North Bronx facts for kids

The North Bronx is the northern part of the Bronx, which is one of the five boroughs of New York City. To its north is Westchester County. The South Bronx is to its south. The Hudson River is on its west side, and the Long Island Sound is to its east. The western part of the North Bronx has more buildings and hills than the eastern part.

People know the North Bronx is different from the South Bronx. However, its exact borders are not officially set. One common idea for its southern border is Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway. This area marked a place where the borough faced many challenges in the 1970s and 1980s.

The North Bronx is generally more well-off than the South Bronx. This is true even though both areas are seeing gentrification. Gentrification means that older neighborhoods are changing as new, wealthier residents move in. The North Bronx has several well-to-do neighborhoods around Riverdale. These include Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Hudson Hills, and Kingsbridge.

You can find the biggest shopping area in the Bronx along Fordham Road. Shops stretch from University Avenue in the west to Third Avenue in the east. Tracey Towers, which are 400 feet tall, are located here. They are the second tallest buildings in the Bronx. Only the Harlem River Park Towers are taller, at 404 feet. The North Bronx is also home to Co-op City. This is one of the largest housing developments in the world.

Some neighborhoods in the North Bronx are Riverdale, Bedford Park, Fordham, Norwood, Woodlawn Heights, Wakefield, Baychester, and Co-op City.

History of the North Bronx

Early European Contact

Europeans first came to the area now known as the Bronx nearly 400 years ago. In 1609, Henry Hudson was likely the first European to see the shoreline. He sailed his ship, the Halve Maen, into Spuyten Duyvil Creek to find shelter from a storm.

About 30 years later, in 1639, Jonas Bronck settled the mainland. He was a Swedish sea captain from the Netherlands. Bronck built a farm at what is now 132nd Street and Lincoln Avenue. A small group of Dutch, German, and Danish servants settled with him.

Colonial Settlements and Growth

In 1654, Thomas Pell bought most of the eastern half of the Bronx. Pell, from Connecticut, invited 16 families to start the village of Westchester. This village was near what is now Westchester Square. The area was named for Pelham Bay, Bronx.

From 1683 to 1714, Westchester was the main town of Westchester County. The Bronx was part of Westchester County until the mid-1800s. As a chartered borough, Westchester was the only town in the colony with an elected mayor. It was also the first town where people could vote without owning property. Settlers chose a representative for the provincial assembly. They also had their own local court. Farmers mainly raised horses, cattle, sheep, and wheat. People also made cloth at home.

During English rule, most people were English or of English descent, or Dutch. Anglicanism was the official religion. However, Presbyterians, Quakers, and members of the Dutch Reformed church were more common. The first Black people, who were slaves from the West Indies, soon made up 10 to 15 percent of the population. Native Americans left the area shortly after 1700.

The American Revolution in the Bronx

The North Bronx saw many battles during the American Revolution. In 1776, about 750 men fought in the Battle of Pell Point. These men, led by Colonel John Glover from Marblehead, Massachusetts, held back 4,000 Hessian soldiers. This allowed General George Washington's army to move safely to White Plains.

For much of the war, the Bronx remained in British hands. It was often raided by American rebels, which caused a lot of damage. In November 1783, Governor Clinton started a march from Van Cortlandt Mansion. This march was to take control of New York City after the English left.

Nineteenth-Century Development

In the early 1800s, people in lower Westchester County mainly grew wheat and raised livestock. Between 1800 and 1830, the population grew from 1,755 to 3,023. A severe famine in Ireland and the growth of industry in New York City brought thousands of Irish to the Bronx. They came to work as laborers.

Many Irish immigrants helped build the High Bridge over the Harlem River. They also worked on the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Croton Aqueduct. Much of the area had rich farmland. This land produced fruits, vegetables, and dairy products for sale in the city. The first railroad tracks were laid over these lands. Rural train stations eventually became the centers of new villages. These included Melrose, Tremont, and Riverdale, Bronx.

Post-War Housing Boom

After the Second World War, many new homes were built. This changed the mix of people living in the Bronx. New construction included fancy apartment buildings in Riverdale. It also included public housing in the southern Bronx. Long-time residents and soldiers returning from the war moved into new private homes in the North Bronx.

As driving became easier, tall apartment buildings were built along new roads. These buildings appeared in neighborhoods like Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale. Co-op City was built in the North Bronx between 1968 and 1970. It has 15,372 units and housed 60,000 people. It was one of the largest housing developments in the world.