Morrisania, Bronx Neighborhood Arts and Cultural Inventory
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MORRISANIA THE BRONX Neighborhood Arts and Cultural Inventory in WHEDco partnership with DreamYard BUILDING NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY BACKGROUND CAPACITY Morrisania has a rich history of arts and cultural Building Community vibrancy and innovation. Today, the area is one Capacity (BCC), takes a collaborative and of the most diverse in New York City based comprehensive approach on the variety of languages and countries of to building cultural capacity origin represented. Despite generations of in targeted low-income institutional disinvestment, Morrisania and the neighborhoods. This multi- Bronx at large are in the early days of a cultural year program strives to revival that builds on and celebrates its history; ensure both that culture this report seeks to celebrate that history and is included as part of the these community assets while unearthing City’s interagency efforts opportunities for increased investment. around neighborhood The area which we know today as the Bronx planning, affordable was called Rananchqua by the Siwanoy band of housing, and economic the Lenape people, whose territory stretched development; and that across the Mid-Atlantic. Other native people local cultural stakeholders referred to it as Keskekeck. have ownership and voice in their own community’s The Dutch arrived in the area over 400 years development efforts. ago. Its first recorded settler, Jonas Bronck, sold his farmland in 1660 to Welsh settler Captain IN THIS REPORT Richard Morris who then changed the area’s The research data and name from Broncksland to Morrisania. The analysis outlined in Morris property, present-day Morrisania, was the following sections partitioned and leased to farmers, many of express the voices of 529 whom used slave labor prior to the abolition of Morrisania community slavery in New York State in 1827. Morrisania members representing remained sparsely populated until the early a broad cross-section of 1800s when the Morris family allowed the people who live, work, and railroad to extend across their property. visit the neighborhood. The predominantly agrarian population began For the purposes of this to shift and grow as new immigrants from initiative, we define Ireland and Germany located to the area, “culture” as an expression of becoming construction workers, shopkeepers, local history, food, painting, and brewers. In 1855 the town of Morrisania theater, quilts, zoos, was established as one of the new population museums, dominoes, music, centers that sprang up along the rail lines. libraries, poetry, art, fashion, The majority of the population growth in science and so much more. the Bronx throughout the 20th century was 3 CULTURAL ASSETS comprised of immigrant populations; primarily 7 NEIGHBORHOOD Irish, Italian, and Eastern European Jews in SNAPSHOT the first few decades. This time period also 9 KEY FINDINGS coincided with the construction of Yankee 16 CULTURAL LANDSCAPE Stadium (1923) and the Bronx County AND ENGAGEMENT Courthouse (1931) along East 161st Street, 20 INSIGHTS establishing the corridor—especially at its 24 NEIGHBORHOOD intersection with the Grand Concourse—as one ASSETS of the most vital in the borough. 30 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS After World War II, the demographic patterns in the Bronx began to shift; many of the families STUDY AREA who lived in the Bronx moved out to the NORTH: Crotona Park South suburbs, as new migrant populations moved in, SOUTH: East 161st Street including African-Americans, Afro-Caribbeans EAST: Prospect Avenue and Puerto Ricans. Morrisania was home to WEST: Park Avenue scores of clubs, theaters, and venues. Historic schools like Morris High School and PS 2/PS 63, which produced nationally-renowned R&B teenage groups like The Chantels, while nurturing hip hop’s and jazz’s beginnings, Front cover photos: left to right speak to the community’s rich legacy of Top: Elena Martinez; E.B. Gallardo, Bottom: Edwin Pagan; arts innovation. DreamYard Photo Credit: Joe Conzo Jr. Jr. Joe Conzo Credit: Photo The Third Avenue Elevated Rail ceased its Bronx operations in the mid-20th century, closing south of 149th Street between 1950-1955, and north of 149th Street in 1973. By the late 1970s, New York City was on the brink of bankruptcy and Morrisania was hit hard by the fiscal crisis and disinvestment. The demographic shifts throughout the five boroughs in the 1960s and 1970s of middle-income families moving out of the City in favor of the suburbs left the City with a shrinking tax base and less monetary resources to allocate towards public services. The practice of redlining—denying loans to low-income and minority communities— also contributed to neighborhood decline. More than 20,000 live-venue seats were lost, and the community and music scene