East Bronx is that part of the New York City borough of the Bronx which lies east of the Bronx River; this roughly corresponds to the eastern half of the borough. Neighborhoods include: Harding Park, Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester, Westchester Square, Van Nest, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Throgs Neck, Country Club, City Island, Pelham Bay, Williamsbridge, Eastchester, Baychester, Edenwald, Wakefield, and Co-op City.East Bronx is located farther from Manhattan than its western counterpart, and consequently it is less dense. While the West Bronx is older and very hilly, the East Bronx looks distinct in that it is not only somewhat newer and later-settled but also very flat and coastal, much like the nearby borough of Queens. The East Bronx is also distinct from the West Bronx in that the two were annexed by the City of New York at two separate times; the West Bronx seceded from Westchester County in 1874, while the East Bronx was part of Westchester until 1895.
East Bronx has historically had a large Italian American population, and they still make up the biggest group in the neighborhoods of Morris Park, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Throgs Neck, Country Club, and City Island. The North East Bronx has a large Black Caribbean population, in particular in the neighborhoods of Wakefield, Baychester and Edenwald. Parkchester is home to a large Asian American population - in particular Bengalis, Pakistanis, and Chinese. Throughout the East Bronx, Hispanic Americans - of Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage - can be found and they comprise majority populations in Soundview, Castle Hill, Westchester Square and Van Nest. Albanians are a presence throughout the East Bronx, in particular in Van Nest, Morris Park and Pelham Parkway.
However, the rather meaningful differences between the East and West Bronx go largely neglected today. Prior to the 1970s, New Yorkers generally saw the Bronx as being split into its eastern and western halves, as is historically and culturally accurate; however, with the urban decay that hit the southwestern Bronx starting in the 1960s, people began to see the borough as being fundamentally divided between the southwestern area ("The South Bronx") and everywhere else. The notion of the "South Bronx" is arguably outdated considering that urban decay and high poverty rates have extended further north into Fordham-Bedford, Bedford Park, and University Heights, and further east into Soundview.
East Bronx Neighborhoods include: Neighborhoods include: Clason's Point, Harding Park, Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester (under Board 9), Throgs Neck, Country Club, City Island, Pelham Bay, Co-op City (Board 10), Westchester Square, Van Nest, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park (Board 11), Williamsbridge, Eastchester, Baychester, Edenwald and Wakefield (Board 12).
