This is part of a series about New Yorkers who have recently relocated to the Bronx. It’s called The New Bronx.
When Beth Dacquisto, 24, first moved to New York City in the summer of 2014 as a Teach for America recruit, she hated it.
After a brief stay in Jamaica, Queens, she moved to an apartment near Lincoln Center on West 68th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus. Her neighbors were older and predominantly white and wealthy. But for Dacquisto, the seemingly sleepy Upper West Side was not so quiet. “It was loud—lots of people all the time,” said Dacquisto. “I used to live across the street from where the postal cars go at the end of the day and where they go out in the morning.”
Her assignment for Teach for America—a national organization that recruits top college graduates to teach for two years in public schools—was instructing specials needs kids in English language arts at a middle school in the South Bronx. It brought the University of Maryland graduate to a world completely distinct from the Upper West Side.
Noticing that many of her Teacher for America colleagues lived in the Bronx, Dacquisto began to consider the move. “Something I’ve noticed, at least in Teach for America, is that the people from New York have no problem living in the Bronx,” she reflected. “The people from out of state seem to always want to gravitate to Manhattan,” Dacquisto said. Though a native of Annapolis, Md., Dacquisto decided to make the leap too.
Leaving the Upper West Side was not difficult. Like many city transplants who picture Manhattan when they think of New York, she found the reality of her busy schedule left her little time to enjoy the neighborhood. “It felt weird living in a really nice part of Manhattan,” said Dacquisto. “I liked the idea of living in Manhattan but it didn’t work for my life. I just didn’t have the time to actually enjoy living in Manhattan.”
The Bronx seemed to be the more logical—and also better—choice. “I feel like a lot of people have this stigma against the Bronx. They think it’s still a very dangerous area. Any area of New York City can be dangerous, not just one borough,” she said. Plus, Dacquisto felt that proximity to the community she serves would make her a better teacher. “I really liked the idea of living close to my kids, if that makes sense,” she said.
Cost was also a factor. Dacquisto’s 68th Street apartment was a three-bedroom that she shared with two roommates, and her portion of the rent was $1,600 per month. “Oh, it was not sustainable,” Dacquisto said. “It was over half my monthly income. Part of why I was moving was I realized, I can’t afford to live here.”
Her new home in Kingsbridge Heights also made it an easy decision. “It isn’t in my community, but it’s still in the Bronx, and I still see my students all at time,” Dacquisto said, recalling a recent run-in with a student at the local Target. Found on Craigslist and shared with two roommates, the three-bedroom apartment was a steal, with Dacquisto’s portion of the rent coming to only $700. Her neighborhood is filled with a mix of families, older people, younger people, and she loves living right next to Van Cortlandt Park.
“It’s pretty nice. It’s calmer,” Dacquisto said. “I love living in the Bronx for a lot of reasons. I love it. It feels like there’s real people here whereas Manhattan felt very superficial at times. When I moved to the Bronx, I felt less homesick.”
