Highbridge is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the Southwestern section of The Bronx

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...

, New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 4

Bronx Community Board 4

Bronx Community Board 4 is a local government unit of the city of New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Highbridge and Concourse. It is delimited by Webster Avenue and Park Avenue to the east, Washington Bridge and the Cross Bronx Expressway to the north, the Harlem River to the west, and...

. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: the Cross-Bronx Expressway

Cross-Bronx Expressway

The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major expressway in the New York City borough of the Bronx, conceived by Robert Moses and built between 1948 and 1972. It carries traffic on Interstate 95 through the city, and serves as a portion of Interstate 295 toward Long Island; a portion is also designated U.S...

 to the north, Jerome Avenue to the east, East 161st Street to the south, and the Harlem River

Harlem River

The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...

 to the west. Ogden Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Highbridge. The local subway is the 4 line; operating along Jerome Avenue. ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

s include 10452. The area is patrolled by the 44th Precinct located at 2 E 169th Street in Concourse. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue in the Melrose

Melrose, Bronx

Melrose is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the SouthWestern section of the borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 1. Its boundaries, starting from the North and moving clockwise are: East 161st Street to the North,...

 section of the Bronx

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...

.

Demographics

Highbridge has a population under 35,000. For decades Highbridge has been one of the poorest communities in America. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (AFDC, Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). The majority of residents in the area are of Puerto Rican, or African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 descent. A small but growing Dominican community exists in this area. The vast majority of households are renter occupied.

Land use and terrain

Highbridge is dominated by 5 and 6-story tenement buildings, older multi-unit homes, vacant lots, and newly constructed subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and apartment buildings. A significant percentage of the original housing stock was structurally damaged by arson and eventually razed by the city. The total land area is roughly one square mile. The terrain is elevated and very hilly. Stair streets connect areas located at different elevations.

Low income public housing projects

• There are three NYCHA developments located in Highbridge.

1. Highbridge Gardens; six, 13-story buildings.
2. Highbridge Rehabs (Nelson Avenue); three, 5 and 6-story rehabilitated tenement buildings.

History

The neighborhood takes its name from the High Bridge

High Bridge (New York City)

The High Bridge is a steel arch bridge, with a height of almost 140 feet over the Harlem River, connecting the New York City boroughs of The Bronx and Manhattan...

 built in 1848 by Irish immigrants to carry Croton Aqueduct

Croton Aqueduct

The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...

 water across the Harlem River. Up until the late 1960s, the residents of Highbridge were predominately of Irish and Eastern European descent. They have since been replaced by large numbers of Hispanics and African Americans.

Social problems

Many social problems associated with poverty, from crime to drug addiction, have plagued the area for some time. Despite crime declines versus their peaks during the crack and heroin epidemics, violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the community. Highbridge has significantly higher drop out rates and incidents of violence in its schools. Students must pass through metal detectors and swipe ID cards to enter the buildings. This is reminiscent of a prison environment which many feel encourages bad behavior. Other problems in local schools include low test scores and high truancy rates. Drug addiction is also a serious problem in the community. Due to the lucrative drug trade in the area many addicted reside in the community. Peer pressure among children who come from broken homes contributes to the high rate of usage. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother which contributes to the high poverty rate. Many of whom had their children at a very young age and unfortunately could not provide for their children. Many of the families living in Highbridge have been in poverty for generations. The incarceration rate in the area is also very high.

Urban renewal

After a wave of arson ravaged the low income communities of New York City throughout the 1970s, many if not most residential structures in Highbridge were left seriously damaged or destroyed. The city began to rehabilitate many formally abandoned tenement style apartment buildings and designate them low income housing beginning in the late 1970s. Also many subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and newly constructed apartment buildings have been or are being built on vacant lots across the neighborhood.

Public

• PS 11: High Bridge (Merriam and Ogden Avs)
• PS 73: Joseph Dellacava (West 165th St and Anderson Av)
• PS 126: Dr. Marjorie Dunbar (West 166th St and University Av)
• PS 199: William Shakespeare (West 172nd St and Shakespeare Av)

Transportation

• Bx11: to Simpson Street
  Simpson Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)
  Simpson Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Simpson Street and Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak...
  
   station or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
  
   (via 170th St)
• Bx13: to George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
  
   or 161st Street – Yankee Stadium station (via Ogden Av)
• Bx35: to Simpson Street
  Simpson Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)
  Simpson Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Simpson Street and Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak...
  
   station or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
  The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
  
   (via 167th St)

Facts

• Highbridge Capital, a well-known hedge fund, is named after Highbridge, where the two co-founders grew up.
• The BXTF (Bronx Task Force) division of the NYPD is housed at the former 44th Precinct house at 1278 Sedgwick Avenue.
• The opening scene to New Jack City
  New Jack City
  New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
  
  was filmed in Highbridge.
• In March 2007, a fire broke out at 1022 Woodycrest Avenue, killing several people. It was one of the worst fires in the Bronx since 1990.