Pelham Bay is one of the “forgotten” areas of New York City, a middle- and working-class neighborhood hidden away in the northeast corner of the Bronx. It’s the epitome of the cultural melting pot with an incredibly diverse population contained in approximately one square mile framed by the Bruckner Expressway and the Hutchinson River Parkway.
Avg. Household Income: $53,503
Avg. Age: Males 39.1, Females 42.5
Avg. Household Size: 2.4 People
Percentage of Family Households: 38.4
Percentage of Married Couples with Children: 29.0
Percentage of Single Parent Households: 15.2
Percentage of School-Age Population in K-12 Schools: 30.5
Percentage of School-Age Population in K-12 Private Schools: 82.2
Many residents work for the government - City, State and Federal – including in law-enforcement. Pelham Bay belongs to Bronx Community Board 10, which includes the more affluent neighborhoods of Spencer Estates and Country Club to the east, and Throggs Neck to the south. The neighborhood is an ethnic mix, with the majority being of Italian-American descent. The next largest group is Hispanics with a sprinkling of African-Americans, Asian, and other ethnicities.
Safety (Statistics provided by Area Vibes) - Overall Crime Rate: 17% lower than the national average; Daily Crimes Per 100,000 People: 6.97; Rated safer than 53% of cities in New York State. Pelham Bay Bronx is covered by the NYPD’s 45th Precinct, and crime has never been a major problem. Alongside Riverdale and Country Club, the town is ranked as one of the safest Bronx communities. Its citizens engage in civic involvement, as exemplified by the neat main thoroughfares and schools, businesses, and lamp posts festooned with lights, bunting, and banners, on festive occasions.
Schools - Pelham Bay has public and private schools. Public School 71, with approximately 1,400 students, has a reputation for good teachers and involved parents. The Herbert H. Lehman High School, with more than 4,500 students, is rated the second-best high school in the Bronx, and ninety-four percent of graduates go on to further education. After school, there’s Little League and Girl Scouts. In fact, if you have kids there are plenty of things for them to do.
Transportation - Pelham Bay, with three stops on the No. 6 Train, is just a forty-minute subway ride to Grand Central Station, and you’ll always get a seat because you’re at the end of the line. There is also an express bus into The Big Apple, and local buses will loop you around Country Club and take you to the Bay Plaza Shopping Center in Co-op City. The last stop on the No. 6 Train is here, a station immortalized in the popular 1974 movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
Medical - The East Bronx has access to superior health care. Some of the region's best hospitals can be found in Morris Park - Montefiore Hospital, Calvary Hospital, the Jacobi Medical Center, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Family Friendly - Parents love the suburb-in-the-city feel of the beautiful, well-maintained, single-family homes, and neighbors and long-established ma-and-pa businesses who know you by name. In Pelham Bay, some family members own houses within three blocks of each other and grown children take over their aging or deceased parents' homes. The community is the essence of residential stability, with an appearance and character that has managed to stay relatively unchanged when compared to other areas of New York City.
Attractive Homes - A distinctive style of architecture predominates – handsome, two-story brick houses with nice touches of stained glass. On Pelham Bay Bronx’s tree-lined side streets, you will find many brick three-bedroom duplexes with basements on 25-by-100-foot lots. They come complete with awnings, well-manicured lawns, yards and grillwork fences. You will also find wood-frame houses and apartment buildings near the subway station. Homes cost approximately twenty to twenty-five percent less than those in more affluent Country Club situated across the Bruckner Expressway.
Businesses - Some of the community’s businesses have been here for decades, like the landmark George’s Restaurant with its vivid green awning and sign. Next door is Zeppieri & Sons, a traditional Italian bakery founded over fifty years ago, and nearby is the almost forty-year-old Pelham Bake Shop and Café. William Helmreich in his book A Walker In The City, claims that the best pizza in New York City can be enjoyed at Crosby Stop Pizza near the end of the No 6 line.
Pelham Bay Park - In spite of its name, don’t go to the town of Pelham Bay looking for houses situated on a large body of water because you won’t find them. However, Pelham Bay Park, the crown jewel of the area, is not too far away with thirteen miles of coastline along Long Island Sound. Covering 2,772 acres (more than three times the size of Central Park), it’s New York City’s largest green space. It features hiking and biking trails, an equestrian center, two golf courses, and playgrounds. Orchard Beach and the historic Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum are two notable features. Pelham South, the area of the park bordering Pelham Bay, contains a running track, a dog run, a recreation center, and sports facilities for baseball, basketball, and bocce. The park is perfect for biking, fishing, bird-watching, dog-walking and many other family activities. Avian residents include the colorful flock of Monk Parakeets. Nearby City Island offers a little taste of New England, seafood restaurants, and some nightlife - take a photo tour with Time Out New York
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Affordable homes on quiet streets make Pelham Bay a desirable neighborhood for people looking for a safe place to raise a family. Sign up with Movoto now to find your dream home in Pelham Bay.
