Wakefield, Bronx


Wakefield is a working-class and middle-class section of the northern borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by the city's border with Westchester County to the north, East 222nd Street to the south, and the Bronx River Parkway to the west.
Wakefield is the northernmost neighborhood in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community District 12 and its ZIP Codes are 10466 and 10470. Wakefield is patrolled by the 47th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.

History

Wakefield, like the rest of the Bronx, was once mainly forested and later became farmland. With the expansion of railroad transportation via the arrival of the New York and Harlem Railroad circa 1840, the area experienced moderate development before the borough was merged with New York County as a result of the state legislature's decision to amalgamate the four original boroughs to form New York City. Prior to this merger, Wakefield and the Bronx were politically part of Westchester County.
The current Wakefield station of the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line was on the site of a village called Washingtonville, which was incorporated into Wakefield when it became a village on August 8, 1889. Wakefield was named after the Virginia plantation where George Washington was born. Neighboring Mount Vernon, in Westchester County, is named for the plantation where Washington lived for most of his adulthood.

Demographics

Formerly, Wakefield was home to large Irish American and Italian-American populations. During the 1980s, these communities were replaced with large Caribbean and Guyanese populations, which now compose 72.3% of the neighborhood's total population. 19.6% of the population is Hispanic. Many residents are or are descended from the Caribbean and Guyanese immigrants.
The 2010 United States Census reported a population of 67,813 residents in the surrounding area, while the 2000 United States Census reported a total of 68,787 residents.

Police and crime

Wakefield and Eastchester are patrolled by the 47th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 4111 Laconia Avenue. The 47th Precinct ranked 35th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.
The 47th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 70.0% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 5 murders, 44 rapes, 337 robberies, 726 felony assaults, 294 burglaries, 520 grand larcenies, and 205 grand larcenies auto in 2018.

Social problems

Wakefield has seen a rise in gangs and gang-related violence from neighboring Edenwald The high school drop-out rate is higher than the city average, but lower than central Bronx neighborhoods. Many households in the area are headed by a single mother.

Fire safety

Wakefield is served by the New York City Fire Department 's Engine Co. 63/Ladder Co. 39/Battalion 15, located at 755 East 233rd Street.

Post office and ZIP Codes

Wakefield is located within two ZIP Codes. Most of the neighborhood is located in 10466, but certain areas around East 241st Street and White Plains Road are part of 10470. The United States Postal Service operates the Wakefield Station post office at 4165 White Plains Road.

Education

Schools

There are several public schools scattered throughout the neighborhood including PS 16, PS 21 and PS 103. There are also many private and catholic schools including St. Francis-Assisi, Our Lady of Grace and the prominent all-male Catholic secondary school Mount Saint Michael Academy, which serves 1,100 students from grades 7-12. The all-female St. Barnabas High School is located further west in Woodlawn and serves many students from Wakefield as well.

Library

The New York Public Library 's Wakefield branch is located at 4100 Lowerre Place. The branch opened in 1938 and contains collections in its basement and first floor.

Transportation

The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Wakefield:
Wakefield is also served by the following Bee-Line Bus System routes to Westchester County, New York:
The following New York City Subway stations serve Wakefield:
The Metro-North Railroad also stops at Wakefield station, served by the Harlem Line.

In popular culture

Several scenes from the 1970 film Love Story starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw were filmed on East 233rd Street, East 238th Street, and Barnes Avenue, all located within the neighborhood. The Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church located at 4360 Boyd Avenue is featured in the film.
Many internal and external bar scenes from the second season of the Showtime network's drama series Billions were filmed at the longtime neighborhood bar Cullen's Tavern, located at 4340 White Plains Road.
Scenes for The Sopranos prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark were filmed in Wakefield and neighboring Edenwald in May 2019.

Notable natives and residents