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City Living: Wakefield, Bronx

By Kristen V. Brown | Special to amNewYork

February 14, 2008

Inris Badia, 12 (left) and Samantha Sanchez, 13 (right) shop at Fan Fare Supermarket on White Plains Road in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. (RJ Mickelson / February 13, 2008)

Ride the No. 2 train all the way to the last stop, step off and you've found Wakefield, a small suburban enclave that's New York City's northernmost neighborhood.

While only an hour away from midtown, Wakefield has managed to preserve much of its old-time charm: There are no Starbucks, the streets are quiet, and the main strip is lined with eclectic mom-and-pops.

Named for the Virginia plantation where President George Washington was born, its woods and farmland were cleared in the 1840s after the arrival of the Harlem Railroad.

First settled chiefly by Irish and Italian-Americans, the area saw a huge influx of West Indian and Caribbean immigrants in the 1980s that today primarily make up this middle-class, residential neighborhood.

It's a family community, where people still invite their neighbors over for coffee and children play in the streets after school.

"It's a diverse neighborhood, everybody hangs out and chills together," says Devon Persauv, 41, a West Indian immigrant from White Plains who frequents Wakefield because of the many West Indian hangouts.

Emiele Brown, 28, the manager of Mellicon Café, agrees. " It's so community-oriented here. Everyone feels a part of each other."

Find It

Wakefield is bordered by Westchester to the north, Dyre Avenue to the east, 222nd Street to the south and the Bronx River to the west.

To Eat

Wakefield's cuisine boasts little in the way of sit-down dining -- but what it lacks in table space, it makes up for in authenticity (and price).

Peppino's Pizza
Locals frequent Peppino's as much for the lively atmosphere as the fine food. After 30 years in business, Peppino's has become a Wakefield staple. Pizza is their specialty, but check out their dishes too, like mussels marinara.
4701 White Plains Rd.
718-994-7543

Taste Delicious
Not only does Taste Delicious serve up heaping portions of Caribbean food, they also carry a limited stock of specialty Caribbean grocery items. Fill up on jerk chicken, then grab a couple cans of Irish Moss (a peanut soda) to go.
4643 White Plains Rd
718-549-2015

New Happy Joy