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Highbridge
Neighborhood of the Bronx
Looking north from 161st Street pedestrian overpass at Major Deegan Expressway
Looking north from 161st Street pedestrian overpass at Major Deegan Expressway
Country  United States
State  New York
City New York City
Borough The Bronx
Community District The Bronx 4
Area
 • Total 1.57 km2 (0.605 sq mi)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 37,727
 • Density 24,077/km2 (62,360/sq mi)
Economics
 • Median income $27,041
ZIP Codes
10452
Area code 718, 347, 929, and 917

Highbridge is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the central-west section of the Bronx, New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Jerome Avenue to the east, Macombs Dam Bridge to the south, and the Harlem River to the west. Ogden Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Highbridge.

The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 4, and its ZIP Code is 10452. The local subway is the IND Concourse Line (B D trains), operating along the Grand Concourse, and the IRT Jerome Avenue Line (4 train), operating along Jerome Avenue. The area is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 44th Precinct. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue in the Melrose section of the Bronx.

Demographics

Prior to the 1960s, Highbridge was a predominantly Irish American neighborhood. Today the vast majority of residents in the area are of Dominican, Puerto Rican and African American descent. Almost 40% of families live below the federal poverty line.

Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Highbridge was 37,727, an increase of 3,883 (11.5%) from the 33,844 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 373.14 acres (151.00 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 101.1 inhabitants per acre (64,700/sq mi; 25,000/km2).

In 2010, the racial makeup of the neighborhood was 32.9% (12,397) African American, 1.2% (462) White, 0.2% (69) Native American, 0.5% (176) Asian, 0.0% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.3% (103) from other races, and 0.7% (253) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.3% (24,265) of the population.

The entirety of Community District 4, which comprises Highbridge and Concourse, had 155,835 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 78.6 years. This is lower than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 27% are between the ages of between 0–17, 29% between 25–44, and 23% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 11% and 10% respectively.

As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 4 was $30,900. In 2018, an estimated 32% of Highbridge and Concourse residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in eight residents (13%) were unemployed, compared to 13% in the Bronx and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 61% in Highbridge and Concourse, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018, Highbridge and Concourse are considered low-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying. However, as of 2017, rents in Highbridge have risen more than any other neighborhood in New York City, at a rate of 22%.

Land use and terrain

Highbridge is dominated by townhouses and 5 and 6-story apartment buildings. The total land area is roughly one square mile. The terrain is elevated and very hilly. Stair streets connect areas located at different elevations. The neighborhood has dozens of community gardens occupying lots that were left vacant between the 1970s and 1990s, such as Taqwa Community Farm.

Low income public housing projects

  • There are three NYCHA developments located in Highbridge.
  1. Highbridge Gardens; six, 13-story buildings.
  2. Highbridge Rehabs (Nelson Avenue); three, 5 and 6-story rehabilitated tenement buildings.
  3. Highbridge Rehabs (Anderson Avenue);

History

The neighborhood takes its name from the High Bridge built in 1848 by Irish immigrants to carry Croton Aqueduct water across the Harlem River. Up until the late 1960s, the residents of Highbridge were predominantly of Irish, Italian and Eastern European Jewish descent. They have since been replaced by large numbers of Hispanics and African Americans.

Transportation

The following New York City Subway stations serve Highbridge:

  • 161st Street–Yankee Stadium (4 B and ​D trains)
  • 167th Street (4 train)

The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Highbridge:

  • Bx11: to Simpson Street station or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via 170th Street)
  • Bx13: to Bronx Terminal Market or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via Ogden Avenue)
  • Bx35: to Simpson Street station or George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (via 167th Street)

The Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line also serves Highbridge at the Yankees–East 153rd Street station.

Education

Highbridge and Concourse generally have a lower rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018. While 36% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 43% have less than a high school education and 21% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 26% of Bronx residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Highbridge and Concourse students excelling in math rose from 17% in 2000 to 40% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 21% to 25% during the same time period.

Highbridge and Concourse's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is more than the rest of New York City. In Highbridge and Concourse, 28% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, higher than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 67% of high school students in Highbridge and Concourse graduate on time, lower than the citywide average of 75%.

Schools

PS91 Highbridge 1257 Ogden jeh
PS 11, 1257 Ogden Avenue
Sacred Heart School Nelson Av 168 jeh
Sacred Heart School, 1248 Nelson Avenue

Public schools include:

  • PS 11: High Bridge (Merriam and Ogden Avenues)
  • PS 73: Joseph Dellacava (West 165th Street and Anderson Avenue)
  • PS 114x: Luis Llorens Torres Schools (East 166th Street and Cromwell Avenue)
  • PS 126: Dr. Marjorie Dunbar (West 166th Street and University Avenue)
  • PS 199: William Shakespeare (West 172nd Street and Shakespeare Avenue)
  • PS/IS 218: Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School (East 167th Street and Gerard Avenue)
  • St Josephs of New York
  • IS 361: The Highbridge Green School (200 W. 167th Street), a 2014-2015 Chancellor's Showcase School
  • Bronx School for Law Government and Justice

Parochial schools include:

  • Sacred Heart School (168th and Nelson Avenue)

Libraries

The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates two branches near Highbridge. The Grand Concourse branch is located at 155 East 173rd Street. The branch is a two-story structure that opened in 1959. The High Bridge branch is located at 78 West 168th Street. The branch was opened in the early 20th century and was renovated in 2010.

Notable residents

Images for kids

  • Hbstairstreet

    A street with steps in Highbridge

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