Morrisania (New York City, New York)

USA / New York / Inwood / New York City, New York
 neighbourhood, draw only border

Morissania is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 3 and includes the Claremont sub-neighborhood located in the northern part of the neighborhood proper, to the west of Crotona Park. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 161st Street to the south, and Webster Avenue to the west. Third Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Morrisania. ZIP codes include 10456, 10457, and 10459. The area is patrolled by the 42nd Precinct located at 830 Washington Avenue. NYCHA property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 7 at 737 Melrose Avenue in the Melrose section of the Bronx.

Originally the basis, and therefore named for the Morrisania manor, the home of the Morris family. The third Lewis Morris (1726-1798) was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His half-brother Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) was a Founding Father of the United States. Then his son, Gouverneur Morris Jr. (1813-1883), Vice President of the NY&H RR, was involved in the building of the railroad thru this area of the Bronx in the 1840's, and the neighborhood began to be developed.

In the 1950s along with changing demographics, Robert Moses tore down various tenements in favor of public housing. After the construction of the Cross-Bronx Expressway, the poverty that East Tremont suffered spread into Morrisania. As a result, the Third Avenue El closed in 1973. During this time period a wave of arson destroyed or damaged many of the structures in the area. Since the 1990's, subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and newly constructed apartment buildings have been and are being built on vacant lots across the neighborhood.
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Coordinates:   40°49'56"N   73°54'16"W

Comments

  • Awesome picture of that car.
  • By 1980, 40% of the buildings in South Bronx were burned or abandoned.
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This article was last modified 6 years ago