When the Bronx was burning. (Harrison, Bedford: middle-class, neighborhood, college)

[Tom in Spring Hill]

In the pictures above you are looking at buildings built in different eras.
The buildings on the grand concourse were called "pre war" buildings, but in the
1925-1935 era. Art Deco was the style. Then you have buidlings that were building in the 1910s and 1920's which look totally different in style but where at one time very nice residences. Mott Haven was probably built up prior to University Heights and the Art Deco buildings along the concourse. The further north in the Bx the newer the buildings, in general. Further south the oldest.

I would say most of the buildings that burned in the late 60's and 70's were torn down and replaced. The block where I grew up was 5 story apartment buildings replaced
with garden style 2 story apartment buildings. That is Grand Avenue between Burnside and 180th. While a lot of the older buildings stand, the oldest were demolished and replaced. Not much loss, they were dumps back then.

The construction designs of the time expressed in the buildings will never be seen again.
What is there certainly needs preservation and care. So far, they look pretty good.

[SuperMario]

Tom was University Heights burned out?

I know Burnside avenue was....and University ave near BCC...but where else?

[Ogden Assassin]

It was a criminal conspiracy if there ever was one. Buy a house for ten grand, take out a policy for replacement value which was probably closer to twenty-five grand (due to material costs and cost of new code compliance) and then walk away with said twenty-five grand after paying fity bucks to torch the place.

[Moth]

The Bronx was just as bad as Bushwick and I remember making trips up there in the early 1980's. One clear memory unique to the Bronx was in 1982 mayor Koch had this huge facade improvement program for burnt out tenements. City workers came in the burnt out buildings and installed faux painted windows into the burnt out shells of the building to made them look marginally better.

Oh, I remember those! I even remember one false window where they had added a graphic of a potted plant.

I liked Koch alot, but that tactic was a cruel joke at best.

That was probably the Bronx's nadir. I remember numerous trips on the #4 El. It was like taking a train through Dresden circa 1945. My friend dubbed it "The Anti-Disneyland Monorail" in reference to the ones at Disney which take you through all the nice places.

I also recall graffiti sprayed on one intact structure surrounded by torched ones. It said, "Give Us A Break."

[SuperMario]

I dont know but Morris Heights may have been the hardest hit with arson and abandonement. Now, I know you all probably think im crazy. The concensus is Morrisania. Other people say Longwood, Mott Haven and Melrose. But A trip along University avenue from W 174th to W Burnside reveals a grim picture.

Let me paint the picture...

On W 174th, just after the Sedgwick houses, there are boarded up windows On University. Next building you see a NYCHA rehab...and clearly see where the windows used to be. After that, on the same block, is a new development.

On W 175th, you see a vacant lot. Most likely a building used to be here. I think the new developments there where chosen to be projects.

W 175th continues on the next block. Here you get that classic eerie south Bronx feel. IMO, W 175th to W 176th on University is as close visually to the 70's as you can get. This block has what used to be groceries, now closed with the riot gates over it. It's eerie because since this block burned down in the 70's, it has never opened up again. Paint covers the gates in the form of graffiti. Not even the taggers tag it up anymore. Next to it is another NYCHA rehab. You can see where the bottom two windows used to be.

W 176th to W Tremont avenue is a commercial strip on University. Looks real rough and gritty. Now the real eye sore is that the buildings in the background, ALL 4 of them are NYCHA rehabs. Not sure but that may be Andrews avenue. You can tell that these buildings were destroyed. ALL of the windows currently in place were made over. You see where all the old windows used to be. Twelve window outlines in the 4 buildings, which lie consecutive to each other.

The area between W Tremont and Burniside avenue is a LONG block. First thing you see on the W Tremont corner is another NYCHA rehab. The building has a weird shape to it but it's a pretty big building. Here you really can't see where the windows used to be. Continuing down shows the graffiti ridden, closed down, hebrew college. There's plenty of photos on this, real ghetto. After this, you have two HUGE NYCHA rehabs. But you would never think that these were arsoned. Next is a church and a playground. Finally towards the end of the block you see another HUGE rehabbed building, in the same shape as the one on W Tremont. This one has the blue construction cover and boarded up windows.

If you're on the 4 Train, the ride between 176th and Burnside reveal many "what used to be shells" buildings.

Just look at all the rehabs in Morris Heights.

Per Wiki:

1. Harrison Avenue Rehab (Group A); one, 5-story rehabilited tenement building.
2. Harrison Avenue Rehab (Group B); four rehabilitated buildings, 5 and 6-stories tall.
3. Macombs Road; two rehabilited buildings, 5 and 6-stories tall.
4. Morris Heights Rehab; three rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 and 6-stories tall
5. Sedgewick Houses; seven buildings, 14 and 15-stories tall.
6. University Avenue Rehab; four, 6-story rehabilitated tenement buildings.
7. West Tremont Avenue-Sedgwick Avenue Area; one, 12-story building.
8. West Tremont Rehab (Group 1); two rehabilitated tenement buildings, 5 and 6-stories tall.
9. West Tremont Rehab (Group 3); one, 5-story rehabilitated tenement building.
10. West Tremont Rehab (Group 2); two, 6-story rehabilitated tenement buildings.

Not counting the Sedgwick houses, those are 20 rehabilitated buidlings. Incredible for an area that small.

Also Morris Heights has 31 building code violations. In comparison, University Heights has only 3.

Here is a photo of what looks to be the W 174th to W 175th block I was talking about. Looks like the Sedwgick houses in the background.

[bx718]

if anyone is on the 2/5 line below 180, just take a look to the south/east and you'll be surprised by the relatively high number of empty lots and "abandoned" buildings..... From the west farms stop to just before the simpson stop. I didn't think there will be that many .....

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by bx718

if anyone is on the 2/5 line below 180, just take a look to the south/east and you'll be surprised by the relatively high number of empty lots and "abandoned" buildings..... From the west farms stop to just before the simpson stop. I didn't think there will be that many .....

Wait...some buildings there are still abandoned?

[LCbailey81]

Me and my wife are looking at moving to the South Bronx for a semester and working with a ministry up there. I know housing is extremely expensive and we will basically be volunteering. Do any of y'all have a suggestion of places to look for housing? Thanks.

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by LCbailey81

Me and my wife are looking at moving to the South Bronx for a semester and working with a ministry up there. I know housing is extremely expensive and we will basically be volunteering. Do any of y'all have a suggestion of places to look for housing? Thanks.

I don't mean for this to sound cheeky or mean spirited but aren't there plenty of problems down in NO that need addressing? Why would you leave your own area that is still is bad shape to come to the bronx where many of the problems are self inflicted?

[SuperMario]

Just passed by Morris Heights again today (always do)....noticed 2 ENTIRE buildings boarded up behind the Sedgwick houses. Wow ......

Atleast on the west side....the arson seemed to reach up around Burnside avenue. Surprisingly it's more prevalent on the W 170's than the W 160's....Highbridge doesn't have as many rehabs. But this may just mean that there was no building to rehab. All that was left was rubble.