Neighborhood: Pelham Parkway

Exhibit Presented by: Kenrick Khuu

Pelham Parkway has been one of the lesser known neighborhoods recognizable by those outside of the Bronx, let alone outside of NYC. It is visitable through bus via the Bronx 12 and through train via the number 5 line. I myself am familiar with Pelham Parkway as it is a neighborhood I live close by. For me, it is an underrated place for foodspots and other local businesses in a not-so-busy area in other parts of the Bronx.

Unfortunately, this neighborhood has been affected by the notorious effects of gentrification and the COVID-19 pandemic like many other neighborhoods in the Bronx and the broader New York City area. Based on my analysis, the COVID-19 pandemic correlates to the rise in gentrification of the neighborhood by accelerating the process. With the rise of COVID-19 cases comes city lockdown and layoffs for jobs not possible to transition to an online, remote work setting. Many businesses are disproportionately closing due to the indirect effects of COVID-19 if they are a local brick-and-mortar place that operates solely in a face-to-face manner.

Below are the examples of local businesses before and after COVID-19’s initial wave:

  • Vivienne’s pre-pandemic

  • Vivienne’s in Pandemic’s Advent

Vivienne’s bar closed during October 2020. You can see part of the storefront roof being a bit dilapidated in the top right in the after photo compared to the before photo. You can also see less stickers and posters on the windows in the after photo, indicating near vacancy.

  • Giovanni’s pre-pandemic

  • Giovanni’s in Pandemic’s Advent

Giovanni’s pizzeria and Italian restaurant closed during April 2020. The obvious “For Rent” poster in the after photo indicates the vacant status of the storefront. In addition, the missing neon sign that is present in the before photo is also gone.

Overall, by seeing a visualization of the effects of COVID-19 in accelerating the process of gentrification, I hope others see how local, small businesses must be supported by us the consumers and by our local government compared to the subsidies and tax cuts given for larger corporate chain businesses, not just in Pelham Parkway.