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It wasn’t long after hearing about Colin Powell’s death this morning that my mind turned to Kelly Street in the South Bronx, where he was born and spent part of his childhood. From his age and lifelong military career, I doubt he was there when so much of the area around his childhood home was depopulated and burned. Anyways, his death got me reminiscing about the city I love and miss so much, and specifically about the South Bronx and the Longwood neighborhood. I know this forum has a lot of posts from residents talking about day-to-day issues, but I still thought it might be the best place to share my experience and my love for this place.
In my brain, Colin Powell’s is linked to the part of Kelly St. where he lived more than anything else, including his lies about WMDs in Iraq at the UN General Assembly. Kelly Street and a couple others between 156th and Longwood Ave. make up a little time capsule, with its stately townhomes spared from the destruction that was so pervasive in every other part of that area. I remember first walking by the house where Colin Powell’s family had lived when I stayed with relatives in the Bronx in the late-90’s (I didn’t know it was his house at the time), and later when I would visit New York for a couple weeks every summer between 2000 and 2008. Every time I visited the city, I had to go back up to the Bronx and explore a new neighborhood, eventually covering just about everything south of Fordham Rd and west of Soundview, all the way to the Harlem River. Still, that little historic area where Colin Powell had lived at some point was a spot I visited more than once as I headed north to Crotona Park East on one of my favorite walks, to catch the train at Boston Rd. and 174th.
I loved New York from the first moment I set foot there. I’ve explored Manhattan and the Bronx pretty thoroughly, but I want to go back and see more of Brooklyn and Queens. Still, something about the Bronx always kept me coming back. Maybe it was the ubiquitous Puerto Rican culture and dialect, absent in the Toronto area outside my own family. There were the botánicas, the eateries where you could get mofongo, chicharrones, and carne asado without having to spend hours making it yourself. You could get pasteles as easily as a pack of cigarettes and that was one thing I couldn’t make at home. There were the sounds of old school salsa emanating from apartment windows (and of course cars driving by drowning it out with reggaeton.)
In some ways, it felt like a home I had never known.
Although I was born and raised in a suburb that borders Toronto and spent much of my adult life living in that city, I have deep roots in New York City, with many family members moving there from Puerto Rico over the years on one side, and my grandfather’s family on the other who lived there through the Depression. There was also my Great Uncle and godfather who grew up in Green Point, Brooklyn, and used to reminisce about Stinky Creek and getting into fights in Hells Kitchen (this would have been in the 1920’s and 30’s.) For my mom, growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it seemed a natural next step to move to Manhattan when she finished secretary school. That’s where she met my father, who was sick of the small town life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he was born and raised, and moved to Manhattan in search of something bigger and better.
I always loved cities, which is why I ditched the suburb where I was raised as soon as I could and moved to Toronto to attend university. Toronto was a really cool town when I lived there, and most of its residential areas were cheap to rent or buy in and far from being trendy. A street that was known for its crack houses in the early 2000’s now demands $2,000,000+ for a below average property. The city has experienced a lot of changes I don’t like, and become too expensive for the type of people who used to make it such an interesting place to live. Just like in NYC, the grungier side that included a lot of artists and musicians, got pushed out as rents soared after the Great Recession. The once-ubiquitous blue-collar neighborhoods with all their quirks and uniqueness don’t exist anymore.
Anyways, Toronto was great, but New York was a place that really spoke to me.
Maybe it’s odd that Colin Powell’s death of all things has got me reminiscing, but it’s been 13 years since I was last in New York City. I still miss it every day and would have moved if my career paid enough to make life there tolerable. I do hope to visit again soon and maybe stay in Brooklyn this time to see a different side of the city.
I’d love to hear from anyone who lives or lived in the South Bronx. When did you live there or how long have you lived there if you live there now? What part do you live in? How’s the quality of life? What’s the rents like and how are the buildings? For the old timers, how did it feel watching your home burn down around you? How did you deal with all the crime and uncertainty? Also, how has the South Bronx changed since the late-90’s. I know they’ve build a lot of low-rise residential housing to fill in many of the vacant lots, but I find I most of it cheap-looking and nothing like the older buildings that still exist. It’s the same in Toronto where they knock down a low-rise apartment building or 150-year-old house to build a massive condo that doesn’t reflect the character of Toronto at all or meet the needs of its climate. I’m not against high-rises or development but I wish they would build dense mid-rise apartments that actually look nice instead of these glass behemoths that are gonna be the next generation’s ghetto.
I enjoyed reading your post. I've spent 2/3 of my 75 years living in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, but have very rarely ventured farther south in the Bronx than Yankee Stadium. I left the City for suburban Monmouth County, New Jersey when I retired more than a dozen years ago and never returned. First Brooklyn, then Staten Island just became too hectic and crowded a place to live comfortably. The main attractions for me in New York City were work, extended family and great reasonably priced restaurant or food stand food. None of those really exists any more. My son lives and works in Brooklyn and talks about continual incidents of road rage, fender benders, and very high costs. I thoroughly enjoyed living in NYC before I was 60, but all those attractions no longer exist for me. To quote Thomas Wolf, you can't go home again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TOkidd
It wasn’t long after hearing about Colin Powell’s death this morning that my mind turned to Kelly Street in the South Bronx, where he was born and spent part of his childhood. From his age and lifelong military career, I doubt he was there when so much of the area around his childhood home was depopulated and burned. Anyways, his death got me reminiscing about the city I love and miss so much, and specifically about the South Bronx and the Longwood neighborhood. I know this forum has a lot of posts from residents talking about day-to-day issues, but I still thought it might be the best place to share my experience and my love for this place.
