Patterson Houses, Public housing development in Mott Haven, Bronx, United States.
Patterson Houses is a public housing complex in Mott Haven, a neighborhood in the South Bronx, made up of fifteen residential buildings of varying heights. The buildings are spread across several city blocks and together hold close to 1,790 apartments.
Construction began in 1948, as part of New York City's effort to build public housing in the years following World War II. The first residents moved in by 1950, at a time when Mott Haven was already a working-class neighborhood.
Residents come from the American South, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico, giving the complex a rich mix of everyday cultures. On weekends, you can often hear music drifting from open windows and people gathering outside to talk in Spanish and English.
The complex is managed by the New York City Housing Authority and is an active residential area, so the privacy of residents should be respected at all times. Those who want to explore the area can walk the streets around the buildings, which are publicly accessible.
Several people who grew up in these buildings went on to careers in professional sports and music, including a former NBA player and a Latin music artist. These stories are still remembered and talked about in the neighborhood today.
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