ZEREGA AVENUE, BRONX

PRECIOUS and few are the streets in New York City that begin with Z, and fewer still are subway stations that begin with the 26th letter. Westchester Square can claim both, as Zerega Avenue is a stop on the #6 Pelham Bay Line in the Bronx. It runs from Castle Hill Avenue on the north, goes undcer the spaghetti traffic ramps created by the confluence of the Bruckner and Cross Bronx expressways and ending at Randall Avenue just short of Westchester Creek; a separate section rejoins Castle Hill avenue at the East River edge. I photographed it here at Westchester Avenue, at the el station.

The street was likely named for a merchant and shipowner and slaveowner with the unlikely name of Augustus Zerega diZerega, a Venezuelan by birth born in 1803 who emigrated to the USA in the early 1800s. According to John Mcnamara in History in Asphalt, he kept all his transactions in his head and didn’t record them in books at all. DiZerega purchased a 114-acre estate at Ferry Point, now Ferry Point Park and a golf course owned by Donald Trump. His mansion, Island Hall, was used by a Catholic order until the 1930s, when it was razed to make way for the Whitestone Bridge approach. A descendant, Augusts diZerega IV, lived until 1976.

DiZerega’s obituary from the NY Times, 12/24/1888. His name was recorded as “Augustus Zerega” by Times editors.

There are over 9000 named NYC streets, I estimate 60% carry names, so that makes at least 5400 different stories in every street.

As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.

6/15/23