Question about South Bronx 1968 (New York, Monroe: roughest, landlord, college)
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When Ray Mortenson first started taking his cameras through the most wasted of the wastelands that made up parts of the South Bronx in the early 1980s, he devised a helpful subway mantra: Take the 5, stay alive. Take the 4, dead for sure.
This was only because the No. 5 line led through a handful of neighborhoods — East Tremont, Mott Haven, Morrisania — that had been so gutted and burned out during the 1970s that whole blocks were almost completely abandoned, meaning fewer chances of stumbling into a mugger or drug deal.
Normally one would think the south Bronx neighborhoods were more dangerous but he does have a point in that those south Bronx neighborhoods had few people living there, while the denser neighborhoods along the 4 housed all the crazy refugees and undesirables from the south Bronx. Maybe that is why you don't see any images of Highbridge, Morris/University Heights, Tremont, or Fordham from the back then.
Normally one would think the south Bronx neighborhoods were more dangerous but he does have a point in that those south Bronx neighborhoods had few people living there, while the denser neighborhoods along the 4 housed all the crazy refugees and undesirables from the south Bronx. Maybe that is why you don't see any images of Highbridge, Morris/University Heights, Tremont, or Fordham from the back then.
I can't find any of photos of Morrisania except Charlotte St. when Jimmy Carter made that notable visit in 1977.
how about some pics of High Bridge and Morris Hts. i remember driving down Jerome Ave from the Cross Bronx to go to the stadium--east and west of Jerome, especially around 172, 170th lots of abandonment. not endless rows of abandonment like around Charlotte Street but enough to make it menacing to look at. i remember seeing constant street fights and sounds of people being stabbed or assaulted (loud cries etc) and my dad telling me "this is NOTHING compared to the EAST Bronx" (he meant area around So Blvd, Westchester Ave etc). i used to think, how much worse can it be...
The Franklin and 169th maybe accurate on one side of the street not sure though, the church is still there and there are new buildings there now. On the other side the library and PS 63 are still there. The older apt buildings are still there.
The photo of 169th and Tinton is not accurate. Looks like Boston Road buildings between 168th and 169th but not from the corner of 169th. 169th and Tinton corner only had 1 apt. building which still stands. Private houses on other corner were replaced, but there were no apt buildings behind them when the lot was vacant that's how I know it's not Tinton and 169th. I know that stretch over there from around Franklin down to Southern Blvd through all the changes.
Bristow and Franklin is restored now and buildings are cooped. Most of what you are showing has been restored and replaced but there is still vacant land around.
The Franklin and 169th maybe accurate on one side of the street not sure though, the church is still there and there are new buildings there now. On the other side the library and PS 63 are still there. The older apt buildings are still there.
The photo of 169th and Tinton is not accurate. Looks like Boston Road buildings between 168th and 169th but not from the corner of 169th. 169th and Tinton corner only had 1 apt. building which still stands. Private houses on other corner were replaced, but there were no apt buildings behind them when the lot was vacant that's how I know it's not Tinton and 169th. I know that stretch over there from around Franklin down to Southern Blvd through all the changes.
Bristow and Franklin is restored now and buildings are cooped. Most of what you are showing has been restored and replaced but there is still vacant land around.
The point is that there are photos of Morrisania, but NONE of University Heights.
The point is that there are photos of Morrisania, but NONE of University Heights.
Oh OK you had stated that already. The thing about that though is University Heights was White for a long time and until around after 1970. The Black and Latin people that first moved over there were solidly middle class so they didn't experience that burn out. So I agree photos should have been taken to show that. I think more photos were taken to show the negativity of a non white Bronx. University Heights still stands and you have some of the best views in the city.
I feel the same way because take that photo of Bristow and Franklin there are only about 6 small apt buildings on that block. Everybody knew everybody. But that photo of the burn out doesn't show that. It doesn't show the many blocks that weren't burned out. That still stand today. There has been no gentrification in Morrisania,what ever has been preserved, and whatever was restored was accomplished by the residents .
Oh OK you had stated that already. The thing about that though is University Heights was White for a long time and until around after 1970. The Black and Latin people that first moved over there were solidly middle class so they didn't experience that burn out. So I agree photos should have been taken to show that. I think more photos were taken to show the negativity of a non white Bronx. University Heights still stands and you have some of the best views in the city.
I feel the same way because take that photo of Bristow and Franklin there are only about 6 small apt buildings on that block. Everybody knew everybody. But that photo of the burn out doesn't show that. It doesn't show the many blocks that weren't burned out. That still stand today. There has been no gentrification in Morrisania,what ever has been preserved, and whatever was restored was accomplished by the residents .
quick nitpicking but lower University Heights (area around west 180th) burned to the ground.
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