Castle Hill, Bronx

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Castle Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the South Central section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9. Its boundaries, starting from the North and moving clockwise are: Waterbury and Westchester Avenues to the North, Westchester Creek to the east, the East River to the South, and White Plains Road to the West. Castle Hill Avenue runs from East Tremont Avenue in the north to Castle Hill Park in the south. ZIP codes include 10473. The area is patrolled by the NYPD's 43rd Precinct located at 900 Fteley Avenue. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue.

Video Castle Hill, Bronx

Demographics

Castle Hill is a high density, urban neighborhood. The area has a relatively diverse population; primarily consisting of African Americans, and Latin Americans, most predominantly Puerto Ricans (Castle Hill has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in all of New York City). As in most neighborhoods in New York City the vast majority of households are renter occupied. There is significant income diversity on a block by block basis.

Maps Castle Hill, Bronx

Land use and terrain

Castle Hill is dominated by multi-unit, 2 and 3 story homes and apartment buildings. In the 1990s and 2000s, construction of modern 2 and 3 unit row-houses and apartment buildings have increased the percentage of owners versus renters. There is also a slither of industry located along the Hutchinson River and Zerega Avenue. The area gradually comes to peak elevation along Castle Hill Avenue. The Castle Hill Avenue Business Improvement District was started with the assistance of Councilwoman Annabel Palma and James Vacca in June 2012.

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History

Relatively undeveloped, the neighborhood began sprouting along the now defunct Castle Hill Avenue street-car system. Later, the neighborhood became more dense surrounding the construction of the Westchester Avenue Elevated. Castle Hill soon became home to many European immigrants looking for an alternative to the overpopulated immigrant communities found in Lower Manhattan. Traditionally an urban working-class neighborhood, an influx of lower-income earners and Latin American migrants beginning mid century diversified the income profile. Like most neighborhoods in NYC, the area went through a period of decay beginning in the 1950s and 1960s with a flight of moderate-income earners. The most severe flight occurred in the areas surrounding the Castle Hill Houses, a massive low-income public housing development. Since the late 1980s, and particularly since the 2000s, significant renewal has taken place. Many new residential and mixed use properties have been constructed and formally abandoned properties rehabilitated. For example, a New York City project to change the water pipes throughout the neighborhood has rejuvenated the area by rebuilding all sidewalks and renewing the asphalt in all of the streets.

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Education

• Public schools
  • PS 138 Samuel Randall School (K-5)
  • PS 36 - Unionport School (K-5)
  • PS/MS 194
• Private and parochial schools
  • St. John Vianney Cure of Ars School (now closed)
  • Holy Family School (Pre K-8)
  • Saint Raymond High School For Boys
  • St. Raymond Academy for Girls, an all-girls', Catholic high school
• Special education programs
  • New LIFE School (5-8)
• Public Library Branch
  • The Castle Hill Library, located at 947 Castle Hill Avenue (at Bruckner Blvd.), is a neighborhood branch within the New York Public Library system.

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Fire department

Castle Hill's Ladder 47 most recently celebrated its 100th anniversary on December 4, 2013.

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Parks and recreation

• On the southern end of Castle Hill Avenue is Castle Hill Point Park. This greenspace has boat ramps, fishing piers, and views of the Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges.
• Castle Hill YMCA (the only YMCA in the Bronx), has indoor and outdoor pools, a baseball field, basketball court, gym and an outdoor sitting area with views of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge.
• The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club (Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse), located at 1930 Randall Avenue, has an ice skating rink.

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Transportation

• Bx4: to Westchester Square or Third Avenue-149th Street subway stations (via Westchester Avenue)
• Bx5: to Pelham Bay Park or Simpson Street subway station (via Bruckner Boulevard and Story Avenue)
• Bx22: to Bronx High School of Science (via Fordham Road/ Castle Hill Avenue)
• Bx36: to George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via East 180th Street)
• Bx39: to Wakefield - 241st Street subway station or Clason Point (via White Plains Road)
• Q44: to Bronx Zoo or Jamaica, Whitestone, Flushing (via Bronx-Whitestone Bridge)
• BxM8: Express bus, to Pelham Bay or Midtown Manhattan
• Castle Hill Avenue subway station (6 and <6> trains)
• Bruckner Expressway

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In popular culture

Scenes from the 1984 movie The Pope of Greenwich Village directed by Stuart Rosenberg were filmed under the Castle Hill stop on the #6 train and on the platform as well.

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Notable people

• Darrin Henson (born 1972), actor and choreographer, was raised in Castle Hill area.
• Ed Kranepool (born 1944), former baseball player who played his entire MLB career as a first baseman/pinch-hitter with the New York Mets. Born and raised at 847 Castle Hill Avenue, living there until he was signed by the Mets in 1962.
• Jennifer Lopez "J-Lo" (born 1969), musician and actress, raised on 2210 Blackrock Avenue Castle Hill Hall of Fame Inductee Class of 2006, 1st ballot.
• Remy Ma (born 1980), female rapper, was raised in the Castle Hill Houses. Castle Hill Hall of Fame Inductee Class of 2007, 1st ballot.
• Big Dennis Rivera (born 1969), radio personality and producer, raised in Castle Hill area.
• Kenny Satterfield (born 1981), former NBA player with the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks.
• Neil deGrasse Tyson (born 1958), astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, lived in the area as a child.
• Kerry Washington (born 1977), actress, was raised in Jamie Towers.

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References

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External links

• NY Times - Slideshow - Living in Castle Hill, Bronx

Source of the article : Wikipedia