Tucked between the Bronx Community College campus, where the Hall of Fame of Great Americans is located, and the Jerome Park Reservoir is a little network of streets that seems to be on the borderline between Kingsbridge Heights and Bedford Park. Since one of the area’s big landmarks is the massive Kingsbridge Armory, I’ll assign it to the former. One of the area’s smaller streets is Eames Place, which runs for a couple of blocks between Webb and University Avenues north of West Kingsbridge Road.
I’ll repeat the title card photo here at Webb and Eames, since my title cards cannot be seen on mobile devices (thanks WordPress). In the Borough of Apartment Buildings there’s a distinctive design that is seen only rarely in other boroughs: Moderne apartments with sharp right angles, with wraparound windows on the corners. I love the design. In those rooms, you have views in two directions. There are dozens of buildings of this type on the Grand Concourse. (I have not been for a walk on The Conk in a few years and perhaps I will return in 2016.)
This building with an unusual facade at #124 Eames abutting a more recent building is the former Kingsbridge Heights Jewish Center, constructed in 1926. It currently serves as PS 307.
A couple of doors down, facing Claflin Avenue, is the Jerome Park Branch of the NY Public Library, named for the nearby reservoir that sits on the former site of a racetrack built by 19th Century financier Leonard Jerome, the grandfather of Winston Churchill. The branch opened in 1968 and was completely renovated in 2007.
(Hey folks, I’m a bit rusty with my fonts. The sign on the facade seems to be set in Bembo, but it’s not quite. Which font is it?)
Here’s a holdout house on Claflin and Eames, like the one on Webb Avenue a short distance away I presented earlier this week. It’s wedged on the corner between two big apartment houses. It’s likely that similar dwellings neighbored it a century ago.
From Street View, another Moderne classic with set back sharp corners and wraparound windows, classic Bronx.
Across the block on University Avenue is his group of apartment houses that predates the Modernes by about twenty years, I’d say.
University Avenue is a candidate for an FNY walk along its lengthy route from Sedgwick Avenue west of Yankee Stadium north to Jerome Park reservoir. It takes its name from New York University, which ceded its Bronx campus to Bronx Community College some decades ago. It was subnamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from Sedgwick north to West Tremont Avenue but oddly, not along its entire length. It closely parallels the route of the New Croton Aqueduct, which has become parkland in several spots.
4/12/16
21 comments
I was one of the first “pages” at the Jerome Park library when it opened in 1968. I was in high school, and was paid significantly less than minimum wage since it was a NYC job and they were not required to comply with minimum wage jobs. I think I was paid about $1.35 per hour. I worked there for a few months and then left to take a summer job as a produce clerk at the long-gone A&P on Kingsbridge Road between Morris and Creston Avenues. Minimum wage at last.
There was an A&P between Morris and Creston? Not where the Associated in now between Jerome and Morris?
my mother used to work there as a checkout clerk when it was off Kingsbridge Road upstairs. Do you remember Miss Martin? She was a real ____. I don’t know how much they paid her but there were benefits probably.
I remembetMs Martin
She did the story hours and
recommended books.
I remember Miss Martin
She did the story hour amd recommended children’s books.
Yes there was an a and p near
Chemical bank
Not sure if this area is Kingsbridge Heights or not. It certainly is not Kingsbridge which the area near B’way and 231st. I always thought of this pocket as the top of University Heights.
kingsbridge heights is what they call it up on the hill around Sedgwick University and Kingsbridge Road — Kingsbridge proper is down by broadway like you said.
I grew up at 2755 University Ave. at 195th Street. So this is my old neighborhood.
But I left in 1960 to go to college and the house was sold probably in 1961.
I lived at 2724 University Ave. from 1950 to 1975. Went to PS 86, JHS 143, and Dewitt Clinton HS (we used to call Dewitt Clinton, Our Lady of The Reservoir !!! My sisters went to Our Lady of Angels ! We used to play in the parks at the end of University Ave. Fort number 4 and there was a stone marker about three ft high tha was supposed to be the grave of George Washington’s dog ! It had a cross on the top but we never knew for.sure! I delivered groceries for Max’s grocery store for a year after school and on Saturdays, so I was in most of the buildings from Fordham to the Reservoir at one time or another! Used the old bikes with huge basket in Front! Great neighborhood. Jewish center on Eames place was full on Saturday Evenings! OLA church full on Sundays! Religion was huge!!! I still stay in contact with some neighbors. Gary De Nobrega
we went to the shul at Eames place
My two bothers and I were all bar mitzvahed at KHJC. What years were you there?
Joseph Deitch, a/k/a Uncle Joe was principal of the KHJC Hebrew school. He was Uncle Joe to all the campers at Camps Mohican and Reena in Palmer, Massachusetts. I knew
Uncle Joe as principal from before the new addition was built to the right of the old KHJC. My aunt Ceil worked in the office as bookkeeper, and in those days Reverend Kushner was
in charge of teaching the Bar Mitzvah boys their Haftorah. Cantor Bazian preceded Cantor Feuer, and Israel Miller was always the rabbi. Many of us wanted to go to Israel and we
were a homespun group of Maccabees, but most of our parents put their feet down because they knew what we would have been up to if we did the Aliyah to Israel. I remember the apartment buildings that were demolished for the KHJC addition, and even got to talk to someone who lived in one and who remembered me from the ‘Fifties.
Did you go to Camp Mohican? If so, what years? We have an active alumni group. Robert Solomon, rodert430@gmail.com
I also grew up at the KHJC. My first job was as a night clerk in the office, working for Ceil Shapiro and Roz Seraita. My dad was either co-president, president or chairman for most of my youth, along with Bernard Halpern and Sam Rosenbloom. Rev. Sholom Kushner taught me for my Bar Mitzvah, Cantor Feuer taught me how to lead services, and of course Rabbi Miller was our rabbi. He presided over my Bar Mitzvah, and my wedding, as well as the weddings of everyone in my family, from my grandfather’s remarriage after losing my grandmother, down throuhh my parents, aunts and uncles and my sister. I remember so well sneaking off during Yom Kippur to shoot baskets in the gym!
My grandfather was a founding member.
great to see those pix. those moderne apt houses were mo better than where I grew up — i could tell the difference.
Who was your grandfather since mine was also a founder
My immediate and extended families were members of KHJC. I went to Camp Mohican where “Uncle Joe” was a director. Rabbi Miller presided at my Bar Mitzvah and my wedding. Eliezer Zaslavsky was the Cantor in the 40’s and 50’s and I remember Reverend Kushner well. It was a wonderful synagogue.
I went to KHJC from 1959 to 1961.Rabbi miller as one of my teachers. Kushner taught me my haf Torah, I remember when there was an empty lot next to center. I lived at 2755 Sedgwick ave between 195 and 197th.Use
to play punchball in front of KHJC.Played football, basetball and footbal at PS 86. Used to eat lunch at the Kingsbride Armory. where my father worked when I was in 5th and 6th grade at PS 86
Is this neighborhood still safe to live in? My father lived hear here growing up.