Van Nest

Van Nest is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the east Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting from the east and moving clockwise are: Bronxdale Avenue to the east and north, the Amtrak tracks to the south, and the Bronx River Parkway to the west. The neighborhood is generally considered part of the Morris Park area.^[1] Morris Park Avenue is the primary commercial thoroughfare through Van Nest. ZIP codes include 10460 and 10462. The area is patrolled by the 49th Precinct located at 2121 Eastchester Avenue in Morris Park.

History

The neighborhood got its name from the former Van Nest station on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which was named after the father of Abraham R. Van Nest, a director of the railroad. A short railroad spur was constructed off the main line from the Van Nest station to serve the adjacent Morris Park Racecourse, which was the site of thoroughbred horse racing from 1889 to 1904. Between 1892 and 1896, lots were subdivided from farmland by the Van Nest Land & Improvement Company.^[2] Before the city graded the streets in 1895, the flat terrain and accumulation of rainwater in low-lying areas resulted in this area being nicknamed "Mud West". The multi-legged intersection of Van Nest Avenue, Unionport Road, and Victor Street is still known as the "Five Corners" by many old timers and locals.^[3]

Land use and Architecture

Van Nest is dominated by single family homes of various types. There are also some tenements scattered across the neighborhood. The total land area is roughly one square mile. There are a great many varieties of architectural styles throughout Van Nest itself. Since Van Nest was started as a residential community in 1893, some major styles Italianate, Queen Anne, Art Deco and contemporary brick and mortar are quite common. Con Edison's Van Nest Service Center is located north of the Amtrak line between Unionport Road and Bronxdale Avenue, occupying the former maintenance shops of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The Con Edison plant was purchased in September 1959 from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad for $3 million. The former Van Nest Yards were built in 1907 and the Yards, now Con Edison Plant consists of 940,000 square feet.^[4]

Demographics

Van Nest has a population under 15,000. The neighborhood has a concentration of Puerto Ricans and also contains a significant African American population. A small longstanding Italian and Albanian population exist east of White Plains Road near Morris Park. The majority of residents rent. Almost 20% of the population lives below the poverty line.^[5]

Religious Institutions

The present location of St. Dominic's Church at 1739 Unionport Road was started in 1925 and was completed in May, 1927. Msgr. Domenico Fiorentino was instrumental in the construction of the church. At the dedication mass on May 8, 1927, Cardinal Hayes officiated and was a guest of honor at the dinner held after the services. Preceding the dedication mass a procession moved from Van Nest Memorial Square to the church and was attended by many local organizations one in particular the Van Nest Recreation Club, which is still in existence today.^[6]

Social Issues

Van Nest contains one of the highest concentrations of poverty in Bronx Community District 11. It is believed many of the newest residents are from higher poverty sections of the Bronx such as neighboring West Farms and Parkchester. With this relocation many of the social problems commonly associated with those communities have come to Van Nest. Drug trafficking, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and violent crimes, including gang activity, are common.^[7] It should be noted that Van Nest, being roughly one square mile, is one neighborhood within the confines of the larger 49th Precinct.

Transportation

The IRT White Plains Road Line subway operates along Birchall Avenue and has a stop at the Bronx Park East station (Template:NYCS White Plains north). The IRT Dyre Avenue Line occupies the old right of way of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, which stopped running in 1938, but does not have a station in Van Nest. The Amtrak line is only used by Northeast Corridor trains traveling to and from Penn Station via the Hell Gate Bridge and connects with Metro-North's New Haven Line in New Rochelle.

Bus service is provided by the following routes:

• Bx21: local service to Westchester Square subway station or Third Avenue–138th Street subway station (via Boston Road/Morris Park Avenue)
• Bx22: local service to Bronx High School of Science or Castle Hill (via Fordham Road/Castle Hill Avenue)
• Bx39: local service to Wakefield 241 Street subway station or Clason's Point (via White Plains Road)
• BxM10: express service to Midtown Manhattan (via Bruckner Expressway/RFK Bridge)

Notable natives

• Television personality Regis Philbin is technically from Bronxdale. However, growing up he did spend much of his time in the Van Nest neighborhood considering he attended Our Lady of Solace School on Morris Park and Holland Avenues. The block of Cruger Avenue on which he lived has been renamed in his honor.^[8]
• Famous artist and sculptor Carl Paul Jennewein had his studio at 538 Van Nest Avenue from 1928 until the time of his death in 1978.^[9]
• Playwright and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley grew up in Van Nest. He wrote the script for the 1987 film Five Corners, which was set in the east Bronx and took its name from an intersection in Van Nest.^[3]

References

Template:Bronx

Coordinates: 40°50′54″N 73°51′49″W / 40.8484336°N 73.8637463°W / 40.8484336; -73.8637463