West Farms, Bronx

West Farms is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the west Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 6. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Bronx Park to the north, the Bronx River Parkway to the east, the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the south, and the Southern Blvd to the west. East Tremont Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through West Farms. The local subway is the IRT White Plains Road Line (NYCS White Plains local) at West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue (IRT White Plains Road Line), operating along Boston Road. Zip codes include 10460. The area is patrolled by the 48th Precinct located at 450 Cross Bronx Expressway in East Tremont. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.

Demographics

West Farms has a population over 20,000. For decades West Farms has been one of the poorest communities in America. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (AFDC, Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). West Farms has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in all of New York City. The vast majority of households are renter occupied. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/bx6profile.pdf Bronx Community District 6] ]

Land use and terrain

West Farms is dominated by 5 and 6-story tenement buildings, older multi-unit homes, vacant lots, and newly constructed subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and apartment buildings. Most of the original housing stock was structurally damaged by arson and eventually razed by the city. The total land area is less than one square mile. The terrain is somewhat hilly.

West Farms Bus Depot

The West Farms Bus Depot is located along East 177th Street next to a terminated Sheridan Expressway. Opened on September 7, 2003 on the site of the former Coliseum Depot . [http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffhist.htm New York City Transit - History and Chronology] , accessed March 12, 2007]

Low income public housing projects

*There is one NYCHA development located in West Farms. [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/home/home.shtml NYCHA] ]
#1010 East 178th Street; a 21-story building.

ocial problems

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. [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs048pct.pdf 48th Precinct CompStat Report] ] West Farms has significantly higher drop out rates and incidents of violence in its schools. [http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20060320/202/1792 NYC Dropout Rates] ] Students must pass through metal detectors and swipe ID cards to enter the buildings. Reminiscent a prison environment which many feel encourages bad behavior. 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 addicted 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 a single mother which contributes to the high poverty rate. [ [http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/deannss/bronxdatactr/discover/bxtext.htm Bronx Census Data Analysis] ] Many of whom had their children at a very young age and unfortunately could not provide for their children. Many of the families living in West Farms have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high. [ [http://www.wnyc.org/blog/lehrer/archives/archive/NYC%20Analysis-9%20copy2.gifNYC Prison Expenditure] ] Many if not most males in the community have been arrested at some point in their lives. This has a direct correlation to aggressive policing tactics including "sweeps" due to the area's high crime rate. West Farms is home to a significant number of inmates currently held in New York state prison and jail facilities.

Urban renewal

After a wave of arson ravaged the low income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s, most residential structures in West Farms 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 across the neighborhood.

chools

*PS 6: West Farms (East Tremont and Bryant Avenues)
*PS 67: Mohegan (East 178th Street and Mohegan Avenue)
*MS 214: Lorraine Hansberry (West Farms Road and East Tremont Avenue)
*Wings Academy (East 180th Street and Bronx Park Avenue)

Transportation

*Bx9: to Riverdale (via Kingsbridge Road)
*Bx21: to Westchester Square station or Third Avenue–138th Street station (via Boston Road)
*Bx36 to Castle Hill or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via 180th Street)
*Bx40/42: to Throgs Neck or Morris Heights (via Tremont–Burnside Avs)
*Q44: to Jamaica (via Main Street)
*West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue station (NYCS White Plains local)
*East 180th Street station (NYCS White Plains local)

Facts

*This particular neighborhood is known for its illegal sex trade, primarily street level prostitution.
*West Farms is often considered part of the socioeconomic South Bronx.

References