All posts by Rebeca Quiroz Villacis

Census Tract Analysis along Prospect between 52nd and 54th

I was able to look at census tracts for Prospect between E 52nd Street and E 54th Street in 1950, 2000 and 2010. The Census Tract for the west side of Prospect on these blocks is 0.49 square miles and the east side of Prospect on these blocks is 0.64 square miles. Factors such as race and ethnicity, educational attainment and population density changed much through these decades.

There is a constant data difference for the west side and the east side of Prospect for these blocks. For the most part, the west side has a higher percentage in population. In 1950, on the west side there were 4,459 people. On the east side, the population was 2,815. The population density for the west was 9,009.12 per square mile and for the east 4,374.2. The west side almost doubles the east side population. However, by 2000, the population is not as contrasted in the west and east. The west side greatly decreased to 2,980 while the west side decreased to 2,096. By 2010, the population continued to decrease on both sides of Prospect, the west side had 2,631 and the east side had 1,403. Even though the population decreases from 2000 to 2010, the population decrease from 1950 to 2000 was greater.

Synopsis of Analysis for Prospect Avenue from 52nd Street to 54th Street

Walking through Prospect Avenue from 52nd Street to 54th Street today we find a mix of residencies and businesses sporadically located. The residencies have little space between them and are similar in size. However, some of the businesses have large properties or are by a vacant property. There is an auto shop, a dental clinic, a discount merchandise store, a party shop, a motel, a restaurant and a laundromat.

Present day image. The advertisement at the local laundromat.
Present day image. The advertisement at the local laundromat.

On the West side of Prospect for these blocks, the 1925 Atlas and Sanborn maps c.1950 volume 9 and volume 6, show that landlords of certain sections on these blocks, divided the area into grid-like compartments and placed buildings in the compartments. These compartmentalized sections, shared the land on the block with a landlord, Mary S Smeltzer who kept her section unbuilt and undivided. The East side of Prospect for these blocks show a similar division of land use. However,  the 1925 Atlast shoes an interesting set of buildings were located Prospect and 54th Street — Wheatley School. The school was name after Phillis Wheatley and was for African Americans. The c1950 Sanborn maps show that the school moved two blocks East and in parenthesis classifies it as “colored”.  It also showed that the buildings for Wheatley School by prospect were not there anymore by then.

Wheatley School in 1925 is located in the blue square
Wheatley School in 1925 is located in the blue square

Today, there still is a mix of compartmentalized residency buildings and unkept, empty sections of land on these blocks.