Belmont

Belmont is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the west Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 6. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Fordham Road to the north, Bronx Park to the east, East 183rd Street to the south, and the Third Avenue (which formerly was served by the IRT Third Avenue Line) to the west. These boundaries give the neighborhood a crescent like shape. Arthur Avenue is the primary thoroughfare through Belmont. Zip codes include 10458. The area is patrolled by the NYPD 48th Precinct located at 450 Cross-Bronx Expressway in East Tremont.

Demographics
Belmont has a population over 15,000. For decades Belmont has been one of the poorest communities in America. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (AFDC, Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). The vast majority of residents in the area are of Puerto Rican or African American descent. There is also a small population of Albanian immigrants and longstanding Italians along East 187th Street near Arthur Avenue.

Land Use And Terrain
Belmont is dominated by 5 and 6-story tenement buildings, older multi-unit homes, vacant lots, and newly constructed subsidized attached multi-unit townhouses and apartment buildings. A significant percentage of the original housing stock was structurally damaged by arson after being abandoned and eventually razed by the city. The total land area is roughly half a square mile. The terrain is somewhat hilly.

Arthur Avenue
Arthur Avenue at East 187th Street was once the heart of the Italian community in the Bronx. Although the historical and commercial center of "Little Italy" is Arthur Avenue itself, the area stretches across East 187th Street from Arthur Avenue to Prospect Avenue, and was once similarly lined with delis, bakeries, cafes, and various Italian merchants.

Transportation

 * Bx9: to Riverdale or West Farms Square station (via Kingsbridge Rd)
 * Bx12: to Bay Plaza Shopping Center or Inwood-207th St station (via Fordham Road-Pelham Parkway)
 * Bx17: to Port Morris (via Prospect Av)
 * Bx19: to Riverbank State Park (via Southern Blvd-149th St)
 * Bx22: to Bronx High School of Science or Castle Hill (via Castle Hill Av)
 * BL60: to White Plains
 * BL61: to Port Chester
 * BL62 Limited: to White Plains

Facts

 * Fordham University is located just north of Belmont at Fordham Road.
 * The Bronx Zoo is located east of Belmont in Bronx Park.
 * The 1993 film A Bronx Tale was set in Belmont, though it was actually filmed in Astoria, Queens.