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I'm curious to know how much of the original architecture survived in The Bronx, after the arson wave of the 70s.
I know that in the 80s and 90s, the rebuilding effort included mostly ugly rowhomes with front driveways. I guess the developers at the time did not think midrise apartments were a good idea. Thankfully the recent architecture (2010s) is a lot better looking and is mostly midrise and higher. The modern architecture might look out of place, but at least it's a lot better than what they were building in the 90s and earlier. The 00s stuff wasn't great either, but better than the 80s/90s stuff at least.
Still though, it's a shame to me how many of the original buildings in the Central Bronx were lost.
I've been trying to do some research to see which neighborhoods survived the 70s arson wave the best. It looks like the neighborhoods West of Webster Ave are mostly intact, with the neighborhoods to the East being a case by case basis. It look like the neighborhoods along the 2 train, from Mott Haven to West Farms were hit the hardest, with the neighborhoods along the 6 not being hit as hard. It looks like whole chunks of Longwood and West Farms are gone and replaced with ugly rowhomes or weird Levitt style houses.
Is that accurate? And what are some things I'm missing?
And are the aformentioned ugly rowhomes planned by the city, or did private developers decide to make a bunch of similar looking houses?
A lot of rowhomes were Nehemiah houses. They also built the rowhomes you see all over Spring Creek!
I know for a fact that program did all the rowhomes in East New York and Brownsville
Oh and I not only find those rowhomes to be any eyesore, but in my opinion they make the blocks more dangerous to walk down. Yes detached houses also have front driveways, but they're seperated by a house's width as opposed to as much as a whole block being a driveway
I'm curious to know how much of the original architecture survived in The Bronx, after the arson wave of the 70s.
I know that in the 80s and 90s, the rebuilding effort included mostly ugly rowhomes with front driveways. I guess the developers at the time did not think midrise apartments were a good idea. Thankfully the recent architecture (2010s) is a lot better looking and is mostly midrise and higher. The modern architecture might look out of place, but at least it's a lot better than what they were building in the 90s and earlier. The 00s stuff wasn't great either, but better than the 80s/90s stuff at least.
Still though, it's a shame to me how many of the original buildings in the Central Bronx were lost.
I've been trying to do some research to see which neighborhoods survived the 70s arson wave the best. It looks like the neighborhoods West of Webster Ave are mostly intact, with the neighborhoods to the East being a case by case basis. It look like the neighborhoods along the 2 train, from Mott Haven to West Farms were hit the hardest, with the neighborhoods along the 6 not being hit as hard. It looks like whole chunks of Longwood and West Farms are gone and replaced with ugly rowhomes or weird Levitt style houses.
Is that accurate? And what are some things I'm missing?
And are the aformentioned ugly rowhomes planned by the city, or did private developers decide to make a bunch of similar looking houses?
I agree. Those rowhouses aren’t the most attractive.
I don't know if that's true, it looks like most of University Heights, Morris Heights, Highbridge, and Belmont are intact. Fordham and Concourse even more so
I did alot of research on this. Look at the above thread.
All of Morris Heights/Highbridge and University heights up to about W 181st was destroyed. After W 181st you had pockets of abandonment until you got got to Fordham road were it became less noticeable.
About 80% (my best guess) of the buildings on University Avenue from about W 174th up to W 181st were either abandoned shells or vacant lots.
Apparently University Heights is named after a university that no longer exists. A long time ago, NYU had a campus in University Heights, hence the name:
Apparently University Heights is named after a university that no longer exists. A long time ago, NYU had a campus in University Heights, hence the name:
It also goes to show that the Bronx in the old days was a respected place, before white flight took hold and the arson.
Wow. Had no idea. I wonder what kind of area the school Fieldston is in or for that matter Bronx Science.
I know nothing about the Bronx. Have to do some research.
Wow. Had no idea. I wonder what kind of area the school Fieldston is in or for that matter Bronx Science.
I know nothing about the Bronx. Have to do some research.
Fieldston is in Riverdale (it is a subsection within Riverdale) and has several expensive and exclusive private schools. In fact they are ranked as some of the most expensive and best private schools not only in New York City, but in the entire country.
