After a long, hectic day at work, one who boards the 6 train to Pelham Bay Park is met with the clash between the loud chatter of conversation, the screech of train wheels, and the loud engine of the locomotive. Though it is a jarring discord to someone who has never embarked, it is music to the ears of locals. From late afternoon to midnight hours, there is a hectic group of people conjoined by one desire: to get home. Stop after stop, crowds of people come in and out, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. It is not until one stop that these crowds dissipate. That stop is Parkchester.
Parkchester, located in the South Bronx, was built in 1938 by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. For decades, Parkchester has been a circle of affordability and accessibility, sheltering the low-income and working class. With throngs of stores like Macy’s, Marshalls, Food Town, as well as a plethora of local family owned stores, it was the perfect haven for residents. Up until the pandemic struck.
When COVID-19 first surfaced, it was standard to see stores all over New York City shutting down in the face of slowed business and the rise of online shopping. What we didn’t foresee, or perhaps what we refused to see, was that many stores would not come back the same. The aftermath of the pandemic seemed to serve one purpose to the neighborhood; it had stripped the core of Parkchester…