were marginalized for decades after. MORRISANIA THE BRONX NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS AND CULTURAL INVENTORY 1 The South Bronx became a national symbol of urban decay as it felt the impact of dwindling public services and disinvestment. This trend continued throughout the 1980s until the City, working with neighborhood activists and community groups, began reinvesting in affordable housing to bring residents back to the area. With increased investment in housing, Morrisania and the greater South Bronx increasingly attract more working families, local artists, and new industry. The New York Public Library’s Morrisania Branch at E 169th Street serves as an anchor for community programs catering to people of all ages. Neighborhood businesses as well as diverse places of worship serve the area’s African-American, African, Caribbean, Latino, and other residents. Yet, the community continues to struggle with obstacles reflective of poverty such as limited resources, minimal arts access, and scarce economic opportunity. 2 MORRISANIA THE BRONX NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS AND CULTURAL INVENTORY Elsm C ross 95 Bro E 176th St nx E xpy a E 175th St B Crotona Park N e rd St v 73 A CULTURAL 1 ASSETS E o d ona r B 3 C rot CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS • PUBLIC ART • PARKS/PLAZAS/GARDENS •P FAITH-BASED a r k INSTITUTIONS • EDUCATION/CHILDCARE • PLAYGROUNDS • COMMUNITY/SENIOR CENTERS • PUBLICIndian INSTITUTIONS e Pond • RESTAURANTS/FOOD MARKETS • SMALL BUSINESSES • SOCIAL SERVICESv • HOUSING e e Claremont A Marshall C. England Way Fulton Ave E v v k a ar A A Park P n na E 173rd St p o n o Walton Ave t ot u C a l r are o s m r C d o i n e t r P C Townsend Ave 32 Washington Ave J k Southern Blvd e e y Charlotte St t e v E h 45 e S v 1 e A 7 1s S E 171st St v t S v r A e t n A o A v i n o Nelson Ave r y t y e 53 t A 38 e i p 0th St la t d s e 7 e 1 E Morris Ave x r g 1 C v m 70 68 i th 81 m S l E e Lo t Park Ave A O e W e o 44 v i P v r v u n e Crotona Park S A i A Elliot Pl E t s J 1 l am 6 7 P S 63 Minford Pl U 0t 37 i 7 t e h 127 61 N d Hoe Ave r o r 86 Vyse Ave r i p o y a n e Marcy Pl e o Bristow St e e E 170th St E 170th St d w e M p D w e 19 B v 108 130 l H v s v l In E Clarke Pl 88 v B 9th S 6 t e t d A A 47 r 1 k n e J W y 124 40 w a a v r a g 56 o h l l Cromwell Ave A l n d i G S 72 E e 51 n 1 Jennings St f nd K 6 9 i R th i L S 87 l g t C College Ave r 107 Clinton Ave E 168th St e F 113 k n W 168th St n Teller Ave d h e s n o r h r t i Freeman St o h a s a L E 169th St s S t u r h Fulton Ave o u 134 w o F o L 125 21 B Ritter Pl l d c e 100 m n v 54 Lyman Pl n E 89 i A Webster Ave 106 t o 83 S r C n 62 29 t B e a 9 E 168th St 132 64 42 e Home St a St Fox v 1 v r d Grant Ave y M d A i 55 A W 1 n a r 67th r E St Gerard Ave a nrehtuoS dvlB n k E e e 16 e D r 16 8th St l t c h v i 104 a nospmiS tS A G 10 v S 7 A w e 69 r v t 18 e g E 167th St v McClellan St h 129 e 17 67 t k d 59 114 A S n c e McClellan St I Clay Ave t 70 o e l S Park Ave 27 t t 96 S i m E 167 41 e 78 th Hom 84 h o E 165th St Nelson Ave 74 S 97 r 90 123 t 25 77 W e 49 Faile St e 39 t J 99 43 22 e S v 92 v h Morris Ave t E 166th St 110 60 E 167 ynaffiT tS A 52 A e Ave Forest Carroll Pl v River Ave k 15 Woodycrest Ave E 166th St 111 e Walton Ave t o Ave 3rd 79 A i l 48 Ave Jackson Ogden Ave l o P n r o 4 l o P l B W E 166th St a Hoe Ave Sherman Ave E 164th rs 165th A 36 101 St St 71 Aldus St e 95 H Kelly St Kelly E 164th St s Westchester Ave d 11 n e 115 e 76 W 162nd St E 164th St v 5 B A 93 8 r A 109 am y E 165th St a r J E 162nd St 112 50 n e 103 82 v t Joyce l 146 t l 33 66 A E 164th St 12 e e S v John Kilmer E 163rd St T R e 80 n 23 119 I o n Trinity Ave Trinity 30 Mullaly s Park 128 102 t E 85 e 1 Park Ave p 6 117 r 1 Park E Pl Rogers 16 v s e E E 163rd St 3 Ave Tinton m r Ave Union t 162nd d St i S Gerard Ave S E 163rd St a v t t 20 t l S 2 Ave Prospect A 65 34 e g E S r 161 73 57 st St n 75 A B l x a E 16 98 P 1s 46 v o t St 16 14 121 t d e Manida St r i Melrose Ave F Barretto St e r 58 ttiweH lP p e 120 133 131 94 p h E 160th St 28 E 161st St u Yankee S 35 26 Faile St R Stadium E 159th122 24St91 Ti E 158th St E 160th St ffany E 153rd St e S ve E 157th St v 105 t tte A E 158th St A e y ve fa Park Ave y Cauldwell Ave Cauldwell a t Longwood Ave e A L i E 158th St 116 Concourse Vlg E E 157th St v n n i A r o 31 s T e E 156th St 118 n i 3 Ave Jackson r E s o Southern Blvd r t r E 156th St Dawson St 1 l Hewitt Pl a Bu Eagle Ave Eagle u r 5 E ne 3 Walton Ave E 156th St G tt o P r e l d v Kelly St c E 155th St e S Beck St n A t v E 156th St o e Concourse Vlg W A d r v C E 154th St e e Leggett Ave s 3 v i A Ave v d r A A W n n Bruckner Blvd r t o E 151st St or E 153rd St r o th c a e i e Manida St r t n M n s e Avenue St John y S G p p e St Anns Ave Anns St e U Courtlandt Ave t v E 152nd St s River Ave River e h E 152nd St