Bronx area - Fordham/Kingsbridge (Cortland, Bedford: real estate, budget, zoned)

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by megalon

First time poster but read up on the entire thread and a few similar ones.

Some quick background info: I'm in my early 20s and have lived in the Bronx since 1990. Hustla presents his info strongly and to some he may come off as extreme (I certainly think so a bit), but he's pretty much correct. I grew up in the Kingsbridge area closer to the 1 train, then the Kingsbridge/Fordham area, then Allerton and now reside west of Parkchester near Tremont. I've worked here and I've been around. Allerton was slightly better than the rest, but it all feels like the same. A nice building here, a night block there, but among block after block after block of really messed up areas. I'm just one person, I did not hang out on the streets. Finished with college, starting up my career and ready to move on and yet I've witnessed more people robbed, stabbed, shot, killed, or messed up on hardcore drugs than is normal for what some of you claim to be an "up and coming area." Basically, I'm not very street-smart but I'm also far from naive.

You might not see or encounter what Hustla speaks about, but it may get you one day and it has friends of mine growing up. You are far from immune just because you don't notice it, because your area is "okay," because you don't socialize with thugs, hang out on the street or aren't out late at night. Just the other day some naive yuppie had her iPod out, got annoyed at a group of loud ignorant kids distracting her from studying and scolded them. They harrassed her for a while then stole her ipod, getting off at Simpson St on the 5 train. She feebly went after them as if she could successfully chase them down in that mess of an area or have anyone help her for her stupidity. (note: I'm not saying she deserved what happened to her, but she should've been smarter than that and could've prevented it in the first place).

I've had a few friends beaten up and mugged in and around Saint James Park, which is a few blocks below Bedford. That's also the area where all the recent attacks mentioned in that news story are happening. I used to play handball in that area in my late teens fully aware that any day I could be jumped by any of the several gangs that hang out in the area. I dressed bummy for handball and carried only a few dollars and fit in so luckily it didn't happen.

Castle Hill is terrible. A coworker's brother (both good people who don't look for trouble) was beaten for his cellphone. Same for a coworker's friend carrying a PSP. There's a "park" (courts) not too far off the train where I once saw numerous shady guys. A friend confirmed Latin Kings sometimes meet up there in large numbers. Where I live west of Parkchester, it always seems like I just missed a crime in the area, what with the cop cars and an ambulance a short distance away.

Btw, on Harlem proper.. it's infected with crack addicts and Bloods are everywhere. Gentrified? Not for a very long time. My East Harlem worksite was temporarily closed and I relocated to another in West Harlem. I was only there for a short time recently and what someone said about the area in around 125th and Lex is completely correct. Hideous every time I've been there.

If you know anyone who is on the inside of the bad side to inform you, you would know just how many innocent bystanders get caught up in this. Gang initiations, for example, often involve innocent people getting stabbed, robbed or simply beaten up.

That article about Bedford moving up is more biased than Hustla could possibly be. The real estate sector has a lot to gain by hyping up areas with an abundance of vacant housing in awful neighborhoods or in areas where new construction is being built. You're reading an advertisement, not an accurate news story. It's no conspiracy. It's business. Newspapers, appraisers, real estate agents, speculators are in on it. They're pushing overpriced homes to sell to naive buyers in the housing bubble that increasing evidence says we're in. And another thing, much of the new construction and "revitalization" in the Bronx are cheap, multi-family homes built by migrant workers, for sale to low-income minorities with loans they can't afford. There are people who think the existing old buildings in the Bx are ugly... all these new houses popping up are more $hit-looking than any existing buildings here, save the completely rundown ones. I've read time and time again that jobs and employment may be on the rise, but that these are very low-skill work, particularly in retail and fast food.

The simple truth is that the Bronx was once intolerably bad and now it's just plain bad.

Good post and I agree.

Originally Posted by NooYowkur81

Good post Megalon. Pretty right on. I've had pretty much the same life you described. I sometimes think how lucky I have been to have made it all these years living in rough areas with only minor bumps and scratches.

I will point out though that a lot of what you described could have been avoided by some of your friends and that dumb woman on the 5 train. Keep your cellphone in your pocket or clip (don't take a call out on the street unless you really have to,especially at night), and don't walk around on the street with an Ipod plainly visible. And for god sakes don't provoke people looking for trouble.