In my brain, Colin Powell’s is linked to the part of Kelly St. where he lived more than anything else, including his lies about WMDs in Iraq at the UN General Assembly. Kelly Street and a couple others between 156th and Longwood Ave. make up a little time capsule, with its stately townhomes spared from the destruction that was so pervasive in every other part of that area. I remember first walking by the house where Colin Powell’s family had lived when I stayed with relatives in the Bronx in the late-90’s (I didn’t know it was his house at the time), and later when I would visit New York for a couple weeks every summer between 2000 and 2008. Every time I visited the city, I had to go back up to the Bronx and explore a new neighborhood, eventually covering just about everything south of Fordham Rd and west of Soundview, all the way to the Harlem River. Still, that little historic area where Colin Powell had lived at some point was a spot I visited more than once as I headed north to Crotona Park East on one of my favorite walks, to catch the train at Boston Rd. and 174th.
I loved New York from the first moment I set foot there. I’ve explored Manhattan and the Bronx pretty thoroughly, but I want to go back and see more of Brooklyn and Queens. Still, something about the Bronx always kept me coming back. Maybe it was the ubiquitous Puerto Rican culture and dialect, absent in the Toronto area outside my own family. There were the botánicas, the eateries where you could get mofongo, chicharrones, and carne asado without having to spend hours making it yourself. You could get pasteles as easily as a pack of cigarettes and that was one thing I couldn’t make at home. There were the sounds of old school salsa emanating from apartment windows (and of course cars driving by drowning it out with reggaeton.)
In some ways, it felt like a home I had never known.
Although I was born and raised in a suburb that borders Toronto and spent much of my adult life living in that city, I have deep roots in New York City, with many family members moving there from Puerto Rico over the years on one side, and my grandfather’s family on the other who lived there through the Depression. There was also my Great Uncle and godfather who grew up in Green Point, Brooklyn, and used to reminisce about Stinky Creek and getting into fights in Hells Kitchen (this would have been in the 1920’s and 30’s.) For my mom, growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, it seemed a natural next step to move to Manhattan when she finished secretary school. That’s where she met my father, who was sick of the small town life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he was born and raised, and moved to Manhattan in search of something bigger and better.
I always loved cities, which is why I ditched the suburb where I was raised as soon as I could and moved to Toronto to attend university. Toronto was a really cool town when I lived there, and most of its residential areas were cheap to rent or buy in and far from being trendy. A street that was known for its crack houses in the early 2000’s now demands $2,000,000+ for a below average property. The city has experienced a lot of changes I don’t like, and become too expensive for the type of people who used to make it such an interesting place to live. Just like in NYC, the grungier side that included a lot of artists and musicians, got pushed out as rents soared after the Great Recession. The once-ubiquitous blue-collar neighborhoods with all their quirks and uniqueness don’t exist anymore.
Anyways, Toronto was great, but New York was a place that really spoke to me.
Maybe it’s odd that Colin Powell’s death of all things has got me reminiscing, but it’s been 13 years since I was last in New York City. I still miss it every day and would have moved if my career paid enough to make life there tolerable. I do hope to visit again soon and maybe stay in Brooklyn this time to see a different side of the city.
I’d love to hear from anyone who lives or lived in the South Bronx. When did you live there or how long have you lived there if you live there now? What part do you live in? How’s the quality of life? What’s the rents like and how are the buildings? For the old timers, how did it feel watching your home burn down around you? How did you deal with all the crime and uncertainty? Also, how has the South Bronx changed since the late-90’s. I know they’ve build a lot of low-rise residential housing to fill in many of the vacant lots, but I find I most of it cheap-looking and nothing like the older buildings that still exist. It’s the same in Toronto where they knock down a low-rise apartment building or 150-year-old house to build a massive condo that doesn’t reflect the character of Toronto at all or meet the needs of its climate. I’m not against high-rises or development but I wish they would build dense mid-rise apartments that actually look nice instead of these glass behemoths that are gonna be the next generation’s ghetto.
I met him years ago when he was the Grand Marshall of the West Indian Parade. I immediately saluted him as he approached. He smiled and said, "I'm not longer an officer." I told him he'd always be a general to me.
One of the greatest black Americans to walk this planet, from this city. No one cares. 100% if some skell gets killed by the police tonight, posters would be all over it.
He was an extraordinary man and public servant but saying so on CD unless you’re a Mod is just going to get some snarky idiotic comment, so we stay quiet. I would have voted for him in a heartbeat but totally understand why he didn’t run. RIP.
There's nothing in the Tos about applauding an American hero from the city this forum covers. There's about 20 active threads right now in the forum, most of which I at least haven't even glanced at. You're off base.
Ive met him in person as he was a guest speaker on one of our venues. At the time I liked him very much.
Then again, he was was pushing the invasion of Iraq and WMD being there and all that, who knows.
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