As we sat in her apartment with her walls looking like a montage of her life, I couldn’t help but wonder what this woman had to say about Pelham Parkway. Edith Blitzer had a cigarette in her hand and asked if it bothered me that she was smoking and if I was allergic to cats. Amusingly, Edith’s pet cat, Morris, watched us intently trying to figure out what was going on. With the character Betty Boop on her denim shirt, and her white hair done like she just gotten out of a hair salon, it was evident that Mrs. Blitzer was a witty woman who had a lot to say. She was the type to not hold her tongue and this was clearly shown through her sharp responses.

Before growing into the 77-year-old woman she is today, Blitzer was brought into the world by Polish parents who were both of the Jewish faith. “My father was a cantor who led services at the synagogue and my mother was a homemaker,” she said. Blitzer grew up in a different section in the Bronx and then came to Pelham Parkway where she still resides on Holland Avenue. “When I moved here we had five kosher delis, three bakeries, and a bagel shop,” she said, “It was basically a Jewish-Italian area.”

The neighborhood has undergone major changes. Today, according to the latest 2010 census data, 37 percent of the 110,000 people who live in the Bronx Community Board 11 are Caucasian, 18 percent are African-American, 34 percent are Hispanic, and 6 percent are Asian. These changing demographics have made it difficult for many synagogues to stay open. Instead, mosques have replaced them, Albanians have bought apartment buildings, and numerous young families have entered the community.

Blitzer is positive about the changes. “We now have a melting pot, which is great. “You learn to live with the different nationalities. I don’t care who you are or where you are from. I believe that if you respect me, I’ll respect you.”

What Edith is not satisfied with is the current choice of stores serving the local citizens of Pelham Parkway. “We’re missing some decent clothing stores, a bakery, and a kosher deli. All we have here are nail salons and 99 cent stores. How much can you buy in a 99 cent store?” Edith said that the supermarkets do not carry enough kosher food. She also believes there are three other improvements that need to be made in the community: less graffiti, prohibiting barbecuing in the park, and a greater police presence.

Surprisingly, the 49th Precinct’s data has shown that crime has been decreasing over the past 20 years and the neighborhood has one of the lowest crime rates in the entire city of New York. So far this year, there have been 761 crimes compared to last year where there were 841 crimes that were committed.

Edith Blitzer protesting at the Stand Up To Violence rally on Pelham Parkway

Still, last September a 14-year-old boy died in a recent stabbing on Pelham Parkway. It occurred on Barnes Avenue when four teenage boys were stabbed at a house party. The 14-year-old boy fled the building, collapsed while running, and was rushed to Jacobi Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Blitzer was so enraged by what happened that she decided to take part in a community rally that took place on the same block the teenager was killed. The rally took place on October 1st on the corner of Barnes Avenue and there was a strong turnout. It was led by the Bronx S.U.V. (Stand Up to Violence), which is a program that is part of Jacobi Medical Center.

“If you see something, say something,” said Joseph Thompson, a retired police officer and a local resident and community activist. He believes that the people of the area are the eyes and ears of the police department and they know who the bad guys are. Mr. Thompson made it clear during the rally that this can be done anonymously to the police department.

Blitzer holds some critical views on the younger generations today. “Many of the young people today wear their pants too low and the truth of the matter is that they do not show enough respect to our police department and our local citizens,” she said.

Regardless of these incidents, Edith believes that her neighborhood is not as bad as others. “When you turn on the TV and hear about other areas, this is Park Avenue. So I guess something is being done right.”

At the age of 77, Edith is not looking to stop her activism in the community anytime soon. She is not only the President of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association, but she also manages her apartment building, and is part of the community board where she is on the parks committee.

“I hope I live long enough to see the community in the next 20 years. I hope, believe, and pray that it will improve,” she said.