Bronx River Houses

Bronx River Houses

Bronx River Houses is a low income public housing project in the Soundview section of The Bronx, New York City, New York. It consists of nine, 14-story buildings with 1,260 apartments. Completed February 28, 1951, the 13.94-acre (5.64 ha) Bronx development is bordered by East 174th Street, Harrod, and Bronx River Avenues. Bronx River Houses is home to 3,025 residents.^[1] The project is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 located at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.

Bronx River Addition comprises two senior only buildings, 6 and 12-stories tall with 225 apartments. Completed February 28, 1966, the 1.43-acre (0.58 ha) Bronx development is bordered by East 172nd and East 174th Streets and Manor and Harrod Avenues. Bronx River Addition is home to 234 residents.

History

Bronx River Houses was built to provide temporary housing to working-class families. After a few years, crime and urban decay began to plague the development as more and more generationally poor families moved in. This eventually had an effect on the surrounding community and led to White flight and abandonment. Violent crime remains a serious problem in the Bronx River Houses and the surrounding community.

Until the late 1990s, the Bronx River Houses served as the worldwide ground zero for Hip-Hop culture. In the mid-1990s, the Giuliani administration used the NYPD to drive the Universal Zulu Nation out of the Bronx River Houses after defining them as a gang.^[2] The Bronx River Houses were the first housing projects in the country to be put under 24-hour police watch and have their common areas redesigned so that the entire housing project would be watched by cameras. Famous Hip-Hop musicians from the Bronx River Houses include Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Jazzy Jay, Martin Cofield, Sean Perry, Afrika Islam, Jamall Moss, the Soul Sonic Force, Kylik Clark "Alleymatill", Fernando "Royal" Singleton, Eshawn Hall (DJ Mista Smoke) and Kareem Kennedo (NY$) Kill Bill Gang. DJ Red Alert also got his start in the Bronx River Houses.

Demographics

Tenants are almost entirely African American and Puerto Rican.

References

1. "Bronx River Houses". New York City Housing Authority.
2. Lewis, Miles Marshall; Williams, Saul (October 1, 2004). Scars of the Soul Are Why Kids Wear Bandages When They Don't Have Bruises. New York, NY: Akashic Books. p. 98. ISBN 978-1888451719.