Monthly Archives: September 2014

Morris Park Backgrounder

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BACKGROUND

Morris Park is a neighborhood located in the Northeast section of the Bronx.  The neighborhood is part of Community Board 11, which also includes the neighborhoods of Allerton, Bronx Park East, Indian Village, Morris Park, Olinville, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway, Van Nest and Westchester Heights. The borough bears its name from John Albert Morris, a businessman who built the Morris Park Racecourse.  It operated from 1890 until 1910.  The area of Morris Park makes up 0.347 square miles.

POPULATION

There are approximately 10,277 inhabitants in Morris Park.  What used to be a predominately Italian – American neighborhood, Morris Park has become a diverse area with a mix of races throughout. The number of African Americans, Hispanics, Asian, and people with two or more races have risen throughout the years.  According to data obtained on City-Data.com the median household income in Morris Park in 2011 was $56,809.  New York City’s average was $55, 246. (http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Morris-Park-Bronx-NY.html) The median rent paid in 2011 was $1,043.  Approximately, 6.3 percent of Morris Park’s inhabitants were born outside of the United States.

EDUCATION 

There are three public schools located in the Morris Park section of the Bronx.  Public School 83 is located on Rhinelander Ave serves as an elementary and middle school, catering to children in kindergarten through to 8th grade. The current enrollment is 1,703. 58 percent of students met English standards and 79 percent of students met math standards.  This was a point better than the average citywide.  The other public school — Public School 108 — is located on Neil Ave. The brand new, Public School 357, also known as the Young Voices Academy, is located on Lydig Avenue and has a current enrollment of 95. They cater to children in kindergarten, 1st grade, and special education.

CRIME RATE

Crime in the area has decreased steadily in the past 24 years.  Violent crimes such as murder and rape only occurred 17 times in the past year, 15 so far in 2014.  The most frequent crime in the area is grand larceny having occurred 264 times during 2013 and 243 so far in 2014.

www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs049pct.pdf

 

CONFLICTS

At their monthly board meeting, members have voiced their disapproval with the new mall that opened in the Bay Plaza Shopping area.  One resident said, “Everybody builds something, but they don’t make any room for the traffic.” They would like to see signs that direct drivers towards the local highways.

http://citylodge.org/tags/ne

There have also been a high number of tires and rims being removed from cars.  The captain of the 49th precinct, Captain Timothy McCormack has urged residents to call 911 and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in the neighborhood.  “I truly feel victimized when someone’s been in either my car or home,” said Captain McCormack.

http://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2014/19/19-tires-2014-05-08-bx_2014_19.html

 

Neighborhood Backgrounder

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Battery Park City

Demographics: Battery park city (BPC) is home to those households making a median income of $132, 267, which is almost triple that of New York City as a whole: $49, 461 (City Data). 43 percent of BPC residents hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 20 percent of all of NYC. City Data also reports 20.8 percent of the area’s male residents as working in “business and financial operations occupations,” compared to 5.3 percent of males in NYC. The median age for the neighborhood is 36 years, 2 years older than the median age in NYC.

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Battery-Park-City-New-York-NY.html

Real Estate: The New York Times discusses demographer Susan Weber-Stoger’s findings that the “proportion of families [in BPC] has grown, from just a third of households in 1990 to about half in the years 2008 to 2012” (NYT-Quasi Suburban). The article further describes the area as having “its share of unmarried young residents” working in finance (NYT-Quasi Suburban). The median rent for BPC is $2, 265, compared to $1,063 in NYC (City Data). For a one-bedroom apartment, The New York Times reports the average rental is $3,580 (NYT-Quasi Suburban). Accompanying the influx of residents and apartment complexes is the competition for limited space and The New York Times suggests the population has increased by 72 percent in the last 14 years (NYT-Quasi Suburban). Fitch Ratings suggest the neighborhood will “continue to rely heavily on the financial services,” since many of its both commercial and residential occupants are involved with this industry (Business Wire).

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140919005835/en/Fitch-Affirms-Battery-Park-City-Auths-Revenue#.VB1-fytdVX8

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Battery-Park-City-New-York-NY.html

Schools: The New York Times lists Public School 89 as popular among elementary-middle school aged children and Battery Park City School for those in pre-k to middle school (NYT-Quasi Suburban). At Stuyvesant High School, which is popular among high schoolers in the area, students scored higher on the SATs than in other NYC high schools, according to The New York Times (NYT-Quasi Suburban).

Businesses: BPC is home to its fair share of restaurants, including North End Grill, PJ Clarke’s, and 2 West. It also hosts cafes, such as Financier Patisserie and FPB Bakery. The neighborhood offers shopping at Ann Taylor and Banana Republic and numerous other services provided by Four Seasons Dry Cleaners, Blooming Nail & Spa, Battery Park Dental Center, and Cobbler Express Shoe Repair (Battery Park City Restaurants-Shops).
http://www.batteryparkcity.org/Restaurants-Shops.php

Conflicts: By reviewing the meetings of Community Board 1, it becomes apparent the neighborhood is focused on addressing the “businesses [that] are having difficulty receiving funds from Hurricane Sandy, the need for more schools “to address the overcrowding problem,” as well as the increase in affordable housing (Community Board 1). An article in Downtown Express discusses the possibility, however, that some of these apartments would ultimately increase to “market rate” (Downtown Express). BPC also seems to be addressing flooding-related concerns by proposing prevention plans, including levees to help in neighborhoods where “recovery is still incomplete,” according to NY Curbed (NY Curbed). The previously mentioned Business Wire article suggests the storm “does not seem to have affected residential occupancy rates, although it is unclear if the storm has had an impact on the desirability of the commercial space” (Business Wire). After conducting interviews in the neighborhood and reviewing articles, it also seems noise from nearby helicopters, boats, and construction is problematic for some residents and creating conflict in the neighborhood.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb1/downloads/pdf/FBM_Minutes/CB1%20May%202014%20Board%20Minutes.pdf

http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/disasters/hurricanes-sandy.html

http://www.downtownexpress.com/2014/09/16/all10-apartments-slated-to-be-affordable-at-fulton-st-site/

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/06/06/levees_could_protect_lower_manhattan_from_future_floods.php