Gruesome attack caught on tape in University Heights (New York, York: high crime, neighborhoods)

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by rlrl

at Bronx Community College 9 years ago (even though I'm in Riverdale!), I always parked on Hall Of Fame terrace (181 street) or the street coming off of 181st (Andrews or Loring Pl right near a college building) and walked back to my car at night and never felt threatened. My route was always to take either University Ave, Loring or Andrews off Fordham rd down to 181st and the bldgs seemed decent and reasonably clean. Actually University between Fordham and 181st seemed cleaner than University north of Fordham(severely faded out buildings). So Mario, was this accurate, is it any better over by the college?

From my experience, there were alot of cars getting broken into on Hall of Fame, Andrews and especially University right across the street from the college. My father never parks on the University side, and the one time he did, they stoled books that he had. The last few cars parked on Andrews, were always broken into and so were the ones on Hall of Fame. It happened on Loring a little less. But at one point it was an epidemic. That area is a little isolated, especially at night so the thiefs were out in full force.

I would disagree with your assesment of University a little bit. From 181st to 183rd it is mostly private homes. But the block from 183rd to Fordham has always been a hot spot. Especially at night. I have read alot of past articles on criminals and the majority of them from University Heights were from that University block. The buildings themselves are ok, although the smaller tenements nearer to Fordham look a bit too run down. The first buidling on University past Fordham was rehabbed. The few one's after that have alot of graffiti. But after that it's the same. You have to remember that Fordham rd attracts alot of foot traffic, therefore it's going to be more run down as you approach Fordham.

As for Andrews avenue, the section near Fordham rd by the grocery is IMO one of the worst areas in University Heights. It improves as you go towards 183rd, but the buildings on that corner were rehabbed and the two houses there were abandoned. Andrews ave from Fordham to 181st had alot of vacant lots too...I dont know if you noticed them or not. Now they have built a rehab center for abused women, a presbyterian church and in 1997 they built PS 291/MS 15. But the block of Andrews from 183rd to HOF, it's mostly private homes and a school.

Loring place is similar to Andrews. Again there is alot of life towards Fordham rd. And they had a huge gut renovation of a buidling there and made it into a senior housing center. There is a boarded up house there too. But those blocks have always been bad.

So to sum it up, I think University ave above and below Fordham are really the same. A bit more crime comes in the block under Fordham but phisically they are the same. More abandonement and decay were felt on mroe isolated blocks like Andrews and Loring. But the buidlings in general stayed up, except for a fee arson fires here and there. However University avenue was destroyed below Burnside and down to the Cross Bronx.

If you go to BCC, your immediate area is not dangerous. But go down 181st, and go past 183rd on any block and you're in real danger. In fact the only street not that bad there is W 179th. Mostly all private homes. The area is awful.

You know what has a lot of crime, Kingsbridge Hts between Kingsbridge rd and the reservoir, by University, Webb, Claflin and 195th, 197th, I'm always reading in the papers of push in robberies, assaults and in the little parks like Fort Four park people getting mugged, i suppose it's relatively quiet over there so that's why it's so bad?

Yeah....but keep in mind that it may be alot of crime relative to Kingsbridge Heights. Put those blocks in University Heights and they would'nt stand out as much. But yeah, those are easily the worst parts of Kingsbridge Heights and sketchy indeed.

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by analyticalkeys

Not just that, but there's plenty of colleges in, and out of New York that are in terrible areas.

Yeah the area in the proximity of City College isn't so hot.

[Shizzles]

I live in Philly now but used to live in NYC:


Would you say that the West Bronx is acutally safer below the Cross-Bronx than above it. I always heard that the initial decline was analogious to a tidal wave, with Mott Haven being the first to fall, then Melrose/Highbridge, then Morrisana/Hunts Point, then Tremont/University, Then Fordham...

So like a tusnami, has the worst passed along the 170s/160s along the West Bronx?

[girls1]

This is so scary.

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

I live in Philly now but used to live in NYC:


Would you say that the West Bronx is acutally safer below the Cross-Bronx than above it. I always heard that the initial decline was analogious to a tidal wave, with Mott Haven being the first to fall, then Melrose/Highbridge, then Morrisana/Hunts Point, then Tremont/University, Then Fordham...

So like a tusnami, has the worst passed along the 170s/160s along the West Bronx?

I wouldn't say that. Highbridge is as bad a neighborhood as Morris Heights and University Heights. Yes, thats how it happened. I know University Heights and Fordham declined in 1979. Morris Heights and Tremont in 1978, and Highbridge and Concourse in 1976-1977. Hunts Point was done by 1971 and Mott Haven shortly after. It's trivial to say which is worse, crime stats for the west Bronx has them all virtually equal.

[rlrl]

on TV about that terrible tragedy where those 2 people fell off the roof to their deaths in the Parkchester area

On TV they showed a Gleason Avenue tenement with top floor windows charred out. Is that area getting bombed out too? A few times i was over in that W. Farms/Van Nest area and saw a house or 2 burned out(Merill/mansion Street between the X Bronx and Tremont).

[SeventhFloor]

davidson avenue is a crappy block. i wouldnt walk there day or night. its too crowded and intimidating for my taste. and forget about parking on that block.

[sobrodude]

This is a very sad event indeed. The Bronx takes 2 steps forward and then is knocked back one step (in this case maybe three steps) when something like this happens. But to say that this is normal or expected anywhere in the city is not true, and it is making news because it is so extreme and unusual. I certainly do not argue that alot of the central Bronx unfortunately is still not making the changes that other parts of the Bronx have enjoyed, with University Heights, Morris Heights, Tremont, Mount Hope, etc being shining examples of areas that are still suffering. However, it should be noted that the Bronx IS changing and improving, but yes all areas of the city still have crime, in fact there have been numerous robberies in the upper east side lately...so it affects us all. This particular crime was quite bad and just reaffirms the "old Bronx" stereotype, and does a great disservice to all the good people who have done so much to make the Bronx a better place to live. Unfortunately it only takes one bad apple to spoil a bunch, and we will now all be lumped together (as usual) as a borough of filth and animals because of this one horrendous crime. Do not be deterred however, as this is not the norm in the Bronx, it is a violent crime that has the community outraged, and rightly so..and these animals will be caught and imprisoned where they belong. Of course we will likely get the same song and dance of "they were such good kids/angles/we don't know what went wrong" but the reality is these are very BAD kids, from very BAD parents, who lived only around very BAD people.

[The El]

Wow. This brings backs memories. I was born and raised on 190th and Davidson. A couple years ago some people I met living in the Bronx mentioned that place as being "hot", but I couldn't believe them. SuperMario described that area perfectly. After the first building on Davidson heading towards Kingbridge, the rest are all private houses.

The actual intersection of 190th and Davidson is all buildings. 30 years ago kids played skellseys (sp?) right on the street. To get to the Mcdonalds on Fordham, we used to take Jerome or Grand, instead of Davidson. If we were brave, we'd just stick to the right side of that block.

About 12 years ago I was sitting on my steps one night when I saw a man walking on Davidson towards Kingsbridge. About 15 seconds behind him was a group of really young boys (13 to 15). Anyone watching knew what was about to go down. Unfortunately, he had no idea, so less than a minute later, the boys are running back towards 190th with whatever they took from him.

Anyone go to PS 261? Man, this brings back memories. When I was a kid, we used to buy candy at the cornerstore, until the owner was shot during a robbery.

It seems like this is a huge neighborhood, but 190th and Davidson can be walked through in about two minutes. It is that small. I can't believe it has become that infamous, especially with the size of the Bronx. I'd love to hear from those who've lived there.

[sobrodude]

It isn't infamous...it is just a very bad block. It is in the news right now because of what has recently occurred, otherwise it is just your typical poor, high-crime/drug area...there is nothing infamous or notable besides that.