (via Webster Avenue)

Notable people

Iran Barkley Iran Barkley (; born May 6, 1960) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held triple champion, world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Council, WBC middleweight title from 1988 ...

, a former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999, uncle of NFL star

Saquon Barkley Saquon Rasul Quevis Barkley ( ; born February 9, 1997) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany ...

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

(1929–2006), percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican ancestry''Morrisania: The Bronx; Neighborhood Arts and Cultural Inventory''

. Accessed April 7, 2021. * Eric Burroughs (1911–1992), stage and radio actor. *

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, he came to prominence upon discover ...

, rapper, was raised on 163rd and Rogers Place, a mural stands in his honor on the street. *

Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the ...

, rap group, KRS-1 was discovered at homeless shelter at the Morrisania Armory on 166th Street and Franklin Avenue by

Scott LaRock Scott Monroe Sterling (March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987), known by the stage name DJ Scott La Rock, was an American hip-hop disc jockey and music producer from the Bronx, New York. He was a founding member of the East Coast hip hop group Boog ...

who was a social worker there * Geoffrey Canada (born 1952), educator, social activist, and author, founder and president of the Harlem Children’s Zone, grew up on Union Avenue * Coko, lead singer of R&B group SWV, raised in Forest Houses *

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

, jazz composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist * Diamond D, rapper and boom bap producer from Forest Houses, founding member of

Diggin' in the Crates Crew The Diggin' in the Crates Crew, commonly known as D.I.T.C., is an American hip hop collective formed in 1992 in New York City. The collective's name derives from the act of seeking out records to sample for production. The collective is compo ...

* Gloria Davis (born 1938), politician who served in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

. * Estella B. Diggs (1916–2013), a politician who served in the

. *

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

(born 1970), a rapper from Forest Houses. *

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Robert Saddler (born January 1, 1958), known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is a Barbadian-American musician and DJ. He created a DJ technique called the Quick Mix Theory. This technique serviced the break-dancer and the rapper by el ...

, hip-hop DJ considered to be one of the pioneers of scratching, cutting, and mixing and the leader of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, grew up Fox Street right off 163rd * Lord Finesse, a rapper from Forest Houses * Vincent Harding (1931-2014), pastor and historian, best known for his works on

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

* Elmo Hope, jazz pianist, composer, and arranger best known for his work in the

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

and

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

genres, grew up on Lyman Place *

Keef Cowboy Robert Keith Wiggins (September 20, 1960 – September 8, 1989), known by his stage names Keef Cowboy and Cowboy was an American rapper and a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He is widely credited as having invented the term "hip ...

, dancer and hypeman known as a pioneer in the "call and response" style credited with coining the term "hip-hop", from Prospect Avenue *

Edward Stanley Kellogg Edward Stanley Kellogg (August 20, 1870 – January 8, 1948) was a United States Navy Captain (United States)#U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Captain who served as the ...

(1870–1948), 16th

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of Governor (United States), governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government o ...

. *

Cuban Link Felix Delgado (born December 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban-American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discovery by fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe and m ...

, rapper was raised on Prospect Avenue * Orlando Marin, Latin jazz and mambo bandleader and timbales player *

Melle Mel Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961), better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel or simply Melle Mel (), is an American rapper who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Career Glover began per ...

, rapper and lead vocalist of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five * Jimmy Merchant (born 1940), doo-wop first tenor member of

The Teenagers The Teenagers were an American music group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed. The group, which made its most popular recordings with young Frankie Lymon as lead ...

(1726–1798), chief justice of New York and British governor of New Jersey, was the first lord of the manor of Morrisania in New York City, signed the

. *

(1752–1816), statesman who wrote the

Preamble to the United States Constitution The Preamble to the United States Constitution, beginning with the words We the People, is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. Courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of ...

. * The Kidd Creole, member of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and brother of Melle Mel * The Wrens, a doo-wop group were raised in Morrisania and attended Morris High School where they formed the group. * Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, Latin jazz, soul, and R&B group * The Chords, doo-wop group * The Chantels, pop, doo-wop, and rock and roll group * Lillian Leach, doo-wop singer and lead vocalist of the group The Mellows *

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

, jazz pianist and composer, lived on Lyman Place for some years *

Charlie Palmieri Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri (November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988) was an American bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards". Early years Palmieri's parents migrated to New York from P ...

, renowned bandleader and musical director of salsa music *

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. ...

, Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer *

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...

, politician, diplomat, and retired four-star general who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. Powell was the first African-American Secretary of State., grew up on Kelly Street and attended Morris High School * Desi Rodriguez, basketball player, grew up on Washington Avenue * Tito Rodriguez, mambo, chacha, bolero, pachanga, cha cha cha, and guaracha bandleader and singer, lived on Rogers Place * Mongo Santamaria, Afro-Cuban percussionist and bandleader *

Romeo Santos Anthony "Romeo" Santos (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who is best known as the frontman and lead vocalist of the Bachata (music), bachata group Aventura (band), Aventura. In 2002, the song "Obsesión ...

, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and the lead vocalist of the bachata band Aventura, grew up near Boston Road and attended Morris High School * Showbiz, rapper and producer from Forest Houses and one half of duo Showbiz & AG * Maxine Sullivan, jazz vocalist and performer, lived on Ritter Place *

Helen Rand Thayer Helen Chadwick Thayer ( Rand; October 3, 1863 – April 14, 1935) was an American suffragist and social reformer. A pioneer in the settlement movement era, she was a co-founder and president of the College Settlements Association (CSA). She was an ...

(1863-1935), suffragist and social reformer *

Frederick Trump Frederick Trump (born Friedrich Trump; ; March 14, 1869 – May 30, 1918) was a German-American businessman. He was the patriarch of the Trump family and the paternal grandfather of the 45th and 47th U.S. president, Donald Trump. Born and rais ...

(1869–1918), grandfather of the 45th president of the United States

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

lived at 1006 Westchester Avenue in the then German-speaking Morrisania with his wife Elizabeth and their family. * Elsie Washington, novelist * Xtreme,

bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a musical genre which originated in the Dominican Republic ** Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music ** Bachata (dance), a dance form * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bach ...

duo, grew up on East 169th Street * Jerry Jemmott, Grammy Award-winning musician/composer

References

External links

*
Morrisania in Forgotten NY
{{Authority control Former towns in New York City Former villages in New York City Neighborhoods in the Bronx 1855 establishments in New York (state)