Morrisania

While Morrisania was once the name for all of the South Bronx, today it designates a small village in the southwestern pocket of the borough. The Cross-Bronx Expressway borders to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 161st Street to the south and Webster avenue to the west. Numerous bus routes run from the neighborhood to Manhattan.

When the aristocratic Morris family owned much of the land over a century ago, it was known for its grandeur, much of which is preserved in historic districts, like the Clay Avenue Historic District. The residential streets are dappled with striking buildings, like the Trinity Episcopal Church (East 166th and Trinity Avenue), built in the High Victorian Gothic style in 1874.

There are 26 public schools in the area, including Morris Educational Campus, the current incarnation of the historic Morris High School. There’s play space for children in parks throughout the neighborhood, like Railroad Park at the intersection of Courtland Ave. and East 161st Street, Dunbar Playground at East 161st Street which features basketball courts and the tree-lined Hilton White Playground between 161st and 163rd streets, each of which feature a modern playground. Hilton White and Dunbar also offer handball courts. Lastly, Unity Park at 167th Street is a grassy oasis with benches.