Van Nest, Bronx

Van Nest is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the east Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting from the east and moving clockwise are: Bronxdale Avenue to the east, the Amtrak tracks to the south, and the Bronx ZooWildlife Conservation Society to the west and Rhinelander Ave to the north. Morris Park Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Van Nest. The local subway is the IRT White Plains Road Line operating along Birchall Avenue. The IRT Dyre Avenue Line occupies the old right of way of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, which stopped running in 1938. Zip codes include 10460 and 10462. The area is patrolled by the 49th Precinct located at 2121 Eastchester Avenue in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.

History

Van Nest was once predominantly White non-Hispanic.

Land use and architecture

Van Nest is dominated by single family homes of various types. There are also some tenements scattered across the neighborhood. The total land area is roughly one square mile. The area is low laying and flat. There are a great many varieties of architectural styles througout Van Nest itself. Since Van Nest was started as a residential community in 1893, some major styles Italianiate, Queen Anne, ArtDeco and contemporary brick and mortar are quite common.

Demographics

Van Nest has a population under 15,000. The neighborhood has a concentration of Puerto Ricans and also contains a significant African American population. A small longstanding Italian and Albanian 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. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/bx11profile.pdf Bronx Community District 11] ]

ocial 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. With this relocation many of the social problems commonly associated with those communities has come to Van Nest. Drug trafficking, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, violent crime including gang activity. [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs049pct.pdf 49th Precinct CompStat Report] ] However, Van Nest being roughly one square mile is but one neighborhood within the confines of the entire 49th Precinct.

Transportation

*Bx21: to Westchester Square station or Third Avenue–138th Street station (via Boston Road / Morris Park Avenue)
*Bx22: to Bronx High School of Science or Castle Hill (via Fordham Road) / Castle Hill Avenue)
*Bx39: to Gun Hill Road station or Clason's Point (via White Plains Road)
*Bronx Park East station (NYCS White Plains north)

Notable natives

*Television personality Regis Philbin is technically from Bronxdale. However, growing up he did spend much of his time in the Van Nest neighborhood considering he attended Our Lady of Solace School on Morris Park and Holland Avenues. The block of Cruger Avenue on which he lived has been renamed in his honor. Famous artist and sculptor Carl Paul Jennewein had his studio on Van Nest Avenue from 1928 until the time of his death in 1978.

References