1. Riverdale Country School
2. Horace Mann School
3. Ethical Culture Fieldston School
The tuition at just about all of these schools is ~$40,000 - 45,000 a year.
Plenty of parents in Westchester and Manhattan send their kids here. They either drive them or they take the express bus. You will see them in the mornings going to Riverdale.
Manhattan College is also another private school located in the Fieldston section just up the hills from the 1 train (242nd street). Walk up the hilly Manhattan College Parkway and you enter another world. It feels nothing like "the Bronx". From Manhattan College Parkway, you enter the private community of Fieldston with many historic houses on large lots, some of which are mansions.
Bronx Science High School is an elite public school in Bedford Park not too far from Lehman College. The Northwest Bronx is probably the nicest parts of the Bronx. You have Riverdale (including all subsections Spuyten Duyvil, Fieldston, North Riverdale, Central Riverdale, etc.), Woodlawn, Van Cortlandt Village... All nice neighborhoods.
Last edited by pierrepont7731; 07-15-2018 at 07:12 PM..
Fieldston is in Riverdale (it is a subsection within Riverdale) and has several expensive and exclusive private schools. In fact they are ranked as some of the most expensive and best private schools not only in New York City, but in the entire country.
1. Riverdale Country School
2. Horace Mann School
3. Ethical Culture Fieldston School
The tuition at just about all of these schools is $45,000.
Plenty of parents in Westchester and Manhattan send their kids here. They either drive them or they take the express bus. You will see them in the mornings going to Riverdale.
Manhattan College is also another private school located in the Fieldston section just up the hills from the 1 train (242nd street). Walk up the hilly Manhattan College Parkway and you enter another world. It feels nothing like "the Bronx". From Manhattan College Parkway, you enter the private community of Fieldston with many historic houses on large lots, some of which are mansions.
I know Fieldston is a very prestigious school. Ditto Horace Mann. They're up there with Dalton and Spence. Although, Horace Mann had some kind of sex scandal, I think. I know friends and colleagues who've gone there. Celebrities' kids go there but I also think they provide scholarships. An old high school friend of mine's niece got accepted to Fieldston on a full scholarship and she is not wealthy by any means. Both smart as a whip though.
I know Fieldston is a very prestigious school. Ditto Horace Mann. They're up there with Dalton and Spence. Although, Horace Mann had some kind of sex scandal, I think. I know friends and colleagues who've gone there. Celebrities' kids go there but I also think they provide scholarships. An old high school friend of mine's niece got accepted to Fieldston on a full scholarship and she is not wealthy by any means. Both smart as a whip though.
I wonder how's the area by Bronx Science.
Bedford Park is ok. It has its pockets, but Bronx Science is by the Jerome Reservoir, which tends to be a quiet part of the Bronx. There's also a big subway train yard a block or two over, so between the reservoir and some other barriers, it shields them from the "ghetto" element. I will say though that a lot of the good areas of the Bronx are shielded and have been historically because they are generally out of the way. Usually either hills (and the expense factor as in the case with Riverdale) has helped much of the Northwest Bronx stay safe. Woodlawn has the hills and the large cemetery along with Van Cortlandt Park to keep out the ghetto element. In other words, you have to make an effort to get to these neighborhoods to actually reach them as they are usually not near subways.
Something else that I've always wondered about why areas like Riverdale and Woodlawn have remained so safe... They don't have any housing projects and they have a high percentage of owners compared to most of the Bronx which is mainly renters. That helps to keep the neighborhood stable because people who own have a vested interest in keeping the neighborhood safe and stable. The rental properties in Riverdale are expensive enough to keep out any ghetto element and with Woodlawn most rentals are word of mouth and don't go online, so in other words, you have to know someone in the neighborhood to get in there.
This is also true of areas like Throggs Neck and Country Club and Pelham Gardens. If you want to know why some parts of the Bronx burned it was because they were mainly people that rented, so the landlords had no choice. When other buildings went they knew they couldn't get anyone to rent so they would have someone burn down their buildings as well to collect the insurance money and get out of that financial responsibility. Today, a lot of the good areas of the Bronx are mainly homeowners NOT renters. City Island is another example, along with Morris Park.
Last edited by pierrepont7731; 07-15-2018 at 07:28 PM..
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