I think you were a bit harsh in your assessment of Harlem. A lot of East Harlem is very rough, I'll be the first to admit it. But the rest of Harlem isn't as bad for the most part. My parents still live in the "Hamilton Heights," area, I see crack heads here and there but I wouldn't say its infested. I just don't want people to think all of Harlem is like what you described, because it's a bit unfair. And actually a lot of Harlem already is gentrified (especially the areas with brownstones) so I don't know what you mean by saying its not going to be gentrified any time soon. Is Harlem going to be the next Williamsburg or LES? No probably not. I don't think the gentrification in Harlem will ever get to that extreme.

I think there is a hope for the BX. I don't like to be such a pessimist. I think some areas really have a chance to turn around.

You can't avoid that. **** happens. And with an attitude like some have on this site, you make easy targets. Not a care in the world since the TV, real estate, and mayor tell you the city is safe. You live in the hood, chances are things will happen to you. Unless you hide in your room at all times.

As for Harlem she is on point. Harlem may have some gentrification but again most of that population ain't going no where. And most of that population ain't gentrifyers either. They are what gentrification hopes to push out. Thanks to low income housing, that won't happen. NYCHA is not the only low income housing program in NYC. One of many. Tonight 4 people got shot across Harlem. 1 dead. It's not going to get any better unless a huge swath of the population is displaced.

Originally Posted by Freak

That's the only way I'd agree to your statememnt.

Obviously, you've never been in Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Country Club, or to an extent Woodlawn, where crimes occur as much as dogs tap dance.

You're living by tremont, one of the worst areas in the Bronx (I went to middle school in the areas 7 years ago when I was in grades 6-8 and it is total sh*t). If you lived up here, you'd have different opinions. I don't think there are any gangs up here. I look out the window and I see people coming home from work at 2 AM, with their IPods on. There is no DDP. No Triniatario. None of those comical-street gangs around the area. Knowing the people here, I'd say the minute a person up here sees a group of Dominicans yelling out loud around midnight, or dressed in certain colors, they'd call the police and have them arrested.

By the way, I drove through Bedford yesterday. What Hustla said was almost correct. It's not Compton bad, or cop shooting bad, but it is a bit dirtier than it was just last year and I saw a bit more graffiti. I'd assume crime happens in such an area, although I'm not too sure.

She never mentioned any of those areas (Riverdale, Woodlawn, ect). But if you want Trintario, DDP or any kind of gangs, walk a few blocks south or west over the Pkwy from where you live. You will find more then enough.

As for Compton have you ever been to Compton? Knox Place, Hull Ave, ect. These blocks can easily fit into any high crime neighborhood, right there in Bedford Park. Drug infested tenement blocks. Difference is Bedford Park has some decent streets left with houses, but I don't know how long those areas have left.

[rlrl]

on E 201 street from Webster to Bainbridge. I frequently have had reason to go through this area because i work in another section of the Bronx and live on Broadway and 252nd street (one of the crime free areas you describe). I have lived in this area for 16 years and heve been through Bedford park quite frequently.

It has always seemed that the more decent blocks in Bedford seemed to be these:

Bainbridge Ave from 198th street to Mosholu Pkwy(some really nice art deco apts across from the Ursuline Academy)

Marion Ave from 199th street to Mosholu pkwy(a really nice elevator building at 199th and appears very quiet)

Decatur Ave from Bedford to Mosholu Pkwy

Briggs Ave from 199th to Mosholu Pkwy(a really cool art deco at 203 and Mosholu Pkwy)

Valentine Ave is pretty run down from 204th all the way south and is downright frightening from 198th down

Bedford Park Blvd between the Concourse and Bainbridge(some really cool apts with nice lobbies)

E 201st street from Marion to Briggs has always looked very well taken care of. However yesterday i passed through and it didn't look the same

I am guessing this was a huge Irish area at one time??

[rlrl]

buildings seem more interesting than Norwood across the Pkwy in terms of architecture. While the blocks I mentioned above seem to look OK, I have no idea what it is actually like to live on these blocks. A few years ago i walked back to my car around 10:30 PM, which I parked earlier on E 201 street between Valentine Ave and the Concourse and there were a lot of Asian people siting on their stoops looking out. Seemed stable enough. I'm sure it's not that way several blocks down, however.

