Wakefield, Bronx
Encyclopedia
Wakefield is a working-class section of the northern borough
of the Bronx
in New York City
, bounded by the New York city line with Westchester County
or 243rd street to the north,and 222nd Street to the south, and the Bronx River
, Bronx River Parkway
and Metro-North Railroad
tracks to the west. Wakefield is the northernmost neighborhood in New York City (although the city's northernmost point is actually in Riverdale
, at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
). The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12
. The 2000 United States Census reported a total of 68,787 residents. Wakefield was named after the Virginia
plantation where George Washington
was born, just as neighboring Mount Vernon
was named after the plantation where he lived and died.
Wakefield, just like the rest of the northern Bronx was once woods and farmland. That started change in 1840 when the New York and Harlem River Railroad arrived. The current Wakefield station of the Metro-North Harlem Line was on the site of a village called Washingtonville, which was incorporated into Wakefield.
Formerly, Wakefield was home to large Irish American
and Italian-American populations. During the 1980s, these communities were replaced with large African American
populations (commonly known as white flight
), which now comprise 72.3% of the neighborhood's total population. 19.6% of the population is Hispanic Many residents are or are descended from Jamaican and West Indian immigrants. The neighborhood is home to many prominent Catholic secondary schools including all-female St. Barnabas High School
and all-male Mount Saint Michael Academy
, which serves 1,100 students on grades 7-12
The Wakefield Metro-North Railroad
station on the Harlem Line
is located at 241st Street. The neighborhood is served by the IRT White Plains Road Line
of the New York City Subway
. The neighborhood's primary ZIP Code
is 10466, with certain areas around East 241st Street and White Plains Road listed as 10470.
The high school drop-out rate is higher than the city average, but lower than central Bronx neighborhoods. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother.
starring Ryan O'Neal
and Ali McGraw were filmed on on East 223rd Street, East 238th Street (Nereid Avenue) and Barnes Avenue, all located within the neighborhood. The Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church located at 4360 Barnes Avenue (corner of Boyd Avenue) is featured in the film.
40.8978772°N 73.8523569°W
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
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...
in 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...
, bounded by the New York city line with Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
or 243rd street to the north,and 222nd Street to the south, and the Bronx River
Bronx River
The Bronx River, approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States. It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. The Bronx River is the only fresh water river in New York City....
, Bronx River Parkway
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
and Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
tracks to the west. Wakefield is the northernmost neighborhood in New York City (although the city's northernmost point is actually in Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
, at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
College of Mount Saint Vincent
For the university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, see Mount Saint Vincent University The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the northeast corner of the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York, adjacent to the Yonkers border. It is the northernmost location in...
). The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12
Bronx Community Board 12
Bronx Community Board 12 is a local government unit of the New York City borough of the Bronx, encompassing the neighborhoods of Edenwald, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, Woodlawn, Fish Bay, Eastchester, Olinville and Baychester....
. The 2000 United States Census reported a total of 68,787 residents. Wakefield was named after the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
plantation where George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
was born, just as neighboring Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
was named after the plantation where he lived and died.
Wakefield, just like the rest of the northern Bronx was once woods and farmland. That started change in 1840 when the New York and Harlem River Railroad arrived. The current Wakefield station of the Metro-North Harlem Line was on the site of a village called Washingtonville, which was incorporated into Wakefield.
Formerly, Wakefield was home to large Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and Italian-American populations. During the 1980s, these communities were replaced with large 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...
populations (commonly known as white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
), which now comprise 72.3% of the neighborhood's total population. 19.6% of the population is Hispanic Many residents are or are descended from Jamaican and West Indian immigrants. The neighborhood is home to many prominent Catholic secondary schools including all-female St. Barnabas High School
St. Barnabas High School
St. Barnabas High School is an all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school located in the Woodlawn section of the The Bronx, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.-History:...
and all-male Mount Saint Michael Academy
Mount Saint Michael Academy
Mount Saint Michael Academy, also known as The Mount, is an all-boys Roman Catholic High School in the northeast part of the Bronx, New York, on the Mount Vernon city line, . The 22-acre campus is a non-boarding college preparatory school for some 1,100 boys grades 6 through 12...
, which serves 1,100 students on grades 7-12
The Wakefield Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
station on the Harlem Line
Harlem Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North's Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York & Harlem Railroad, is an 82-mile commuter rail line running north from New York City into eastern Dutchess County...
is located at 241st Street. The neighborhood is served by the IRT White Plains Road Line
IRT White Plains Road Line
The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated, and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. The neighborhood's primary 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...
is 10466, with certain areas around East 241st Street and White Plains Road listed as 10470.
