Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study

Illustrated map of Parkchester with surrounding neighborhoods

Parkchester/Van Nest

Parkchester and Van Nest are two of the borough’s most unique and diverse communities. South of East Tremont Avenue and the Metro-North rail line, Parkchester is home to thriving and diverse communities. Named after the Parkchester planned community, developed by the Met Life Corporation in the 1940s, the area is home to a large and still relatively affordable housing stock. North of the East Tremont Avenue, in Van Nest Neighborhood, is a mix of smaller homes and schools, strong retail corridors -- similar to in Morris Park -- and thriving immigrant communities.

East Tremont Avenue offers opportunities for building more housing and small business near the coming station. East Tremont Avenue lacks basic pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks and crosswalks to accommodate people traveling to and from the surrounding neighborhoods to the train.

Plan Objectives

Objectives developed with Parkchester/Van Nest communities include:

Vibrant Communities

Planning for growth while celebrating who we are.

  1. Encourage the development of a mixed-use, walkable district around the future station
  2. Make the new stations a part of the neighborhood
  3. Encourage welcoming public connections throughout the neighborhood, create new open spaces and improve and better connect to existing ones
  4. Preserve existing housing and allow for new housing for a range of incomes and housing types
  5. Promote fair, transit-oriented development that benefits all residents
  6. Support the area’s diverse and growing immigrant communities
  7. Make healthy food options available
  8. Support aging in place
  9. Honor the area’s history and promote public art
  10. Plan for added demand for schools, police, fire service, and other basic services

Community gateway - Click on the numbers on each image to see descriptions.

Illustrated roadway with greenery, residential buildings    and a transit station. Text reads “Vision for East Tremont Ave near station    with pedestrian/streetscape improvements”
Roadway with parked cars and residential  buildings. Text reads “Current view of East Tremont Ave near station”
 
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Connected Communities

Planning to help people get around the neighborhood, the city, and the region.

  1. Address traffic circulation around the new station as the area continues to grow
  2. Ensure that major corridors are safe, well-lit, and offer pleasant pedestrian experiences
  3. Strengthen bike and walking connections to the station, transit, retail, and area campuses
  4. Improve wayfinding to local retail corridors, neighborhoods, and amenities (zoo, libraries, etc.)
Working Communities

Planning to help people get around the neighborhood, the city, and the region.

  1. Connect Parkchester to major job hubs in Morris Park, Penn Station, and the region
  2. Understand the needs of existing small businesses and identify tools to support them
  3. Ensure that Bronxites are aware of, qualified for, and connected to current and future job opportunities in the city and the region

Detailed recommendations for Parkchester/Van Nest coming in fall 2023.


Where to next?

Co-op City Morris Park Parkchester/Van Nest Hunts Point