East Tremont

The People of Tremont

East Tremont is a neighborhood in the Bronx that consists of mostly Spanish and Black people. Most people in this neighborhood don’t make a livable wage and are surviving off of government assistance. Even though this may not be the safest neighborhood for some folks, the area is very lively and full of joy. You will constantly hear people laughing and joking around, loud music playing at any time of day or night, kids playing in the streets, and cats roaming around. The Bronx gets a very bad image and while it does have its downsides there are also many diamonds in the rough.

According to the person I interviewed this neighborhood is very “lively”, I agree, it can be loud at times but noise isn’t the end of the world. She also said that she appreciates the different cultures you encounter while living here. There are many food options from around the world and they are not far from each other. One of the best things about living in a diverse area is that you can learn a lot about different cultures by doing small things like trying food or having small conversations with neighbors and people who visit or work in your neighborhood. But I would not say that this only applies to this neighborhood in the Bronx, all around the Bronx you can meet great people and have new experiences. Certain parts of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn are diverse but the Bronx as a whole is ethnically diverse. According to statistics Queens is the most diverse area in the world but when I have been to certain areas like Flushing or Whitestone it does not feel like that. I always had very adventurous friends who liked being outside. Even though we did get into a lot of trouble doing dumb things, one thing I can say is that I have been to almost all parts of NYC and interacted with many people, then after many of my friends went to college upstate I’ve driven to UB, UA, and other colleges so I have even seen many parts of upstate NY, and based on all my observations I will say that the Bronx is the most diverse.

However, Tremont and the Bronx did not always consist of so many people of color. “The South Bronx, including East Tremont, underwent a substantial transformation from being primarily non-Hispanic white in 1950 to predominantly Black or Puerto Rican by the end of the 1960s. Post-World War II white flight and the continual migration of ethnic and racial minorities to the city contributed significantly to this change.” (Source #1). Things took a turn during the mid to late 20th century. White families started moving out of the Bronx and moving into the suburbs. The area was getting more and more dangerous, these were the people who could afford to move and continue their lives in a safer environment. More Latino and Black families continued to migrate into the city. There were more opportunities here, a chance to chase the “American Dream”.

If only it was that easy, Tremont is an area with high crime due to high poverty levels. Just coming to NYC is not enough, families are still struggling daily and living check to check. As a parent who is working all day to make ends meet, it can be hard to watch your kids and make sure they aren’t outside doing the wrong things. This leaves kids with a lot of free time and little resources, thus ending in reckless behavior to either try and get some more money and have fun, or just built up sadness and resentment that turns into anger. According to Ovogo, Tremont has a safety score of 29/100, which is very bad. “Across the 309 neighborhoods of New York City, NY, where crime figures are documented, East Tremont (The Bronx) is ranked 295th in overall safety from overall crime, making it a significantly more dangerous neighborhood in this locale comparatively speaking”. Essentially this is saying that there are only 14 more nighborhoods in the city that are more dangerous than Tremont. (Source #2 ).

Interviewee Thoughts on Safety

I asked my interviewee about her thoughts on the safety of the neighborhood and she said that throughout the day she feels safe for the most part when there are people around. (The Bronx is very populated but it is definitely not like Manhattan or Brooklyn. You can walk 4 blocks without seeing anyone, there are not many reasons for people to visit other than if you live, work, or go to school here. And on top of that the Bronx has a bad reputation.) Around 2021 things were getting pretty bad so now there are cops posted up starting at around 7am but they usually leave around the afternoon, and at night time they patrol the area pretty heavily. She also said that one of the main issues she deals with is catcalling, this makes her feel unsafe due to how fragile some people’s egos are. She was chased for a block one time by a crackhead because she was ignoring him while he was calling her names, it’s safe to say he learned a valuable lesson later that day and now he knows not to try and intimidate people.

Impact of the People

While walking around, you will likely see many abandoned lots like the one above. Many blocks are not taken care of and you can tell they have not been cleaned for a while. This is because of the amount of people who cannot afford to live in NYC. According to Niche.com, the median household income in Tremont is 37k, half of the national median of 75k. 11 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree, and 4% have a master’s or higher. (Source #3 ). Things are getting better though, the area was much worse in the past and crime was rampant. Poverty levels were higher and education levels were lower. People did not even bother graduating high school. But now as we get closer and closer to 2030 the area is improving, crime is decreasing slowly and houses are being filled. (Source #4)

Hip Hop

I cannot talk about the Bronx without talking about Hip Hop and its origins. Hip-hop is a very influential form of music that is now global. It all started off at block parties as a way to escape the hardships of life by listening to music, dancing, and having a good time. As it grew Hip hop became a form of creative expression that is used to show the struggles, suffering, grit, and perseverance of low-income communities. “At the time of hip-hop’s inception, the Bronx had the highest poverty rate of not just New York City, but of all 62 counties in New York state. Fifty years later, it holds that same status”. The entire NYC was in a tough situation during the late 1900’s, and the Bronx was in a state of urban decay. Buildings were being set on fire by landlords who were trying to get a payout from insurance companies. Veterans from the Vietnam War were coming home to another War in their communities, and life in NYC was horrible. The streets were becoming very unsafe and the community wasn’t having it. This is when gangs started to form, back then gangs were formed in order to keep the peace, they protected kids and elderly people and they had many events where they would hand out food and water. It wasn’t until a known peacekeeper and artist from the group Ghetto Brothers was killed that a peace treaty was enacted. Black Benjie was loved by the entire area and his death caused things to change. After this people felt safer having block parties and this is when the hip-hop crowd blew up completely. Hip hop has grown exponentially ever since then and exists in basically all major cities all around the world.

Conclusion

Today the Bronx is 30% Black and 60% Hispanic.(Source #5) I am very glad that minorities have a place in NYC where they feel at home and are surrounded by their own people. This encourages more people to come to NYC and leads to more diversity and social change in the right direction. The United States is becoming more accepting when it comes to people from other areas of the world. Of course things are not perfect but we are making progress and New York is one of the most well known cities in the world. So everything that we do and implement is being seen all around the country and all around the world. This city has a lot of influence over the direction that this country heads in, and I believe we all play a role in that movement. We all need to be more accepting of each other and we need to help people who are in tough situations instead of scratching them off and focusing on other things.

Sources

Theatre, Roundabout. “Where and When: East Tremont, 1964.” – Roundabout Theatre Company, https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/upstage-guides-current/doubt-a-parabl where-and-when-east-tremont-1964/#Demographic-Shifts

“Niche. ‘New York City, Tremont.’ Niche,https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/tremont-new-york-city-ny/#about.”

Ovogo. “Is East Tremont, New York City, NY Safe To Live in 2024?” Ovogo, https://www.ovogo.com/places/north-america/us/new-york/new-york-city/east-tremont/saf ety-crime/. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.

Furman Center, “Belmont/East Tremont Neighborhood Profile.” Furmancenter.org,https://furmancenter.org/neighborhoods/view/belmont-east-tremont

Tarver, Denton. “The New Bronx”. Cooperator News New York,https://cooperatornews.com/article/the-new-bronx