Bronx, New York
About the Bronx
The Bronx in New York City’s northernmost borough and home to 1.4 million people. For more than a century the diverse borough has been a destination for immigrant and migrant communities: earlier arrivals were primarily from Europe, later waves included migrants from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the Carribean, as well as African Americans from other parts of the U.S.
The bifurcated borough includes areas of concentrated poverty, as well as predominantly middle- and upper-class neighborhoods. Areas of the South Bronx saw the most severe divestment in the later half of the 20th Century, but many of these neighborhoods have seen new development more recently.
The History of the Bronx
The area was long inhabited by Lenape Native Americans. The borough takes its name from its first European settler, Jonas Bronck, a Swedish born farmer who arrived in 1639. After bridges were built across the Harlem River in the 18th century the area became a strategic location for trade between New York and New England. The Bronx was consolidated into New York City by 1895 (slightly earlier than the other three boroughs were combined into greater New York City). The first elevated trains opened in 1904. The borough was built up rapidly in the early part of the 20th Century, with the population growing six-fold between 1900 and 1930. By 1950, development had stalled, middle-income families left, and much of the borough declined. By the 1970s, arson ravaged the dilapidated housing stock in the South Bronx. South Bronx residents invented hip hop music, dance, and culture. Since the 1990s, there has been considerable new development in southern and western sections of the borough.
Bronx Demographics
The Bronx is home to 1.4 million residents. By one measure, the Bronx is the most diverse place in the country: there is a 90 percent chance that two borough residents, selected at random, would be of a different race or ethnicity. Slightly more than half of borough residents are Hispanic or Latino, predominantly of Puerto Rican or Dominican heritage. Forty percent of borough residents are Black, and a third of residents are White. The median household income in the Bronx, $37,000, is much lower than the city average. More than a quarter of borough residents live below the poverty line.
How is Transportation in the Bronx?
Extensive subway lines (mostly running along elevated tracks here) connect many parts of the Bronx to Manhattan and other boroughs. The borough also has an extensive bus network and several stops on MetroNorth local lines. In much of the Bronx, the Manhattan street grid (and grind numbering) is simply continued north along, for instance, Park Ave, Third Ave., and Broaday. However, hilly sections of the western Bronx require a more irregular street grid.
Is the Bronx Bike-Friendly?
Overall, the Bronx is somewhat less bike-friendly than Manhattan or Brooklyn. There are fewer bike lanes in the borough and steep hills in the western Bronx (like in upper Manhattan) are an added challenge for cyclists. However lots of Brox residents travel by bike and many areas boast good cycling routes. Some of the bike friendly neighborhoods include:
Common Housing Types and Architecture You’ll Find in the Bronx
The Bronx has a wide array of housing styles. In the South Bronx older tenement buildings and small apartments are mixed with shiny new mid-rise apartment buildings. In western Bronx neighborhoods, townhouses, large homes, and co-ops are more common. Grand Concourse stands out for its large moderne-style buildings.
Bronx Real Estate Trends
The median sale price in the Bronx is up slightly in 2020 compared to 2019. Average home values have climbed modestly for the past decade and continued to appreciate while citywide average prices plateaued. The Bronx has seen considerable development over the past decade, but not the types of very-high-end, very pricy units that have driven the market in Manhattan and sections of Brooklyn and Queens.
Median Listing Price in the Bronx:
1 Bedroom: $229,000
2 Bedroom: $370,000
3 Bedroom: $589,000
Median Listing Rent in the Bronx:
Studio: $1,600
1 Bedroom: $1,726
2 Bedroom: $2,395
3 Bedroom: $2,700
Most EXPENSIVE Neighborhoods to BUY in the Bronx:
Suburban neighborhoods on the northern and eastern edges of the Bronx claim the top spots for the borough’s most expensive. Still, these neighborhoods offer much lower home prices than the pricier areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens. The highest median prices are in:
Most AFFORDABLE Neighborhoods to BUY in the Bronx:
Several neighborhoods clustered in the central Bronx offer some of the lowest home prices in New York City. The lowest median prices in the borough are in:
Most EXPENSIVE Neighborhoods to RENT in the Bronx:
Most of the most expensive areas to rent in the Bronx are clustered along the borough’s western shore, in neighborhoods with exclusive co-op towers and large homes. The most expensive rents are in:
Most AFFORDABLE Neighborhoods to RENT in The Bronx:
The Bronx has many lower-cost neighborhoods with much more affordable rents than the city average. The most budget-friendly asking rents are in:
How Safe is the Bronx?
The Bronx suffers a reputation for being an unsafe area, but crime rates have fallen dramatically in the borough over the past several decades, as they have across the city. Still, there are more incidents of crime per capita reported in many South Bronx neighborhoods than in any other residential area of the city. Keep in mind that the level of policing and number of arrests vary in different New York City neighborhoods (and Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are disproportionately likely to face arrest). The number of reported crime incidents may not equate to the level of danger felt by residents in a neighborhood.
Safest Neighborhoods in the Bronx:
The lowest number of crimes reported per neighborhood population are in:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in the Bronx:
The highest number of crimes reported per neighborhood population are in:
What are the Best Schools in the Bronx?
Many local neighborhood schools in the Bronx show disappointing results. However, there are a number of charter and alternative schools in the borough that score high marks for student achievement and progress. Bronx Science consistently rates as one of the very best schools in the city.
Top 10 Elementary Schools in the Bronx:
Icahn Charter School 2, 1640 Bronxdale Avenue, Bronx, NY
Success Academy Bronx 2, 450 Saint Pauls Place, Bronx, NY
Icahn Charter School 5, 1500 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY
Success Academy Bronx 4, 885 Bolton Avenue, Bronx, NY
P.S. 304 Early Childhood School, 2750 Lafayette Avenue, Bronx, NY
South Bronx Classical Charter School, 977 Fox Street, Bronx, NY
Academic Leadership Charter School, 677 East 141st Street, Bronx, NY
Icahn Charter School 3, 1500 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY
Success Academy Bronx 1, 339 Morris Avenue, Bronx, NY
Carl C. Icahn Charter School 4, 1500 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY
Top 5 High Schools in the Bronx:
Bronx High School of Science, 75 West 205th Street, Bronx, NY
High School Of American Studies at Lehman College, 2925 Goulden Avenue, Bronx, NY
Middle School 223 Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, 360 East 145th Street, Bronx, NY
University Heights Secondary School-Bronx Community College, 701 Saint Ann's Avenue, Bronx, NY
International Leadership Charter School, 3030 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463, Bronx, NY
What are the Most Popular Areas in the Bronx?
Yankee Stadium, home to the team nicknamed the “Bronx Bombers,” is an energetic place on game days. A more serene environment can be found at the New York Botanical Garden, a sprawling conservatory home to a million plants. The nearby Bronx Zoo, one of the largest urban zoos in the country, is a popular spot for kids and animal lovers. Diners find classic, red-sauce Italian-American food in Bronx’s Little Italy on Arthur Avenue.
Popular Neighborhoods in the Bronx:
The Bronx is a diverse borough with many distinct areas. Many neighborhoods take their names (and loose boundaries) from the former villages that grew across the area before the borough was incorporated into New York City. Some popular neighborhoods include:
Popular Parks in the Bronx:
About one-fourth of the Bronx’s land area is open space and the borough is home to New York City’s largest park, Pelham Bay. Some of the most popular outdoor spaces include: