What’s in a Name? Port Morris? SoBro? Piano District?
NY City Lens
By Bernadette Ocampo Young
When New York real estate giants Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group first announced their joint investment in a multi-million dollar South Bronx waterfront development last year, Bronx locals were skeptical of the plan.
Referring to the neighborhood of Port Morris as “The Piano District” — a nod to its history as a hub for piano manufacturing — the developers unveiled plans to construct two 25-foot residential towers in the area, on Third Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, right along the Harlem River. The developments quickly drew pushback from many residents, who saw the renaming of the neighborhood as a symbol of impending gentrification.
Tensions reached a high point in August, after rapper Swizz Beatz, a Bronx native, hosted an art show in a property that had recently been bought by Keith Rubenstein, a founder of Somerset Partners. Residents took to the streets with signs bearing statements such as “Rappers Lending Their Street Cred to Developers?” “The Bronx is Not for Sale,” and “How Much Will a Gallon of Milk Cost in the Piano District?”
