Welcome to Hunts Point: Culture and community on the banks of the Bronx

Image © THE POINT CDC

When a highway runs through the middle of a community, how do you find its heart? Today, the New York City neighbourhood of Hunts Point in the South Bronx is a busy hub. Home to one of the largest food distribution centres in the world, it supplies much of New York City’s meat and fresh produce. Yet, while these arterial roads feed NYC, they have also divided neighbourhoods in Hunts Point and made it harder for communities to connect.

Once upon a time, beneath the hum of the Bruckner Expressway pulsed a rich cultural history: jazz musicians played at the Hunts Point Palace; and salsa and hip hop both claim roots in South Bronx. However, by the 1990s, economic decline had left the neighbourhood hollowed out and bypassed. The community needed a focal point that could bring people together – and since 1994, THE POINT Community Development Company has become that heart.

“I don’t think there’s another place like Hunts Point in the city, or that has its story,” says Maria Torres, president and chief operating officer at THE POINT. “It’s a resilient place, the people are resilient, and it’s this piece of the Bronx that’s its own little village.”¹

By bringing local people together, THE POINT has helped improve the lives and prospects of its neighbours through youth development, cultural, and environmental community programmes.  “THE POINT is where community and creativity connect,” says Maria. “We’re seeing arts and culture, young people, and community revitalisation all working together.”
That connection comes alive on the streets each June, when the Hunts Point Fish Parade and Arts Festival sees thousands of residents march in a human shoal to Riverside Park, a restored community space where neighbours can meet, fish, barbeque, or launch canoes in the Bronx River. “I love this place – THE POINT is my home. I’ve had the benefit of raising my family here and working here for 15 years,” says one participant. “The goal of the parade was to integrate our community with our waterfront … and to see it blossom and grow all these years later is just such a beautiful gift.”²

Riverside Park is also home to THE POINT’s Riverside Campus for Arts and The Environment, which has provided extra space for programmes since 2006. Year-round, the organisation offers arts education classes – from circus skills to hip hop songwriting – which help children and teens develop social and academic skills, as well as confidence for the future. An exciting collaboration with the International Center of Photography immerses young people in critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills, while giving them practical access to a photography studio and darkroom.
“Thousands of Hunts Point residents have grown up at THE POINT as part of our after-school programmes,” says Barbara Alicea, executive managing director. “They think of it as their home away from home.”³

Support continues during the summer vacation, when a Youth Employment programme offers meaningful, hands-on paid work for young people aged 16-24, as they follow a choice of four arts disciplines and work towards a final project.

THE POINT now works with around 5,000 people each year through programmes that respond to local priorities, including transport connections, green spaces, and clean air. Drawing on residents’ experience, the organisation has contributed to practical improvements in the neighbourhood, including better access to the waterfront and the introduction of low-noise, low-emission electric garbage trucks on local streets. Better connections now also include free community Wi-Fi and a free neighbourhood electric shuttle.

‘‘In our 32 years, we’ve become known especially as a wonderful place for children to learn and grow,” says Maria.  “When I think about legacy, I think about people looking at THE POINT as a powerful hub in our community, not just for young people but for all residents. I would love for us to be the place people come to in New York, to see somewhere that was once tossed away and now showcases all sorts of new creative thinking.”⁴

Oak provides general operating support to THE POINT CDC through our Special Interest Programme. Driven by the interests of our Trustees, it provides the space and flexibility to make grants outside of Oak’s other programme strategies. Check out this video to find out more!

References:
_{[1] https://huntspointforward.nyc/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7gszXvepE0
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvVhoA1E_OY
[4] https://www.thepoint.org/thepoint-history}