Mott Haven Apartments & Rentals

Inexpensive Mott Haven apartments draw adventurous renters and others to this up and coming South Bronx neighborhood. The area used to be part of nearby Morrisania, but that changed in 1849. At that time, Jordan Mott purchased the land for an iron works-the remains are still visible if you know where to look. Mott Haven grew with the city and distinguished row houses were built along "Doctors Row" and "Judges Row."

In the early 1900s, the population boomed and tenement buildings went up. The neighborhood changed and both crime and poverty escalated, starting in the 1940s. There have been some signs of gentrification lately, but the South Bronx has a ways to go before it resembles North Brooklyn. Mott Haven is bordered by the Major Deegan and Bruckner expressways, the Harlem River, and-according to some-East 149th Street to the north.

There's quite a bit of shopping and dining to be enjoyed in Mott Haven. There are a number of busy commercial areas. East 138th Street is the primary east-west drag but it's "the Hub" that keeps residents shopping locally. Officially called the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, the Hub may be the Times Square of the Bronx. You can find restaurants, bars, and shops along this section of Mott Haven. There is also a new crop of art galleries due to the neighborhood's new artist community.

Saint Mary's Park is one of the Bronx's original green spaces. It's got a pool, ball courts, playgrounds, barbeque areas and more.

Mott Haven is a high-density residential area. It's mostly renters here, primarily Latin Americans. You'll find significant income diversity in Mott Haven depending on the block. While many locals receive public assistance, there are also pockets of urban pioneers and artists. Available units are in tenements, public housing blocks, brownstone row houses, and low-rise modern buildings. Average rents, including public housing, come in at just $620 a month.

The neighborhood is just across the river from Manhattan, which makes commutes relatively quick. The IRT Lexington Avenue line runs along East 138^th Street and East 149^th Street. Public buses service the area as well.

Mott Haven hosts a branch of the New York Public Library. There's a US Post Office on East 139^th Street. The Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center is up off Morris Avenue. In local politics, Bronx Community Board No. 1 speaks for Mott Haven.

Zip codes serving Mott Haven are 10451, 10454, and 10455.