Allerton, Bronx

Allerton is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the east Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. It consist of both the Bronxdale and Laconia neighborhoods. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East Gun Hill Road to the north, IRT Dyre Avenue Line to the east, Pelham Parkway south, and Bronx River Parkway to the west. White Plains Road is the primary thoroughfare through Allerton. The local subway is the 2 line; operating along White Plains Road. Zip codes include 10467. The area is patrolled by the 49th Precinct located at 2121 Eastchester Avenue in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.

History

Allerton Avenue was ethnically divided in the 1950s through the 1980s by a distinct separation of Jewish and Italian residents. Primarily a commercial avenue west of Laconia Avenue, the geographic boundary between the Jewish and Italians was Bronxwood Avenue and Boston Post Road. Bordering to the largely Jewish Pelham Parkway to the southern extreme of Williamsbridge, the area east of Boston Post Road was predominantly post-war immigrant Italian and to the west an older Jewish community. Mixed in were residents representing earlier 19th and 20th century migrations from Manhattan largely of Irish and English-Irish extraction. The arrival of West Indians in the 1980s marked the transition north of Allerton Avenue from a distincly Italian area to one West Indian. West of Bronxwood Avenue, the arrival of Dominicans concurrently marked the end of the Jewish community north of Allerton Avenue (Laconia). Today, the area south of Allerton Avenue and east of Bronxwood Avenue has a large population of Italian-Americans and Albanian-Americans, as well as Asians, Hispanics, West-Indians, and other groups.

Land use and terrain

Allerton is dominated by multi-unit homes of various types. There are also some tenements scattered across the neighborhood, primarily within five blocks of the El on White Plains Road. The total land area is roughly two square miles. The area is low laying and flat.

Demographics

Allerton has a population of almost 50,000. Bronxdale has a population over 20,000 and Laconia has a population under 25,000. The neighborhood is now predominantly Hispanic south of Allerton Avenue (Bronxdale) and Black north of Allerton Avenue (Laconia). A smaller longstanding Italian and immigrant Albanian population exist east of White Plains Road primarily in Bronxdale near Esplanade Avenue. The majority of residents rent. Under 20% of the population lives below the poverty line in Bronxdale while over 20% of the population lives below the poverty line in Laconia. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/lucds/bx11profile.pdf Bronx Community District 11] ]

ocial problems

Allerton 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. With this relocation many of the social problems commonly associated with those communities has come to Allerton. 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] ]

Urban renewal

Due to White flight some of the homes in the area have been left vacant. Many homes today are being rehabilitated and offered as rentals to the growing low income population found in the area.

ubsections

Bronxdale

Bronxdale is the southern half of Allerton. It has a population over 20,000. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Allerton Avenue to the north, Esplanade Avenue to the east, Pelham Parkway to the south, and the Bronx River Parkway to the west. Bronxdale includes the Pelham Parkway Houses and Boston Road Plaza.

Laconia

Laconia is the northern half of Allerton. It has a population under 25,000. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Adee to the north, Esplanade Avenue to the east, Allerton Avenue to the south, and the Bronx River Parkway to the west. Laconia includes the Eastchester and Parkside Houses.

chools

*PS 41: Gun Hill Road (Olinville Av and Rosewood St)
*PS 76: Bennington (Adee and Bronxwood Avs)
*PS 96: Richard Rodgers (Waring and Barker Avs)
*PS 89: Williamsbridge Middle School (Mace Ave and Williamsbridge Road)
*MS 135: Frank D. Whalen (Mace and Wallace Ave)
*Christopher Columbus High School (920 astor Ave.)

Transportation

*Bx8: to 225th St station or Locust Point (via Williamsbridge Rd)
*Bx25/26: to Lehman College or Co-op City (via Allerton Av)
*Bx39: to Gun Hill Rd station or Clason's Point (via White Plains Rd)
*Allerton Av station (IRT 2)
*Burke Av station (IRT 2)

Facts

There are four NYCHA developments located in Alleton. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/home/home.shtml NYCHA] ]
#Boston Road Plaza; one, 20-story building.
#Eastchester Gardens; ten buildings, 7 and 8-stories tall.
#Parkside Houses; 14 buildings, 6, 7, 14 and 15-stories tall.
#Pelham Parkway Houses; twenty-three, 6-story buildings.

References