Social problems
Though the crime rate has historically been high, like other sections of New York Wakefield has shown a steep decline in both violent and non-violent crime. The neighborhood has also seen a rise in gangs and gang-related violence from neighboring EdenwaldEdenwald, Bronx
Edenwald located in the northeast section of The Bronx, a borough of New York City, is the area north of Baychester, south of Wakefield, east of Bronxwood, and west of Boston Post Road and "the valley", a sub-neighborhood of Eastchester...
The high school drop-out rate is higher than the city average, but lower than central Bronx neighborhoods. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother.
Transportation
- Bx8: to Locust PointLocust Point, BronxLocust Point is a small, peninsular neighborhood in the south eastern portion of the New York City Borough of the Bronx. It is bounded by Harding Avenue on the north, the Throggs Neck Bridge to the east, and Eastchester Bay. The area comprises single-family houses, populated by ethnically Irish,...
(via Williamsbridge Road) - Bx16: to EastchesterEastchester, BronxEastchester is a working class neighborhood in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12...
or Norwood-205th Street stationNorwood-205th Street (IND Concourse Line)Norwood – 205th Street is a terminal station on the IND Concourse Line of the New York City Subway. Located in at the intersection of 205th Street and Bainbridge Avenue in the Norwood section of the Bronx, it serves as the northern terminal of the D train at all times.The station has two tracks...
(via Nereid Avenue-Mundy Lane) - Bx31: to WoodlawnWoodlawn, BronxWoodlawn is a neighborhood at the very north end of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Unlike some neighborhoods in New York City, its boundaries are fairly well-defined, as it is bounded by McLean Avenue to the north, which is approximately the New York City / Westchester County line, the...
or Westchester Square (via Eastchester Road) - Bx39: to Soundview and Clasons Point, Bronx (via White Plains Road)
- BxM11: express bus to Midtown ManhattanMidtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
- Wakefield (Metro-North station)Wakefield (Metro-North station)The Wakefield Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Wakefield section of The Bronx via the Harlem Line, and it is the last station on the line before it crosses into Westchester County, New York. It is 12.6 miles from Grand Central Terminal and is located on East 241st Street...
(Harlem Line) - Wakefield-241st Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)Wakefield-241st Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)Wakefield – 241st Street is a terminal station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 241st Street and White Plains Road in the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times and the only station on the 2 that is...
(2, 5) - Nereid Avenue-238th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)Nereid Avenue-238th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)Nereid Avenue , is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway, located at the intersection of Nereid Avenue and White Plains Road in the Bronx. It is served by the 2 train at all times, and it is the northern terminal for some peak-direction rush-hour 5 trains...
(2, 5) - 233rd Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)233rd Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)233rd Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. It is located in the Bronx at the intersection of 233rd Street and White Plains Road. It is served by the 2 train at all times and the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction.This elevated...
(2, 5) - 225th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)225th Street (IRT White Plains Road Line)225th Street is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located in Wakefield, Bronx at the intersection of 225th Street and White Plains Road, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train during rush hours in the peak direction.This elevated...
(2, 5)
Popular culture
Several scenes from the hit 1970 film Love StoryLove Story (1970 film)
Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and based on his novel Love Story. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
starring Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
and Ali McGraw were filmed on on East 223rd Street, East 238th Street (Nereid Avenue) and Barnes Avenue, all located within the neighborhood. The Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church located at 4360 Barnes Avenue (corner of Boyd Avenue) is featured in the film.
Notable natives and residents
- Lloyd BarnesLloyd BarnesLloyd Barnes , popularly known as Bullwackie, is the founder of the independent record label Wackies specialized in Jamaican music.-Career:...
- JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n music producer - Adelina PattiAdelina PattiAdelina Patti was a highly acclaimed 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851 and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914...
- 19th century opera singer - Harry G. PellegrinHarry G. PellegrinHarry George Pellegrin was born February 4, 1957 in Bronxville, New York, United States.Classical guitarist, composer, author, photographer, and graphic artist. The only child of Harry Pellegrin and Veronica M. Pellegrin , Harry G. Pellegrin attended Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx,...
- musician and author
External links
- Wakefield Branch of the New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
- Featured article from New York Newsday
- Wakefield from Forgotten NYForgotten NYForgotten New York is the name of a website created by Kevin Walsh in 1999, chronicling the unnoticed and unchronicled aspects of New York City such as painted building ads, decades-old castiron lampposts, 18th-century houses, abandoned subway stations, trolley track remnants, out-of-the-way...
- Wakefield group on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Photographs of Wakefield
- Wakefield Taxpayers & Civic League
- East Bronx History Forum
40.8978772°N 73.8523569°W