[el luchador]

RLR,
I would say that generally Bedford Park Blvd north to Mosholu Pkwy From Webster to the Concourse is pretty well kept. South of Bedford Park Blvd. is a little more dicey. Some people list the southern border of Bedford Park as Bedford Park Blvd (I agree) or some push it further south to 198 or even 196th. 198th and south is really just 'Fordham' rather Bedford Park. The area south of Bedford Park Blvd. is a little more wild-west-ish than Bedford Park proper. Bedford Park Blvd itself it actually pretty nice. Rocco's pizza is top-notch and Bedford Park Deli does pretty good sandwiches(and you can get a copy of the Times if you want).
As for the Asians you saw, they were probably Koreans. There is a mini Korea town near the C-town on 204th (the 204th SOUTH of the Mosholu Pkwy, not the larger shopping street north of the Pkwy). I would also say that the blocks with houses (Decatur, Marion, Perry) are better than Valentine or even Bainbridge. I would also say that if you know where you are and behave accordingly, you should a have a good and safe experience in Bedford Park.

[megalon]

Haha! I'm a male btw, but the confusion is well understood. Think more along the lines of "old Godzilla movie monster" than "Megan."

I've actually been to Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, as well as Throggs Neck several times in the past. I agree that these places are different and like being in another (safe, quiet) town altogether. But we all know that the majority of the Bronx isn't like this.

[mead]

Yeah but the sad thing is that only 40-50 years ago the vast majority of the Bronx used to be safe like those neighborhoods.

People don't take of their neighborhoods like they used to. As a result the middle class flees to the suburbs and things deteriorate.

Originally Posted by megalon

Haha! I'm a male btw, but the confusion is well understood. Think more along the lines of "old Godzilla movie monster" than "Megan."

I've actually been to Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, as well as Throggs Neck several times in the past. I agree that these places are different and like being in another (safe, quiet) town altogether. But we all know that the majority of the Bronx isn't like this.

[Moth]

Yeah but the sad thing is that only 40-50 years ago the vast majority of the Bronx used to be safe like those neighborhoods.

True, but that describes nearly ever slum in the USA and quite a few abroad as well.

The Bronx lost a lot of working class and middle class after WWII due to the Cross Bronx Expressway construction. But that was also the beginning of accessible mortgages for the middle class, the GI bill, etc. Suburbanization was the rage. All of a sudden a house in Levittown was within reach for many and looked better than a nice, but cramped apartment on the Concourse.

People don't take of their neighborhoods like they used to. As a result the middle class flees to the suburbs and things deteriorate.

New York City and the Bronx in particular filled up with low skilled people just as industrialization was declining.

I have a bunch of friends who grew up in the Bronx and are sad as to what happened. But it would not have happened if they all had stayed. And the bottom line is they did not want to stay.

[isezer]

i have lived around kingsbridge and fordham area for seven years. i think neighborhoods around the area has been getting worse instead of getting better. around the park, i would not walk at night. it is a little too shady. kingsbridge towards the reservoire and lehman college (west side of the four train) quite and safer. nice people. a lot families. east of the grand concourse is little tough. although populated during the day by shoppers, isolated at night.

[NYnowNC]

Originally Posted by mead

Yeah but the sad thing is that only 40-50 years ago the vast majority of the Bronx used to be safe like those neighborhoods.

People don't take of their neighborhoods like they used to. As a result the middle class flees to the suburbs and things deteriorate.

I agree. I grew up on 197th Street off the Grand Concourse. I recall the area being very clean until the mid '80's. While walking toward Fordham I would see garbage not gathered properly, and more garbage that looked as though it had been thrown out the window. It was just nasty.

I don't know, something about the '80's really took a toll on the Bronx. I know crack was hard on many cities, but the Bronx is having a hard time recovering.

As far as taking care of the neighborhood you live in, I think the local government should run public ad's encouraging people to take care of their neighborhood. It is interesting how the people that do not want to help keep their neighborhood clean are some of the very same people looking for a better neighborhood. -

[el luchador]

Does anybody know what type of building is going up on Bainbridge b/twn 201st and Bedford Park Blvd? Rentals? Coops? Condos?