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Soundview is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Located in the south-central Bronx, it is bounded by the Cross Bronx Expressway to the north, White Plains Road to the east, the East River to the south, and the Bronx River to the west. Soundview is sometimes said to include parts of Castle Hill. Bronx River, Bruckner, and Clason Point are all neighborhoods within Soundview's borders.
The neighborhood was the site of the tragic shooting of Amadou Diallo in 1999.
Early History
The area of Clason Point of the Soundview region in the early 20th century was an era of trolley cars on Soundview Avenue, as well as ferryboats to and from College Point, Queens. Clason Point was named after Isaak Clason a major land owner. The area was known for dance halls, roller coasters, picnic groves and baseball games, as well as the worlds largest saltwater outdoor swimming pool known as "the inkwell". This was an area for family outings, open fields and childrens parades. There was a volunteer fire department, even a small airport and docks for sailboats, motorboats and many shoreline fishing spots nearby. There were also plenty of saloons and novelty shops. Kanes' was a major saloon in the Soundview/Clason Point area in the 1920's which featured Helen Kane, a singer who coined the phrase "boop-oop-a-doop". Cartoon flapper Betty Boop was modeled after her. With all the amusement park rides and novelties in 'Clason Point Park' the Clason Point area of Soundview was then known as "the Coney Island of the Bronx".
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