Kingsbridge, Bronx facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Kingsbridge
Neighborhood of the Bronx
Looking west across Kingsbridge Avenue at Episcopal Church of the Mediator
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
Borough	The Bronx
Community District	The Bronx 8
Area
• Total	0.80 km² (0.310 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	10,669
• Density	13,288/km² (34,420/sq mi)
Economics
• Median income	$53,875
ZIP Codes	10463
Area code	718, 347, 929, and 917

Kingsbridge is a lively neighborhood located in the northwest part of the Bronx, New York City. It's a great place to live with many homes and apartment buildings.

Kingsbridge has clear boundaries. To the north, you'll find Manhattan College Parkway. The Major Deegan Expressway or Bailey Avenue is to the east. West 230th Street forms the southern edge, and Irwin Avenue is to the west. This neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 8, and its ZIP Code is 10463. The local police department, the New York City Police Department's 50th Precinct, helps keep the area safe.

What is Kingsbridge Like?
- Shopping and Community Life
- Sports and Recreation
Kingsbridge History: How the Neighborhood Began
- Becoming Part of New York City
- A Mix of Cultures
Kingsbridge Population and Community Health
Fire Safety and Postal Services
Education in Kingsbridge
- Local Schools
- Public Libraries
Getting Around: Transportation in Kingsbridge
Images for kids
See also

What is Kingsbridge Like?

Kingsbridge offers a mix of housing, including detached houses, semi-detached homes, and apartment buildings. If you're walking between Riverdale and Kingsbridge, you might find "step streets." These are like giant staircases with many steps, some having as many as 160!

Shopping and Community Life

Kingsbridge is a busy place for shopping. It's part of a special business area with about 200 stores. This makes it one of the biggest retail shopping spots in the Bronx. The River Plaza Shopping Center is also nearby in Marble Hill, which is part of Manhattan.

The community has seen many improvements recently. Parks have been made better, and new elementary schools have opened on 230th Street. These changes help make Kingsbridge a great place for families.

Sports and Recreation

For sports fans, there's a baseball field at 233rd Street and Bailey Avenue. The Kingsbridge Little League uses this field. It has lights for evening games, dugouts for players, stands for fans, and even a small food court.

Kingsbridge History: How the Neighborhood Began

Nathalie Avenue in the 1890s, now called Kingsbridge Terrace

50th Precinct

The name Kingsbridge comes from the "King's Bridge." This bridge was likely built in 1693 by enslaved Africans. It was owned by Frederick Philipse, a local lord loyal to the British king. The bridge crossed a part of Spuyten Duyvil Creek that has since been filled in. It was near where 230th Street is today.

The King's Bridge was an important part of the Boston Post Road. This road connected southern Westchester County (which later became the Bronx) with Marble Hill. Marble Hill was once part of Manhattan Island and is still part of the borough of Manhattan today. People say the old bridge is still buried under the ground! The creek's water was moved to a new, deeper shipping canal south of Marble Hill.

Becoming Part of New York City

For a long time, areas like Riverdale and Kingsbridge were part of the Town of Yonkers. Later, the parts that are now in New York City formed their own area called the Town of Kingsbridge. In 1874, New York City took over three towns, including the Town of Kingsbridge. These areas became the western half of The Bronx.

As trains were built to Manhattan in the 1900s, a train stop was created in the northwest Bronx. This stop was called Riverdale-on-Hudson, now known as Riverdale. This led to the development of the Riverdale neighborhood. The rest of the old Town of Kingsbridge grew into the Kingsbridge neighborhood we know today.

A Mix of Cultures

St John's Roman Catholic Church

In the past, Kingsbridge had a much larger Black population. This was because many Africans were enslaved by landowners from the late 1600s to the mid-1800s. Later, it became a neighborhood mostly of Irish immigrants.

Since the late 1970s, the number of Irish residents has changed. Many African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Albanians, and Greeks have moved into the area. Today, the largest Hispanic group in Kingsbridge is Dominicans. They mostly live along Broadway and nearby streets. There is still a strong Irish community around Bailey Avenue and Tibbett Avenue.

The Irish history can still be seen in the many Roman Catholic churches and schools. For example, St. John's Roman Catholic Church is on Kingsbridge Avenue near 231st Street. It has an elementary school and a junior high school. Other churches like Visitation Roman Catholic Church and Our Lady of Angels Church also have schools.

For sports and fun, Gaelic Park is located on 240th Street and Broadway. Manhattan University now runs it. You can watch sports like Gaelic football and hurling there. The neighborhood is also home to Manhattan University itself.

Kingsbridge Population and Community Health

Based on information from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Kingsbridge and Spuyten Duyvil was 30,161 people. This was a small increase from 29,872 people in 2000.

The people living in Kingsbridge and Riverdale generally have a good life expectancy, around 80.9 years. This is similar to the average for all New York City neighborhoods. Most residents are young people and middle-aged adults.

In 2017, the average household income in Community District 8 was about $53,986. In 2018, about 15% of Kingsbridge and Riverdale residents lived in poverty. This is less than the average for the Bronx (25%) and New York City (20%). Also, about 9% of residents were unemployed, which is similar to the city average.

Fire Safety and Postal Services

Kingsbridge has its own fire station to help keep everyone safe. It's called Engine Co. 81/Ladder Co. 46 and is located at 3025 Bailey Avenue. This station is part of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).

The United States Postal Service has a post office in Kingsbridge. It's called the Kingsbridge Station post office and you can find it at 5517 Broadway. Kingsbridge is part of ZIP Code 10463.

Education in Kingsbridge

Kingsbridge and Riverdale have a good number of college-educated residents. About 45% of adults aged 25 and older have a college degree or higher. This is similar to the rest of New York City.

Students in Kingsbridge and Riverdale are doing well in school. The percentage of elementary school students who are good at math went up from 21% in 2000 to 48% in 2011. Reading skills also improved during the same time. About 78% of high school students in Kingsbridge and Riverdale graduate on time, which is higher than the city average.

Local Schools

PS 86

The New York City Department of Education runs the public schools in Kingsbridge. Here are some of the elementary schools for younger students:

PS 7 Kingsbridge
PS 37 Multiple Intelligence School (for grades K-8)
PS 86 Kingsbridge Heights (for grades PK-6)
PS 207 (for grades PK-2)
PS 307 Eames Place (for grades K-5)
PS 310 Marble Hill
PS 360

There is also a middle and high school in Kingsbridge:

In Tech Academy – MS/HS 368 (for grades 6-12)

Public Libraries

The New York Public Library (NYPL) has two branches near Kingsbridge. The Van Cortlandt branch is located at 3882 Cannon Place. This library opened in 2019 and is much larger than the old one.

The Kingsbridge branch is at 3874 Sedgwick Avenue. This building is the fourth library structure since the Kingsbridge Free Library started in 1894. A famous architecture firm, McKim, Mead & White, designed an earlier library building for Kingsbridge.

Getting Around: Transportation in Kingsbridge

Kingsbridge has many ways to get around using public transportation. The MTA Regional Bus Operations runs several bus routes that serve the neighborhood:

Bx1: Travels to the Third Avenue–138th Street station.
Bx3: Goes to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.
Bx7: Connects to College of Mount Saint Vincent or the 168th Street station.
Bx9: Travels to Riverdale or the West Farms Square–East Tremont Avenue station.
Bx10: Goes to College of Mount Saint Vincent or the Norwood–205th Street station.
Bx20: Connects to Riverdale or the Inwood–207th Street station.
BxM1: An express bus to Riverdale or Midtown Manhattan.
BxM2: An express bus to Penn Station.
BxM18: An express bus to Lower Manhattan.